Up to 3 m. Brown to almost black. The 'asp' that legendarily killed Cleopatra. Symbol on pharaohs' crowns (uraeus).

Powerful neurotoxin + cytotoxin. Top killer in North Africa and the Sahel. Mortality 20% without antivenom.

Savannas, semi-deserts, oases of North Africa — Egypt, Libya, Algeria, Morocco, Tunisia, Sudan, Mali, Niger, Chad, Mauritania.

Active day and night depending on temperature. Spreads hood when threatened. Common near villages hunting rodents.

Up to 6 m and 1,000 kg. Second-largest crocodile after the saltwater. Kills more humans than any other crocodile — ~750 per year.

Ambushes people drawing water, washing clothes, swimming. Death roll drowns prey. Active near villages along the Nile and Zambezi basins.

Rivers, lakes, swamps across sub-Saharan Africa — Egypt (south), Sudan, South Sudan, Uganda, Kenya, Tanzania, Zambia, Mozambique, DRC, all Nile basin.

Mostly nocturnal hunter. Spends day basking. Can sprint 22 km/h short bursts. Females defend nests fiercely.

Yellow scorpion 7-11 cm. Slender pincers, thick stinger tail. Most venomous scorpion in the world by neurotoxin potency.

Powerful neurotoxin cocktail. Mortality in children up to 70% without antivenom. 1-2 mg of venom worth $39,000 on research market.

Deserts of North Africa — Egypt, Libya, Algeria, Sudan, Tunisia, Morocco, Mauritania, Mali, Chad, Niger, Somalia, Ethiopia, Sudan.

Nocturnal. Hides under stones, in burrows, in shoes left outdoors. Aggressive — strikes repeatedly. Glows green under UV.

Yellow-brown, 8-12 cm. Massively thick tail. Genus name 'Androctonus' means 'man-killer'. Causes most scorpion deaths in North Africa.

Highly toxic — kills people regularly in North Africa. Children most vulnerable. Mortality 8-50% without antivenom depending on age.

Deserts and scrublands of North Africa — Algeria, Tunisia, Morocco, Libya, Egypt, Mauritania, Mali, Niger, Chad, Sudan.

Nocturnal. Hides under rocks, in cracks, sometimes in homes. Defensive — quick to strike when disturbed.

Up to 40 cm. Camouflaged perfectly as a rock or coral. 13 dorsal spines deliver venom when stepped on. Found in Red Sea and East African coast.

Sting causes excruciating pain (worst pain known to humans), tissue death, paralysis, heart failure. Antivenom exists. Few deaths now, but injuries common.

Red Sea — Egypt, Sudan, Eritrea, Djibouti. East African coast — Kenya, Tanzania, Mozambique. Indian Ocean reefs.

Almost motionless — relies entirely on camouflage. Buries partially in sand. Most stings: tourists wading without reef shoes.

5-9 mm mosquito. Most efficient malaria vector in the world. Africa carries 96% of global malaria burden — ~580,000 deaths per year, mostly children under 5.

Malaria has killed more humans than any other disease in history. WHO estimates 263 million cases per year. P. falciparum (most lethal strain) kills children within days without treatment.

Sub-Saharan Africa universally. Breeds in any standing water — puddles, rice paddies, hoof prints.

Bites at night (peak 22:00 - 04:00). Prefers humans over animals (unusual). One female bites 2-3 times per cycle, transferring parasites between hosts.

Africa carries about 36% of global rabies burden — 21,476 deaths per year, almost all transmitted by dog bites. Most victims are children under 15.

Once rabies symptoms appear, mortality is near 100%. Post-exposure vaccination works only before symptoms. Stray dogs are main reservoir. Major problem in DRC, Ethiopia, Nigeria, Tanzania.

Across all of Africa. Highest rabies burden: DRC, Ethiopia, Tanzania, Nigeria, Kenya. Eradicated in: South Africa (urban), Egypt (mostly).

Stray and unvaccinated dogs are main reservoir. Children most vulnerable due to height and inability to defend themselves.

Up to 5 m. Named for dark vertical stripes on young. Second most dangerous shark to humans after the great white. Roams the Red Sea reefs.

Indiscriminate eater — 'garbage can of the sea'. Suspected in several attacks on tourists along Egypt's Red Sea coast since 2000, two fatal. A 2025 attack near Hurghada killed a Russian tourist.

Warm coastal waters worldwide. In Africa: Red Sea (Egypt, Sudan), East African coast (Kenya, Tanzania, Mozambique), and around offshore reefs.

Solitary nocturnal hunter. Comes close to shore in deep-water resort areas. Attacks surface swimmers and snorkelers it mistakes for prey.

Up to 3.5 m. Stocky with distinctive rounded white-tipped fins. Common in the Red Sea. Notorious for attacking shipwreck and air-disaster survivors at sea.

Likely responsible for more human deaths than any other shark (many at sea, undocumented). Caused the famous 2010 Sharm el-Sheikh attacks that injured four and killed one German tourist.

Deep open ocean and reefs falling to great depths — Red Sea (Egypt, Sudan), Indian Ocean, all tropical seas. Famous Red Sea sites: Brothers, Daedalus.

Bold and persistent — slowly circles potential prey then moves in. Unafraid of divers. Most dangerous where deep water comes close to shore.

Up to 85 cm. Sand-coloured with characteristic horn-like scales above each eye. Featured in ancient Egyptian hieroglyphs.

Hemotoxic venom causes severe local damage. Mortality low with antivenom. Strikes by lateral sidewinding motion across sand.

Sandy deserts of North Africa and Middle East — Sahara from Morocco to Egypt, Libya, Algeria, Tunisia, Sudan, Mali, Niger, Chad, Mauritania.

Nocturnal. Buries in sand with only eyes and horns visible. Sidewinding locomotion. Often bitten by travelers stepping on it.

Stocky, aggressive shark up to 3.5 m. Uniquely tolerant of fresh water — found in the Zambezi 200 km inland, in Lake Nicaragua.

Top contender for most dangerous shark to humans. Hunts in shallow, murky water where people swim. Many attacks attributed to great whites are actually bull sharks.

Coasts and rivers — South Africa (Indian Ocean), Mozambique (Zambezi), Egypt (Red Sea), Senegal, Ghana coast.

Aggressive and territorial. Tolerates salinity from 0 to 53 ppt. Attacks unprovoked more than other sharks.

Up to 35 cm. Striking red-white striped fins with venomous spines. Native to the Red Sea and Indian Ocean coast of Africa.

13 venomous dorsal spines cause intense pain, swelling, nausea, occasionally breathing difficulty. Rarely fatal but agonizing. A hazard for divers and waders.

Coral reefs of the Red Sea and East African coast — Egypt, Sudan, Eritrea, Djibouti, Kenya, Tanzania, Mozambique.

Slow-moving, fearless due to venom defense. Spreads fins to corner prey. Active at dusk hunting small fish and shrimp.

Up to 2.4 m — Africa's largest lizard. Olive-grey with yellow markings. Excellent swimmer and climber found near water across the continent.

Sharp teeth and claws, powerful tail whip. Bite causes lacerations and infection risk from bacteria-laden mouth. Not venomous but defends itself fiercely.

Rivers, lakes, swamps across sub-Saharan Africa and the Nile — Egypt, Sudan, Kenya, Tanzania, South Africa, Nigeria, DRC, and most of the continent.

Diurnal. Raids crocodile nests for eggs. Climbs trees, swims well. Flees to water when threatened but will bite hard if cornered.