What is the deadliest living creature known to humans

A.� If you're talking about venomous creatures, rather than our own species and microorganisms that pose an invisible deadly threat, then this prize goes to the sea wasp, or marine stinger.

�

Q.� I know wasp's stings can be fatal, but I thought this was rare

A.� The sea wasp, Chironex fleckeri, isn't really a wasp, it's or insect at all, it's a jellyfish.

�

Q.� How is the deadliness of an animal determined

A.� What we're looking for here are two important factors: how many victims the creatures venom can kill and once bitten or stung, how long the victim has got left.

�

Q.� What does a sea wasp look like

A.� It's got as many as 60 tentacles hanging down as long as 15 feet from its body, which can be as big as a football.

�

Q.� Do they need to be so deadly

A.� Sea Wasps are not aggressive. They're fast swimmers and usually don't have to travel very far before something tasty gets caught in their tentacles. The reason their sting has to be fatal is because their tentacles are very fragile, so unless their victims die quickly they risk damaging these delicate organs in the ensuing struggle.

�

Q.� How do they release their venom

A.� The venom, tiny poison darts buried is inside the flesh of each tentacle, is unleashed when the tentacles detect contact with something edible, like fish or human skin.

�

Q.� Does it hurt

A.� Very; a sea wasp's sting isn't always fatal and those that have lived to tell the tale say it's excruciatingly painful. It can cause nausea, vomiting and breathing problems.

�

Q.� Is there any cure

A.� Prevention is probably the best cure. Because the venom is released through a chemical reaction between the tentacles and the victim's skin, the best way to avoiding an untimely death is to keep completely covered up. Australian surfers and swimmers, who provide the sea wasp with the majority of its victims, wear women's tights on their arms and legs.

�

Want to know what the fast, slowest, smallest, biggest creature Quiz The AnswerBank.

�

by Lisa Cardy