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

Powerful neurotoxin cocktail — drop for drop one of nature's deadliest substances. Mortality in children up to 70% without antivenom. 1-2 mg of venom worth $39,000 on research market.

Deserts and scrubland from North Africa across Middle East — Egypt, Israel, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, UAE, Iraq, Iran, Pakistan.

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

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.

Up to 75 kg. Tawny gold with black rosettes. India has ~12,000 leopards — many living near human settlements, leading to frequent conflicts.

Kills more humans annually in India than tigers — ~150 deaths/year, mostly children taken at night. Champawat leopard killed 200+; Panar leopard 400.

Forests across all of India, Nepal, Bhutan, Bangladesh, Pakistan. Increasingly common in suburbs and villages bordering reserves.

Nocturnal stalker. Excellent climber — drags prey into trees. Quietly enters villages at night. Once a man-eater, hard to stop.