Do you think you know what the #1 deadliest animal in USA is? The answer might shock you.
Before reading further, write down your guess right now. Do you think it is crocodiles, or bears, or killer bees? Write down your guess to see if you get it right!
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How Deadly Is It?
This #1 deadliest animal in USA cost us $4 billion in damages between July 1, 2011 to June 30, 2012. Every year a minimum of $1 billion is lost as a result of damages & deaths from this single animal alone.
This animal also kills about 200 humans per year, and injures several more from unsuspecting attacks.
Most people that are injured as a result of this animal are completely shocked of how dangerous it was; they also weren’t out hiking, adventuring, or playing with scorpions.
Do you have your guess ready?
This #1 deadliest animal in the USA is more dangerous than spiders, bears, wolves, scorpions, snakes, bees, and crocodiles combined!
#1 Deadliest Animal in USA
The answer will shock you… The #1 deadliest animal in the USA is deer! Why is that?
Deer appear so cute, and we all know that they aren’t going out hunting us (in fact it’s quite the opposite). They also don’t have giant claws or scary teeth like sharks.
The truth of what makes deer so deadly lies in their eyes- and no, not the cute Bambi eyes.
You see, humans can see a certain “spectrum” of light which we call color. We can’t see other wavelengths such as UV light because our eyes don’t have the ability to pick it up.
Deer, on the other hand, can see UV light. Their eyes work that way. By being able to see UV light, they lack the ability to clearly see some of the wavelengths we can see, such as car headlights. Can you see where this is going?
Car Accidents & Deer
Imagine if everyone drove without headlights, and your hearing wasn’t so good. Crossing the street would be pretty terrifying!
Deer aren’t able to clearly see our headlights, and they aren’t aware enough to understand that cares regularly cross over streets. Sometimes they jump right out, and SPLAT! A car crash.
From July 1, 2011 to June 30, 2012 there were more than 1.23 million deer-related collisions with automobiles, which was a 7% increase from the previous period. This was also where we lost $4 billion.
Despite not being inherently dangerous, deer are the deadliest animals in the USA because of how frequently they cause car accidents. Unfortunately what happens is people hit them, and then swerve off the road and crash.
For some reason white-tailed deer are the most likely to be hit of all the types of deer.
Protecting Yourself
Some companies have created deer whistles, which release a high-pitched sound which deer can hear but humans can’t. The effectiveness of this product however has been debated.
There is another theory that UV light would prevent deer-vehicle-collisions because deer can see UV lights, but not our headlights.
Ultimately the best prevention is to stay aware while driving. Don’t drink and drive, and don’t drive too tired to stay alert. There were typically be signs for deer crossings, so you should slow down especially if the woods are close to the road you’re driving on.
Pennsylvania, Virginia, and West Virginia & the surrounding states are the most dangerous region for deer-vehicle collisions. In cities such as Phoenix, you have nothing to worry about.
Relax, Don’t Worry
All that being said, you shouldn’t cancel your next road-trip or adventure out of fear of a deer-vehicle collision. The actual probability of getting killed by a deer is about 1 in 1.4 million- there are much more important things to worry about!
Deadliest Creature in the World
Bonus fun fact: while deer are the deadliest creature in the USA, mosquitoes are the deadliest creature in the entire world because they spread diseases such as malaria.