how does a stingray kill you?

Question

i saw on TV that a stingray shoot electricity to kill you/or a fish, i also heard it has a poison tail thingy or something...witch 1 is it?

Answer 1

Famous animal-enthusiast Steve Irwin was fatally pierced in the chest by a stingray spine, so that will do it.

Answer 2

When a person is killed by a stingray it's a FREAK ACCIDENT. Rays aren't out to get people, and as a matter of fact if they're not stepped on or harrassed/scared, they're very mellow. First off, if you've been impaled by ANYTHING it is suggested that you do not remove it... this, logically, would include stingray spines... a guy here in Florida last year was impaled much like Steve Irwin was, but the barb was left in, he was transported to the hospital and they patched him up as they removed the spine... rather than letting him bleed to death in the boat because they removed the spine without a surgical team. But more recently than that, a woman was going for a boat ride I want to say down in the keys when a spotted eagle ray (another stingray variety) jumped out of the water, smacked her in the head at about 80 mph and she died from the injuries... no sting, just a hard knock to the head. But then again, there's usually one or two people every year killed by jumping sturgeon in north Florida as well... Go swimming or wading with some stingrays sometime, you'll realize they're not nearly as scary as the media wants you to think.

Answer 3

On a stingrays tail there is a barb. On a big stingray these can get big. If you stepped on one it stabs you with the barb. This only will kill you if you get stabbed in the chest like Steve Irwin and the damage and poison will have something to do with it.

This is a picture of the barb:



http://www.beachhunter.net/images/wildlife/stingrays/stingray_barb_DS_midthun.jpg



So the barb is coverered in skin and under the skin is a pouch of venom. When the barb is inserted the skin breaks and the venom is released. So Steve Irwin got a dose to the chest.



Electric rays on the other hand can use a mild shock to locate and stun prey, it's usally not harmful to humans.

Answer 4

you'd be very unlucky to die of a stingray's barb (i believe there's only been two recorded cases)



electric stingrays aren't that powerful and most likely wouldn't kill you





you'd be more likely to be killed by a flying manta ray than anything (statistically speaking)