Horses Are Deadlier Than Snakes In Australia

The eastern brown snake, the inland taipan, the Sydney funnel-web spider, the blue ringed octopus and the box jellyfish. These are just some of the highly venomous animals native to Australia, creatures that send a shiver down the spine of vistors to the land down under. Australia has gained a reputation as the epicentre of all things venomous but is its dangerous reputation really justified?

Recent research from the Internal Medicine Journal suggests that the venomous stereotypes have been blown out of proportion. Between 2000 and 2013, horses killed 74 people in Australia, more than all of the country's venomous animals combined. During the same time period, snakes caused 27 deaths. Marine animals caused three deaths while no deaths were attributed to spiders.