Most of us Pennsylvanians love the outdoors, and that love includes being aware of the most dangerous animals in Pennsylvania. After all, we have so many miles of wilderness just waiting to be explored. And despite the fact that we have more licensed hunters than any other state in the country, we also love our critters. No matter how much you consider yourself an animal lover, chances are there are still a few species that make you cringe. Here are just 10 scary animals in Pennsylvania.

  1. Nightcrawler

Tony Alter I don’t think I will ever forget the most terrifying moment of my childhood: I flipped over a large rock in the stream behind my house and found a worm the size of my arm. I immediately ran home as fast as I could. (And never went outside again. What’s it like out there these days?) Most earthworms have the good sense to remain a manageable size, but some grow to epic proportions. Did you know that almost all of the species of earthworms in North America are invasive species?

  1. Little Brown Bat

Matt Reinbold Even when they aren’t turning into vampires and chasing down preteen girls named Bella, bats can be creepy. Did you ever have one trapped inside your house? If you have been lucky enough to encounter one in close proximity, you might know that they are just furry sets of sharp, hissing teeth with wings.

  1. Turkey Vulture

Franco Folini It’s always comforting to see vultures circling overhead, just waiting to descend and sink their beaks into some putrid flesh.

  1. Hellbender

Flickr/Brian Gratwicke Hellbenders are North America’s largest salamander, now in a stream near you! They normally only come out at night… Thank God.

  1. Brown Recluse Spider

Flickr/David Smith Unlike the hellbender, who comes out at night and mostly likes to stay in rivers and lakes, this cute little guy is waiting for you to get home from work. They look totally nondescript, but that’s only so that you’re less suspicious before they sink their venomous little teeth into your leg…

  1. Timber Rattlesnake

Flickr/Michael Janke There are a few varieties of snake found in Pennsylvania, but timber rattlesnakes are by far the scariest. They enjoy hiding under piles of leaves and are highly venemous. Good luck!

  1. House Centipede

“Scutigera coleoptrata MHNT " by Didier Descouens - Own work. Licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0 via Wikimedia Commons House centipedes are hands-down my least favorite animal ever. I’d rather face an army of any of the previously mentioned animals than find just one of these in my shoe. Why do you need that many legs? Just why?

  1. Star-Nosed Mole

“Condylura” by http://www.nps.gov/acad/flow/pix/starnosedmole.jpg which was linked on http://www.nps.gov/acad/flow/mammals.html ; English WP: uploaded by en:User:Big iron. Licensed under Public Domain via Wikimedia Commons These guys might be cute, in a weird kind of way. Their weird, flappy noses help them feel their way around underground, and might actually help them sense oncoming earthquakes.

  1. Bold Jumping Spider

“Kaldari Phidippus audax 01” by Kaldari - Own work. Licensed under CC0 via Wikimedia Commons I’m sorry to tell you this, but this spider’s name isn’t a cute little misnomer. Nope, they can actually jump 10-12 times their body length. Have fun sleeping tonight.

  1. Black Bear

“Black bear with salmon” by Unknown - [1]. Licensed under Public Domain via Wikimedia Commons Bears are so cute! They just make me want to run up and cuddle them. In truth, though, they are probably North America’s most dangerous land animal. Recently, there have been increased sightings of black bears in Pennsylvania, and you can learn how to stay safe by reading our previous article.

BONUS: Bigfoot

Lian Chang Whatever you do, don’t let a Bigfoot into your house. They will sweet talk you, maybe even buy you dinner, but then you won’t be able to get rid of them for weeks, or even months at a time. They are total moochers, and I promise they will clog your shower drain beyond the point of repair. You might, though, want to hang out with Bigfoot at this delightful Pennsyvlania restaurant, which you can read about in our previous article.

Have you been asking yourself, “What is the most dangerous animal in Pennsylvania?” Well, we gave you a whole bunch rather than just one of the most dangerous animals in Pennsylvania. Have you had an encounter with any of these deadliest animals in Pennsylvania? Let us know in the comments!

Tony Alter

I don’t think I will ever forget the most terrifying moment of my childhood: I flipped over a large rock in the stream behind my house and found a worm the size of my arm. I immediately ran home as fast as I could. (And never went outside again. What’s it like out there these days?) Most earthworms have the good sense to remain a manageable size, but some grow to epic proportions. Did you know that almost all of the species of earthworms in North America are invasive species?

Matt Reinbold

Even when they aren’t turning into vampires and chasing down preteen girls named Bella, bats can be creepy. Did you ever have one trapped inside your house? If you have been lucky enough to encounter one in close proximity, you might know that they are just furry sets of sharp, hissing teeth with wings.

Franco Folini

It’s always comforting to see vultures circling overhead, just waiting to descend and sink their beaks into some putrid flesh.

Flickr/Brian Gratwicke

Hellbenders are North America’s largest salamander, now in a stream near you! They normally only come out at night… Thank God.

Flickr/David Smith

Unlike the hellbender, who comes out at night and mostly likes to stay in rivers and lakes, this cute little guy is waiting for you to get home from work. They look totally nondescript, but that’s only so that you’re less suspicious before they sink their venomous little teeth into your leg…

Flickr/Michael Janke

There are a few varieties of snake found in Pennsylvania, but timber rattlesnakes are by far the scariest. They enjoy hiding under piles of leaves and are highly venemous. Good luck!

“Scutigera coleoptrata MHNT " by Didier Descouens - Own work. Licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0 via Wikimedia Commons

House centipedes are hands-down my least favorite animal ever. I’d rather face an army of any of the previously mentioned animals than find just one of these in my shoe. Why do you need that many legs? Just why?

“Condylura” by http://www.nps.gov/acad/flow/pix/starnosedmole.jpg which was linked on http://www.nps.gov/acad/flow/mammals.html ; English WP: uploaded by en:User:Big iron. Licensed under Public Domain via Wikimedia Commons

These guys might be cute, in a weird kind of way. Their weird, flappy noses help them feel their way around underground, and might actually help them sense oncoming earthquakes.

“Kaldari Phidippus audax 01” by Kaldari - Own work. Licensed under CC0 via Wikimedia Commons

I’m sorry to tell you this, but this spider’s name isn’t a cute little misnomer. Nope, they can actually jump 10-12 times their body length. Have fun sleeping tonight.

“Black bear with salmon” by Unknown - [1]. Licensed under Public Domain via Wikimedia Commons

Bears are so cute! They just make me want to run up and cuddle them. In truth, though, they are probably North America’s most dangerous land animal. Recently, there have been increased sightings of black bears in Pennsylvania, and you can learn how to stay safe by reading our previous article.

Lian Chang

Whatever you do, don’t let a Bigfoot into your house. They will sweet talk you, maybe even buy you dinner, but then you won’t be able to get rid of them for weeks, or even months at a time. They are total moochers, and I promise they will clog your shower drain beyond the point of repair. You might, though, want to hang out with Bigfoot at this delightful Pennsyvlania restaurant, which you can read about in our previous article.

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The OIYS Visitor Center

Most Dangerous Animals In Pennsylvania May 14, 2022 Beth Price-Williams Where can I see wildlife in Pennsylvania? Sure, we never want to cross paths with the most dangerous animals in Pennsylvania. However, that doesn’t mean we will never have the opportunity to admire the beauty of Pennsylvania wildlife – like bald eagles. We’re quite fortunate to have bald eagle5s in Pennsylvania, and one of the best places to see them is Pymatuning State Park. No matter what time of the year you visit, you’ll have a pretty decent shot of seeing at least a few. While you’re at the park, make sure you visit the Linesville Spillway – where there are so many carp in the water that the ducks walk on their backs. Bring some change, too, so you can buy food from the park-approved machines. To see more absolutely beautiful birds of prey, plan a visit to Hawk Mountain Sanctuary, too. You’ll have to pay an admission fee, but it’s well worth it, especially if you go on a hike. That’s when you’ll have the opportunity to see some of Pennsylvania’s birds of prey. Are there any animal attractions in Pennsylvania? While you’ll want to be able to at least identify some of the deadliest animals in Pennsylvania, you probably don’t want to dwell on them. Instead, consider checking out some of the state’s animal attractions, like the lone wolf sanctuary in Pennsylvania. Wolf Sanctuary of PA in Lititz is home to the only wolves in the state. (There haven’t been wild wolves in the state for more than a century.) Go on a guided tour, where you’ll get to see the resident wolves up close. For another one-of-a-kind animal experience, check in to a Pennsylvania farm sanctuary Airbnb. The cozy cabin offers all of the luxuries of home, nestled on the grounds of a farm sanctuary. Go on a guided tour of the sanctuary, or just enjoy interacting with the goats, pigs, and other residents.

The OIYS Visitor Center

Most Dangerous Animals In Pennsylvania

May 14, 2022

Beth Price-Williams

Where can I see wildlife in Pennsylvania? Sure, we never want to cross paths with the most dangerous animals in Pennsylvania. However, that doesn’t mean we will never have the opportunity to admire the beauty of Pennsylvania wildlife – like bald eagles. We’re quite fortunate to have bald eagle5s in Pennsylvania, and one of the best places to see them is Pymatuning State Park. No matter what time of the year you visit, you’ll have a pretty decent shot of seeing at least a few. While you’re at the park, make sure you visit the Linesville Spillway – where there are so many carp in the water that the ducks walk on their backs. Bring some change, too, so you can buy food from the park-approved machines. To see more absolutely beautiful birds of prey, plan a visit to Hawk Mountain Sanctuary, too. You’ll have to pay an admission fee, but it’s well worth it, especially if you go on a hike. That’s when you’ll have the opportunity to see some of Pennsylvania’s birds of prey. Are there any animal attractions in Pennsylvania? While you’ll want to be able to at least identify some of the deadliest animals in Pennsylvania, you probably don’t want to dwell on them. Instead, consider checking out some of the state’s animal attractions, like the lone wolf sanctuary in Pennsylvania. Wolf Sanctuary of PA in Lititz is home to the only wolves in the state. (There haven’t been wild wolves in the state for more than a century.) Go on a guided tour, where you’ll get to see the resident wolves up close. For another one-of-a-kind animal experience, check in to a Pennsylvania farm sanctuary Airbnb. The cozy cabin offers all of the luxuries of home, nestled on the grounds of a farm sanctuary. Go on a guided tour of the sanctuary, or just enjoy interacting with the goats, pigs, and other residents.

The OIYS Visitor Center

The OIYS Visitor Center

Sure, we never want to cross paths with the most dangerous animals in Pennsylvania. However, that doesn’t mean we will never have the opportunity to admire the beauty of Pennsylvania wildlife – like bald eagles. We’re quite fortunate to have bald eagle5s in Pennsylvania, and one of the best places to see them is Pymatuning State Park. No matter what time of the year you visit, you’ll have a pretty decent shot of seeing at least a few. While you’re at the park, make sure you visit the Linesville Spillway – where there are so many carp in the water that the ducks walk on their backs. Bring some change, too, so you can buy food from the park-approved machines. To see more absolutely beautiful birds of prey, plan a visit to Hawk Mountain Sanctuary, too. You’ll have to pay an admission fee, but it’s well worth it, especially if you go on a hike. That’s when you’ll have the opportunity to see some of Pennsylvania’s birds of prey.

Are there any animal attractions in Pennsylvania?

While you’ll want to be able to at least identify some of the deadliest animals in Pennsylvania, you probably don’t want to dwell on them. Instead, consider checking out some of the state’s animal attractions, like the lone wolf sanctuary in Pennsylvania. Wolf Sanctuary of PA in Lititz is home to the only wolves in the state. (There haven’t been wild wolves in the state for more than a century.) Go on a guided tour, where you’ll get to see the resident wolves up close. For another one-of-a-kind animal experience, check in to a Pennsylvania farm sanctuary Airbnb. The cozy cabin offers all of the luxuries of home, nestled on the grounds of a farm sanctuary. Go on a guided tour of the sanctuary, or just enjoy interacting with the goats, pigs, and other residents.