Up to 4.5 m — Africa's longest venomous snake. Body is brown-grey; only mouth interior is black (hence the name).

Most feared snake in Africa. Pure neurotoxin kills in 20 minutes to 7 hours without antivenom. Mortality 100% without treatment. Strikes multiple times.

Savannas, rocky hills, woodlands of sub-Saharan Africa — Senegal to South Africa, especially Mozambique, Tanzania, Kenya, Zambia, Malawi.

Diurnal. Fastest snake on Earth — 20 km/h. Climbs trees and termite mounds. Aggressive when cornered — rears up to face height.

Stocky viper up to 1.4 m. Tan with dark chevron pattern. Causes more snakebite deaths than any other African snake — its lethargy means people step on it.

Cytotoxic venom causes massive tissue damage, often requires amputation. Without antivenom mortality 15-20%. Doesn't flee — relies on camouflage.

Almost all of Africa except Sahara, rainforests, and desert tops. Most widespread venomous snake in Africa.

Sluggish ambush hunter. Hisses ('puffs') as warning. Strikes with unusually fast lateral motion. Active at night in hot regions.

Massive viper up to 2 m and 11 kg. Geometric tan pattern. Has the longest fangs of any snake (5 cm) and largest venom yield of any African viper.

Hemotoxin + cardiotoxin. One bite delivers 5-7 ml of venom — enough to kill 30 humans. Slow strike but devastating. Mortality 60-80% without antivenom.

Rainforests of central and west Africa — Gabon, Cameroon, Congo, Nigeria, Ghana, Ivory Coast, Liberia, Sierra Leone, Uganda, Tanzania.

Almost motionless ambush predator on rainforest floor. Camouflage so perfect people step on them. Won't flee — strikes when touched.

Up to 250 kg. King of African savannas. Only social big cat — lives in prides of 10-40. Population: ~23,000 in the wild.

About 100-200 fatal attacks per year. Famous Tsavo man-eaters killed 135 in 1898. Old, injured, or starving lions become man-eaters. Hunts mostly between dusk and dawn.

Savannas and grasslands of sub-Saharan Africa — Tanzania (Serengeti), Kenya (Masai Mara), South Africa, Botswana, Zambia, Zimbabwe.

Pride lives together; lionesses hunt cooperatively. Males defend territory. Roars heard 8 km away. Adult males eat 7 kg meat per day.

Largest land mammal on Earth — males up to 6 tonnes. Larger than Asian elephant; both sexes have tusks. Population ~400,000.

Kills ~500 people per year across Africa. Bulls in musth extremely dangerous. Crop-raiding leads to conflicts. Crushes or impales with tusks.

Savannas, forests, deserts of sub-Saharan Africa — Botswana, Tanzania, Zimbabwe, Kenya, Uganda, South Africa, Namibia.

Matriarchal herds. Highly intelligent — remember individual humans for decades. Charge at 40 km/h. Silent despite massive size.

Up to 900 kg. Massive curved horns. Known as 'the widowmaker' — most dangerous of Africa's Big Five for hunters.

Kills 200+ people per year. Wounded buffaloes are legendary for ambushing pursuers. Stampedes are deadly. Aggressive, unpredictable, holds grudges.

Savannas and swamps of sub-Saharan Africa — Tanzania, Kenya, Zambia, South Africa, Zimbabwe, Botswana, Namibia, Uganda.

Lives in herds of 50-500. Bachelor groups of old bulls ('dagga boys') most dangerous. Excellent memory — circles back to attack hunters.

Up to 3,200 kg — Africa's most dangerous large mammal. Despite appearance of placid herbivore, kills about 500 people per year.

Aggressive and territorial. Overturns boats, bites people in half with 60 cm canine teeth. Runs 30 km/h on land. Mothers with calves extremely dangerous.

Rivers, lakes, swamps across sub-Saharan Africa — major populations in Botswana, Zambia, Uganda, Tanzania, Mozambique, Kenya, DRC.

Spends day in water, grazes on land at night. Territorial bulls patrol stretches of river. Yawning displays threat — not relaxation.

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.

Up to 6 m. South Africa has one of the densest great white populations on Earth, particularly Gansbaai and False Bay.

South Africa averages 1-2 fatal attacks per year. Famous breaching behavior — leaps fully out of water hunting seals near Cape Town.

Cool coastal waters — South Africa (Western Cape, Eastern Cape), Mozambique. Migrates to Indian and Atlantic oceans.

Apex predator. Migrates thousands of km. Investigative bite often fatal due to size of teeth.

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 2 m. Bright leaf-green camouflage. Lives almost entirely in trees of coastal East Africa.

Less aggressive than black mamba but venom equally potent neurotoxin. Bites cause respiratory paralysis. Few encounters but fatal if untreated.

Coastal forests of Mozambique, Tanzania, Kenya, eastern South Africa, Malawi, Zimbabwe.

Almost exclusively arboreal. Diurnal. Hunts birds, lizards, small mammals in trees. Rarely descends.

Up to 2 m. Bright green (males), olive-brown (females). 'Tree snake' in Afrikaans. The most venomous colubrid in the world.

Hemotoxin disrupts blood clotting — causes bleeding from every orifice over 24-48 hours. Bite often painless initially. Herpetologist Karl Schmidt died documenting his own bite (1957).

Trees and shrubs of sub-Saharan Africa — South Africa, Zimbabwe, Mozambique, Botswana, Namibia, Zambia, Kenya, Tanzania.

Arboreal, diurnal. Huge eyes — best vision of any African snake. Inflates throat to twice normal size in defensive display.

Up to 1.5 m. Olive to grey-brown with pink belly. Most common cobra of southern Africa.

Spits venom accurately at 3 m — targets eyes, can cause permanent blindness. Cytotoxic bites cause severe necrosis.

Savannas of Mozambique, Tanzania, Malawi, Zambia, Zimbabwe, northern South Africa, Angola, Namibia.

Nocturnal. Often enters huts at night looking for rodents — bites or spits at sleeping occupants. Plays dead when threatened.

Up to 90 kg. Most adaptable big cat. Population ~700,000 across Africa. Pound for pound, the strongest big cat — drags 100 kg prey into trees.

Stealthy night predator. Targets dogs and small livestock; occasionally children. Attacks rare in healthy population but old or injured leopards become man-eaters.

Diverse — savanna, forest, mountain, desert. All of sub-Saharan Africa. The most widespread big cat in Africa.

Solitary, nocturnal. Climbs trees with ease. Drags prey up to safety from lions and hyenas. Rarely roars — uses sawing calls.

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.

Robust biting fly 6-14 mm. Both sexes feed on blood. Vector of trypanosomes causing African sleeping sickness (human trypanosomiasis).

Sleeping sickness untreated is 100% fatal — causes confusion, sensory disturbance, coma. ~10,000 cases/year. Also devastates livestock — keeps vast areas of Africa pastoralism-free.

Sub-Saharan Africa — 36 countries. Especially DRC, South Sudan, Angola, Uganda, Tanzania, Chad, Central African Republic.

Active during day. Attracted to dark colors and movement. Inflicts a painful bite. Lifespan only 1-3 months but multiple bites per day.

Large dark scorpion up to 15 cm with a thick tail. The most dangerous scorpion of southern Africa. Uniquely, can spray venom from its stinger.

Potent neurotoxin causes severe pain, muscle spasms, breathing difficulty. Children at serious risk. Sprayed venom in eyes causes temporary blindness.

Arid regions of South Africa, Botswana, Namibia, Zimbabwe, Mozambique. Digs burrows in dry soil.

Nocturnal. Hides in burrows by day. Highly defensive — raises tail and may spray when threatened. Glows under UV light.

Up to 6 m — Africa's largest snake. Non-venomous constrictor. Powerful enough to kill and swallow antelope, and rarely, humans.

Kills by constriction — suffocates prey. Documented fatal attacks on humans, including children. Bite from backward-curving teeth causes deep wounds even without constriction.

Savannas, forests, near water across sub-Saharan Africa — from Senegal to Ethiopia, south to South Africa.

Ambush predator. Often near human settlements hunting rats and poultry. Females guard eggs. Can go months between meals after a large kill.

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.