07. Giant Freshwater Stingray
Photograph by Fenolio Dante, Getty Images
Freshwater stingrays are known to inhabit rivers in Southeast Asia and northern Australia, where they can reach enormous proportions, measuring up to 16.5 feet (5 meters) long and up to 1,320 pounds (600 kilograms). However, very little is known about these creatures, including how many are left, and if they ever enter saltwater.
Freshwater stingrays are hard to see, because they often bury themselves in river sediments. They hunt for clams and crabs by detecting their electric impulses. There are reports of the big animals overturning boats, though they rarely attack people.
Even so, stingrays can pack a powerful punch; they have a barb at the base of their tail that contains deadly poison and a stinger as long as 15 inches (38 centimeters).
Many scientists fear that freshwater stingrays are threatened by habitat loss and pollution.