What is the most dangerous animal in North America?

Sheer size, venom, ambush instinct and plain bad luck on a dark road all count as dangerous here. Pick the one you would least want to meet.

1

Gray Wolf

The continent's apex canine predator, feared out of all proportion to the two confirmed fatal attacks on record in North America.

2

Grizzly Bear

A 600-pound brown bear that charges at 35 mph and accounts for most fatal bear encounters in Alaska and the Rockies.

3

American Black Bear

The most common bear on the continent, and the one people meet in campgrounds and suburbs far more often than any other.

4

Polar Bear

The largest land carnivore on Earth and the only bear that will actively stalk a human as prey.

5

American Alligator

A 13-foot ambush predator across the southeastern wetlands, responsible for a steady trickle of attacks in Florida.

6

Mountain Lion

A silent stalker that hunts by ambush from behind and can take down prey several times its own weight.

7

American Bison

A two-ton animal that injures more Yellowstone visitors every year than bears and wolves combined.

8

Moose

Bigger than any bear on the continent and aggressive in rut and calving season, with thousands of vehicle collisions on top.

9

White-Tailed Deer

Kills roughly 200 Americans a year through vehicle collisions, more than every predator on this list put together.

10

Africanized Honey Bee

The bees and wasps that swarm on the slightest provocation and cause dozens of anaphylactic deaths in the US each year.

11

Eastern Diamondback Rattlesnake

The largest venomous snake in the Americas, with a hemotoxic bite that destroys tissue around the wound.

12

Bull Shark

An aggressive shark that swims far up rivers into fresh water and is blamed for many attacks in shallow coastal surf.

13

Brown Recluse Spider

A small, retiring spider whose venom can rot a hole through skin and tissue weeks after the bite.

14

Cottonmouth

The semi-aquatic pit viper of southern swamps, known for standing its ground with its white mouth gaping.