Dangerous animals of Guangdong

There is no shortage of stuff that could hurt you in Guangdong province.

For one, the traffic is like a stampede of colorful metal bulls running amuck through the streets. Getting hit by a car in the Pearl River Delta is not impossible and may, in fact, be likely if you live here long enough. 

You also have unreliable and potentially dangerous street food that will leave you in a terribly uncomfortable position, most likely hunched over a toilet. That street-side chicken stir-fry probably won’t kill you, but it may make you wish you were dead for hours and possibly days to come.

The pollution in Guangdong can also be nasty on your body and let’s face it – there is no shortage of hazardous chemicals suspended in the air above Guangzhou and Shenzhen.

READ MORE: New study links smog to developmental delays in children

Aside from crazy driving, unhygienic food and cancer-causing chemical pollution, what else in Guangdong could you possibly have to worry about? The answer: several extraordinary members of the animal kingdom.

The species listed below are dangerous to humans. That being said, most encounters with these species are harmless and rather remarkable – every one of them is a masterpiece of nature, the result of thousands of years of evolution.  

In Guangdong’s larger cities, the chances of you encountering most of these species (in a dangerous situation) is decidedly low. In fact, humans are far more of a danger to these creatures than they are to us.

So, before you squash that centipede under your shoe, remember you have a better chance of getting squashed by a rouge taxi than dying from centipede poison.

Chinese Bird Spider

Credited with being one of the most venomous spiders in China, this is not an insect you want to encounter while stomping through the bush.

A hyper aggressive species of tarantula, the Chinese bird spider captures its prey by emerging unexpectedly from dirt burrows to attack and poison its victim. Despite its name, the spider predominantly preys on insects and small rodents.

The Chinese bird spider is found throughout southern China and parts of Vietnam.

If you are unfortunate enough to have one of these large, eight-legged predators poke its fangs into you, prepare for sever nerve damage that could, if untreated, result in your untimely death.

Chinese Cobra (pictured above)

Being attacked by a Chinese cobra is not something you want to experience.

If bitten, you could expect a darkening of the bite wound, swelling, pain, blisters and necrosis, as well as slightly more minor (but also shitty) issues such as a soar throat, fever and lockjaw.

Ultimately, a bite from a Chinese cobra could prove fatal.

Chinese cobras are found in southern China, Hong Kong, Taiwan and parts of northern Laos and Vietnam, according to A field guide to the venomous land snakes of Hong Kong.

Considered a vulnerable species (in terms of known numbers), your chances of running into a Chinese cobra are relatively slim (particularly if your daily routine sees you walking from home to work and back). That being said, between 1904 and 1938 there were 593 recorded cases of envenomation in Taiwan, with 87 fatal cases – a 15 percent mortality rate.

Although mortality rates are much lower than before, getting bitten isn’t impossible and even if you don’t die, it would still suck.

READ MORE: Shenzhen girl releases sacks of poisonous snakes for good karma, causes internet panic

Chinese Red Head

If this large and aggressive species of centipede cozies up to your skin, prepare for extreme pain, severe swelling, fever and general weakness, according Dr. Robert Norris, professor of surgery and emergency medicine at the Stanford University Medical Center.

The species, also known as the giant centipede, jungle centipede, red headed centipede and Vietnamese centipede (among numerous other names), is also the only species credited as the apparent cause of human death.

The alleged fatality occurred in the Philippines, where a seven-year-old girl was bitten on her head. She lived just 29 hours.

The chances of a healthy adult dying from a Chinese red head centipede bite are decidedly low, you will likely experience some serious to extreme discomfort and eventually make a full recovery. But, if the bite victim is young, old, or lives with a chronic medical issue, they should definitely get to a hospital.

The author of this article can assure you, this species definitely thrives in Guangdong. He has encountered two specimens in the last three months in Haizhu district.

Mosquito

Although more annoying than threatening, mosquitos have the potential to cause you a great deal of pain (and we aren’t talking about the itchy discomfort you experience after one jabs you with its needle-like sucker).

Mosquitos can play host to all manner of nasty parasites, bacteria and deadly diseases.

In 2003, Guangdong province had an outbreak of Japanese encephalitis – spread by mosquitos.

According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, most people infected with Japanese encephalitis experience only mild symptoms. A small percentage of those infected will develop brain inflammation or encephalitis, from where the disease gets part of its name. Encephalitis symptoms include a high fever, headache, tremors, disorientation, coma and convulsions.

Roughly one in four cases of Japanese encephalitis result in death. 

The mosquito’s ability to transmit this horrifying disease, along with numerous others (such as dengue fever and malaria) that are potentially fatal, has rendered it a much-feared insect in developing regions of the world.

Although your risk of being infected in a major Guangdong urban area, such as Shenzhen or Guangzhou, is far less than rural areas, it’s still worth putting on some bug spray.

South China Tiger

If, theoretically, you were to be attacked by a tiger, here’s what to expect, according to tiger researcher Vratislav Mazak:

• Tigers generally approach their prey from the side or behind.

• They generally go for a prey’s throat.

• If you were to be hypothetically attacked by a tiger, once dead your carcass would likely be dragged for cover and consumed.

The good news, is being attacked by a South China tiger is extremely unlikely, unless you fall into a tiger enclosure at the zoo – then it’s possible. The South China tiger is listed as a critically endangered species and most scientists consider the species functionally extinct.

The only members of the species known to exist are all kept in captivity and, according to the World Wildlife Fund, the South China tiger has not been seen in the wild for over 25 years.