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Hey guys, it seems alot of people think that Australia is full of dangerous animals and that you can't go ten feet with out rolling a d6 to see if you stand on a snake.
I mean, in America you have BEARS!
All we have is a few hundred species of venomous snakes and spiders and scorpions and centipedes and deadly butterflies.
So I just want to know, where does this thing come from?

 the shrouded lord wrote:

All we have is a few hundred species of venomous snakes and spiders and scorpions and centipedes and deadly butterflies.

I do believe you answered your own question.

The thing about bears is that they are fairly noticeable; it is unlikely that you would wake up one morning to suddenly find a grizzly under the covers with you, or step on one when going out for a swim.

It comes from the fact that Australia is positively seething with deadly poisonous insects and snakes, as well as vicious large creatures like crocodiles, kangaroos, land sharks and drop bears.


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On top of which, much of the vegetation is either poisonous or highly flammable.


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Furthermore, the seas around Australia are filled with sharks, barracudas, venomous stonefish and stinging jellyfish.

 the shrouded lord wrote:
Hey guys, it seems alot of people think that Australia is full of dangerous animals and that you can't go ten feet with out rolling a d6 to see if you stand on a snake.
I mean, in America you have BEARS!
All we have is a few hundred species of venomous snakes and spiders and scorpions and centipedes and deadly butterflies.
So I just want to know, where does this thing come from?

Don't give the game away mate!

In Russia there are even more bears! And tigers, and lots and lots of wolves.
The difference is that those animals are all big and easily noticeable. And unless you crash into them on the highway (which actually happens quite a lot in Siberia)


bears are not that dangerous. Wolves even less so. Unless you go looking for trouble, you usually will not get into trouble around them.
Australia on the other hand is filled with poisonous deadly unpredictable tiny creepy-crawlies that crawl into your shoe, bed or wherever you don't notice them until it is too late. I thank the Lord every day for not living in Australia. I HATE insects.
They say Russia is a harsh country, but it has got nothing on Australia. How do you manage to stay alive there?

Because it's true.

Yes, America has bears (but so do other countries). But despite what Stephen Colbert says about those godless killing machines, they don't run across people very much and when they do it's pretty rare that they attack.

We have 4 brands of venomous snakes in America (rattlesnakes, cottonmouths, copperheads, and coral snakes) and lots are in geographically isolated habitats. We also only have one species of venomous lizard, the gila monster. Also, we only have a handful of dangerous spiders (widows, recluses, and hobo spiders) and two kinds of venomous scorpions (bark scorpions and stripeback scorpions, neither of which is particularly dangerous).

Your oceans are full of box jellies, stingrays, and sharks; the land is crawling with deadly spiders and snakes (Australia is the only place where venomous snakes outnumber nonvenomous snakes); the saltwater crocodile; and you guys have the world's only venomous mammal. That's all the proof you need.

 Kilkrazy wrote:
It comes from the fact that Australia is positively seething with deadly poisonous insects and snakes, as well as vicious large creatures like crocodiles, kangaroos, land sharks and drop bears.


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On top of which, much of the vegetation is either poisonous or highly flammable.


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Furthermore, the seas around Australia are filled with sharks, barracudas, venomous stonefish and stinging jellyfish.

You forgot about the blue ringed octopus.

We have 11 of the worlds 12 most poisonous snakes for a start. The first aid book I had to study earlier today had about 17 pages on bite/sting treatment from various animals too...

Maybe it's just Australian Rules mother nature

I have lived in Australia for about 10 years now. I have only ever seen a few snakes and they were in a Zoo. Granted I do live in the Suburbs of Melbourne, but I do go bush once in a while.

Spiders are another thing I see them everywhere, but most I see aren't deadly. They're hiding down the side of the house, inside the house, while I'm out... The closest I've come to being bitten is once when a white tail decided a white tail decided my gardening glove would be a nice place to brood. According to my brother I pooped myself and screamed like a girl.

I have also once had to stop swimming at the beach because there was a 5m Shark in the area... I was 50m out when the Helicopter came, I have never swum so fast.

This is the Degree to which Australia has tried to kill me.

But I was born and raised in Africa (South Africa, Tanzania, Zanzibar, Zimbabwe) and I have far worse horror stories. Snakes in the house more often than you'd like (Black Mambas, Puff Adders being the worst), a scorpion crawling across me while I was sleeping, a Black Mamba crashing my Birthday party, a baboon going ape in my compound and don’t get me started about South African Sharks... this coupled with the disease ridden mosquitoes it’s a wonder I didn't die.

My Family came here because it was SAFER... although the animals don't have everything to do with that.


What is key here is that I don’t live in The Australian Bush. There just about everything will kill you. Especially Drop Bears!
Generally the more remote and rural the area the more wildlife there is to kill you.
So it is possible to live in Australia and not have your lives threatened at every turn, just live in densely populated areas.

This also seemed appropriate...

At least the Kangaroos are safe




Wait, scratch that.

 Maddermax wrote:
At least the Kangaroos are safe




Wait, scratch that.

He was clearly in that kangaroo's spot.

Do I get bingo?

If you've ever seen the stone cold killer look in the eyes of a wallaby you wouldnt have to ask.

I once tried to hug q kangaroo... Fether...

Sometimes that Koala, he looks right into you. Right into your eyes. You know the thing about a Koala, he's got... lifeless eyes, black eyes, like a doll's eye. When he comes at ya, doesn't seem to be livin'. Until he bites ya and those black eyes roll over white. And then, ah then you hear that terrible high pitch screamin'.....

 Mr. Burning wrote:
Sometimes that Koala, he looks right into you. Right into your eyes. You know the thing about a Koala, he's got... lifeless eyes, black eyes, like a doll's eye. When he comes at ya, doesn't seem to be livin'. Until he bites ya and those black eyes roll over white. And then, ah then you hear that terrible high pitch screamin'.....

This is how a drop bear is made. When those lifeless Koala eyes watch the last breath leave a man as blood drips from its mouth it becomes something far worse than the greatest of nightmares.

Poisonous Butterflies? Da fuq! o.O

Learned something new every day...eh?

 whembly wrote:
Poisonous Butterflies? Da fuq! o.O

Learned something new every day...eh?

There's actually a good number of poisonous butterfly breeds, just very few that are potent enough to even affect a human in any degree.

A fething snake recently ate a salt water croc, one of the deadliest animals around. Seriously.

 the shrouded lord wrote:

I mean, in America you have BEARS!

you have drop bears... they are like ninja assault bears that go straight for the face.

Animal planet taught me to stay away from Australia at all costs.

 easysauce wrote:

 the shrouded lord wrote:

I mean, in America you have BEARS!

you have drop bears... they are like ninja assault bears that go straight for the face.

Drop Bears are related to Koalas and thus aren't bears. They're ninja assault marsupials.

Seriously. The snake. Ate. The. Crocodile.




That's my freaking state.

To be fair, Florida has croc-eating snakes now too.




Bears attack people for basically 2 reasons. They feel cornered or they think their cubs are in danger. All other situations they'll run away.

Our most common venomous snake is polite enough to warn you before it bites you, unless you happened to step on it before it knew you were there.

 Grey Templar wrote:
To be fair, Florida has croc-eating snakes now too.




Bears attack people for basically 2 reasons. They feel cornered or they think their cubs are in danger. All other situations they'll run away.

Our most common venomous snake is polite enough to warn you before it bites you, unless you happened to step on it before it knew you were there.

It seems like there is a type of Grizzly bear that is aggressive, but I could be mis-remembering.


We're lucky in the U.S. The most venomous snake we have, is the least dangerous of our venomous snakes.

This is excluding stupid people that keep black mambas around.

Brown Bears are the most aggressive bear, but they're still not all that dangerous as long as they aren't cornered or feel their cubs are threatened. They're also the least likely to be near humans at all. Black bears are more common around people.

Australia is the real world Catachan.

 Sasori wrote:

It seems like there is a type of Grizzly bear that is aggressive, but I could be mis-remembering.

Kodiak bears are known to have more violent interactions with humans, but part of that stems from the fact that their very limited range is frequented by hunters trying to come after this 'dangerous' bear. (They're still one of the few predators on earth that will eat people.)

Polar bears, on the other hand, have no fear of humans and if hungry will eat people as readily as seals. Polar bears are some dangerous dudes.

Add to the list of dangerous Australian animals the birds (cassowaries) that can kick you in the chest hard enough to stop your heart.

Thanks Jimsolo, I was trying to think of the name of that bird! It has no fear, and a hatred for everything that lives.

It's a good thing Australia doesn't have honey badgers.