Random Insane, Otherworldly Creatures Of Nile River (12 items)

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  (#1) Black mamba

  • Organism Classification

  Black mamba snakes are not named for their exterior color, but rather the inky black that appears inside their mouth. Since they are one of the world's most venomous and deadly snakes, the inside of a black mamba's mouth is not what you want to see. Their highly toxic venom can kill a person in 20 minutes if left untreated. If that's not scary enough, these deadly snakes are extremely aggressive and have the ability to move up to 12 miles per hour. When they attack, they will often strike more than once and inject a good amount of venom each time. Although there is an antivenom, it's not widely available in parts of Africa, another reason the black mamba is considered to be so deadly.
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  (#2) Nile crocodile

  • Animal

  One of the scariest and most deadly creatures to live in the Nile River is the Nile crocodile. The biggest of all Africa's crocodiles, Nile crocs can weigh as much as 1,650 pounds and measure up to 20 feet long. They are extremely aggressive and skilled predators, hiding in the river, snatching their prey from the shore with their long powerful jaws, and dragging it underwater to drown. Hundreds of humans are attacked and possibly killed every year by these scary creatures, proving Nile crocodiles are opportunistic eaters and will go after whatever prey they can, regardless of species.
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  (#3) Cobra

  • Animal

  According to legend, it was an Egyptian cobra that bit Cleopatra and helped her commit suicide. These cobras are feared due to their extremely potent venom which has the ability to take down an adult elephant in only three hours. The venom is so toxic, it will cause paralysis while destroying the victim's nervous system, ultimately killing them due to their respiratory system shutting down. Although they will display their easily recognizable hood when threatened, they are unable to spit their venom like some other cobras. Egyptian cobras can be found in areas all over Africa, including many parts along the Nile.
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  (#4) Hippopotamus

  • Animal

  Translated to "river horse", hippopotami may appear slow and dumb, but in reality they are anything but. Although they spend a lot of time in the water, they will make their way onto solid ground to consume up to 80 pounds of grass every night. That doesn't seem like very much food for the third biggest animal on Earth, which might be a reason why they can also be very crabby. Hippos can be extremely aggressive, dominating their territory to the point that crocodiles and even lions and hyenas will stay away from them. They have also been known to attack boats and people in the water, although they are usually protecting their young from threats in these cases.
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  (#5) Mosquito

  • Family

  The West Nile virus was discovered in 1937 when a woman west of the Nile in Uganda was affected. It has since spread all over the world, thanks to birds transporting it and mosquitoes passing it on. Malaria is another disease which can be partially blamed on mosquitoes and even though there is a cure, the World Health Organization reports it still causes somewhere around one million deaths each year. Since mosquitoes incubate their larvae in water, the Nile River is most likely home to many of these blood suckers. Since 90% of the all the malaria cases in the world appear in Africa, perhaps it's mosquitos which are the most deadly thing around the Nile.
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  (#6) African Rock Python

  The largest snake in Africa can also be found around the Nile River. African rock pythons can grow up to 20 feet long and are not known for being friendly. They can be extremely aggressive when provoked or hungry and have killed humans. Although they are not venomous snakes, they will constrict themselves around their prey, tightening their grip each time the victim exhales. Rock pythons swallow their prey whole and are able to consume animals as big as crocodiles and antelopes. Their digestive system is so sophisticated, a huge meal gives them enough to digest for an entire year.
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  (#7) African Tigerfish

  Related to piranas, African tigerfish are another aquatic creature with a carnivorous reputation. Their powerful jaws and protruding sharp teeth are used to kill and consume other fish, making them one of the most vicious predators in the Nile. They aren't picky eaters either, as tigerfish have been known to dine on whatever they are able to find in the water, including creatures bigger than themselves and sometimes their own kind. Although tigerfish can grow quite large at almost 41 inches long and weigh as much as 62 pounds, they are about as dangerous to humans as piranas (meaning not nearly as much as in the movies).
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  (#8) Monitor lizard

  • Organism Classification

  The monitor lizards found around the Nile River may not be as big as their crocodile relatives, but they are still some of the largest lizards in Africa, able to grow up to almost 80 inches long. They use their powerful tails to swim like pros, but can also whip them with strength and accuracy when self-defense is needed. Nile monitors are known as vicious predators and are not discriminating about their prey, killing and consuming fish, frogs, birds, and small mammals. They have also been observed using teamwork to distract female crocodiles from their nest while another lizard steals her eggs.
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  (#9) Sand Boa

  Sand boas get their name from the fact they use sand to stalk their prey. Since they are relatively small snakes at less than three feet and are mainly colored in yellows and browns, they can easily camouflage themselves into the sandy shores of the Nile. Sand boas will bury themselves up to their heads, wait for small mammals or amphibians to pass by, and then pounce. Like other boas, they will constrict their body, squeezing their victim until it suffocates. That may sound horrible to small animals, but sand boas are otherwise so docile that they are often kept as exotic pets.
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  (#10) Catfish

  • Order

  Vundu catfish hang out at the bottom of the Nile River, occasionally surfacing to eat whatever it can find. That includes a menu as diverse as fish, any garbage thrown into the water, and animal carcasses that something else left behind. Basically, vundu catfish are the vultures of the Nile. Their long, thick body can weigh more than 100 pounds and because they need to occasionally breath air, it's said that a vundu catfish can survive out of the water for a good chunk of time. There are also rumors that full grown men have been dragged down to their death by these huge catfish, but this has never been confirmed.
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  (#11) Nile perch

  • Organism Classification

  The Nile perch spends a lot of time eating, and the enormous size to which their body can grow proves just how big an appetite they have. A Nile perch can weigh up to 500 pounds, measure up to 6 feet long, and since these monster fish live off crustaceans, insects, and other fish, you can imagine how much they'd have to eat to become that big. Besides eating, Nile perch also enjoy mating. Females can produce around 9 million eggs that are able to hatch in only 20 hours. Although most of these young won't survive to adulthood, Nile perch are quickly becoming an invasive species, eating and breeding their way onto the IUCN's 100 Worst Invasive Species list.
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  (#12) African Knifefish

  It's interesting that African knifefish have an appearance similar to an eel since they share the ability to wield electricity in a field around their body. However, the knifefish's electric current, which they use to navigate with a method similar to sonar, is much weaker than that of an eel. They are nocturnal predators and feed on insects and worms along the bottom of the Nile. Although knifefish can be aggressive and are able to grow up to 12 inches long, many people keep them as exotic pets. Knifefish are also capable of making different noises, such as bell-like sound when swallowing surface air and barks during mating.

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