Deadliest State Animals- Which One Lives in YOUR State?

The Centers for Disease Control compiled some data on the animal that’s most likely to cause fatalities in each state in America. But don’t let this list stop you from traveling to wherever you had on your vacation bucket list, as the chance of you dying at the hands of any of these animals is still pretty low – just make sure you always abide by state laws surrounding wildlife and treat animals with respect! Now take a look through some of the deadliest state animals…some of them may surprise you!

Alabama - Dogs

Unfortunately it’s man’s best friend that’s the most likely animal to put your life at risk in the state of Alabama! Dog attacks are the number one cause of animal-related deaths there, according to the CDC. While it’s probably safe to say that most dogs are friendly, a poorly trained dog with aggression issues can cause a tragic event. The moral of the story? Train your dog well and make sure to pay attention to any aggressive behaviors that he or she has!

Alaska - Moose

In case you weren’t aware, moose are massive! Just looking at one is probably enough to make most people cower in their boots. These giant creatures regularly get hit by cars on the highway, and while most of these collisions only cause minor damage, occasionally the crash will end in a fatality or major injury. Between 2000 and 2010, there were 17 moose-related fatal crashes, and 81 crashes that caused major injuries in Alaska.

Arizona - Dogs

That’s right, it’s dogs and not poisonous snakes that are the deadliest animal in the state of Arizona. According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), dog attacks accounted for 26 deaths in Arizona between the years of 1999 and 2016.

Arkansas - Black Bears

The black bear is the most likely to cause an animal-related death in the state of Arkansas. While these guys like to stay out of the way of humans for the most part, they do occasionally cause injuries. One attack happened when a hunter reportedly crawled into a cave without knowing he had just entered the home of a black bear. The bear bit him on the head and the hunter survived, but he admitted that it was completely his fault and not the bear’s.

California - Rattlesnake

The rattlesnake is the animal that’s most likely to cause fatalities in the state of California. There are lots of different species of rattlesnakes (36, to be exact), which might sound terrifying, but luckily fewer than 0.5% of these bites end up being fatal. If you do happen to get bitten by a rattler, get to the hospital ASAP for some antivenom.

Colorado - Cougars

No, the biggest threat to your livelihood isn’t older women, but rather attacks from big cats. Colorado actually has its fair share of dangerous animals (ticks, spiders, snakes, etc.), but cougar attacks are the hardest to escape from.

Connecticut - Bobcats

In Connecticut, it’s bobcats that are the most deadly to humans – but more specifically, bobcats with rabies. Normally bobcats aren’t a threat to humans and tend to stay out of the way, but rabid ones will occasionally go out of their way to attack people.

Delaware - Coyotes

Delaware is such a small state that it’s hard to quantify the data to determine exactly what the most dangerous animal in the state is. However, it appears that coyotes (an invasive species) have increased their range into suburban areas, leading to pet attacks and a lack of fear of humans.

Florida - Mosquitoes

It’s interesting that in a state full of alligators and snakes, it’s actually the mosquito that’s the most dangerous animal. But it makes sense when you think about their ability to carry deadly diseases like the West Nile virus and a couple forms of encephalitis. Occasionally mosquitoes will even bring diseases from other countries over, including yellow fever, dengue fever, and malaria. Make sure you stock up on plenty of mosquito repellent during bug season!

Georgia - Snakes

Georgia’s deadliest snakes include the copperhead, cottonmouth, and coral snake, and they all contribute to most of the state’s animal-related deaths. Interestingly, the number of snake bites in Georgia increased in 2017 by 40%, likely due to shorter, milder winters.

Hawaii - Tiger Sharks

Despite what the movies make it seem like, the deadliest animal in Hawaii isn’t the great white shark, but rather the tiger shark. They may be significantly smaller, but they’re the biggest culprit behind shark attacks on the Hawaiian islands – namely off the coast of Maui.

Idaho - Bears

The CDC lists “large mammals” as the deadliest animals you could come into contact with in the state of Idaho, which essentially means brown bears and grizzly bears. One woman lived to tell the story of being attacked by a bear while hiking on a trail in Priest Lake in 2017. The bear who attacked was protecting her cubs, and the woman had her two dogs with her who may have provoked the bear. She made it out alive, but needed nearly 100 stitches.

Illinois - Zombie Coyotes

What the heck is a zombie coyote, you ask? It’s simply a rabid coyote that people mistake for a sick dog. Once the unsuspecting victim gets too close in attempt to help, they end up getting bitten. To make matters “more interesting,” Illinois is also home to several species of poisonous snakes!

Indiana - Deer

Deer aren’t known for being the brightest animals as they often run out into the road when cars are speeding straight toward them. Because of this, the deer is the most likely animal to cause death and destruction in the state of Indiana due to how often they collide with vehicles. In 2016 alone, 14,000 deer were involved in car accidents in Indiana.

Iowa - Cows

Yes, you read that correctly. It is indeed the cow that is the most deadly animal in the state of Iowa. If you’re wondering how on earth that works, we’ll explain it for you- Iowa is home to 21% of the nation’s cattle, and 16% of the nation’s cattle operations. Working with livestock tends to be a dangerous job, so occasionally a worker will suffer a fatal injury when trapped in an enclosed space with an aggressive animal.

Kansas - Cows

And once again we have cows as the most dangerous animal, this time in Kansas. Kansas is another state where much of the nation’s cattle operations happen, so like in Iowa, sometimes accidents happen with workers getting stuck in dangerous proximity with the animals.

Kentucky - Black Bears

Bears may look cute and cuddly, but as you’ve probably learned by reading this list thus far, they can certainly be quite dangerous as well – especially when protecting their cubs. As an interesting side note, Kentucky also has mountain lions, although not a single one had been spotted there since the Civil War – until 2015!

Louisiana - Hornets

Hornets and other stinging insects are the most dangerous animals in Louisiana. Hornets in particular are scary, because unlike bees, they can sting their victims continuously without losing their stingers. And while honey bees typically don’t grow their colonies to more than 100 bees, hornet colonies will just keep on growing!

Maine - Moose

Just like in Alaska, moose are the most dangerous animal in Maine. They like to frequent the rural areas of the state, and luckily they generally won’t attack unless they feel threatened!

Maryland - Bees

It seems that no one can catch a break from the stinging insects – especially those who are allergic to bees! Unfortunately a group of high school students learned this the hard way when one of them kicked a beehive, causing the entire hive to swarm and sting the kids repeatedly, sending several of them to the hospital. The moral of the story is- Don’t kick beehives.

Massachusetts - Stinging Insects

Massachusetts is a state that has quite a few species of bees and other stinging insects – including the two-inch-long “cicada killer” (pictured). These insects can lead to severe allergic reactions in some unlucky people.

Michigan - Dogs

Dog attacks have been on the rise in Michigan, the CDC reported. It’s important to always remember to ask the owner before petting a strange dog!

Minnesota - Deer

Deer are the most active at dawn and dusk when visibility is arguably the worst. There are also more cars on the road during these times because many people are heading to and from work, so the most accidents occur then.

Mississippi - Deer

Given that Mississippi has many black bears, which can sometimes pose threats to humans, it may come as a surprise that it’s actually deer who are the biggest threat. But it’s not even technically the deer’s fault, as the fatalities occur because the hunters set up their deer-hunting stands high up in the trees, and occasionally fall, suffering injuries or even death.

Missouri - Snakes

The state of Missouri is home to five different types of venomous snakes, which have been the source of several deaths.

Montana - Grizzly Bears

The mighty grizzly bear has certainly made itself known in the state of Montana. In 1967 on the “Night of the Grizzlies,” two young women were killed by two separate grizzly bears within just a few miles of one another on their respective camping trips. The reason for this was that the public had begun feeding the bears, who then lost their fear of humans and began wandering more toward humans in search of food.

Nebraska - Cows

Just like Iowa and Kansas, Nebraska also holds a large percentage of the nation’s cattle, which has led to a relatively high number of cow-related fatalities in the state from blunt-force trauma.

Nevada - Deer Mice

Deer mice might look tiny and completely harmless, but don’t be fooled; these critters can be incredibly dangerous because of the viruses they spread – namely, hantavirus – which is associated with two deadly diseases in humans.

New Hampshire - Dogs

Once again it’s dogs who are the most likely animal to fatally injure you in the state of New Hampshire. The state has some pretty strict laws surrounding dog attacks though, and victims are often covered by state law when the damage is done.

New Jersey - Coyotes

Coyotes have been a growing problem in New Jersey, as they have begun migrating east in recent years. The coyote population has gone from 100 to an astounding 3,000 in recent years!

New Mexico - Deer

You’d think that a place with so many deserts like New Mexico would be home to poisonous snakes and scorpions galore, but once again it’s actually deer that cause the most animal-related deaths and injuries. The number of deaths caused by deer increased by 9% in 2016, and interestingly, June is the month that sees most of these fatalities every year.

New York - Dogs

Dog attacks account for the largest number of animal-related deaths in New York State. It makes sense when you consider how dense New York City is, and how many people have big dogs cooped up in their small apartments!

North Carolina - Fire Ants

North Carolina is just one of two states where venomous arthropods were named the most dangerous animal. While fire ant bites are not usually deadly, they do have the potential to send the victim into shock, which can sometimes be fatal. The state currently has an infestation of fire ants – so much so that your chances of being bitten by one in a one-year period are insanely high!

North Dakota - Bison

Bison are magnificent creatures, but just imagine staring one down in the wild. Yeah, no thanks. North Dakota has had an issue with bison attacks, and as recently as 2017 a 65-year-old hiker was knocked out and injured when a bison charged at him.

Ohio - Dogs

The majority of the dog-related deaths in Ohio are due to pitbulls, but in 2016 a baby was killed by a labrador-retriever mix. As you continue this list, keep in mind that poor behavior in dogs is largely caused by poor training and/or neglect!

Oklahoma - Tigers

Oklahoma has had the unique problem of tigers escaping from zoos and getting out into the wild, leading to some bizarre (and sometimes fatal) encounters with humans. There was one instance where a tiger escaped from a zoo after a tornado, and another got out of its cage because the fence was not properly secured.

Oregon - Stinging Insects

Stinging insects like wasps, bees, and yellowjackets are the number one killer out of all of the animals in the state of Oregon. This is because of the number of people who are allergic to them, and the fact that there are a staggering 500 known species of stinging insects in the state!

Pennsylvania - Dogs

Here’s yet another reminder to train your dog properly, and always address any aggressive behavior straight away to avoid anything tragic from happening!

Rhode Island - Black Widow

Deep apologies to any arachnophobes reading this. The black widow spider is Rhode Island’s deadliest animal, although it’s tough to always determine exactly which spider caused a particular bite!

South Carolina - Wasps

Do wasps have ANY positive qualities? Well, certainly if you’re a South Carolinian the answer is no, because wasps and hornets cause the most animal-related deaths in the state. It’s probably best to be safe and just avoid being around their nests at all costs.

South Dakota - Bison

The bison has been responsible for several attacks in Custer State Park when tourists decided to get a little too up-close-and-personal. Needless to say, give the bison some personal space!

Tennessee - Brown Recluse

If you hate spiders, then do not move to Tennessee. We repeat, do NOT move there. The brown recluse spider is so common in Tennessee that it’s almost a guarantee that they live in every single home, and that you will encounter one at one point or another. The good news is that most of the time, a bite from a brown recluse will not kill you, but it WILL hurt like heck. That being said, enough of them cause fatalities that they earn the top spot.

Texas - Fire Ants

Normally fire ants’ bites cause painful reactions (or worse in people with allergies), but in Texas they’ve been observed to form colonies and float together as a raft. They’re able to withstand almost anything, including natural disasters like Hurricane Harvey in 2017, during which they were observed floating together in colonies of as many as 100,000 ants. What’s more is that infestations of these fire ants just seem to be getting worse over time!

Utah - Deer

While most deer-related fatalities happen when the deer collide with a car, in Utah the deer are a bit more, shall we say, bold. There have been several accounts of them taking down or charging at hunters!

Vermont - Deer Ticks

No one likes to deal with ticks. They’re nasty little creatures that seem to hang onto clothes for dear life no matter how hard you try to get rid of them, AND they can cause Lyme disease which can kill both humans and dogs. Vermont has one of the highest rates of Lyme disease in the nation, so if you ever visit, make sure to protect yourself!

Virginia - Dogs

Virginia has had a tragic string of fatal dog attacks on young children, the most recent reported one being in 2020 where the victim was a baby. The law is incredibly strict when it comes to holding dog owners liable!

Washington - Stinging Insects

Remember the murder hornet (pictured) invasion of 2020? While that threat may have been a bit overblown, the threat of stinging insects in general is still a real one in Washington state. Yellowjackets are incredibly common, and if you do happen to get stalked by one, stand calm and don’t wave your arms around!

West Virginia - Stinging Insects

Once again we have stinging insects as the number one killer in the state of West Virginia, and let’s just say, there are a LOT of different types. Just to name a few, we have the bald-faced hornet, blue-winged wasp, and the American bumblebee. Oh my!

Wisconsin - Deer

Wisconsin does have its fair share of imposing wild animals like bears, wolves, or cougars, but fatalities caused by those are small in comparison to the ones caused by deer. In 2017 alone, nine people were killed in car accidents caused by deer running into the road. Runners up- Wisconsin is also known to have an issue with both mosquitoes and ticks.

Wyoming - Bears

Grizzly bears sure are majestic creatures, but they’re also terrifying enough that we’d like to steer clear of them in the wild at all costs. The state of Wyoming has seen an uptick in bear attacks, which started in 2020. Luckily there haven’t been too many deaths, but it’s still terrifying nonetheless!