Ever thought you are safe on a road trip with your family, where there is a nice little freshwater lake or a river? Think again! There are so many creatures out there that we know so little about. And some of them are quite dangerous!
That is why being safe when you’re out and about with your family is not just over-preparation – it is a true necessity!
Before you go on your next roadtrip, come along and take a look at which freshwater animals you may be on the lookout for! Just to stay safe, of course!
1. Electric Eel
Let’s start with the creature that could power your home appliances! Technically speaking, the electric eel isn’t an actual eel! It belongs to a different order of fish, called knife fish! Electricity, knives? Oh my, this animal is quite a morbid one.
The scary thing about this little fish is that it can generate up to 600 volts of electricity! Quite dramatic, don’t you think? These little wannabe Pikachus use their electric superpower to stun their prey and deter predators.
Sometimes, they can zap an unsuspecting human to the afterlife. So, better be careful!
2. Giant Freshwater Stingray
At a whopping 16 feet long, this stingray will definitely surprise you. They kind of tend to do that – just come out of nowhere! Their venomous barb can deliver some seriously excruciating pain, so this surprise element is especially scary.
Somehow, they manage to be stealthy despite being so big. Put together the stealth of James Bond, and spice it up with some Jaws levels of danger, and there you go. You get this stinging ray of sunshine!
3. Piranha
Perhaps no other freshwater creature has captured the public imagination quite like these razor-toothed dangers! Hollywood certainly didn’t help their reputation of being ferocious fish, but the truth is still pretty gnarly.
Under the right circumstances, red-bellied piranhas can swarm prey and strip it to bones in minutes! It’s similar to the feeding frenzy that happens after a student visits their family after months of surviving on instant ramen.
4. Goliath Tigerfish
This fish calls the Congo River basin its home, and sizewise? They are absolutely massive. Tigerfish are sometimes referred to as “river monsters” because they are extremely aggressive.
Goliath tigerfish in particular will attack literally anything that moves. That’s why this fish tends to have quite a bad reputation as one of the most dangerous freshwater fish in the world!
5. Alligator Snapping Turtle
Undoubtedly one of the coolest animals ever. Why? Because this shelled menace moves slowly everywhere else except for its head. Its worm-tongue lures unsuspecting fish into quite a powerful jaw-prison!
The quick reflexes come with an infamous bite force! Alligator snapping turtles can easily chomp off a bone of yours! That’s why handlers are always careful with how they go about holding them!
6. Bull Shark
They’re kind of like an uninvited party crasher. Unlike most sharks, they live in both saltwater and freshwater. So, you might find them swimming upriver or lurking in a lake.
They’re quite dangerous because they get fired up easily! I mean, are you really ready to mess with something that has the word ‘shark’ in its name? Probably not!