If asked to name a quirky island many people will plump for the Galapagos Islands with their odd animals, or they may even suggest Australia with its odd everythings (that's a compliment), but there are others that leave ancient turtles and kangaroos in the shade when it comes to being quirky and odd.

For me it has to be Ilha de Queimada Grande. Not only does it have its quirks, but it is the most terrifying place on earth for an ophidiophobe like me. (That's a word I've waited a long, long time to get to use in conversation. Google it!)

Ilha de Queimada Grande is a forested 43,000 square metre lump of rock lying off the south east coast of Brazil (quirkiest of countries perhaps). Naval restrictions forbid civilian visitors other than approved scientists, but the other great dissuader to visitors such as me is that the island is home to a particularly venomous snake, the Golden Lancehead. This is a variation of the notorious Fer-de-Lance and it can inject enough venom in one bite to kill two men at once. These 2 metre long creatures breed prolifically all year round and can produce 50 little ones at a time. With not very many natural predators and no human enemies they have been free to colonise the island to such an extent that there is now estimated to be one snake for every square metre of land. That's a lot of snakes.

At one time there was a lighthouse keeper who lived on the island - I wonder what happened to him? There were also plans for a banana plantation which came to nothing, and doesn't it look so lovely and inviting from the air!

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The Taipan is the world's most venomous snake with enough poison in the gob to kill several hundred sheep. Beware of this snake's ( and all Aussie slitherers ) ability to mete revenge on unsuspecting motorists.

What the deadly critter does is, if you drive over it, it curls up around the axel of your vehicle. It has an uncanny ability to sense where passengers are located - choosing in 95% of reported cases - the front, driver axel of the car.

The Taipan will, "jump-up," onto the underside of the car and wrap itself around the axel of the wheel below your seat. Unsuspectingly, you keep driving, thinking you may have killed it when you ran over it. Don't be fooled.

As the snake is slippery, it will easily wind itself around the axel and move with the turn of the wheel. This also angers the egg-laying cold-blood. It does not mind spinning for several thousand kilometers until you stop the car for an icy sports drink and ablution stop - the vast distance helps it build natural resentment in its' desire to mete revenge in cold blood.

As you open the door, alighting from the vehicle, then it strikes. "Smack," on your ankle; pumping its' toxic venom into the bone ( Its' fangs saber bone! ). You have minutes to live; no reported survivors - as the crafty snake always strikes at remote rest stops - far away from any doctor.

How to avoid: If you see a Taipan ( or any Aussie snake ) on the road; swerve around it. Never think you have killed it by driving over it, for it's an ankle-biting axel snake, able to wrap around the underside wheel-well of the biggest of trucks, and then submit certain death to the driver.

Clawed Drop-Bears

Pure Evil

The famous Koala bear, common to Japanese tourist photos, is a smokescreen for the true nature of these deadly critters. In the 1940's Hitler developed an opiating antidote for the Koala Bear. Australian spies managed to find the recipe in the archives of the German Reich. It finally rendered this bear completely docile. Prior to this, the Koala was a vicious killer known for its' ability to take down a sturdy, fully-grown man.

The introduced antivenin worked surprisingly well on the Koala population. The tourist Koala, the one you see in joyous holiday snaps, is a far cry from the original bear, a truly deadly warmer.

However, not all Koalas received the German antidote and visitors to Australia must keep a constant vigil against the original bear. Always look up when walking under Eucalyptus trees - I try to keep my head up - as this bear is known to drop from the tree - at any time - whilst you are happily minding your beeswax.

How to avoid: They fall vertically; cling to your face and swipe with a single, clawed paw - with uncanny, "Freddie," like accuracy - eliminating either one or both eyes and seriously disfiguring you. If you are planning a trip Downunder then plan to wear a hat with two false, "eyes," on it. Clawed Drop-Bears don't attack if they feel they are being watched.

Chicken-In-A-Casket

Australians love their food. So much so they have combined the oven with the car engine. The Chicken Casket that sits in the car engine is one unique downunder invention not to be missed if travelling the highways and byways of this fabulous land. It's an enamel casket that clamps into any standard vehicle engine. It's about the size of a decent chicken and one frozen chicken is placed in it before your road trip.

It seals the chicken in nice and tight. You then clamp the casket onto the side of the engine in an accessible place. Close the bonnet and away you go. It defrosts the chicken, and then cooks it using the heat of the engine. When you have a lunch-stop, after about two hours, open the hood; oh; smell the aromas! Remove the casket and inside is the most succulent roast chicken ever.

I also add pumpkin pieces and potatoes into the casket, giving that Thanksgiving feel to the lunch. The whole experience is a culinary delight guaranteeing you won't starve on the many miles confronting you in this vast place.

If you have kids forget about your share, the children will relish the entire, roasted bird, so sweet is the meat from this unique, car-cooked dish - the Chicken-In-A-Casket.

I owned an infamous joint, too,
Where Indi lost his step
Is “The Viper” a clue?
My name is…

(clue: the name matches the rhyme scheme)

Dort Poison Frog

I was stunned when I first heard that a frog is the most poisonous creature of all times. This poisonous frog lives in the rain forests of Colombia. In zoology, it is known as phyllobates terribilis. It is very tiny and only 2 cm. It's poison can kill 150 people or 30000 mice at the same time.It's whole body is covered with a poison layer.

Blue Ringed Octopus

The second most poisonous one living on the Earth. It's poison kills any creature in only 2 minutes. The natural habitat of this octopus species is Japan. According to scientists and zoologists, it's poison is as 10000 times lethal as cyanide.

Box Jelly Fish

This is the third in the top list of most poisonous creatures. It lives in Pacific Ocean. It has 3 m tentacles around it. If you somehow touch it, this means that you live the last 5 minutes of your life.

Inland Taipan

It belongs to Elapidae family in zoology. The most dangerous snake species. Natural habitat of this snake is Australia continent. Three important species of Taipan is Oxyuranus scutellatus, Oxyuranus microlepidotus and Oxyuranus temporalis. It's poison is 100 times more potent than cobra and 50 times more lethal than black mamba. It's poison can kill 100 people at the same time.

Death Stalker

Death stalker lives in Middle East countries. It is known as yellow scorpion. It's 1mg poison can kill 15000 mice. It's poison can kill a person in only one hour after being bitten.

Most individuals who handle these snakes are likely to get bitten. They're highly aggressive and wiry. Their fangs come out of the side rather than the front, which makes them more difficult to handle than other snakes. They get their names from the stiletto heels, because when their fangs swing out, they look like the heel of the shoe. They're nest raiders whereby they will enter the nest of rodents, striking the young and ingesting them once they're dead. They are predominant throughout Africa. This snake has no antivenin. It causes a lot of problems in the rural areas of Africa. Many who get bitten by these snakes lose limbs, fingers, or their lives.

The bite sends pain receptors throughout the nervous system, as well as swelling of the blood vessels. The surrounding tissue near the bite slowly begins to digest. The wound will swell up into a huge blister, and then it will eventually decompress, releasing the blood from the wound. The flesh will begin to rot at the site. Liquefaction necrosis of the flesh is not uncommon (where the bone, tissue, and underlying muscle turns into liquid). The bite causes a rapid increase in heart rate/blood pressure, which can cause heart attack. Since there is no antivenin, survival is rare, and if one does survive the bite, they're liable to experience excruciating, disabling pain months after the bite has occurred.

Killer Bees

If one bee stings a victim, it stirs up a reaction in the hive. The worker bee that has stung the victim secretes a pheromone in response to a perceived threat. Thousands of bees will swarm and attack the victim. Killer bees primarily attack the head and upper body. It's also not uncommon for the bees to find their way into a victim's mouth and throat area if a victim's mouth is open. Killer bees are so aggressive, that they will continue to attack. Thousands of them will deposit small amounts of venom. While killer bees have a smaller amount of venom than honeybees, there are more of them while in the midst of a swarm. The thousands of bees that can attack a person will cause a massive amount of envenomation.

When a bee pulls away from its stinger, the stinger remains in the victim. The stinger is still attached to its venom gland; which continually pulses venom into the victim until all the venom is released into the body. The body can become numb from the massive amounts of stings because the body has over stimulated its pain fibers in response to the stings. While there have not been many deaths occurring from killer bee stings, all people react differently. Some people can have a delayed reaction to the venom. The venom can attack the muscles causing rhabdomyolysis. The muscle cells can break down and rupture, releasing proteins into the bloodstream. The protein is transported from the blood into the kidneys. The kidneys can be damaged, but since the heart is a muscle, damage to the heart is also concern.

Brown Recluse

The bite of a brown recluse is sometimes subtle. But it will lead to a mild stinging, followed by redness and severe pain. Their bites are more noticeable because they will turn into a target like shape. At first the bite may be bluish or purple in color. But as the venom starts to spread throughout the wound, the flesh will start to form a blister. When the blister begins to peel, the underlying tissue will reveal a deep ulcer that begins to turn black. Necrosis of the tissue isn't uncommon, and sometimes, severe wounds can develop that will last for months. Victims of brown recluse bites have experienced flu-like symptoms, headaches, muscle cramping, rashes, and joint stiffness. More serious bites have resulted in convulsions, the prevention of blood clotting, renal failure, or even death. While deaths have occurred, they are more common in children since they are smaller and usually unable to fight the envenomation.

Saw-Scaled or Carpet Viper

This snake attacks and kills more humans than any other species of snake. They are small, never growing more than 2 feet. They are usually difficult to spot because they blend into the surrounding area. They are one of the most dangerous snakes. They are very bad tempered and easily provoked. Sometimes they are known to travel in groups. No other species of snake does this. In northwest India, more than a quarter of a million of them were exterminated in one region. Gram for gram, their venom is more deadly than any other viper. Most patients will have swelling at the bite. Necrosis of the flesh is common. Renal failure, shock, cardio toxicity (muscle damage of the heart) and the inability for the blood to clot are common. Some victims will die slow, excruciatingly painful deaths.

It really depends on the breed. Anacondas of South America are ideally suited for moist climates.

On the other hand Cobras and Rattlesnakes are ideally suited to desert climates.

Living in Texas, I have seen my share of snakes, I used to be terrified of them.

In reality though, they are more scared of people.

You see television shows all the time with these vicious, unprovoked snake attacks, the fact is though that most of these shows are dramatic, and all too often uninformed.

Snakes sense by vibration (much like the worms in the movie "Tremors" with Kevin Bacon).

I am not suggesting that snakes can be considered worms by any means, but it is an interesting comparison.

Therefore, if you came across a snake, as long as you weren't antagonizing it, the odds of an attack are limited since they can't see you.

What about Snakes as Pets?

They are not the most ideal as pets as most snakes enjoy their freedom, a snake in captivity is more likely to lash out unexpectedly. Many cultures have snake handlers, and even for these trained professionals, things can all too often go wrong. Anyway my suggestion is leave the snakes in their natural habitat,where they are meant to be.

Mosquitoes

Although it doesn't pack a nasty sting or bite, it officially is the deadliest creature on the planet. Because it carries deadly parasites, it can transfer them to its victim, often times being humans. Other than malaria, mosquitoes can carry epidemic polyarthritis (arthritis of multiple joints), yellow and dengue fever, elephantiasis, West Nile virus, encephalitis, and Rift Valley fever. Diseases by mosquitoes afflict 700 million people annually, while killing more than 1 million.

Taipan

Although not the most deadly snake (inland Taipan carries that title), the bite of a Taipan is enough to kill 12,000 guinea pigs. Imagine what it can do to a human. There are three types of Taipan; the coastal Taipan, the inland Taipan, and the Central Ranges Taipan. If the snake feels threatened, it will strike several times injecting its victim with large doses of venom. Victims may experience headache, nausea/vomiting, convulsions, paralysis, kidney failure, respiratory paralysis, and internal hemorrhaging.

Box Jellyfish

This animal is one of the deadliest. It is more commonly known as the Sea Wasp. It lives off the waters of Australia. The toxin of this jellyfish produces what survivors call an electrical shock throughout their body. Those who are unlucky enough to be stung faint from the pain. Respiratory functions and heart failure can occur in as little as 3 minutes. Survivors often carry the ribbon like scars upon their body. This little critter is responsible for more deaths in Australia than sharks, snakes, and salt water crocodiles combined.

Brazilian Wandering Spider

This guy is highly venomous and extremely aggressive. It has been known to attack without provocation. It hails from Brazil but also inhabits areas of South and Central America. It usually lives in banana trees, and most victims get bitten while harvesting the fruit. It is thought to be the most deadly spider in the world, and in 2007 it held that record in the Guinness Book of World Records. Its venom is so toxic that an adult can kill 30 mice and immobilize a person within minutes. So hardcore is this spider that you can boil it and microwave it for short durations. It can even withstand freezing. If it harms one of its legs, it will amputate it with its own mouth and regenerate one within a few weeks.

Cone Snail

These snails can pack quite a punch. They immobilize prey using a modified tooth with a poison gland containing neurotoxins. When they detect prey, they harpoon their target. The smaller species of the snail are mild in comparison to their larger counterparts. The species Conus Geographicus is so deadly that it has been dubbed the cigarette snail. Supposedly a person has enough time to smoke a cigarette before succumbing to death. Symptoms can include pain, swelling, numbness, and tingling. In the most severe cases, respiratory failure and death will occur.

Blue-Ringed Octopus

This little guy is only as big as a golf ball. However, it can kill a man within minutes. There is no antivenin to prevent complications from the bite. So powerful is its venom, that it's 5 times deadlier than cyanide. The major component of poison is tetrodotoxin, which causes major paralysis and respiratory arrest that will lead to death. Most victims are aware of their surrounding but are incapable of getting help due to paralysis. The octopus will secret poison into the water surrounding it, or by biting the victim. The last things victims recall seeing are the vibrant blue circles on its body.

Reef Stonefish

The stonefish is the most venomous fish in the world. Located in the dorsal fin are 13 spines that inject venom into its victim. It's venom causes, paralysis, shock, and tissue death. If medical attention is not sough immediately, death can occur within hours. Those who survive suffer localized nerve damage, which sometimes leads to atrophy of surrounding muscle tissue. Sometimes the pain is so severe in the afflicted area that victims will often scream for the removal of their limbs.

Some snakes have venom that is strong enough to kill an elephant. Others have mild venom which can kill only small lizard. About two hundred species of venomous snakes can be considered dangerous to man.

Among the venomous species of snakes known, the cobras and the related snakes make up one family, the vipers, the second. There are some venomous snakes among a kind known as the colubrids, the largest family of snakes.

There is spitting cobra that can spray venom from its fangs. The cobra aims at the eyes of a threatening animal. The spray reaches about eight feet and causes almost instant blindness.

In general cobra venom affects the nervous system of the victim and makes him unable to move. When the venom reaches the nerve centres that control breathing or heartbeat the victim dies.

Vipers have very long fangs. Their venom affects mainly the blood cells and blood vessels of the victims.

Snakes have poison glands located on both sides of the head, a little below their eyes. They have two fangs on their upper jaw, which have holes. Poison passes from the poison glands to the fangs through a tube.

Snakes generally do not attack unless provoked. Always take care when walking through thick high grass. Never step on dry logs or mounds of dry leaves. A snake might be resting under it. Again, never push your hand or foot inside a hole in a ground or in a tree. It could be a snake nest.

When walking in high grass take a long, strong stick and keep tapping it a few feet in front of you. The vibration caused by the stick on the ground frightens away the snake.

Some snakes are not poisonous but yet are dangerous. The python, anaconda and the common boa squeeze and crush the body of the victim and then swallow it whole. The stomach of these snakes produces powerful digestive juices that can break down even big bones of the victim.

1.Camels have three eyebrows on their eyes.

2. Polar bears are left pawed.

3. Crocodiles can't stick out their tongues.

4. Ants never sleep.

5. Mosquitoes have 47 teeth.

6. Snails have more than 25000 teeth.

7. A mature beer can run as fast as a horse.

8.C amels can drink 250 liters og water at one time.

9. Kangaroos can't hop backwards.

10. The only animal that can burn because of sunlight is a pig.

11. Giraffes clean their ears with their tongues.

12. Snakes can't hear.

13.The blood of lobsters is blue.