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These Are 5 Of The Most Dangerous Animals Found In New Mexico

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New Mexico’s Dangerous Animals and Wild Terrain

New Mexico has an abundance of unique wildlife. The state has hot desert terrain in the south, windy high deserts through the middle and bountiful forests up north. Because of the state’s large range of biodiversity, many majestic creatures call New Mexico their home. Though not all of these creatures are friendly. Here are 5 of New Mexico’s most dangerous animals that if you encounter may send you to the hospital – if you’re lucky!

1. The Ready Rattlesnake!

A dangerous animal: a rattlesnake at Bosque Del Apache, New Mexico - Photo by Pat Gaines
Rattlesnake at Bosque Del Apache, New Mexico – Photo by Pat Gaines

I figured it’s best to start with the most common venomous snake in New Mexico. The rattlesnake’s venom will cause your heart to race which just makes the venom course through your veins faster! This dangerous animal is fair enough to give you a warning by rattling its tail. So hopefully you’ll have enough warning and not just accidentally step on one. If you’re not near a place with medical care when one of these predators bite you, you might want to start praying.

2. The Tricky Coral Snake!

The Sonoran Desert Coral Snake - Photo by Jason Penney
A very dangerous animal!
The Sonoran Desert Coral Snake – Photo by Jason Penney

The coral snake is smaller and trickier than their rattlesnake friends. These little creatures have highly toxic poison in their venom that will likely kill you. The reason they’re so tricky is that the closely resemble the non-venomous New Mexico milk snake and the king snake due to similar color markings. There is a rhyme one must remember when encountering a snake with red, yellow and black stripes and it goes like this: “If red is next to yellow, you’re one dead fellow. If red is next to black, you’re okay Jack.” The question is; will you remember the rhyme correctly and will you remember it in time?!

3. The Wicked Black Widow Spider!

Dangerous animals like this black widow, cause a lot of pain and illness.
The black widow spider – Photo by Cindy

The black widow spider is well known across the country as one mean female. She murders her mates after mating and lays her eggs consisting of future family members. I don’t know what lies she tells her children when they ask where their daddy has gone, but I’m guessing she’s pretty straightforward. The red hourglass shape on her abdomen gives her away to those of us who have a bit or a lot of the arachnophobia. Her bite is quite venomous and can kill you. But your chances of survival aren’t too slim. You’ll feel very sick and probably will need to vomit a lot. If you are unfortunate enough to be bitten by her, get yourself to a hospital or call a poison control center as soon as you can!

4. The Viscious Brown Spiders!

Brown recluse spider - Photo by Jason Penney
Brown recluse spider – Photo by Jason Penney

These bastards are evil! There are actually three different types of venomous brown spiders found in New Mexico, which are the blanda, apache, and desert. These spiders are closely related and often hard to tell apart. They may or may to have a “violin” marking on their body. They are closely related to the brown recluse spider, which often gets the blame because of misidentification (the brown recluse actually is not that venomous nor harmful). A bite from one of these evil ones will cause the cells around the wound to die, slowly turning you into a corpse!

Okay, I may have gone a little over-board there with the whole turning-you-into-a-corpse thing. But still, their bites are very serious and require immediate medical attention. And if you aren’t sure if it was one of these dangerous animals, still seek help. It’s better to be safe than sorry.

5. The Dangerous Arizona Bark Scorpion!

The Arizona bark scorpion - Photo by Josh More
The Arizona bark scorpion – Photo by Josh More

Yeah, I know it’s called the Arizona bark scorpion, but this highly venomous creature, one of the Arizona’s dangerous animals, is also found in the Southwestern part of New Mexico. No, they don’t bark like a dog. That’s not why they’re called Arizona bark scorpions, however, it is because they climb trees and are often found on tree bark. Out of all scorpions, these evil ones are the most venomous and are deceptive because they’re small.

These little bastards can climb anything except glass and hard plastic surfaces. They love the water so beware of pools and seal your drains. Their sting provides an irritating punch to the flesh and within a few hours, the pain grows increasingly worse! Numbness will be felt far from the bite! Your speech will begin to slur! You’ll drool! You’ll have trouble breathing! Your muscles will spasm! And you’ll be restless as all hell. In other words, contact your local poison control center or get your butt to a hospital as soon as possible!

John Ghost is a professional writer and SEO director. He graduated from Arizona State University with a BA in English (Writing, Rhetorics, and Literacies). As he prepares for graduate school to become an English professor, he writes weird fiction, plays his guitars, and enjoys spending time with his wife and daughters. He lives in the Valley of the Sun.

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