Do people actually believe the thing about Australia's wildlife being dangerous?

[Some_weirdGuy]

Just curious.

It seems to be something of a running joke on the internet that Australia is loaded to the gunwales with deadly, hungry and/or poisonous creatures. At first I assumed it was just that, a joke. However, having heard it repeated so many times I'm no longer sure.

Truth is, it's really not so bad.

Yes, we have sharks, but so does nearly everywhere else with a coastline. Yes, there are crocodiles, but only in a few places and actual attacks are rare. Yes, there are some poisonous spiders, but they're rare and relatively shy. They won't bite unless you actively piss them off. Yes, there are some really big spiders (I get spiders-with-health-bars [http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-FEmlgdAP0IM/Tx9T8JUpcHI/AAAAAAAACQE/BeprU8VhXpY/s1600/health%2Bbar%2Bspider.jpg] in my room if I leave the window open at night, found one in my boot a few months ago) but they don't bite. Hell, you can pick them up if you're game. Yes, a lot of the snakes are venomous enough to kill you, but they're very shy. They'll run away from you (well... slither away) if they can. The vast majority of bites occur when someone steps on one and cops a nip to the ankle. Yes, they are a few poisonous jellyfish, but they're rare.

Hell, where I come from the deadliest animal around is a species of humble ant (we call them 'jack-jumpers') and that's only because a fair few people are allergic to their bite.

So it's really just a myth. Just mind where you swim and watch where you put your feet and you'll be fine.

PS. Inb4 drop bears.

Mate, you're forgettin' something very important, you're 'stralian mate, you're de-sensified to the harsh'u'alities of our fair country. See when those dog-sized spiders don't bite you gotta remember, it's not from lack of trying mate, your 'stralian skin is just so thick that their pitiful 30 centimetre long fangs can't break the skin. You think a crocodile backin' off after twenty punches to the face and three separate rounds of bare-shirted wrestling is 'shy', but by the rest of the worlds standards that crocodile was a beast, you you just out-'stalianed it with all your australianity.

I mean, you even forgot to mention how these ants you were talking about are the size of cows, you just tend to forget the little things like that when talking to forigners, not noticing how outside Australia ants are actually super tiny-like, around a few millimetres in size, much to small to ride or wrestle bare-shirtedly into submission even.

See, the poor buggers from other countries haven't built up any australianity to protect them like we have here down under.

 

[don hippy]

I find it funny that it's always the poisonous stuff in Australia that gets mentioned in "everything in Australia is deadly," when you guys have animals like wombats that are so badass it's unbelievable. Seriously, wombats are built like tanks, can dig through anything, and can sprint at 25MPH. I fucking love wombats.

Finally someone mentions one of the truly dangerous animals in Australia. A wombat if hit head on by a care traveling at 80 km will most likely still be able to walk away, the car will not be as lucky.
Another surprisingly dangerous animal is the koala. Koalas are nature's biological weapons masters. Their main defense is to scratch something with claws so filthy that you'll catch something.

 

[Verzin]

imo It's human nature to inflate the facts about foreign places a little bit.

My philosophy: Australia is cool because it has big ants, big spiders, and Kangaroos.

I live in Utah. The most interesting animals I've seen here have been assorted snakes and a moose.

imagine it...the most interesting animal you've ever seen has been a moose...forever...

Spoiler: trapped

 

[Cyfu]

Don't listen to him! It's an attempt to lure you all to your death. It's not his fault however. I'm sure there exist a type of parasite in Australia that makes people convince other people that Australia is safe and then they pounce. Then you too will try to lure other people to their death.

This wont work on me! I've seen through your scheme. Now, what should we do now that Australia is overtaken by a dangerous parasite that says that Australia is not as dangerous as the internet makes it out to be? I wonder...

 

[General Vagueness]

OK, well...

Yes, there are some poisonous spiders, but they're rare and relatively shy. They won't bite unless you actively piss them off.

Doesn't that include the spider with the deadliest venom in the world?

Yes, there are some really big spiders (I get spiders-with-health-bars [http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-FEmlgdAP0IM/Tx9T8JUpcHI/AAAAAAAACQE/BeprU8VhXpY/s1600/health%2Bbar%2Bspider.jpg] in my room if I leave the window open at night, found one in my boot a few months ago) but they don't bite.

The thing is, that doesn't happen in most of the world. Also most people don't know there are spiders that don't bite.

Yes, they are a few poisonous jellyfish, but they're rare.

Again, though, the deadliest jellyfish in the world (as far as we know) is only found at a fairly small number of beaches, and about half of them are in Australia.

And let's not forget:
The platypus, whose poison causes excruciating pain, which can recur up to a year later. The only treatment is to sever all nerves to the affected area.

I forgot about that. I didn't know the reaction was that severe though, that's... wow.

The eucalyptus tree, which explodes when it catches fire.

I suspect this one is made up but I wouldn't really be surprised if it was true.

 

[RufusMcLaser]

I think it's a matter of humorous exaggeration and local perception. Europeans (and the British, too) don't have much dangerous wildlife to contend with, perhaps because they killed most of it ages ago.
Then there's the business with the dingo-eating baby, or whatever it was.

 

[DarthFennec]

... we have sharks ... crocodiles ... poisonous spiders ... really big spiders ... snakes venomous enough to kill you ... poisonous jellyfish ...

Yeah. Where I am, we get ... uhh ... hmm ... honeybees? I guess those can be bad for you if you like ... shove your arm in their hive or something. Or if you're allergic.
Maybe you don't think it's that bad because you're used to it?