18 Most DANGEROUS Animals in Maryland! (2025)
What are the most dangerous animals found in Maryland?
It can be hard to decide what to consider dangerous. For example, you may consider an animal that bites or stings dangerous, but someone else is more worried about animals that cause car accidents! So with that in mind, I tried to include a mix of creatures that are dangerous for different reasons.
Remember that no matter what animal you encounter, it’s likely more scared than you are. Animals don’t want to mess with us, and it’s best to leave them alone and give them the space they deserve.
18 Dangerous ANIMALS IN Maryland:
#1. Copperhead
Identifying Characteristics:
- Adults reach lengths between 20 and 37 inches.
- Stout bodies, broad heads, and elliptical pupils.
- Coloration varies from pale tan to pinkish-tan with darker, splotchy, hourglass-shaped bands, which are darker at the edges and thinner towards the center of the back.
These snakes are ambush hunters, meaning that they select a suitable site and wait to surprise their prey. In addition, copperheads are considered “pit vipers,” meaning they have a heat-sensing organ between their eyes. This adaptation helps these venomous snakes locate and judge the size of their prey by sensing infrared heat!
Copperhead Snake Range Map
Credit: Virginia Herpetological Society
Luckily, bites from these dangerous snakes are rarely fatal in Maryland.
The venom they produce has relatively low potency. In addition, copperheads also frequently employ false strikes, dry bites, and warning bites. Dry bites contain no venom, and warning bites have a relatively small amount of venom.
Despite their low fatality, Copperhead venom is hemotoxic, destroying blood cells and tissue. It can cause localized swelling, necrosis, and severe pain. If bitten, medical attention should be sought.
When threatened, Copperheads use a freeze defense. Their excellent camouflage coloration allows them to blend into the leaf litter and soil. However, they may also vibrate their tails in the leaves when approached to produce a buzzing sound. This noise may serve to warn predators, similar to a rattlesnake, or divert a predator’s attack to their tail. If they continue to be disturbed, they may deliver false strikes or bite.
#2. Timber Rattlesnake
- Crotalus horridus
Identifying Characteristics:
- Adults typically range from 30 to 60 inches in length.
- Coloration is variable and generally ranges from yellowish brown to gray to almost black. Look for dark brown or black crossbands on their back.
- Heavy-bodied with a characteristic rattle on the tail.
These venomous snakes are ambush predators, waiting for unsuspecting prey to come within range of their strike. They feed primarily on small mammals but may also consume frogs, birds, and other smaller snakes. Timber Rattlesnakes strike their prey and release them, waiting until the venom has taken effect before eating them.
Timber Rattlesnake Range Map
Credit: Virginia Herpetological Society
These venomous snakes are potentially the most dangerous animal in Maryland due to their large size, long fangs, and high venom yield.
But luckily, Timber Rattlenskaes have a mild disposition and don’t often bite. They typically give plenty of warning by rattling and posturing.
The Timber Rattlesnake has played an interesting role in US history. As it can be found in the area of the original 13 Colonies, it was used as a symbol during the American Revolution. In 1775 it was featured at the center of the “Gadsden Flag.” This yellow flag depicts a coiled and ready-to-strike Timber Rattlesnake and the words “Don’t Tread on Me.”
#3. Common Snapping Turtle
- Chelydra serpentina
Identifying Characteristics:
- They weigh 10 to 35 lbs. and grow 8 to 18.5 inches long.
- The snapping turtle has a long tail, chunky head, and large webbed feet.
- The carapace (upper shell) coloring is black, brown, or olive with no distinct pattern.
These prehistoric-looking reptiles are widespread throughout Maryland.
Look for them living in marshes, lakes, ponds, rivers, and slow streams. They prefer areas with plenty of aquatic vegetation to hide in and insects, fish, frogs, and birds to eat.
Snapping Turtle Range Map
Credit: Virginia Herpetological Society
Snapping Turtles are best known for their powerful jaws. While there aren’t any recorded incidents of one of their bites causing amputation to a person, it can cause infections serious enough to require an amputation. In fact, their jaws are so strong that snapping turtles commonly eat other turtles!
These reptiles are usually docile but will become very aggressive if removed from the water. One of the best ways to calm an aggressive individual is to place it back into the water, where it can feel safe. I know I have personally picked them up with a large snow shovel to get them off the road and back to safety!
#4. Black Widow
Identifying Characteristics:
- Females are 6 to 19 mm long—shiny black with a distinctive red hourglass-shaped mark. A row of red spots is sometimes visible above.
- Males are half the size of females.
- Bristles on their hind legs, which they use to cover their prey with silk once it has been trapped.
Black Widows are the most venomous spiders in Maryland!
In addition, this dangerous animal is one of the most recognizable spiders in the world. Almost everyone can recognize the red-shaped hourglass mark that appears on the females.
But even though they have highly toxic venom, 15 times stronger than a rattlesnake, they are not aggressive. Black Widows only bite when in danger or if their web is disturbed. They RARELY bite humans.
But, if you are one of the few unlucky people who are bitten, you should go to the hospital immediately. The venom is dangerous, as it affects your nervous system.
Deaths to healthy adults are VERY rare, but the neurotoxic venom can be fatal to small children if untreated.
Only adult females are dangerous to humans, as males are too small to pierce our skin.
The best places to look for these venomous spiders in Maryland include overhanging ledges, woodpiles, under benches or stones, near entrances to abandoned rodent burrows, or around outbuildings. Inside your home, they can be found in dimly lit locations, such as dark corners, closets, or other cluttered areas. They don’t like moisture and prefer dry areas.
#5. Mosquitos
- Family: Culicidae
Despite their small size, mosquitoes are arguably the most dangerous animal in Maryland!
These small, blood-eating flies are a nuisance all over the world. And while some species don’t bother humans, while others can be dangerous carriers of different types of disease.
For example, some mosquito species are vectors for diseases like malaria, dengue fever, Zika, or West Nile Virus. Other species target pets or livestock, transmitting heartworm, Equine Encephalitis, and other diseases that affect animals.
There are three main ways to prevent mosquitos from spreading disease:
- Eradicating or controlling the population of mosquitos prevents the spread of diseases at the source.
- Vaccines or prophylactic drugs can help curb infection rates, even if people or animals are still bitten by mosquitos.
- Mosquito netting, insecticides, and bug repellents can be used to keep mosquitos away and prevent bites in the short term.
All of these options work quite well, but using them all in tandem is the best way to stay safe from mosquito-borne illness. Always make sure you wear insect repellent when you hike or camp!
#6. Ticks
Identifying Characteristics:
- Ticks are round insects with an elongated “snout-like” mouth and eight legs.
- Their coloring varies from brown to black, sometimes with reddish or white markings.
- These insects drink blood, and their bodies swell as they become full.
Ticks are definitely one of the most dangerous animals in Maryland.
These blood-eating creatures sometimes live indoors, but they’re most commonly found in grassy or wooded areas with water nearby. They wait on tall grasses for a host to pass, then jump onto the living creature and attach to start feeding.
Different types of ticks prefer different hosts, but in general, a tick will attach itself to any blood source, including domestic dogs, livestock, stray pets, birds, and, of course, humans. Interestingly, a few species can live for years without a source of blood.
These insects are considered dangerous animals because they can spread disease when they pierce your skin. Although there isn’t a hard and fast rule, it’s accepted that the longer a tick is attached, the higher the risk of infection. So if you notice a tick on your skin, you should remove it with a tick key, wash the area with soap and water, and contact your doctor.
Some of the most common tick-borne diseases are:
- Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever: high fever, chills, muscle aches, headaches, and rash
- Tularemia: bite infection, fever, chills, and swollen lymph nodes
- Tick Paralysis: respiratory distress, paralysis
- Powassan Virus: brain infection (encephalopathy) leading to death
- Lyme Disease: Fatigue, headache, joint and muscle pain, fever, and chills
- Alpha-gal: delayed allergic reaction to meat, including anaphylaxis
- Various canine and equine diseases, which can harm pets and livestock
#7. Kissing Bugs
- Subfamily: Triatominae
Kissing Bugs get its name from the (very creepy) habit of biting near their victims’ mouths. These insects carry the parasite Trypanosoma cruzi, which causes Chagas disease. Although it’s treatable in its early stages, if a T. cruzi infection is left untreated, it can cause a chronic, lifelong illness.
Initial symptoms of this disease include fever, fatigue, body aches, headache, rash, loss of appetite, diarrhea, and vomiting. In its long-term phase, reported symptoms are cardiac complications such as enlarged heart and heart failure and gastrointestinal symptoms like difficulty swallowing, digestive issues, and the inability to eat solid food.
With symptoms like these, it’s easy to see why Kissing Bugs are considered a dangerous animal! One of the easiest ways to prevent Kissing Bug bites is to use mosquito netting and insect repellent while you’re in areas where these insects live. Additionally, make sure to follow up with a doctor if you notice bites or sores around your mouth and nose.
#8. Fire Ants
- Genus: Solenopsis
Fire ants are a group of stinging ants made up of over 200 individual species. In general, they have a few things in common. First, all fire ants are varying shades of red, from dark reddish brown to bright crimson. They all sting, with varying levels of pain resulting. Finally, they’re all more aggressive than other ant species.
These insects form large colonies topped with hills and usually eat insects, plants, and flowers. However, if their nests are disturbed, they won’t hesitate to swarm and sting large animals, including humans. Unfortunately, their stings are quite painful and are often compared to the feeling of being burnt by an open flame.
In addition to the initial pain of a fire ant sting, you also have to be concerned about allergic reactions or anaphylaxis. Plus, the stings often blister or form raised pustules that can burst and become infected. It should go without saying that the best course of action is to avoid Fire Ants, but if you are stung, you should seek medical treatment.
#9. Wasps (Yellowjackets and Hornets)
- Genus: Vespa & Vespula
Wasps, or what most people in Maryland call Yellow Jackets or Hornets, are species of insects that have a reputation for being angry, aggressive, and targeting humans. So it’s no wonder they’re considered dangerous animals! These stinging insects can be a nuisance and a real pain (literally).
Remember, though wasps are aggressive and can be unwelcome picnic guests, they’re still important pollinators. So, unless they’re nesting in a dangerous area or preventing you from enjoying your yard, try to give them space to continue “bee-ing” themselves. 😉
Here are a few key ways to tell wasps apart from bees:
A. What they eat: Wasps are carnivorous hunters and scavengers. While they’re attracted to sweet things like flower nectar and your open soda can, they want to eat the OTHER insects that are also looking for a meal.
B. How they act: Generally, wasps like yellow jackets and hornets are much more aggressive than most types of bees. They will buzz close to humans and even ram into us, looking for a meal or marking their territory. If they feel threatened or provoked, they will sting as well. This can cause an anaphylactic or allergic reaction in some people.
C. Their appearance: Wasps have some specific traits that make them easily identifiable compared to most bees. Instead of hair, they have spines on their legs, which are long and often bright yellow. In addition, their bodies are elongated, and the space between their thorax and abdomen is narrowed, giving them the look of a tiny waist.
#10. Coyote
- Canis latrans
Identifying Characteristics:
- Adults range in length from 3 to 4.5 feet and weigh between 15 and 44 pounds.
- Their coloring is grayish to yellow-brown on top with white underparts.
- They have bushy tails, large, triangular ears, narrow muzzles, black noses, and yellow eyes.
Sometimes, a Coyote will go after pets like small dogs or cats, but only if they’re left unattended. The best way to avoid Coyotes is to keep your pets on a leash outside and bring them in before dusk.
Sadly, Coyotes are commonly hunted and trapped for fur and sport. Many people incorrectly assume these animals are dangerous to humans, but this isn’t the case.
Coyotes have a large range in North America and are found in various habitats, from the tropics to the tundra. Coyotes expanded their range after European settlers’ near extermination of wolves and cougars.
As with habitat, Coyotes are highly versatile in their food selection. Despite being primarily carnivorous, they consume various plants, including berries, grass, and food crops. They will eat almost anything, and this extensive menu allows them to thrive in nearly every environment in Maryland!
#11. American Black Bear
- Ursus americanus
Identifying Characteristics:
- Adults range from 5 to 6 feet tall and weigh 200 to 600 pounds.
- They have flat backs, small heads, rounded ears, and non-retractable claws.
American Black Bears occupy various habitats in Maryland but generally prefer inaccessible terrain.
Black bears are sometimes considered a nuisance because they can damage cornfields, honeybee hives, and berry farms. In addition, they‘re easily attracted to garbage, bird feeders, and coolers. Make sure NEVER to feed them, as this can make the bear not afraid of humans, which is dangerous for both you AND the bear.
Generally, Black Bears are timid around people. Unlike grizzly bears, females with cubs rarely attack people, often just sending their cubs up a tree so that they can retreat safely.
Black Bears are naturally active in the evening and early morning but sometimes alter their activity patterns for food availability. Bears may become active during the day when garbage and other human food sources are available. Black Bears in campgrounds often develop nocturnal activity patterns.
#12. White-Tailed Deer
- Odocoileus virginianus
Identifying Characteristics:
- Adults range from 63 to 87 inches long and stand between 31 and 39 inches tall at the shoulder.
- Their coloring is tan or brown during the summer and grayish in winter, with white on the throat, chest, and the underside of the tail.
- The males have antlers which they shed in the winter.
The reason we consider White-tailed Deer to be dangerous in Maryland is because they’re so prevalent near roads and highways. They frequently cause car accidents because they often run across roads at night or dusk. So keep alert if you live in an area with a deer population, especially during spring and fall!
White-tailed Deer are found in various habitats in Maryland. These large animals are common to see living near people as they are completely comfortable in suburban environments. The herd in my neighborhood is particularly fond of our bird feeders. They stop by for a snack almost every evening!
#13. Wild Boar
- Sus scrofa
Identifying Characteristics:
- Adults range from 5 to 8 feet in length and weigh between 145 and 600 pounds.
- Their thick, coarse hair ranges in color from black to reddish-brown.
- They have large heads and necks and relatively short legs. Males have long bristly hairs down the middle of their backs and large canines that protrude from the mouths of adult males.
Wild Boars are invasive mammals in Maryland, as they were introduced from overseas. Their population has exploded in the last 50-100 years, leading wildlife departments to implement population control programs.
Because of their aggressive nature and lack of fear, Wild Boars can be dangerous to livestock, humans, and pets. If you have a Wild Boar on your property or see one while you’re out and about, call your local animal control office for advice. DON’T try to approach this unpredictable animal!
These mammals are omnivores, and what they eat varies with season and location. They consume large amounts of plant matter, including fruits, nuts, roots, herbaceous plants, and crops. They also eat bird eggs, carrion, small rodents, insects, and worms. Their voracious appetite can be very detrimental to an ecosystem, causing a loss of plant diversity and extensive soil erosion.
#14. Rats
- Genus: Rattus
Interestingly, brown and black rats (the most common types that cause disease) are not native to Maryland. They’re thought to have originated in the eastern hemisphere and were brought here through trade routes. Living in a highly populated city makes you more likely to see a Brown Rat. Black Rats, on the other hand, usually live in agricultural and farming communities.
Even though both species are still common, in many areas where the Black Rat was once the dominant species, the Brown Rat has taken over. Black Rats are slightly smaller and reproduce less often, two reasons this species isn’t as widespread as Brown Rats.
Most people consider rats of any species to be pests, both in the agricultural market and in homes and cities. Like other rodents, Black and Brown Rats can carry pathogens in their bodies. While they may not appear sick, they can spread infections like toxoplasmosis, typhus, and bubonic plague. Avoid handling wild rats, and be especially careful of their bite!
#15. White-footed Deer Mouse
- Peromyscus leucopus
Like most other mice, this species is a vector, which means they can carry and spread disease.
Many rodents can carry disease-causing pathogens without getting sick, making them ideal carriers for these germs. For example, White-footed Mice transmit Hantavirus and the bacteria that cause Lyme disease.
White-footed Deer Mice are one of the most likely species you will find in your attic, garage, or basement. Even though they can spread disease, contamination isn’t very common in homes.
This is the species I’ve found in my house, and I use a live trap and release them in a field a few miles away. Here’s the trap that I use!
#16. North American Porcupine
- Erethizon dorsatum
Identifying Characteristics:
- Adults range from 2 to 3 feet long and weigh about 20 pounds.
- Their fur ranges from brownish-yellow to black, with white highlights on their quills.
- Porcupines are covered in approximately 30,000 hollow quills.
Porcupines are only dangerous if you try to pick one up. 🙂
They‘re well known for their sharp quills used for defense. When threatened, porcupines draw up the skin of their back, bristling so that the quills face all directions. The porcupine keeps its back to the predator and moves its tail back and forth. But, despite their effective defense, porcupines are still preyed on by fisher cats, coyotes, wolverines, and other predators that have adapted to hunting them.
Contrary to popular belief, porcupines can’t throw quills at their attacker!
#17. Striped Skunk
- Mephitis mephitis
Identifying Characteristics:
- Adults range from 18 to 32 inches long.
- Their coloring is black with two thick white stripes running down the back and tail and a thin white stripe from the snout to the forehead.
- They have a bushy black tail, small triangular heads, short ears, and black eyes.
Striped Skunks have the worst reputation of any animal in Maryland.
They’re best known for their unique defense system. A Striped Skunk will first stomp its feet or handstand as a warning when threatened. Then, if they aren’t heeded, the skunk bends its hindquarters to face the animal and releases its smelly defensive spray. While it may not be technically dangerous, the unpleasant, oily liquid can reach up to 20 feet and may cause nausea, intense pain, and temporary blindness.
Despite their foul odor, Striped Skunks provide benefits to humans in the form of pest control. In the summer, they’re largely insectivorous and feed heavily on grasshoppers, crickets, beetles, and bees. The best thing to do if you see a skunk is to give it space. They usually move on quickly when they notice humans!
Striped Skunks have stable and abundant populations. However, some local populations have been affected by rabies outbreaks. In addition, Striped Skunks face threats from severe weather, chemical exposure, and vehicle collisions.
These small mammals are typically very common in suburban areas but are rarely seen because they are nocturnal. As seen below, they often visit bird feeders to eat leftover seeds on the ground!
#18. Domestic Dogs
- Canis familiaris
There’s a good reason why dogs are considered “man’s best friend.”
They’re one of the most popular pets in Maryland! However, usually due to poor training or mistreatment, dogs can easily become dangerous animals.
No matter what breed, size, or disposition, any domesticated dog has the potential to hurt a human. For example, if you don’t pay attention to a dog’s warning cues, it may become defensive and bite or jump to get you to back off.
To ensure you stay safe, never approach a dog you don’t know, and always ask its owner before you greet it. If you have a dog yourself, don’t leave it unsupervised with children or strangers to decrease the risk of accidental conflict. Finally, and most importantly, learn to follow your dog’s lead regarding their social cues. A dog that feels threatened is always dangerous, no matter how loyal they are!
Here are some statistics about dog bites from the American Veterinary Medical Association:
- More than 4.5 million people are bitten by dogs each year in Maryland.
- Almost 1 in 5 people bitten by dogs require medical attention.
- Children are the most common victims of dog bites and are far more likely to be severely injured.
- Most dog bites affecting young children occur during everyday activities and while interacting with familiar dogs.
The interesting thing about dogs is how we’ve grown so accustomed to them over time, most people have no fear of these lovable animals. But, statistically, you’re much more likely to be injured by a dog than by any of the other animals on this list! So next time you come across a “dangerous” wild animal, remember that you should respect it instead of hurting it out of fear.
Do you want to learn about MORE animals in Maryland?
Check out these ID Guides!
Which of these dangerous animals in Maryland have you seen?
Leave a comment below!
