NASTY CREATURES

The Cane toad, secretes venom through its shoulder pads when threatened, often proving fatal to native animals.

The platypus is a furry web footed creature with a bill like a duck. Males have venemous spurs on their hind feet and enough venom can be injected to temporarily paralyze a human.

The stings of the Australian sea wasp jellyfish can kill a person within minutes. They inhabit the waters of Northern Australia and are also known as box jellyfish.

The bite of the blue-ringed Octopus is almost painless but within a few minutes, the victim feels dizzy and breathless and could die within a few hours.These tiny creatures carry enough venom to paralyze 10 people!

The salt water crocodile is the largest living reptile and can reach 23feet It's one of the few animals that truly is sometimes a man eater! It can be found in Northern Australia and has been responsible for many attacks on humans and livestock.

Many sharks are now protected, including the White Pointer and Great White commonly found off Australian east coast beaches. Many Northern Australian beaches are netted to prevent sharks entering shallower waters and Shark patrols by helicopter and tower observatories are a fact of life for Australian swimmers. Although you are more likely to be injured in a motor car accident than a shark attack!

The Sydney funnelweb spider is one of the deadliest spiders in the world and it's bite can kill inless than 2 hours.It is an agressive spider and can nest under houses causing a danger to pets and playing children.

The Redback spider is less agressive and much less venomous than it's new south wales relative and has been immortalised in the song"There was a Redback on the Toilet Seat" owing to its love of dark places and that it was often found in old fashioned dunnys, in the days before inside toilets!

Of course we have many poisonous snakes as well all of which are protected species but here is one creature who is harmless but looks quite ferocious and is very popular in Japan where it is almost idolised!