Why does Australia have so many venomous animals?

AUSTRALIA HAS A REPUTATION for being full of deadly wildlife - and with good reason. The vast antipodean island is home to an impressive list of dangerous critters.

- Helen Pilcher

Sharks, spiders and snakes get most of the bad press, but those are just the start. The tentacles of the box jellyfish (frequently found around the Northern Territory coast) contain thousands of stinging cells, each preloaded with its own harpoon-like venom delivery system. The country is also home to an animal with one of the most toxic venoms on the planet: the blue-lined octopus. And there's the platypus. It's one of the few living mammals to produce venom, which males inject into rivals via spurs on their hind legs.