22 Animals You Really Don’t Want to Mess With

In 1987, a dangerous killer named Gustave began stalking Burundi. He haunted the area for decades, claiming upwards of 60 victims before vanishing at some point in the 2000s. 

Gustave was no human serial killer. He was a Nile crocodile. 

These reptiles—the largest crocodile species on the continent, and the most dangerous—live in freshwater habitats throughout the Nile Basin, sub-Saharan Africa, and Madagascar. Nile crocodiles can weigh more than 1500 pounds and have as many as 68 razor sharp teeth. They can take down a buffalo or wildebeest, so a human (especially a small child) is an easy target. It’s incredibly hard to fight one off once an attack has begun, especially if they bust out their death roll, where they grab their victims and spin around under water, drowning them. And even if the surface of a lake or river looks calm, a person can never truly tell if there’s a killer croc lurking below the surface: They can stay underwater for over an hour. It’s estimated they attack at least 300 people every year.

The animals aren’t just in Africa now, either—they’ve popped up in Florida in recent years.

The animal kingdom is full of terrifying creatures you definitely wouldn’t want to go one-on-one with (though not because they’re out to get you; most animals usually only hurt people because they’re scared). Mental Floss editor-in-chief Erin McCarthy is covering just a few of them in the latest episode of The List Show, from animals we know are terrifying—looking at you, Nile crocodile!—so animals you might think are cute and cuddly, like the Giant Panda, which we often forget is a bear.

Watch the full video above, and don’t forget to subscribe to Mental Floss on YouTube for new videos every week.

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