Deadly Minnesota Creature Claims Nearly a Million Lives Annually

I follow this Instagram page that's like the National Geographic meets a murder documentary. It's called the Dark Side of Nature and it shows videos of animals being animals and the whole "circle of life" out in the wild - that's the most PG way I can think to write it.

You see some vicious animals on there, some big and some very small. That got me thinking, what's the most deadly creature to humans? And to be honest, I was super surprised when I saw the list. Sharks didn't even crack the top 10.

For reference, sharks kill about 70 people per year. So, what creature is claiming nearly a million lives annually?

Related: Beware! #1 Cause of Death in Minnesota Revealed.

Some of the biggest animals do the "least damage" that is when it comes to the number of humans they kill yearly. Lions are number 10 on the list killing an average of 200 per year, followed by hippos (500 people yearly), elephants (600 people yearly), crocodiles (1,000 people yearly), and at number six is scorpions (3,300 people yearly).

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#5. Assassin Bugs. What the serious crap is an assassin bug? Clearly it's named appropriately, as they kill an average of 10,000 people annually - yikes!

According to Science Focus Magazine, "assassin bugs are a primary spreader of the deadly Chagas disease. These blood-sucking predator insects are a real threat in Central and South America thanks to this."

#4. Dogs. Dogs kill an average of 59,000 per year and primarily because of rabies.

They say this is primarily taking place in poorer parts of the world including Africa and Asia. Rabies is transmitted by saliva via bites, scratches, and direct contact with infected areas on the dog.

#3 Snakes. Of course. I'm terrified of snakes and the many different ways they can take out a human. Snakes kill 138,000 people annually.

#2. Humans. Believe or not, humans are the second-most dangerous animals on the planet when it comes to human deaths. Homicides account for around 400,000 deaths annually.

Deadly Minnesota Creature Claims Nearly a Million Lives Annually

#1. Mosquitos. And believe it or not, the world's deadliest creature is the Minnesota state bird.

These pesky little buggers are not only annoying, they are deadly. They kill around 725,000 people annually through spreading diseases such as malaria. The death rate is especially high in areas like Africa, where Malaria infection is particularly bad.

You can read more about the most dangerous animals to humans here: Science Focus Magazine.