Whether poisonous snakes, caterpillars or fish – dangers lurk in German gardens and bodies of water that may not be on everyone’s mind …
Dangers lurk in German gardens. Because there are animals in this country that can potentially be fatal to humans, but some of them are so inconspicuous that many are not even aware of them. We are not talking about bees or hornets. In an overview, echo24.de * has listed the most poisonous animals that are native to Germany.
There are of course spiders and snakes – the species that one would most likely suspect could threaten humans, but also cute contemporaries like the shrew . It is gray and small – with its pointy nose and small button eyes it does not make a particularly dangerous impression, but that is deceptive. The shrew is one of the few mammals in Germany that uses poison to kill its prey. Their bite is therefore painful for humans and also creates a local swelling – otherwise the shrew * is harmless to us.
Most poisonous animals in Germany: the yellow-bellied toad and fire salamander can be dangerous
It looks a little different with the yellow-bellied toad . From above it looks relatively simple – with a brown-black pattern, but with its bright yellow belly warns of the poison that it uses to kill its prey. The amphibian is not life-threatening for humans, but its toxin can extremely irritate the eyes and other mucous membranes if you only touch the toad.
The fire salamander also warns of its poison with a yellow signal color. Its pattern literally screams “don’t touch!” But actually you don’t have to be afraid of the little amphibian. People feel its toxin when they come into contact with it, but the symptoms are mostly limited to a slight burning sensation on the skin. Nausea, difficulty breathing or vomiting occur less often when they come into contact with the fire salamander. But actually you should keep your distance from the amphibians anyway – they are under strict nature protection in Germany.
Most poisonous animals in Germany: Dangers lurk in the water too
A visit to the North or Baltic Sea can also be painful if you encounter a so-called yellow hair jellyfish here in the sea. Contact with the jellyfish is not life-threatening, but it can be violent. For most people, the contact with their nettle poison is only painful, but allergy sufferers can also react with fever, difficulty breathing or vomiting. There is also another danger in the North and Baltic Seas.
The weever is a poisonous contemporary. The little fish with the cute name is one of the most poisonous fish in Europe and is also found on German coasts. The animal buries itself in the sand and is therefore invisible to bathers – but if you step on the weever, you will feel its poisonous sting. That means at least severe pain and long-lasting swelling – those who are allergic can even suffer cardiac arrest.
| Surname | Ordinary weever |
| Art | Fish of the order of the perch-like |
| Happen | North Sea or western Baltic Sea |
| Scientific name | Trachinidae |
The silver spider can also be found in water, but more in rivers and lakes. It is the only species of spider that does not live on land but under water and is therefore also called water spider . The bite of this animal is similar to that of a wasp. It can cause redness and swelling, but should not normally be life-threatening. One of their kind that lives on land is a lot more dangerous.
Most poisonous animals in Germany: Few domestic spiders and snakes are dangerous to humans
The wet nurse’s thorn finger is a species of spider that can grow up to 1.5 centimeters and is also found in Germany. Their bite is particularly dangerous for humans because it can completely penetrate human skin – the poisonous claws are too short for almost all other native spider species. Once you’ve been bitten by the wet nurse’s thorn finger *, its poison leads to swelling and pain, which can lead to circulatory failure and chills. The only positive thing: deaths are not yet known.
Most people have natural respect for it: the aspis viper is a venomous snake that is native to Germany. It occurs in different colors such as reddish, brownish yellow, orange or light gray and is up to 90 centimeters long. Although their bite is usually easily treatable for humans, humans have already died after being attacked by asp viper. In 2013, for example, a man in the south of France could not be rescued after being bitten by an asp viper several times – even though he received immediate medical attention.
The second venomous snake native to Germany is the adder . It is the most poisonous species of snake in this country – in the worst case, its bite can lead to shortness of breath, palpitations and symptoms of paralysis. However, slight progressions with pain and swelling of the bite are also possible – but this is thanks to the adder itself, because it often uses its venom very cautiously.
Most poisonous animals in Germany: Even the smallest garden dwellers can be extremely dangerous
Also rather inconspicuous, but all the more dangerous are some species of caterpillars . The goldafter caterpillar * and the oak processionary moth * are native to all federal states in Germany and develop into beautiful butterflies later in life. As long as they are still in their caterpillar form, both species have so-called stinging hairs, which can cause severe allergic reactions. This can cause pustules on the skin, but chills, fever or shortness of breath are also possible reactions.
Contact with the so-called black-and-blue oil beetle is also extremely dangerous. It shouldn’t be touched – and not just because it’s on the red list and threatened with extinction. The black-and-blue oil beetle * forms an oily secretion – the poison chantharidin. This leads to inflammation, blisters on the skin, death of the skin or even severe kidney damage. * echo24.de is an offer from IPPEN.MEDIA.
List of rubric lists: © Günter Hansbauer / dpa
