It is very easy for us in the west to ignore life in remote places. We are, particularly these days, so focussed on our social media driven adrenaline shots (and sometimes our jobs I guess) that we simply have no time to pause. It seems the more technology frees up our time, the less of that time we seem to be able to find.

See Also: 60 Stunning Images of The Middle East That Will Make You Forget Its Violent Past

In September I compiled a list of stunning images of the Middle East (linked right above this paragraph) and a reader (“Aman” to be exact) asked for a list on South Asia. Unlike the Middle East which is dominated by Islam, South Asia is a real hodge podge of religions, peoples, and environments. Nevertheless, it still manages to sometimes attract something of a bad name for itself due to unrest in the region (I’m looking at you Pakistan and India!)

But that aside, it is also a magical region of the Asian continent filled with some of the greatest wonders known to man—both natural and manmade. This list looks at a bunch of them, whilst giving a little background on each country. There are actually only eight nations in South Asia, so I have split the two biggest into two items each to give us a total of ten. They are ordered by size: smallest to largest.

10 Maldives

Pictured: Male City, Maldives Resort, Huvafen Fushi, Raffles Maldives, Radisson Blue, Hurawalhi Resort Restaurant

Maldives is the smallest Muslim country in the world. It was part of the British commonwealth from 1982 to 2016 when it withdrew because of criticisms about its bad record with human rights and political corruption. It has a small population of only 390,000 people (Maldivians) descended from the earliest settlers most likely from India and Sri Lanka. The name of the country means Necklace Island.

9 Bhutan

Pictured: Paro Taktsang, Punakha Dzong, Dochula Pass, Thimphu Chorten, Phobjikha Valley x2

First off, if you want to visit the beautiful sights above, you can’t without lots of money. Bhutan is virtually shut to tourists except through expensive state-run tours costing upwards of $250 a day. The name Bhutan means thunder dragon and the same appears on their national flag. Bhutan has a king (Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck) and an elected parliament. The dominant religion is Buddhism with Hinduism a distant second. The country has banned all public use (including sale) of tobacco products and Internet and TV was made legal in 1999. Homosexuality is illegal. Perhaps unique in the world, Bhutan has an official dress code for its citizens which allows easy recognition of social class.

8 Sri Lanka

Pictured: Yala National Park, Dambulla Cave Temple, Sigiriya Fortress, Anuradhapura, Kurunegala Buddha, Polonnaruwa

Sri Lanka was known as Ceylon until it became a republic in 1972. Its recent history has been rather dominated by a 26 year civil war which ended in 2009 when the government forces won against the Tamil Tigers. 70 percent of Sri Lankans are Buddhist with Hinduism second and Roman Catholicism comprising around 7% of the population of roughly 21 million people. Sri Lanka is the oldest continuously Buddhist nation in the world. The government is a semi-presidential republic.

7 Nepal

Pictured: Pokhara, Langtang Valley x2, Nar Phu Valley Trek, Durbar Square, Kathmandu x2

Nepal, the only country with a non-quadrilateral shaped flag, is mostly Hindu with a population of 28 million. It is home to eight of the tallest mountains in the world (including Mount Everest, the highest spot on Earth). The country is, by election, Communist in that its current president (Bidhya Devi Bhandari) was the leader of the Communist party up to her election in 2015.

6 Bangladesh

Pictured: Ratargul Swamp, Paharpur Vihara, Gaur, Barisal Floating Market, Shiva Temple Puthia, Rajbari Palace

Bangladesh is one of the most densely populated countries on earth with a population of 161 million people in an area of 147,570 square kilometres (56,980 square miles). It is the world’s fourth largest Muslim majority nation. Bangladesh is plagued with many problems: genocide, child slavery, terrorism, corruption, and severe pollution due to it being exempt from all international requirements for climate change due to being so impoverished.

5 Afghanistan

Pictured: Mazar-I-Sharif Mosque, Band-I-Amir, Wakhan Corridor, Bamyan, Minaret of Jam, Kabul

Afghanistan is 99.7% Muslim and ranks as one of the worst for terrorism, child labor, and general human misery. Homosexuality is punishable by death and nearly half of journalist deaths (which is common there) were perpetrated by the government. There are a few Western anchors who might want to consider that next time they clutch pearls over being criticized by politicians and independent media in the US. Up to 16% of the nation’s wealth comes from the Opium industry. Fortunately many of the citizens who fled war are beginning to return and they are bringing much needed business development to the country. Perhaps its future will be less bleak as a consequence. Afghanistan’s national sport is Buzkashi in which men on horseback have to score a goal with a goat’s carcass.

4 Pakistan—Nature

Pictured: Hunza Valley, Neelum Valley, Swat, Concordia, Fairy Meadows, Shimshal Lake

Like its neighbor, India, Pakistan is a nuclear power. Conflict between the two nations is ongoing due to religious and cultural differences, with Pakistan being largely Muslim and India Hindu. It is a nation bereft with problems of illiteracy, poverty, terrorism, and corruption. Nevertheless, it is also home (unbeknownst to many) to some of the most beautiful natural landscapes in the world. Pakistan has a population of 200 million people and has a constitutional republican form of government.

3 Pakistan—Man

Pictured: Pakistan Monument, Lahore Fort, Badshahi Mosque, Faisal Mosque, Noor Mahal, Katas Raj Temple

2 India—Nature

Pictured: Loktak Lake, Valley of Flowers, Jaisalmer Sand Dunes, Great Rann of Kutch, Lonar Crater Lake, Borra Caves

India must be considered one of the richest in the world in terms of cultural color and diversity. Its pagan religion is filled with golden icons, exotic animals, epic tales, and mystical wonders. India is home to both the wettest place on earth (Mawsynram) due to the highest rainfall, and the 17th largest desert, the Thar desert. India’s food is as diverse as its landscape with offerings of highly spiced curries to wonderfully subtle sweets. Entire lists could be dedicated to the beautiful locations in this wonderfully mysterious far away land.

1 India—Man

Pictured: Khajuraho Monuments, Jaisalmer City, Akshardham Temple, Taj Mahal, Golden Temple, Meenakshi Amman Temple

When you think of the American South, images of the Texas badlands and country music lyrics might just pop into your head. You might also muse over bluegrass tunes, amazing state parks, college basketball, and Elvis Presley songs.

The states that make up the American South have a lot to offer citizens and tourists alike, including legendary mysteries to argue about on cold nights around the campfire.

10 Creepy Mysteries From Around The World, Including The Wailing House

10 The Gloria Colita
Mobile, Alabama

In the late 1930s, Reg Michell designed and built the largest sailing vessel in the Caribbean. He named the wooden vessel the Gloria Colita. Her length was 50 meters (165 ft), and she weighed 175 tons beneath her impressive three masts.

The Gloria Colita had her maiden service voyage in 1939 during which she sailed to British Guyana and then to Cuba. She would sail this route for the next two years—continuing from Cuba, where her crew loaded sugar cane, to Mobile, Alabama, where they sold it.

In Alabama, the crew would load lumber and then return to Cuba to sell it. On one of these familiar trips, Captain Mitchell loaded rice in British Guyana and sugar in Havana. Then he sailed to Venezuela. There, he let his Bequia crew go and hired a Spanish crew. He and the new crew sailed back to Mobile with the intention of loading lumber to be sold in Havana.

This was the last time that anyone heard from or saw Captain Mitchell and his crew. After leaving Mobile, the Gloria Colita never reached Cuba. During a search, a US Coast Guard plane pilot spotted the vessel in the Gulf Stream. Upon investigation, it was found that the ship was completely abandoned.

The Gloria Colita was towed back to Alabama and eventually sold as scrap. Despite a multitude of conspiracy theories about what may have happened to her captain and crew, their true fate remains unknown.^[1]

9 Valley Hill Lights
Springfield, Kentucky

On April 6, 1995, Ann Mudd, a Sunday school teacher, visited Valley Hill in Springfield, Kentucky, along with eight of her students. One of the girls, Mandy Mattingly, soon caused a commotion when she pointed at the sky and told the rest of the party that she was seeing strange colors around the Sun. She also said that she could see the Sun pulsating.

The teacher then allegedly saw gold colors appearing on her students, and she took photos of them. When the photos were developed, it was claimed that angels surrounded one of the girls in one picture. Meanwhile, another depicted Jesus and Mary wearing veils.

One of the students also claimed that another picture reflected the name of her deceased cousin on a tombstone. It is said that the mothers of the students didn’t believe the story at all, but after having several visions, they changed their tune.

Although the incident has mostly been written off as mass hysteria and pareidolia, it has never been satisfactorily explained. People still visit Valley Hill in the hopes of seeing the Virgin Mary immersed in gold or rainbow colors.^[2]

8 White Things
Boone County, West Virginia

The world is full of monsters, real and imaginary. Sometimes, it is difficult to tell if a creature is truly out of this world or if you’re mistaking an ordinary animal for something monstrous.

Such is the case in West Virginia, where there have been several reports of mean-looking creatures roaming the woods. Some people describe these beasts as humanoid. Others claim that these monsters have catlike, doglike, or even demonic features. In the mid-1990s, there was a flurry of sightings in Boone County. The creatures were given the name “White Things” due to their long, dirty, white hair.

More details suggested that the White Things had claws, smelled like sulfur, and ran extremely fast—on two legs according to some reports. Even creepier, their calls (or more accurately, their screams) were said to sound like those of a woman in distress.

In 1994, a Navy seaman reported having seen a White Thing in the forest. It ran through the trees and then drank from a stream. That same year, two children saw a similar creature while they were playing in their yard in Boone County.

In 1995, a couple driving through Boone County spotted a White Thing sitting inside a ditch along the road. After the pair exited the vehicle to get a closer look, the monster leaped up and jumped on their car. Luckily, the couple was able to get back into the car and drive away after the beast jumped off and disappeared.

Sightings continued until 2015. But the exact nature of the White Things remains a mystery.^[3]

7 The Delta Queen
New Orleans, Louisiana

The Delta Queen is a stately old sternwheel steamboat built during the 1920s. During World War II, the boat transported wounded soldiers to various hospitals. Later, it became a leisure boat.

In June 1985, Myra Fruge, one of the employees of the Delta Queen, received a call from Cabin 109. The occupant was an elderly lady who asked for a blanket because she was very cold. Myra sent Mike Williams, the first mate, to assist the old woman.

After Mike set off for the cabin, Myra looked up to see a face staring at her from the deck. Believing it to be the woman from Cabin 109 wandering about looking for a blanket, Myra went out to help her. However, she could not find anyone on the deck.

Just then, Mike returned. He said that Cabin 109 was unoccupied. As Myra walked back with Mike, she saw a portrait that had been on the ship all along. Suddenly, Myra realized that the woman in the portrait was the same lady who had been looking at Myra from the deck. Mary Green (some spell it “Greene”) had been in charge of the Delta Queen in 1947 at age 79. She died in Cabin 109 just two years later.

Myra and Mike fell in love and married soon afterward. They always claimed that the spirit of Mary Green played matchmaker. However, whether they truly encountered the ghost of a long-dead elderly woman in 1985 remains a mystery.^[4]

6 Mystery Object
Seabrook Island, South Carolina

In late 2018, a huge object washed ashore on Seabrook Island, South Carolina. The object seemed to be made of concrete. But it was almost squishy and soft to the touch. The Lowcountry Marine Mammal Network was alerted. They went to investigate but were unable to determine what the object was.

Soon after, town officials took the object away but not before the Marine Mammal Network loaded a picture of it on their Facebook page. They hoped that someone might identify it.

Soon, the theories exploded. Some claimed that the object was part of a NASA rocket, while others believed it to be a spaceship. There were also those who had more mundane explanations in the form of a buoy or “space junk.”

Whatever the object was, it has yet to be identified.^[5]

10 Creepy Mysteries That Are Still Unsolved, Including The Poisoning Of The Titanic Cast

5 Peter Dromgoole
Chapel Hill, North Carolina

Legend has it that after Peter Dromgoole arrived at the University of North Carolina in 1833, he soon fell in love with Fanny, a girl from Chapel Hill. The two became a couple and started meeting at a flat rock near a cliff. Their love seemed one for the ages until a third wheel soured it. Peter noticed that another student, who happened to be a good friend, was making moves on Fanny.

Peter became extremely jealous and didn’t know how to handle the situation. He tried to avoid his friend, but the friend was interested only in annoying Peter. When they met one day on a narrow campus path, the rival hit Peter with his shoulder, causing Peter’s hat to fall to the ground. After a heated argument, the rival challenged Peter to a duel.

It ended with Peter being shot to death by his rival. The man panicked. With two of his cronies, the former rival placed Peter’s lifeless body on the flat rock that was meant for Peter and Fanny’s trysts. Then the men dug a shallow grave and buried Peter hastily.

Peter’s remains were never found. It is said that Fanny waited at the rock many an afternoon. But she only saw the red-brown stains on the rock itself and never knew the fate that had befallen her lover.

This tale inspired the Order of Gimghoul, a secret society for students. It has a logo with a gargoyle and a castle in the woods. In fact, the story seems to be a legend designed to spice up the true story.

The real Peter Dromgoole did disappear from Chapel Hill under mysterious circumstances. It was discovered that he owed money to at least one person and had failed his examinations.

He was never seen again.^[6]

4 Lawton Werewolf
Lawton, Oklahoma

On February 27, 1971, 35-year-old Donald Childs stared ahead in terror as he clutched his chest. He was having a heart attack as he watched a horrifying creature rummaging around in his front garden in Lawton, Oklahoma. The creature resembled a canine humanoid figure and was drinking water out of Donald’s fishpond.

Fortunately, Donald survived the heart attack and was released from the hospital after two days. He then reported to the police what he had seen: a humanoid monster, with hair over its face, that was wearing multiple layers of clothing.

Soon, more reports followed. People called the police in panic, claiming to have seen the creature running down roads and perching on apartment railings. The creature, now referred to as the “Lawton Werewolf,” also ran all the way to Fort Sill. There, a group of men encountered it.

Theories for the sightings included people dressing up in hairy suits as a hoax. Some don’t believe this because one of the reports claimed that the creature survived a 5-meter (17 ft) jump from an apartment building. Others believe that the creature may be more of a Bigfoot than a werewolf. Either way, the mystery remains.^[7]

3 Jacob’s Well
Wimberley, Texas

Jacob’s Well is an artesian spring that flows out of a natural underground reservoir and has been revered by Native Americans for at least 1,000 years. The spring’s “mouth” is around 4 meters (13 ft) wide, and the water inside is 10 meters (33 ft) deep.

It is said that Jacob’s Well has four chambers and that the first one is 9 meters (30 ft) deep. The second one is 24 meters (80 ft) deep. However, the third and fourth chambers remain a mystery to most people as only very experienced divers have ever seen them. The cave systems of Jacob’s Well also remain a puzzle to scientists.

This has encouraged people to try to explore the spring. So far, nine divers have lost their lives after diving into Jacob’s Well to uncover its mysteries. Don Dibble, a local dive shop owner, has pulled remains out of Jacob’s Well.

He has also tried to dissuade people from jumping into it by building a grate of rebar and concrete and covering the entrance of the third chamber. A mere six months later, the grating was dismantled. On a plastic slate, someone left a note for Don: “You can’t keep us out.”

Why Jacob’s Well holds such an attraction for people, causing them to jump in while knowing its dangers, has yet to be determined.^[8]

2 Old House Woods
Diggs, Virginia

Haven Beach Road leads away from Diggs toward a 50-acre woods and marshland area known as Old House Woods. The forest has a rich history, including that of the creepy variety. It dates to the 1700s when soldiers and pirates took refuge among the thick greens.

Inside Old House Woods stood the Frannie Knight house. It had a reputation for repeatedly setting itself on fire and then extinguishing the blaze on its own. Eventually, the house burned to the ground. The cause of the fires remains unexplained.

In 1929, a man by the name of Jesse Hudgins reported that he had been walking through the forest when a group of men with glowing lanterns approached him. When they came close, Hudgins saw that they were skeletons wearing ancient armor. Hudgins also claimed that one of the skeletons threatened him with a sword.

Another visitor had some bad luck when his car broke down in the Old House Woods. He also claimed to have been approached by a skeleton in armor. The skeleton asked if the road was the King’s Highway and said that he had lost his ship. The visitor turned on his heels and fled.

Many more unexplained events have taken place in these woods, including floating lights, spectral figures appearing and disappearing, and faint sounds of cannon fire in the distance. This has caused the Old House Woods to become known as one of the most haunted forests in America.^[9]

1 The Bell Witch
Adams, Tennessee

In 1804, John Bell moved his family to Adams, Tennessee, and settled on 300 acres of land. They lived there happily and peacefully for 13 years before the trouble began. It started out as any old haunting with doors slamming, weird sounds coming from within the walls of their home, and chains rattling in the distance.

Then a weird animal, something between a rabbit and a dog, showed up at the Bell place. Suddenly, the paranormal activity kicked up several notches. John’s daughter bore the brunt of the weirdness, with invisible hands slapping and pinching her until she was black-and-blue.

After a committee was formed to investigate the Bell home, the entity revealed its name to them: Kate Batts.

Evidently, Kate used to be a neighbor of the Bells. She felt animosity toward John Bell and his family because of business deals gone wrong. Kate “vowed” to torment John and his family. In 1820, John was poisoned, allegedly by Kate (who was then also known as the “Bell Witch”).

The Bell Witch story is arguably the best-known paranormal mystery in the American South. In 2015, a clairvoyant from Mississippi claimed that she knew the truth about the Bell Witch murder. She alleged that Betsy Bell, John’s youngest daughter, had appeared to her and told her that John had been poisoned by a slave.

We may never know if John Bell really was poisoned by a slave or murdered by a disembodied spook.^[10]

10 Creepy And Obscure Unsolved Mysteries

South America is widely considered to house some of the most incredible and most dangerous wildlife on the planet. While the former is certainly true, the latter may be overstated somewhat, as we’ll promptly examine today.

This, though, isn’t to say that being careful is wrong; wild animals will always pose a threat and some on this list have seriously injured or even killed people. What’s also true, however, is that their reputation is almost always worse than the reality and they’re not an imminent threat to constantly worry about, especially not when basic precautions are taken.

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10 Most Caimans

Caimans are typically small sized crocodilians of the family Alligatoridae, composing one of the only two subfamilies within that, the other being alligators. Given this, it’s no surprise people are afraid of them, especially when the aforementioned small size is often greatly exaggerated.

As all crocodilians, they do still pose a threat, especially the species Melanosuchus niger, known by its common name as the black caiman, one of the largest crocodilians in the world, responsible for a horribly tragic fatal attack on a small child. You might ask, why are they on the list of animals that are less dangerous than their reputation, then?

The answer mostly boils down to looking at caimans as a whole versus just a single species. While the black caiman is dangerous to children especially, even its attacks are relatively rare, and a lot of other caiman species that are virtually harmless as long as they’re left alone get grouped in alongside Melanosuchus niger. As always, being careful is important, but a single outlier doesn’t make a whole, diverse group of species all dangerous monsters. Most caimans are small, largely nocturnal animals that care way more for fish than people.

9 Green Anaconda

The heaviest extant snake in the whole world, nearly the longest too, that’s got to be one dangerous animal, right? To its prey, absolutely. To humans? No, not really.

A truly incredible snake, the green anaconda may be as heavy as 70 kilograms which equates to a whopping 155 pounds and reach a length of over six metres, or 20 feet. While it’s nonvenomous, like all boas, it famously constricts its prey, swallowing it whole.

While this is all true, and certainly paints a scary image in one’s mind, the green anaconda rarely eats prey as large as humans, as massive as this snake may be. In films and popculture it famously has the reputation of being a man-eater, but in reality, such attacks are extremely rare and largely undocumented.

Even discounting a person’s size, though these snakes have incredibly varied diets, humans are simply not a source of food green anacondas seem to be interested in. There’s no doubt that an adult female of the species could kill a person if it wanted to, it really doesn’t seem like most wild specimens have any desire to do so. As usual, take care and avoid approaching or touching one, but as long as you’re careful you’ll be alright.

8 Piranha

Massive amounts of carnivorous fish moving in groups and capable of devouring a person or large animal in mere seconds, what’s not dangerous about that? The answer to that is; the non-exaggerated version.

Piranhas are indeed fish that move in groups called shoals, but in actuality they’re omnivorous and scientists believe that their formed groups are more for their own protection than anything. Additionally, yes, you’ve read that correctly, these famously or perhaps infamously vicious fish are actually omnivores and their diets typically consist of more vegetable matter than meat.

They do still eat meat, however, and have an incredibly powerful bite force, but even the famous example of a shoal of piranhas devouring a large carcass originates from nothing more than a former American president’s journal. Their bite is powerful, yes, and they may be able to devour an animal quite quickly, but they aren’t thought to represent a serious risks to humans and even the ideas that have some basis in reality were presented to the public after a great deal of colouring.

7 Poison Dart Frog

Another animal that’s been a mainstay in popular media, these beautiful, colourful frogs, like their name suggests, are poisonous. More than that, Phyllobates terribilis, also known as the golden poison dart frog, is famously, lethally poisonous. Certainly scary, but, as we’ve seen on this list so far, reality is typically tamer than sensationalised depictions of it.

While they are poisonous, yes, many people don’t grasp how nonthreatening that is to the average person. Their poison is almost surely lethal if it gets into a person’s bloodstream, but given the fact that they have no method to deliver said poison, you’re only really at risk if you attempt to eat one or handle and agitate one over an open wound.

Interestingly, as poisonous as they are, they completely lack these fearsome toxins in captivity, where they’re frequently kept as pets. Fairly intelligent, pretty, and a very recognisable cultural element in many indigenous cultures, these frogs are better admired than feared.

6 Cougar

Cougars, also widely known in the United States as mountain lions, or elsewhere as pumas or panthers—not to be confused with other large cats also referred to as panthers -, are the second largest New World cat species. Given the fact that they live near inhabited areas and may emit terrifying, scream-like sounds, they’re a common element in folklore and urban legends.

Often thought to be quite dangerous as well, that conception certainly seems logical on the surface. Large cats are famously threatening predators, the idea of one so close to home for many people is a scary thought, and cougars are common all across the Americas, South America being no exception.

Thankfully, however, attacks on humans from cougars are extremely rare. Additionally, it currently seems as though they’re at a much larger risk from us than we are from them, given the fact that they’re commonly killed due to their dangerous reputation, thus more and more sources are speaking out against the embellished claims in hopes of stopping the species’ decline.

5 Brazilian Wandering Spider

Arachnophobic people are presumably already protesting that such a monstrous creature is being defended, but, again, there are good reasons for that. Wandering spiders are large, active arachnids, reaching leg spans of up to 6 inches or 15 centimetres, and preferring to actively hunt rather than wait in a web.

The aforementioned facts coupled with one of the most toxic spider venoms on Earth and the fact that their bite, strangely, causes human erections certainly makes them odd, at the very least. Sometimes hiding in banana leaves or even international banana shipments, these creepy crawlies are rightfully feared as far as spiders go.

While that is all true, spiders aren’t rightfully feared to begin with. Wandering spiders specifically have been characterised as infamously aggressive, even though the reality is that they’re instead rather defensive. They, like all spiders, are not out to harm humans and will only bite in self-defence. What if one does bite, though? Well, the outlook isn’t as bleak as one might think, certainly not instant death. According to a Brazilian study, only 2.3% of all reported bites require antivenom and chances of survival are very high.

4 Giant Otter

Giant otters, to many, might sound like adorable animals, however, to others, they have a horrible, vicious reputation. The truth is somewhere between the two, as it’s usually the case.

Twice as large as American otters, growing up to 2 metres or over 6 feet, they’re an apex predator and hunt using their great senses and, yes, surprisingly vicious nature. While they’re perhaps cute on the surface, their bad reputation isn’t inherently unfounded and these opportunistic carnivores could probably kill a person.

Once again, however, they really are generally uninterested in doing so, hunting for much smaller prey and only really fighting large animals in self defence. In addition, unfortunately the giant otter is a greatly endangered species, its range having been reduced to a fraction of its former size due to human poaching. Another case of us posing a much larger threat to them than they ever do to us.

3 Amazonian Giant Centipede

The largest centipede in the world, growing up to or even over one foot or 30 centimetres in length, armed with modified legs capable of injecting a fairly serious and, to some, incredibly painful venom, Amazonian giant centipedes are nothing to scoff at.

Scolopendra gigantea preys on a large variety of animals and may live for as long as a decade. They’re carnivores and may hunt any animal they’re able to overpower, some potentially as large as they are. Definitely a combination to be afraid of for anyone who’s afraid of creepy crawlies, but, realistically, they’re unlikely to be fatal.

There’s been only one human fatality associated with the species, a case in which a child was tragically bitten by one of these centipedes hiding in a soda can. While they may not be a serious threat in the vast majority of cases, that’s a deeply unfortunate scenario and a horrifying image.

2 Bullet Ant

Bullet ant—an ant with a sting so powerful it feels like being shot. Scary? A little. Dangerous? No. These large ants certainly deliver a sting that lives up to their name, a powerful venom leaving anyone unfortunate enough to be stung with waves of intense pain, one apparently so horrible that it holds the top spot on Schmidt’s sting pain index.

Additionally, a disturbing image to add, indigenous Brazilian tribes willingly sting themselves using tens of these ants at once woven into gloves that they must wear for minutes, presumably making for a deeply awful experience that’s certainly one to remember and be scarred by.

That being said, even though the pain is truly terrible and bullet ants can sting multiple times in a row, no human fatalities have ever been attributed to their stings as of this article, ever.

1 Goliath Birdeater Tarantula

Topping off the list is perhaps the most sensationalised animal of these ten, which is certainly saying a lot. Goliath birdeater tarantulas are among the largest spiders on Earth, holding the #2 spot when it comes to leg span and the top spot for heaviest spider currently known. They’re massive, hairy, and can launch the urticating hairs from their abdomen at rapid speeds as a defence mechanism, extremely irritating hairs that may even block airways.

They’re, as their name suggests, huge, with a leg span that may be as large as one foot, and a weight up to six ounces or 175 grams, it’s a truly impressive spider. Even though, despite their title, they rarely eat birds, they’re probably the spider best suited to do so on the planet.

Their size, however, is often exaggerated to be even larger than their already nearly record-breaking proportions, alongside claims of their urticating hairs causing people to suffocate or their venom being deadly. While they perhaps aren’t as docile as other South American tarantulas, they still aren’t the most defensive and certainly not aggressive. To this date, no human fatality has ever been attributed to a tarantula, not this, nor any other.

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