Hopefully you’re not too squeamish of spiders and snakes, Arkansas! We also hope that you’re staying aware of what’s dangerous and potentially deadly around the Natural State. These natural disasters, human errors and venomous critters can leave you languishing in severe pain, dead, severely and permanently injured, or left without nothing but the foundation of where your home used to be.
10. Wolf's Bane
Also known as aconitum or monkshood, this plant carries such a high level of toxicity that those foolish enough to ingest large doses experience a nearly instantaneous death.
9. Bear Attack
The chances of you happening to cross the path of a black bear in Arkansas is possible, but the odds are in your favor that you won't have to freeze in your tracks when hiking anytime soon. Known for wanting to stay away from humans as much as possible, the black bears found in the White River area and the Ozark and Ouachita National Forests are best left to their own habitats. They don't want any trouble, and you surely don't want to find yourself being one of the very few victims of a fatal bear attack here in Arkansas.
8. Careless Hunters
There's nothing more dangerous than an irresponsible hunter with a weapon. Hunting accidents are a sad reality in many areas, and the popularity of hunting in Arkansas means that extra care has to be taken when out in the woods.
7. Careless Drivers
Traffic accidents in Arkansas were to blame for a lot of fatalities in Arkansas last year. Slick roads or heavy traffic must be paid close attention to, even if you're expecting the phone call of your life at any time. When you're on the road, your goal is to get from point A to point B in one piece. Slow down, stay alert and stay alive.
6. Flash Floods
What's scary about flash floods in Arkansas is how often they happen during any season. Heavy rain in lowlands around the Natural State can quickly become hazardous.
5. Western Diamondback Rattlesnakes
Known scientifically as the Crotalus atrox, this snake can be found in Arkansas. The venom of the Western Diamondback is less potent than other rattlesnakes, but a bite left untreated has a 10%-20% mortality rate for snakebite victims.
4. Timber Rattlesnakes
Also known as the banded rattlesnake, the scientifically-known Crotalus horridus has a highly venomous bite that, if left untreated, leaves victims in severe pain and possible death.
3. Coral Snakes
Possessing one of the strongest and deadliest venoms of any American snake, the coral snake stays reclusive and only strikes when attack is imminent. The venom of a coral snake can paralyze the breathing muscles, leading to death by respiratory failure.
2. Tornadoes
Arkansas is prepared for everything and knows how to stay safe in a tornado, but when it comes to the sheer and powerful force of Mother Nature, we are all left to hope and pray for safety whenever a strong storm system or series of twisters makes its way through the Natural State. Deaths caused by tornado are always a definite concern in the minds of Arkansas citizens.
1. Brown Recluse Spiders
I'm scared just LOOKING at this picture. If you're an arachnophobe, the brown recluse spider is pretty much your worst nightmare. They can hide in the darkest places of your home or on your property. The highly lethal hemotoxic venom that comes from a bite can lead to necrosis and even death if left untreated over time.
Keep safe out there on the trails, on the road and in your home, Arkansas. Many Natural State residents are well aware of the possible dangers that surround us. However, it’s never a bad thing to stay vigilant when it comes to keeping you and your loved ones safe. What potentially fatal encounters on the road or on the trail have happened to you? Talk about the risks that you’ve faced in Arkansas and how you made it out alive!
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