What is the deadliest animal on earth? While many of us might quiver in fear at the jaws of a shark, the roar of a lion, or the fangs of a venomous snake, the world’s deadliest animal is actually quite small—and she doesn’t even have any teeth! (She might, however, be flying around your own backyard.)

When you hear her pesky buzzing or feel her itchy bites, you know you’re in the presence of a fearsome micropredator: the mighty mosquito.

The Mighty Mosquito

The mosquito is the deadliest animal in the world, killing about 725,000 humans per year. Because mosquitoes feed on many hosts—humans and animals—throughout their lifetime, they are carriers of several harmful diseases: 

• West Nile Virus

• Chikungunya Virus

• Dengue Virus

• Eastern Equine Encephalitis Virus

• La Crosse Encephalitis

• St. Louis Encephalitis

• Malaria

• Zika Virus

All of these dangerous illnesses, while rare, can pose extremely serious health risks to humans, with symptoms ranging from fever, pain, and rashes to long-term disability or death. 

Pets also face danger from mosquito-borne illness. In fact, the only way a dog can be infected with heartworms is by a mosquito bite. Heartworm disease causes significant health problems for the affected pet. Dogs face a higher risk of heartworm disease than cats, but cats that spend time outside do face some risk as well. Complications in dogs may start as mild as a cough but can become more severe, causing heart, lung, liver, and kidney complications, which can ultimately result in death if left untreated. Though cats are a less ideal host for the parasites, feline complications may manifest as a cough, respiratory attacks, sudden fainting or seizures, or death.

The Female Mosquito

It’s a little-known fact that only female mosquitoes bite. Females need a blood meal in order to lay eggs and reproduce, while male mosquitoes stick to plant nectar. Though both male and female mosquitoes have a long mouth part called a proboscis, the male’s proboscis is not even strong enough to pierce skin. 

That means that the deadliest animal in the world is, specifically, the female mosquito!

Defend Your Property

Protect your family and pets from the deadliest animal on earth. With Mosquito Hero’s effective mosquito control programs, you get custom, targeted control and monthly service from a trained professional, effectively reducing the mosquito population in your yard.

Find a Mosquito Hero near you and get a free quote today!