Electric Eels
[ranking: 8]
Though it's commonly known as the electric eel, this fearsome creature is actually a knifefish. Due to its distinctive physiology, it is capable of producing electricity from its organs. This electric shock can reach intensities of up to 600 volts for several milliseconds. While this can't kill you, it can deliver as much pain as a stun gun and cause a numbing sensation.
And this eel can grow up to eight feet long. It's definitely not an animal you would want to come across.
Black Caimans
[ranking: 5]
Capable of growing up to 20 feet in length, the black caiman is one of the deadliest animals to call the Amazon River home. The dark coloring of its hide provides perfect camouflage for its nighttime hunts, allowing it to ambush unsuspecting prey in the water.
It strikes terror into local human populations, too, thanks to its aggressive nature. Black caimans have been known to attack people who live or work on the riverbanks.
Tyrant King Leeches
[ranking: 1]
The tyrant king leech may only be three inches long, but it's plenty terrifying. It uses its huge teeth to saw into flesh to create holes for it to feed. Worse yet, it seems to intentionally aim for mammals' orifices, including the eyes, genitalia, and rectum.
Once inside its prey's body, the leech can survive and feed for weeks.
Payaras
[ranking: 11]
The payara is known as the vampire fish, and for good reason: it has a huge mouth studded with fangs that can reach up to six inches long. Though there is some debate about the maximum size this fish can reach, researchers believe they can grow to almost four feet in length.
Don't worry, though - they pose no threat to humans. Those fangs are exclusively used to impale smaller fish.
Goliath Birdeaters
[ranking: 7]
Many people are terrified of house spiders. Imagine how they'd feel about an arachnid that's the size of a puppy. This would be the goliath birdeater, the heaviest tarantula in the world. Reaching up to five inches in body length and weighing up to six ounces, it dwarfs almost every other spider.
The spider is found mostly in the swamps and marshes around the Amazon River, where it burrows underground and ventures out at night to nab prey. Though it's not dangerous to humans, it will shed its prickly hairs when approached. These can cause irritation that lasts for days.
Amazonian Giant Centipedes
[ranking: 2]
The Amazonian giant centipede is one of the largest insects, which directly correlates to its creepy factor: an adult giant centipede can measure up to a foot long. This gargantuan critter can be found scurrying around the forest floor near the Amazon River, where it hunts lizards, amphibians, and small mammals living near the water.
Besides its nightmare-inducing size, it can also inject venom into its victims using sharp claws on its head.
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