9 Cute And Deadly Animals – Looks Can Be Deceiving

Looks can be very deceiving, and apparently this does not apply only to people: some animals can look cute and adorable and you may feel like cuddling them, without knowing that this might be the last thing you do. Here is a closer look at the top 9 cute and deadly animals that will make you want to think twice before you pet them:

1. The Slow Loris

The Slow Loris is definitely an adorable creature: its big eyes and its fluffy body make it one of the cutest mammals on Earth. However, few people know that the Slow Loris is also one of the most poisonous, given the fact that it produces a toxin inside its elbows. If they feel threatened or annoyed, they can easily spray that venom in your eyes and cause permanent blindness. If you have thought about getting a Slow Loris as a pet, you might want to reconsider your decision!

2. The Duckbill Platypus

The platypus is known for its strange yet adorable appearance: these mammals are truly unique as they seem to combine physical traits and features from several different animals like ducks, otters and beavers. Just like the Slow Loris, the duckbill platypus also produces a deadly venom located in its hollow spurs. Although this venom is designed to protect the mammal from predators, it can hurt humans as well.

3. Polar Bears

Polar bears are gentle and fuzzy at first sight, but this is actually one of the largest carnivores and it will do everything it takes to survive. Polar bears attack and kill tens of people every year, so you might want to watch your back if you will ever find yourself anywhere near one in the future!

4. The Poison Dart Frog

Generally speaking, frogs are anything but cute. However, this does not apply to the Poison Dart Frog: its beautiful, lively colors and cute appearance certainly make you want to squeeze it and play with it all day long, blissfully unaware of the fact that it is called “the POISON Dart Frog” for a reason. This frog is one of the most poisonous of its kind, as it produces toxic secretions that were commonly used in the past by the American Indians to poison the tip of their darts.

5. The Blue-Ringed Octopus

There are hundreds of different octopus species out there, but none of them is as dangerous as the blue-ringed octopus, in spite of its very tiny appearance. This octopus will not hesitate to bite you and inject a strong venom that can kill you within minutes, if you do not get the anti-venom right away. However, if you do not step on it or provoke it in any way, it seldom attacks for no apparent reason.

6. The Cassowary

This is a rare bird that in spite of its flamboyant turkey-like appearance, can be easily compared to a Velociraptor undercover. What makes the cassowary so dangerous is its extremely sharp claws who can easily cut through human skin, causing extensive wounds and even death. If you are not careful enough or you provoke the cassowary in any way, it can easily disembowel you within seconds.

7. The Stingray

Stingrays are beautiful, and if you have ever been to an aquarium you have certainly seen one by now. However, these seemingly docile creatures can turn out to be deadly: as a matter of fact, the well known Steve Irwin (better known as the Crocodile Hunter) died of a stingray wound to the chest. Their barbed stinger coupled with a powerful venom are the aspects that make stingrays so feared: the toxin is situated at the tip of the stinger, and although the toxin itself is not necessarily fatal, it can turn out deadly if the stinger punctures your vital organs such as your heart.

8. The Pufferfish

Pufferfish are so cute because of their appearance when they are fully expanded: their chubby appearance is what makes them so adorable. However, these fish are considered some of the most poisonous vertebrate on Earth, this is why fishermen often use extremely thick gloves when handling them. If the venom of the Pufferfish gets to you and you do not get treatment right away, it can paralyze your diaphragm and lead to suffocation within minutes.

9. Hippos

Hippos are adorable, especially when they are small: those cute round eyes and those cute little ears have turned them into popular cartoon and movie characters, over the decades. However, hippos have turned out to be deadly more than once, as these animals are very territorial if somebody gets to cross their mud pond. Hippos are very fast in spite of their huge weight – never underestimate a hippo, especially its jaw and canine teeth that can grow up to 10 inches in length. Although they are herbivores and they do not kill for prey like other animals (such as                                                                 crocodiles), they can kill you in an instant.