Exotic countries are a great tourist attraction, however, we must bear in mind that they have a fauna and flora different from that of our countries of origin. This point is perhaps one of the most attractive to us when visiting them. To help you prepare your next trip, our site has prepared this article in which you will find a compilation of the most dangerous animals in Thailand
Remember that Thailand has clearly differentiated tropical forests: the monsoon forest, the rainforestand the mangrove forest This means that there is a very diverse fauna, among which we will find animals that are potentially dangerous to humans.
King Cobra - Ophiophagus Hannah
The king cobra is the largest venomous snake in the world It is important to note that it does not present an initial aggressive behavior, that is, it does not attacks unless intimidated. Despite this, it is imposing when it shows its great head erect. It presents daytime habits and it is quite common for it to sneak into traditional homes That is why there are companies dedicated to their capture and reintroduction into their habitat.
A specimen of about 4.8 meters and weighing 12 kg was captured in the wild in Singapore in 1951. On the other hand, the record for length in captivity has been registered in the London Zoo with 5'8 meters You will never know if it could have grown more, since it was sacrificed at the start of World War 1.
Thai black tarantula - Haplopelma minax
He's big, hairy, aggressive and black … He looks scary just from this description! The females reach up to 16 cm and the males are slightly smaller. It is a spider with a nervous attitude which makes it more dangerous, as it does not hesitate to attack at the slightest sign of feeling intimidated. Although its poison is very painful, it is not fatal Intoxication can be more or less strong depending on the resistance of the subject, from only pain to spasms and vomiting.
It is located in the dense jungle, mainly because it has a fairly high water requirement, around 70% or 80% of RH. So it will be rare to find it in urban areas.
Giant Centipede - Scolopendra subspinipes
The body of this arthropod is made up of 21 segments and each segment has a pair of legs. It is usually reddish in color and reaches up to 20 cm in length. It has an aggressive behavior by nature and does not hesitate to attack.
The optimistic part about this centipede is that its venom rarely goes beyond 3-4 hours of pain and swelling. The symptomatology, as in almost all poisons, depends a lot on the state of he alth and the physical condition of the person attacked. But it can include nausea and fevers
The box jellyfish - Chironex fleckeri
This impressive sea wasp is one of the deadliest animals in the world. Kill a human being by contact alone. Depending on the age of the individual, which becomes more poisonous with age, it can cause death in just 3 minutes.
The largest specimens can reach the size of a basketball in the hat and 3 meters in length in the tentacles. Their distribution in the Indian and Pacific oceans makes them reach the Thai coast on more than one occasion.
Elephants - Elephas maximus
Although there is a great "tourist offer" around these sacred animals, elephants are not always friendly animalsThe truth is that since they live in such stable social groups, they fiercely defend each other. That's why we shouldn't get close to some wild elephants.
It is important to point out that the mistreatment of elephants in Thailand is a common practice, so we do not recommend promoting this type of tourism by elephant rides. It is better to choose to observe them in their natural habitat or go to a sanctuary.
The monitor lizard - Varanus salvator
It is the second largest lizard in the world reaching 3 meters in length. It is quite easy to see in the waterways of Thailand. Despite its non-aggressive nature, its mouth is colonized by thousands of bacteria Any scratch caused by this animal could lead to a seriously infected wound.
Tiger - Panthera tigris corbetti
The Thai tiger is in serious danger of extinction, it is a species that is being preserved in monasteries as a sacred animal. But there are still wild specimens in Thaplan National Park.
Dogs - Canis lupus familiaris
Thailand has a large number of stray dogs These animals do not usually behave aggressively, as they live surrounded by people and are used to their presence. Although they are not aggressive, there is a high rate of rabies infection. Which supposes a risk for the human.
Monkeys - Macaca fascicularis
The beaches where monkeys ask tourists for foodare very famous, as are the temples that have colonies of monkeys around your surroundings. These animals can get angry if they don't get what they want or if they feel threatened, they are also a group that carries rabies. But these domestic colonies are usually very peaceful and curious.
Leeches - Hirudineos
These parasites are not entirely dangerous but they do represent an unpleasant experience During the rainy season they are on all the secluded paths in the cities, so it is common for them to parasitize people. The good part is that they generally do not transmit any disease.
Mosquitoes
Although we must be careful with these small animals, the ones that are most likely to be dangerous to humans are the small mosquitoes that carry various diseases:
- Aedes aegypti can be a carrier of Dengue or yellow fever.
- The genus Aedes with its two species also transmits chikungunya.
