What is the nastiest predatory animal for its size?

Question

I have not looked it up. It has just occured to me. What critter could cause most damage to humans and other animals if it was larger and still able to fly, squirm, swim or whatever it needs to do to attack its victims/prey? Disease or virus/bacteria/pathogen vectors do not count, neither does the use of tools like nuclear missiles.

Answer 1

The Irukandji jellyfish (Carukia barnesi) is a small, extremely venomous box jellyfish. Its bada-ss, a wonder of evolutionary genetics.

Its smaller then a fingernail, with very long hair thin tentacles nearly invisible in the water. Recently discovered, we know very little because it is so fragile and almost impossible to keep alive in habitation.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XPtqVh4fcoc check out the video, I do believe this woman was sick for 2-weeks. Described as an unending staircase of pain where the most potent morphine injection barely takes the edge off! Like having your spine smashed over and over again.

That woman had a dead tentacle swipe across her wrist. After getting out of the water. she was covered head to toe in a scuba outfit. She was stung while researching this animal, being aware of its potency. Imagine running into this bugger unknowingly like a normal recreational swimmer. It is unknown how many deaths from Irukandji syndrome have been wrongly attributed to other causes.

Answer 2

Imagine any spider blown up to man-size. There would be a fair number of us humans lying about, dead and dessicated, in silk webbing. Most of the spiders I know about also cannibalize each other when they are small. Can you imagine this on a giant scale? Also, spiders such as the daddy long legs have potent venom (they can't produce enough to harm a human or even break a human's skin at their current size, but just imagine...and the black widow and brown recluse are already threats to humans at their small size...)

Answer 3

I watched a programme on Carnivorous Marsupials and there was this tiny little thing like a chipmunk but it attacked the presenter and basically kicked his ***! It sat there after it had taken a chunk out of his leg and was snarling at the camera. This group of mammals totally rip apart insects twice their size and pound for pound I would say these wee beasties are the meanest and most aggressive on the planet

Answer 4

I would say the shark or the crocodile. These are two animals who have not had to evolve in any way. They were created as the perfect survivors and killers. If they were able to live on land then we would be screwed. Also the Human is theoretically a mammal so would probably win if it was down to the deadliest.......hum good question.......hope its an ok answer

Answer 5

I would say the badger! They tear things apart now, imaging if they were the size of a volkswagon! I was torn between that and a catfish. I have seen catfish the size of people before when diving near a damn, they just sit there and eat trash all the time, and there is rumor that there are catfish there the size of small cars, but i personally haven't seen any, so yeah, rambling there, the point is, Badger is evil and will tear you apart!

Answer 6

Though I am probably wrong about this, one of the most fierce creatures I think is the wolverine. Not many animals fight with the ferocity of a ticked off wolverine. Strictly as a predator though maybe a great white shark. They are nothing more than finally honed eating machines. Millions of years of perfection.

Answer 7

That cute little Robin in you garden is extremely violent and very Territorial and will quite happily impale much larger birds on its sharp pointed beak,dive bombing from great heights and aiming straight at the heart.

Answer 8

I've heard a badger, pound for pound and claw for claw, is one of the most dangerous animals around, but I'm sure other countries or lands who don't HAVE badgers have equally destructive animals! Wonder what they would be? Hmmm..

Answer 9

Such a creature does not exist within the animal kingdom, however there are a host of insects such as ants, spiders, cockroaches, mosquitoes, and tics... that could very easily wipe-out mankind providing there were a dramatic increase of their size.

Answer 10

Wolverine