Top 10 Most Dangerous Animals in the World

When it comes to killing humans, no animal is as deadly as the tiny mosquito. This pesky insect is responsible for a huge amount of deaths, over 725,000 per year. Mosquito-born illnesses such as malaria, dengue fever, yellow fever, and encephalitis have wreaked havoc on the human race throughout history. It would take about 1.2 million bites to drain all the blood from your body.

Humans hold a dubious number 2 spot on our list of the most dangerous animals in the world, with over 437,000 homicides per year. While we may not be our worst enemies, we’re getting pretty close. Over a 75-year lifespan, a person has a 1 in 200 chance of being murdered in America.

Snakes kill approximately 50,000 people each year, which places them solidly as the third most dangerous animal in the world. The number of deaths may be even higher because snake bites are poorly reported in many parts of the world. In India alone, over 46,000 people die from snake bites. The number of snake deaths may be higher because rural areas may not have adequate documentation.

Man’s best friend? Maybe not. Dogs kill over 25,000 people per year, which earns them spot #4 on our list of the most dangerous animals in the world. However, most dog deaths are not from household pets, but rather from feral and stray dogs infected with rabies. India alone has over 30 million stray dogs. Rabid dogs account for a vast amount of these deaths.

The next animals on our list are very small but massively dangerous. Tsetse flies, assassin bugs, and freshwater snails kill at least 10,000 people per year--each. These small but deadly parasites are increasingly spreading around the world due to climate change and unsanitary living conditions. The word "tsetse" means "fly" in Tswana (Burkina Faso / Creative Commons)

Coming in at number 6 on our list is the roundworm. Meet the terrifying creature that makes its home-sweet-home in the small intestines of approximately 1.5 billion people and kills 2,500 people worldwide. Just imagine a mass of earthworms as long as a foot crawling around in your belly or exiting your bum in what looks like a bundle of writhing spaghetti noodles.. Roundworms can reach 20 inches long.

Causing the deaths of over 2,000 people per year, the creepy tapeworm ranks number 7 on our list of the most dangerous animals in the world. With the ability to grow up to 30 feet, these disgusting parasites live, thrive, and reproduce in the human body and can even spread to your brain, where they can cause meningitis, seizures, and dementia.. The most common way to pick up a tapeworm is through eating undercooked meat.

One hundred times more deadly than sharks, crocodiles come in as number 8 on our list of the most dangerous animals in the world. While numbers are difficult to calculate, it is believed that crocs kill around 1,000 people per year. Extremely territorial, crocs attack to kill and will eat pretty much anything--in or out of the water. Crocodiles are extremely territorial and will kill any intruder, including humans

The ninth most dangerous animal is the extremely aggressive and territorial hippopotamus. Although these chubby animals are primarily vegetarians, they kill over 800 people per year. Boasting sharp teeth, a body weight of over 3,000 pounds, and agility both in and out the water, hippos are formidable beasts indeed. The name "hippopotamus" is Greek for "river horse."

Coming in at number 10 is the elephant, which kills about 100 people a year. While elephants are usually adorable, if they are provoked in the wild, they can become one of the deadliest animals in the world. “Elephant rage” is becoming more common as humans and elephants increasingly come into contact with each other. Elephants have the largest brains of the animal kingdom.