Deadly on your doorstep
You don't have to venture to the Amazon forest to encounter deadly creatures. Just pop your head out of your back door. Ferociously deadly creatures lie in wait just metres from where you sleep.
Deadly they maybe, but to whom? We can relax for now, sitting in our comfy throne at the top of the food chain. What is deadly to a snail is not necessarily deadly to us.
Luckily, there are few creatures that seek to predate us, but don’t get too smug, there are still many out there that can pack one hell of a punch. Unfortunately the rest of nature is not so lucky with predation commonplace.
Who is in the running for the UK’s deadliest animal?
The common shrew consumes its body weight in snails, slugs and insects daily making it one of the UK's most veracious land mammals.
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Have you considered the adder? One bite from this venomous reptile will paralyse its prey in seconds.
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Steve Backshall’s deadliest animal is the killer whale. Watch this clip from Deadly 60 and see if you agree.
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But how do you define deadly? Have you had a deadly encounter? What is the UK's deadliest creature? Let us know your comments and stories in the space below.
has a rundown of some of the UK's deadliest animals.
Steve Backshall and CÖ÷²¥´óÐã's Live 'n' Deadly show reveal their candidate for deadliest UK animal at 9am on Ö÷²¥´óÐã Two, Saturday 13 November.
Comment number 1.
At 12th Nov 2010, alberth wrote:How about humans?
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Comment number 2.
At 13th Nov 2010, Farang9 wrote:At last, Alberth has come out with it. The most deadly species in Britain, to all living things, including itself, is Homo sapiens (and that's surely a scientific joke).
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Comment number 3.
At 13th Nov 2010, Gawain wrote:I can only presume that humans will take the award on Sunday...it's a great teaching possibility for combatting the pernicious notion that people are not animals. I really think that misperception is more damaging to progress than evolution-denial, which really is just a subset of this anachronistic mindset.
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Comment number 4.
At 14th Nov 2010, Cassandra wrote:Humans are hideously dangerous - but we are NOT at the top of the food chain. There's a book called "Parasite Rex" that will give a glimpse into the lives of creatures that not only make a meal of man but which have changed to course of history over the millennia. As special as humans feel, we are just food, housing, a means of replication, and collateral damage to a host of things around us.
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Comment number 5.
At 16th Nov 2010, himantura wrote:Really?! I know it is a kids tv show but I am deeply ashamed that the Ö÷²¥´óÐã has finally sunk to the levels of Discovery and Nat Geo. I am sick and tired of the appalling quality of 'nature documentaries' these days, the constant cry of the 'deadliest', 'most dangerous' etc. It's absolute tabloid ROT. I had always held the Ö÷²¥´óÐã in higher esteem, they seemed to be the only ones still making quality, informative, 'sensitive' programs. But now this - and frankly if we are sinking to this depth with the kids what hope do we have. No more Attenboroughs or Carwardines - instead we will just start churning out Irwins and Marvins (literally .
I grew up watching Attenborough, who inspired respect for wildlife and the natural world. Now we are churning out generations of people who cannot appreciate wildlife in it's natural state - after working in eco-tourism with sharks, whales, turtles, orcas and a host of other species I am sorry to say that my observations of peoples behaviour towards and around these animals is far from respectful and caring.
Most dangerous British species ever? How about a fisherman!
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Comment number 6.
At 16th Nov 2010, LazyRizzo wrote:Deadliest? Discounting mankind - the mosquito.
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Comment number 7.
At 16th Nov 2010, tonpal wrote:The news artical at says "For many so-called deadly animals it is not the sting that kills people, but an allergic reaction to the toxins injected by the sting." Surely having an 'alergy' to something is just a measure of the body's immune system response, for example we all get a swelling from a wasp sting because that is something our body does to counter the toxin, but for some that swelling is extreme and may be life threatening. Just because somebody's reaction is extreme does not mean it caused by anything other than the toxin received.
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Comment number 8.
At 17th Nov 2010, Alex wrote:Yes, last time I checked we are animals - and so may be contenders for "UK's deadliest", at least in terms of human deaths in the UK (~3000 road accident fatalities each year; ~700 murders; ~10,000 other fatal accidents).
Most of the organisms in "Parasite Rex" are unfortunately not animals, though I agree with the view of Cassandra's post. And neither is Plasmodium that causes malaria, LarryRizzo (and how many malaria cases are there in the UK?).
Incidentally, since when where shrews "veracious" (=truthful), as it says in the article above (or did originally, if they now correct it)? I think the word is "voracious"! I agree with Himantura - standards are clearly slipping (and here we have yet another "top ten programme" - because that's what kids like, innit? Or is that format actually patronising to them - has anyone bothered to ask?).
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