Are these the 10 most dangerous animals on earth?

10. Hippopotamus

Humans Killed Per Year: 500
Where They Can Be Found: Africa

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Hippos are extremely aggressive and territorial animals. If threatened on land, hippos can match a human’s speed and kill them. They spend about 16 hours a day in the water and only leave the water to eat.

Hippos consume about 80 pounds of grass a day and weigh about 3,000 to 8,000 pounds!

9. Tapeworm

Humans Killed Per Year: 700
Worldwide, although risk factors include exposure to livestock, travel to developing countries and living in endemic areas

Photo: Christoph Burgstedt/Getty Images

This small but mighty parasite is one of the world’s deadliest animals because it transmits infections called cysticercosis or taeniasis. Humans get tapeworm by eating raw or undercooked beef or pork.

Tapeworms are a silent killer, as the symptoms are usually mild or nonexistent. Eventually, this parasite causes organ function disruption, seizures, nervous system impairment and digestive block

8. Crocodile

Humans Killed Per Year: 1,000
Australia, Asia, Africa and the Americas

Crocodiles look as vicious as they are. These dinosaur-like reptiles are the eighth-deadliest animal in the world, killing about 1,000 humans each year. Of the 27 crocodile species, seven are extremely dangerous to humans.

The Nile Crocodile takes the crown for being the most dangerous, as it’s responsible for more than 300 fatal attacks on people each year.

7. Ascaris Roundworm

Humans Killed Per Year: 2,500
Worldwide, particularly in warm, humid climates

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Ascaris roundworms are parasitic worms that cause an infection of the small intestine. Humans can get infected with roundworms by ingesting infective eggs. Infection happens when contaminated hands are put in the mouth or by consuming raw produce that has not been washed, cooked or peeled.

Deaths from Ascaris roundworm are more common in areas that have ineffective sewage disposal systems.

6. Tsetse Fly

Humans Killed Per Year: 10,000
Rural parts of Africa

Photo: Cristian Storto Fotografia/Getty Images

A bite from a tsetse fly (pronounced set-si fly) is, to put it simply, unpleasant. The fly saws into your skin, transmits a disease called African trypanosomiasis (or sleeping sickness) and continues on its way.

Symptoms begin with a fever and headache and continue until the infected person becomes increasingly tired and eventually dies.

5. Assassin Bug

Humans Killed Per Year: About 10,000 to 12,000
North America, South America, Europe, Asia and Africa

Photo: erniedecker/Getty Images

As the name implies, an assassin bug kills. It bites your skin, sucks your blood and transmits a disease called Chagas disease, which causes infection and inflammation of human tissues.

The assassin bug is ruthless to other insects as well. After it sucks its prey dry, the bug attaches the entire corpse to its back and walks around with it as a protective shield. That’s some sinister stuff!

4. Freshwater Snail

Humans Killed Per Year: Between 10,000 and 20,000
Africa, Asia and South America

Death by snail is no way to die. No, they won’t catch you or touch you, but they are responsible for transmitting Schistosomiasis, a disease that infects the urinary tract and intestines.

The disease spreads by contact with freshwater that’s been contaminated with parasites released by the freshwater snails. The condition is most common in developing countries where people use unclean water for daily living.

3. Dog

Humans Killed Per Year: About 25,000 to 30,000
Worldwide

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Think twice about cuddling with Spike, as he’s the third-deadliest animal in the world. Dogs infected with rabies are the ones who generally kill humans.

The World Health Organization reports that dogs contribute to 99 percent of all rabies transmissions to humans. A vaccine prevents rabies, yet most of the deaths happen in rural areas of Asia, Africa or South America, where the vaccine is not always accessible.

2. Snake

Humans Killed Per Year: Different sources report anywhere from 25,000 to 100,000
Every continent except Antarctica

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People either love snakes or hate them. There’s no in-between. Snakes kill about 100,000 humans every year, and they attack in a variety of ways. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), 600 of the 3,000 species of snakes are venomous.

Some of the most dangerous snakes live alongside people in areas where access to anti-venom and medical care is limited (such as India). Other snakes, such as pythons or anacondas, will simply squeeze and crush you to death. Oh, and all the cobra has to do is spit venom on your face to kill you.

1. Mosquito

Humans Killed Per Year: Different sources report anywhere from 725,000 to 1 million
Any environment, except for extremely cold weather

Photo: frank600/Getty Images

Mosquitos not only leave an itchy bite, but they are also carriers of illnesses and diseases, including Zika, malaria, dengue fever, Japanese encephalitis, West Nile and yellow fever — all of which are fatal.

But let’s lighten this up a little bit! The best thing you can do to avoid a mosquito bite? Wear the smelly mosquito repellent (DEET is the strongest) and decorate your home with citronella candles for a romantic, protective touch.

25 more dangerous animals

We’re ranking the most dangerous animals based on how many human attacks or deaths per year they cause.

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