Black scorpion 8-10 cm with thick muscular tail. Genus name 'Androctonus' means 'man-killer'. Causes most scorpion deaths in the Middle East.

Potent neurotoxin causes hypertension, pulmonary edema, cardiac failure. Several hundred deaths/year across Arabian Peninsula, Iraq, Iran. Children especially vulnerable.

Saudi Arabia, UAE, Oman, Yemen, Iraq, Iran, Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar, Jordan. Hot deserts, rocky terrain, occasionally homes.

Nocturnal. Hides under stones and in cracks by day. Can be common in homes after construction in former desert.

Small (50-90 cm), sandy-coloured viper with serrated scales that rasp together producing a warning sound. Despite size, considered the world's deadliest snake by total kill count.

Estimated to cause 20,000+ deaths annually across its range — more than any other snake. Hemotoxin causes uncontrolled bleeding. Highly aggressive — strikes without provocation.

Dry regions from West Africa across Middle East to India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka. Sand, scrub, rocky desert.

Nocturnal. Makes a distinctive 'sizzling' sound by rubbing serrated scales — a warning. Strikes faster than human reflexes — multiple times per second.

Up to 60 cm. Mottled brown — perfect camouflage as a rock or piece of coral. 13 dorsal spines deliver deadly venom on contact. Asian counterpart of the Australian reef stonefish.

Excruciating pain often described as the worst known. Without antivenom, large stings can be fatal in hours from cardiovascular collapse. Several deaths/year across Asia.

Estuaries, mangroves, shallow tidal pools of India, Bangladesh, Myanmar, Thailand, Vietnam, China, Indonesia, Philippines.

Lies motionless half-buried in sand/mud. Hunters often step on them while wading or fishing barefoot.

Black above, bright yellow below, paddle-shaped tail. Up to 1 m. The most widespread snake in the world — Indo-Pacific from Africa to Americas.

Highly potent neurotoxin — 10x more toxic than cobra. But docile and rarely bites swimmers. Most bites: fishermen entangled in nets.

Open ocean throughout Indo-Pacific — Australia, all Oceania islands, Indonesia, Philippines, India, even Pacific coast of Mexico/Central America.

Fully aquatic — cannot move well on land. Drinks fresh water from surface rain layer. Floats among debris hunting small fish.

Up to 5 m with vertical tiger-like stripes (fade with age). Eats almost anything — license plates, tires, and human remains have been found in their stomachs.

Second only to great white in unprovoked human attacks. Common in Caribbean and Hawaiian waters. Slow but powerful — strikes once and waits.

Tropical and subtropical waters — Florida, Caribbean, Gulf of Mexico, Hawaii.

Solitary, mostly nocturnal. Migrates long distances. Females birth up to 80 live pups.

Cousin of saw-scaled viper, up to 75 cm. Sandy-grey with darker pattern. Causes most snakebites in the Arabian Peninsula and Israel's southern deserts.

Hemotoxin causes severe bleeding, kidney failure. Highly aggressive — strikes repeatedly. Number one cause of snakebite death in Saudi Arabia, Oman, Yemen, UAE, southern Israel.

Rocky deserts and mountain wadis of Saudi Arabia, Yemen, Oman, UAE, southern Israel, Jordan, southern Egypt.

Nocturnal in summer. Makes 'sizzling' warning sound by rubbing scales — same as African saw-scaled. Easily overlooked due to camouflage.

Yellow-brown, up to 8 cm. Found in Spain, southern France, Italy, the Balkans. The largest scorpion in Europe.

Sting is intensely painful — comparable to a wasp — and can cause swelling, fever, vomiting. Healthy adults recover in 24 hours; risk for children and allergics.

Dry rocky terrain, vineyards, ruins, and old stone walls of the Mediterranean.

Nocturnal. Hides under stones and bark by day. Stings when stepped on, sat on, or while putting on shoes left outside overnight.