Meet Queensland’s most dangerous animals
Issued: 13 Feb 14 minutes read

In the water

Stonefish

The stonefish is a camouflage master. It lies still for hours at a time until it blends into its surroundings, becoming virtually invisible. When unsuspecting prey gets close, the stonefish snaps it up in milliseconds. Stonefish primarily live above the tropic of Capricorn, throughout much of the Great Barrier Reef, but have been recorded as far south as Coffs Harbour. They can also survive out of water for up to 24 hours!

Humans occasionally step on or touch these animals, mistaking them for an encrusted rock or lump of coral. After all, it only grows to about 30cm. This is a problem because the stonefish happens to be the world's most venomous fish. Its 13 needle-like spines running along the dorsal fin on its back prick up when it feels disturbed or threatened. This highly toxic venom, if injected, can kill an adult within an hour.

Fortunately, no stonefish deaths have been recorded in Australia since European arrival. An antivenom was also developed in 1959, reducing this likelihood even further. Still, knowing how to treat a sting doesn’t hurt.

Tiger shark

Out of all the shark species in Australia, the tiger shark is proportionally responsible for the most fatalities of all shark species. It is the world’s second largest predatory shark, growing to at least 6m in length, and is capable of digesting almost anything. These opportunistic scavengers eat whatever they can, including fish, turtles, seabirds, jellyfish, crustaceans, sea snakes, and other sharks.

Sometimes, tiger sharks even eat indigestible objects. In the past, they have been found with trash, even license plates, inside their stomachs. Their carefree diet is the reason why tiger sharks are sometimes referred to as the ‘garbage cans of the sea’. These powerful fish are found worldwide in tropical and subtropical waters. In Queensland, they have us surrounded!

On land

Coastal taipan

Armed with the lengthiest fangs among Australian snakes, the coastal taipan is the world's third most venomous land snake. They are also Australia’s longest venomous snake, reaching an average length of 2.5m. Prior to the development of a specialised antivenom in 1956, coastal taipan bites were claimed to be 100% fatal.

Coastal taipans occupy a wide range of habitats from northeastern New South Wales, up through Queensland, and across to northern Western Australia. They are usually active during the day but also can be at night during hot weather. They mainly feed on small mammals such as rats and mice in eucalypt woodland, grassland, grassy beach dunes, pastures, and cane fields.

Humans encounter coastal taipans most commonly in sheds, farm buildings and waste heaps. While they are not a naturally aggressive snake, they are highly strung, and if surprised or cornered will defend themselves.

Death adder

The common death adder is an ambush predator that sits motionless, concealed in leaf litter, sand or gravel, twitching the worm-like lure on the end of its tail to attract prey. They are found throughout Australia in forests and woodlands, grasslands and heath.

Unlike other snakes that flee from approaching humans, death adders are more likely to sit tight, and risk being stepped on, making them dangerous to the unwary bushwalker. They tend to be reluctant to bite unless touched.

Eastern Brown snake

Reaching an average length of 1.5m, this medium-sized snake holds a grim title: In Australia, it (along with other brown snakes) is responsible for more deaths every year than any other snake group. Eastern browns are found over all but the western-most parts of Queensland. They can cope and even thrive in places of human disturbance, like farmland, and since their natural habitat range includes some of the country’s most populated regions, this species is likely more encountered with than any other snake.

Eastern brown snake venom ranks as the world's second-most potent among land snakes. They are fast-moving and sun-loving, generally active during the day, especially when the weather is hot. They are often found around houses and sheds in search for prey like rats, mice and lizards. Being an alert, nervous species, eastern browns often react defensively if surprised or cornered, putting on a fierce display and striking with little hesitation.

Funnel-web spider

There are about 40 species of funnel-web spiders in Australia, and despite the most well-known one, the Sydney funnel-web spider, not being in Queensland, there are still plenty of others that you need to be cautious around.

The northern tree funnel-web spider and its smaller counterpart, the southern tree funnel-web spider, stand among the most perilous. Around half of their bites lead to severe reactions.

Annually, funnel-web spiders bite around 30-40 individuals, yet the availability of antivenom has proven highly successful. Their diet spans from beetles to frogs, and these spiders tend to be more active during the warmer months, typically between November and March.

Inland taipan

The world’s most venomous snake. In a single bite, the inland taipan produces enough venom to kill 250,000 mice. As notorious as this snake’s venom makes it, the inland taipan doesn’t exactly ‘live up to the hype’. Compared to its coastal cousin, the inland taipan is shy, and many reptile keepers regard it as placid to handle. There is not a single recorded human fatality to its credit. This may be in part because of how rare they are to encounter in the wild.

Inland taipans are found in Queensland’s desolate west, where our border meets South Australia and the Northern Territory. Usually, they are only above-ground for a short period during the early morning. For the rest of the day, since their habitat hardly contains any cover or vegetation, they retire to deep cracks and fissures formed in the dry soil to escape the heat and hunt its preferred prey, the long-haired rat.

Red back spider

Redback spiders are found all over Australia. They hang out in dry, cozy spots like garden sheds, mailboxes, even under toilet seats. Females are about 1cm long with a red stripe on their back. They are also the only ones with a dangerous bite. Their venom messes with the nervous system, but their tiny fangs make many bites ineffective.

Around 2000 redback spider bites get reported each year, with roughly 250 people getting antivenom. Thankfully, no deaths have occurred since the creation of the spider's antivenom back in the 1950s.

Southern Cassowary

The southern cassowary is an imposing creature. It can stand up to 2m tall and possesses dagger-like claws which can grow to 12cm. It also happens to be Australia’s heaviest bird, weighing up to 76kg. These large, flightless birds are found in far north Queensland’s tropical rainforests, where they play an important role in maintaining the diversity of rainforest trees.

Southern cassowaries are the only frugivore (fruit eater) that can disperse large-seeded rainforest fruits over long distances. They swallow fruits whole, digesting the pulp and passing the seeds unharmed in large piles of dung. These droppings, laden with hundreds if not thousands of seeds, act as natural fertilizer. Some rainforest seeds even require the cassowary's digestive process to germinate.

Unfortunately, a combination of habitat loss, vehicle strikes, and domestic dog attacks have caused only about 4000 southern cassowaries to remain in Queensland. A recovery plan for the southern cassowary has been created to combat its ‘Endangered’ status.

Be wary around these birds. Southern cassowary behaviour is unpredictable. They can inflict serious injuries to people and pets by kicking with their large, clawed feet. They should never be approached or fed. If you come face-to-face with a cassowary, back away slowly and put something (like a tree or backpack) between yourself and the bird, and let it go on its way.