Think you’re safe in your home state? Think again. From man-eating gators to venomous snakes and even murderous insects, living in some U.S. states is like playing a game of Russian Roulette every time you step outside. Let’s have a look at this list of states where you should always watch your back.
1. Texas
Everything’s bigger in Texas—including the list of animals that can end you. Here, you’ll find rattlesnakes, coral snakes, scorpions, venomous centipedes, and a healthy supply of mountain lions and alligators. Oh, and don’t forget the fire ants, whose bites feel like actual fire.
2. Florida
Florida isn’t just America’s retirement home—it’s a full-blown Jurassic Park. With massive alligators, venomous snakes, aggressive sharks, and brain-eating amoebas in the water, Florida is basically a wildlife theme park. Oh, and let’s not forget the mosquitoes that carry deadly diseases.
3. Alaska
Alaska has jaw-dropping landscapes and wildlife that can kill you in seconds. Grizzly bears, black bears, moose that will trample you just for existing, and packs of wolves roam freely here. And if the animals don’t get you? Hypothermia and ice-cold waters probably will. But we hear the locals are lovely, so maybe don’t cancel your plans just yet.
4. Arizona
Arizona is basically nature’s way of testing your survival skills. The state is home to rattlesnakes, Gila monsters (venomous lizards that don’t let go when they bite), tarantulas, black widows, and the Arizona bark scorpion (aka the most venomous scorpion in North America). Even the plants will stab you.
5. California
As if wildfires, earthquakes, and mudslides weren’t bad enough, California is also home to rattlesnakes, mountain lions, black bears, great white sharks, and some of the most aggressive coyotes around. Oh, and let’s not forget about those creepy tarantulas.
6. Montana
Montana has more grizzly bears per capita than anywhere else in the U.S., and they aren’t afraid of people. There are also wolves, mountain lions, rattlesnakes, and massive bison that will charge you if you blink at them wrong.
7. Louisiana
If you like hot, sticky air and animals that are out to get you, Louisiana is the place. This state is packed with alligators, venomous snakes, and swarms of mosquitoes carrying diseases like West Nile and Zika. And if that wasn’t enough? Hurricanes tend to stir all these creatures up into a strong cocktail of terror.
8. Colorado
Colorado’s hiking trails are stunning, but they also come with mountain lions, black bears, rattlesnakes, and aggressive elk during mating season. One wrong step, and you could also fall off a cliff while running away from something.
9. North Carolina
North Carolina has some of the deadliest snakes in the U.S., including copperheads, cottonmouths, and rattlesnakes. The coastline? Littered with sharks. The forests? Home to black bears. Even the weather seems out to get you with hurricanes and extreme heat.
10. Oklahoma
Oklahoma isn’t just famous for tornadoes, it’s also crawling with rattlesnakes, black widows, brown recluse spiders, scorpions, and aggressive wild hogs. Let’s just say mother nature isn’t feeling all that maternal around these parts.
Pick Your Poison (Literally)
The U.S. is full of beautiful landscapes and incredible wildlife—but some states take “wild” to a whole new level. Whether it’s massive predators, venomous snakes, or flesh-eating bugs, these 10 states prove that nature will always have the final say.
