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 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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Small (30-60 cm) but deadly viper with serrated scales. Causes the most snakebite deaths in West Africa — more than any other species in the region.

Hemotoxin causes uncontrolled bleeding, kidney failure. Responsible for thousands of deaths annually in the Sahel. Highly aggressive — rubs scales together producing a sizzling warning.

Dry savannas and scrubland of West Africa — Nigeria, Niger, Mali, Burkina Faso, Senegal, Ghana, Chad, Cameroon, Benin.

Nocturnal. Hides by day in cracks and under debris. Common in farmland — most bites occur during harvest. Strikes with extreme speed.

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.

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.