ABC News has an interesting article listing the most painful bites and stings of the animal kingdom. There are some we already know about, such as the jellyfish and rattlesnakes, and black widow spiders and also other you might not have heard of. I liked the article because it also includes comments from people who have experienced the “pleasure” of getting stung or bitten. It makes it that much better. Click the read link to read one of the excerpts.

Stonefish
In terms of a perfect combo of pain and lethality, the homely stonefish’s sting may take first prize. The stonefish, found in the rocky, shallow waters of tropical oceans, has several extremely sharp spines along its back. Hapless waders can easily mistake the well-camouflaged fish for a rock or hunk of coral — and if they step on the animal, the spines will puncture the skin and inject a complex and deadly venom.
The pain from the sting is described as instant and intense. One victim described the experience on an online aquarium enthusiasts’ forum:

“I got spiked on the finger by a stonefish in Australia … never mind a bee sting. … Imagine having each knuckle, then the wrist, elbow and shoulder being hit in turn with a sledgehammer over the course of about an hour. Then about an hour later imagine taking a real kicking to both kidneys for about 45 minutes so that you couldn’t stand or straighten up. I was late 20s, pretty fit physically and this was the tiniest of nicks. Got sensation back in my finger after a few days but had recurrent kidney pains periodically for several years afterwards.”

Other stories describe sting victims wanting to have their stung limb amputated from their body.
Hoech of the Monterey Bay Aquarium has worked closely with the stonefish, and he agreed that the animal “is definitely at the top of the list” of the most pain-producing creatures.

[Link]

Be Sociable, Share!

• 

• Antarctic fur seal tries to have sex with penguin
• The Fifth Grader Nature Guide for First Graders
• Man gouges alligator’s eyes, unfortunately this was after his arm was ripped off
• “Osama bin Laden” (the elephant) killed in India
• Pro golfer charged with animal cruelty for hitting a hawk with a golf shot… intentionally