These 16 Dangerous Kentucky Animals Range From Tiny to Terrifying

If you were asked to name a dangerous creature, obvious ones like venomous snakes, big cats, bears, and wolves might leap to mind, but they're not "everyday encounter" types. At least, I hope not. I guess any creature could be, to a certain degree and under the right circumstances.

As far as my own encounters with the members of the animal kingdom that are on a list of what I'll call "the Not-So-Sweet 16," everything has come out alright, so far. Interestingly enough, a couple of those encounters didn't even happen in Kentucky, despite the fact Kentucky is the focus here.

My Closest Encounters With Dangerous KY Creatures Happened in NM

It was in 2015 when I was driving down a desolate New Mexico state highway toward my aunt's house and I slowed down to observe an elk that was on the opposite side of the road. He appeared to be a bit tangled in some fencing, and when he saw me, he froze.

Canva

It was the middle of the night, so I slowed down because I could; there was no traffic. Plus, an agitated elk can jack you and your car up pretty badly. He eventually freed himself and wandered off, thankfully.

My only nerve-wracking experience with a pit viper also happened in New Mexico. But we heard it rattle before we could see it and stayed put until the danger had passed. Tense moments, though, to be sure.

Dangerous Creatures in Kentucky

But let's get back to Kentucky and 16 of the most dangerous creatures you could run into here. Of course, hopefully, that doesn't happen.