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Is It Dangerous?
Coyotes, bats, spiders, snakes. We pulled the data on what actually hurts people.
What the evidence shows
Most of the animals people fear in their yards pose little or no danger to them. A few do, and the useful skill is telling the two apart.
The pattern across these articles is consistent. Real attacks are rare, and when they happen they usually trace back to a specific cause, like an owl defending a nest or a wild animal that was cornered or handled. A hissing, drooling opossum is a frightened animal putting on a show. A raccoon at your trash is after the food. A wolf spider’s default is to run.
Some of the fears are myths with nothing behind them. Daddy long legs are not the world’s most venomous spider. Touching a toad does not give you warts. Goldenrod is not what is making you sneeze. Bug zappers do not do what the box says.
Others are real. Bats can transmit a genuinely dangerous disease. Toads can poison dogs. Starfish belong in the water, not in your hands. Each article here says which kind of fear it is dealing with, what to do about it, and links the sources so you can check the claim yourself.
Pick the animal below. If you are holding one right now, the Found One hub is the better place to start.
Mammals and birds of prey
Are Bats Dangerous to Humans? What’s Myth Vs. What’s RealBats can transmit a genuinely dangerous disease, and they are also among the most ecologically valuable animals in North America.→Are Bobcats Dangerous to Humans? What You Need to KnowThe most common wild cat in North America is moving into suburbs, and this covers what that means for you.→Are Coyotes Dangerous to Humans? What the Data Actually SaysWhat the data says about coyote attacks, as opposed to what local news coverage implies.→Are Raccoons Dangerous? The Risks vs. The MythsThe raccoon at your trash is after the food, not you. This covers the real risks and the overblown ones.→The Truth About Opossum Aggression (And Why Their Reputation Is Wrong)That open-mouthed, drooling display is a bluff from a terrified animal, not the start of an attack.→Are Owls Dangerous? When They Attack, Why, and What to DoReal attacks are rare, and nearly all of them come from a parent defending a nest or territory.→Do Owls Eat Cats? What’s Documented vs. What’s MythRarely, and almost always kittens or small cats. This lays out the documented cases.→Yes, Owls Eat Snakes. Even The Venomous OnesOwls do eat snakes, including venomous ones, and this explains how they manage it.→Spiders and creepy-crawlies
Are Daddy Long Legs Really Venomous? The Myth Falls Apart FastBritannica calls the claim that they are the most venomous spider scientifically baseless.→Are House Centipedes Dangerous? The Case for Letting Them StayThey are venomous and can bite, but they are not dangerous to you and they are hunting other things in your house.→Are Wolf Spiders Venomous? What’s Actually Dangerous and What Isn’tWolf spiders are venomous, like all spiders, but for most people the venom is not a meaningful danger.→Wolf Spider Bites Are Rarer Than You Think: What Happens And When To WorryA wolf spider’s default response to a person is to run. This covers when bites happen and when to worry.→Do Jumping Spiders Bite Humans? The Honest Answer and What to DoA plain answer on whether jumping spiders bite people, and what to do if one does.→Snakes, toads and sea stars
Do Garter Snakes Bite? Separating Myth From FactYes, if you corner one or pick it up. This covers what that bite actually means for you.→When Toads Are Dangerous to Dogs (And When They’re Not)Every toad species makes some toxin, and what happens to a dog depends on more than that.→Is It Safe To Touch A Toad? What To Know Before You Pick One UpTouching a toad will not give you warts, because warts come from a virus toads do not carry.→Hands Off! Why You Should Never Touch Or Hold StarfishIntertidal starfish handle some air exposure, but that does not make picking one up a good idea.→Myths in your yard
Bug Zappers Don’t Kill Mosquitoes. They Kill Everything ElseDecades of entomology research show they barely touch mosquitoes while killing insects people need.→When Does Goldenrod Bloom? (And The Allergy Myth That Won’t Die)Goldenrod gets blamed for August sneezing, and for most people that is wrong. This also covers when it actually blooms.→We email when there’s something worth knowing.
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