Pineapple Express: Someone Is Wrong on the Internet?

[Gradine]

My favorite deadly animal fact is that you'd think "which animal kills the most humans" would be a trick question and the answer would be "other humans" but we're actually only in second place and it isn't even all that close

 

[Mad_Jack]

Far too many people find out, the hard way, that wild felines just aren't house pets no matter what the Youtube shorts will tell you.

I always tell all my friends' kids that, unless it's wearing a collar and walking a human, it is not a pet and you leave it the hell alone.

We have bobcats here in CT - they look cute and adorable, but they're basically rocket-powered wolverines on steroids with chainsaws for paws... They're twice the size of an average house cat (1-2 ft tall at the shoulder, 25-49 inches long and 12-40 lbs.) and can hit speeds up to 30 mph for short distances... They generally hunt rabbits and such, but that little guy in the picture can easily take down a deer if he feels like it.

 

[RealAlHazred]

But, if not friend, why friend-shaped?

 

[prabe]

My favorite deadly animal fact is that you'd think "which animal kills the most humans" would be a trick question and the answer would be "other humans" but we're actually only in second place and it isn't even all that close

I'm guessing #1 is mosquitoes, though that might be more indirect than intended.

 

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

 

[el-remmen]

Black Bears are fairly benign List of fatal bear attacks in North America - Wikipedia

Yeah, but think about all the bear attacks not listed that left people wishing they were dead.

 

[dragoner]

Yeah, but think about all the bear attacks not listed that left people wishing they were dead.

I guess, though living in Northern California and facing both Mountain Lions and Bears, about the only time I was afaraid was when my dog treed a cub and I heard the mother hurling herself through the brush. You don't hear about too many attacks, other people are way more of a threat to meet alone out in the middle of nowhere. I know someone who was bit by a Rattlesnake and they said it shot out like six feet and bit them on the arm. They got the anti-venom, that is some crazy stuff, getting bit by a snake.

 

[Gradine]

I'm guessing #1 is mosquitoes, though that might be more indirect than intended.

Yeah it doesn't matter what study you're following, in every case we're the only animal on the list killing via direct trauma, the rest are either venomous (snakes at #3, scorpions typically at #8); vectors for disease [mosquitos #1, dogs #4(rabies), freshwater snails #5, assassin bugs & tsetse flies #6 & #7); or are parasites (roundworms & tapeworms round out the top #10). Crocodiles are the next highest "kills humans through trauma" at typically #11.

What's weird is that when humans killing other humans are cited in this study, it's almost always listing as "murder" when it's not like we're not also vectors for deadly diseases for each other.

 

[prabe]

I guess, though living in Northern California and facing both Mountain Lions and Bears, about the only time I was afaraid was when my dog treed a cub and I heard the mother hurling herself through the brush. You don't hear about too many attacks, other people are way more of a threat to meet alone out in the middle of nowhere. I know someone who was bit by a Rattlesnake and they said it shot out like six feet and bit them on the arm. They got the anti-venom, that is some crazy stuff, getting bit by a snake.

When my wife was going to grad school in Montana, her hiking buddy carried a large pistol in case he encountered a bear. Not because he expected to shoot the bear--even a .357 magnum isn't a great choice for that--but because bears don't like the compression wave.

 

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

bears don't like the compression wave.

Bears have strong feelings about wave physics, it's true.