# Which animal has killed the most humans?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-animal-has-killed-the-most-humans/687441>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [May 1, 2014, 3:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-animal-has-killed-the-most-humans/687441 "2014-05-01T15:06:01Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 5

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**Author:** ![Sailboat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sailboat/32/461_2.png) [@Sailboat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sailboat)\
**Post date:** [May 2, 2014, 11:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-animal-has-killed-the-most-humans/687441/81 "2014-05-02T23:08:33Z")

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> [@Si\_Amigo](#):
>
> Most people don’t commonly call insects animals in everyday conversation.

Nonsense. I have a LOT of conversations about what people consider to be an animal, because I’m vegan. Other than the occasional moron who asks if I eat fish, everyone considers all non-plant, non-fungus critters “animals.”

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**Author:** ![nearwildheaven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/90db22/32.png) [@nearwildheaven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nearwildheaven)\
**Post date:** [May 3, 2014, 4:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-animal-has-killed-the-most-humans/687441/82 "2014-05-03T04:55:43Z")

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Schistosomes, liver flukes, tapeworms, guinea worms, trichinae and other parasites have certainly wreaked plenty of havoc over the centuries too.

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**Author:** ![cocopelli](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e9bcb4/32.png) [@cocopelli](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cocopelli)\
**Post date:** [May 3, 2014, 10:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-animal-has-killed-the-most-humans/687441/83 "2014-05-03T22:51:42Z")

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> [@Superhal](#):
>
> I’m going to go with cows. Hamburgers lead to obesity which leads to heart disease which is the #1 killer in the world today.

Except meat and saturated fat doesn’t lead to heart diseases.

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**Author:** ![mr.jp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/48db29/32.png) [@mr.jp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mr.jp)\
**Post date:** [May 4, 2014, 3:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-animal-has-killed-the-most-humans/687441/84 "2014-05-04T15:20:36Z")

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Taking animal as a species:

Killing as being responsible for:  
Mosquitoes

Killing as killing directly:  
Snakes  
Taking animal as a single animal:

Killing as being responsible for:  
Possibly a rat that introduced a disease to a city.

Killings as killing directly:  
Possibly a specific tiger.

If humans are not excluded, they would top every category.

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