Deadly 60: Pictures
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Piranha
© BBC Worldwide Limited / Giles Badger
This voracious predator, with its interlocking razor-sharp teeth and aggressive temperament, is among the animal kingdom's deadliest.
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Sidewinder
© BBC Worldwide Limited / Charlie Bingham
Every part of the sidewinder, or Peringuey's adder, is camouflaged — even its eyeballs, which poke up above the sand while the rest of its body lays hidden, waiting for prey.
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Lynx
© BBC Worldwide Limited / Nikki Waldron
Spending most of its life alone, the lynx is solitary but deadly. For a relatively small cat (measuring up to three feet long), it can take on prey as big as deer.
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Tarantula Hawk Wasp
© BBC Worldwide Limited / James Brickell
The tarantula hawk wasp has one of the most painful stings of any insect on the planet. It eats tarantula spiders and is the largest wasp in the world.
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Tokay Gecko
© BBC Worldwide Limited / Lizzie Sutton
This colorful lizard is an aggressive predator, feeding on insects and small animals with its strong, sharp-toothed jaw. Its name refers to the call it makes, which sounds like "to-kay."
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Raccoon
© BBC Worldwide Limited / James Brickell
The sensitive hands of the raccoon help it see what it touches. Raccoons are so perceptive, they can hunt in pitch blackness, and can break into the toughest of shells without any thumbs.
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Blacktip Sharks
© BBC Worldwide Limited / James Brickell
With their sharp noses and sleek lines, these deadly sharks are shaped to cut through the water at top speed.
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Vultures
© BBC Worldwide Limited / Giles Badger
With their bone-shredding beaks and killer team tactics, these deadly scavengers are not to be trifled with.
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King Cobra
© BBC Worldwide Limited / Johnny Rogers
The largest venomous snake in the world, the king cobra is so deadly it could kill an elephant.
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Humboldt Squid
© BBC Worldwide Limited / James Brickell
The Humboldt squid has a beak that can cut straight through flesh and even bone. It also has sucker cups running down the length of all its tentacles, and each sucker cup is ringed with razor sharp teeth.
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Tarsier
© BBC Worldwide Limited / Giles Badger
The rarely seen tarsier has tiny, pointed teeth for crunching through its prey. Its eyes are bigger than its own brain, and are used for spotting prey in the dark.
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Black Eagle
© BBC Worldwide Limited / James Brickell
When black eagles hunt, they use all kinds of methods to disorient their prey. Often, they will fly into the sun so their prey will not be able to see them coming. The black eagle’s eyesight is second to none.
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Wolf
© BBC Worldwide Limited / Nikki Waldron
Though it almost never attacks humans, the wolf is considered one of the animal world's most fearsome natural villains. It does attack domestic animals, and can consume 20 pounds of meat in one sitting.
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Water Monitor
© BBC Worldwide Limited / Giles Badger
Water monitors can swim, sprint, and climb. They’re one of the largest lizards in the world and have infecting saliva and a killer bite.
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Glossy Racer Snake
© BBC Worldwide Limited / Nikki Waldron
As its name suggests, the glossy racer snake's main weapon is its incredible speed. With its very tiny fangs at the rear of its mouth, it generally eats small lizards, frogs, and even little birds.
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Bullet Ant
© BBC Worldwide Limited / Johnny Rogers
The bullet ant is the largest ant species in the world and has a highly toxic sting that can incapacitate animals the size of fully grown men.
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Vampire Bat
© BBC Worldwide Limited / Emma Jones
Bats are the only mammals that can fly, but vampire bats have an even more interesting distinction — they are the only mammals that feed entirely on blood sucked from their warm-blooded prey.
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Clouded Leopard
© BBC Worldwide Limited / Johnny Rogers
This deadly kitty has the longest teeth compared to skull size of any carnivore, and can climb down trees headfirst, like a squirrel.
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Leaf-Tailed Gecko
© BBC Worldwide Limited / Nikki Waldron
Leaf-tailed geckos are the ultimate masters of disguise — even their eyeballs are camouflaged. They use their impressive leap and sticky toes to climb up into the canopy at night to ambush their prey.
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Fossa
© BBC Worldwide Limited / Charlie Bingham
The fossa is the largest carnivore and top predator native to Madagascar. It has retractable claws and fearsome, cat-like teeth. It is known to feed on lemurs and many other creatures, from wild pigs to mice.
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Chameleon
© BBC Worldwide Limited / Nikki Waldron
Chameleons are feisty, reptilian fighters. They have 360-degree vision and are equipped with one of the fastest tongues in the animal kingdom.
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Yellow Anaconda
© BBC Worldwide Limited / Giles Badger
This camouflaged killer uses its forked tongue to find its victims from the tastes and smells in the air. When it has a hold of its prey, the yellow anaconda squeezes the life out of it in a matter of minutes.
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Spectacled Caiman
© BBC Worldwide Limited / Charlie Bingham
This crocodilian reptile is the king of stealth, armed with an awesome turn of speed. With one snap of its jaws, the spectacled caiman can kill almost anything stone dead.
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Poison Dart Frog
© BBC Worldwide Limited / Emma Jones
These tiny frogs pack a powerful punch. The two-inch-long golden poison dart frog has enough venom to kill ten grown men.
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Eyelash Pit Viper
© BBC Worldwide Limited / Johnny Rogers
The eyelash pit viper is accurate enough to catch hummingbirds on the wing. It has a tiny pit between its nostril and eye which is incredibly sensitive at picking up heat, allowing the pit viper to build a 3-D image of its prey, even in total darkness.
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Steller Sea Lion
© BBC Worldwide Limited / James Brickell
Steller sea lions are the largest of all sea lions. These giants hunt fish, squid, octopus and, rarely, smaller seals.
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Giant Otter
© BBC Worldwide Limited / Giles Badger
Giant otters hunt alone or in groups, sometimes using coordinated efforts. Fish make up most of their diet, and one otter may eat six to nine pounds of food per day.
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American Crocodile
© BBC Worldwide Limited / Emma Jones
The American crocodile is among the largest of the world's crocodiles. Some Central and South American males reach lengths of 20 feet.
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Orca
© BBC Worldwide Limited / James Brickell
The orca, or killer whale, is the fastest mammal in the sea, and can weigh as much as two elephants.
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Giant Pacific Octopus
© BBC Worldwide Limited / James Brickell
The biggest octopus on the planet, this creature of the sea has a sharp, beak-like mouth and has been known to attack and eat sharks.
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Gorilla
© BBC Worldwide Limited / Nikki Waldron
When an alpha male gorilla is challenged, he may stand upright, throw things, make aggressive charges and pound his huge chest while barking out powerful hoots or unleashing a frightening roar.
About Deadly 60
Adventurer and naturalist Steve Backshall has one mission: to travel the globe in search of 60 of the world's deadliest animals. On Deadly 60, Steve travels to five continents to find the most venomous, lethal creatures on our planet, including the “red devil” squid in Mexico, the tarantula hawk wasp, the giant Pacific octopus, and the raccoon. We’ll experience close encounters with all kinds of striking wildlife, and with each animal featuring dangerous characteristics, we'll see what makes these animals “king” of their habitat.
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