I recently read an blog on why nobody should move to Australia. The reasoning behind the blog is all of the dangerous animals that inhabit the island from the Tasmanian Devil to the lethal brown snake to name a few. This got me to thinking that perhaps one would think the same of Florida after reading about all of the dangerous animals and reptiles invading our lovely state. Here is the difference between Australia and Florida though; Most of Florida's dangerous and invasive species are not indigenous to the area. Now we can't get rid of them. So, without further adieu, here are the most dangerous and nasty critters that have invaded the state of Florida and that you should stay away from. If you find any call the authorities immediately. But you can still come to Florida!
The first on our list is the Giant African Land Snail. This is a nasty "little" bugger. These snails eat their way through some surprising stuff, including stucco, plastic recycling bins, signs and more than 500 species of plants, says the Florida Department of Agriculture.
Their calcium shells bear pointy edges that are sharp enough to blow out tires of vehicles that run over them.
Agriculture Department spokeswoman Denise Feiber says the menacing creatures also carry a human parasite called rat lungworm, which is a form of meningitis and potentially deadly. If this ain't enough to scare th crap out of you the next will.
This lovely and enormous creature is the Rock Python. And they multiply like the Viet Cong. Floridians just can't kill these things fast enough, and although this may sound cruel, consider the fact that these snakes are practically eating everything in site in the Everglades. And God help you if you find one in your yard. Their bite is as bad as any other, although not poisonous. This is one snake you don't want to tangle with.
This one in particular is eating a deer. Yes, a deer! They have been known to swallow alligators whole too.
The next critter on my stay away list is the Gambian Pouched Rat. These bad boys grow as large as a house cat and weigh as much as nine pounds. Some genius breeder cut some loose in the Keys and now they are everywhere. God help us all if they make it to the mainland. The impact on the native species of plants has been devestating. 
And finally there is the Feral Hog. These guys roam the woods of Florida and eat everything in site. A bite or gorge from one of these guys could prove fatal. Farmers especially hate them. 
These giants grow to as large as 350 pounds and multipy like rabbits. And thanks to Spanish explorer Hernando DeSoto we cannot get rid of them.
The last of the invasive species on my list of nasty critters is the Lionfish. I know, they look so beautiful. But don't let their looks deceive you. 
What makes the lionfish, native to Indo-Pacific waters, such a huge threat to the fisheries is they have no natural predators in Florida waters, their population is exploding exponentially, and they are competing with native fish, including grouper, for the same food source. 
And what is the hope for getting rid of any of these creatures before they destroy our native habitat? Nothing really at this point has worked. Even hunters who eat some of these guys can't catch them fast enough. At this point we are probably stuck with them. This doesn't mean you shouldn't visit or move here, but it does mean that you should be aware of your surroundings in the wild and stay away from all of these animals. It also means that you shouldn't dump your unwanted pets in the Everglades or ocean. You are not doing any of us any good by doing so. You are just creating more havoc for the rest of us to fix.
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