Piranha, Little Attacker of Humans
Smaller Than a Shark But Just As Feared by Many
The aggressive, flesh-hungry, carnivorous piranha swims in fresh-water rivers in S. America. It has razor-sharp teeth and often attacks much larger prey, including humans
A Lovely Swim in Piranha Waters Is Not Such a Good Idea
Let's say you're out for a swim. The water is a cool, inviting relief from the merciless tropical sun. So you swim along without a care in the world -- la-dee-da-dee-da -- when suddenly you feel a tug at your calf. You examine your leg with your fingers and discover that a small bit of your flesh has been torn away. Hmm, you think; that's inconvenient, but I can live with it. I'll just swim to the shore and get the wound dressed. La-la-la-la-dee-dee. You swim along a little further, when you suddenly feel another tug somewhere, then another and another. This is getting out of hand, you think to yourself. Not fun. Not a pleasant swim at all. Hmm, maybe something's not right; maybe something very, very not right.
It suddenly dawns on you that there is a lot of movement around you in the water. It's as if you are the center of attention. The water is getting really red now. You realize with a rising sense of alarm that all this blood is yours. You also now are more aware than ever that parts of you are quickly going missing. You've still got your head, yes; fully intact above the water surface, but there are many parts of you missing now -- some of them quite vital-- some that you wish you still had and know that you'll need.
You continue to try to make it to the shore, but your strength is waning. Whatever it is that's pulling you apart is insatiable. You push against it with your hands, as if trying to shoo away flies. You scoop up something in one of your hands and hold it up to your head above the surface. It's a fish. That's right -- a mere fish. Hell! But it's not just a fish. It's a fish with very sharp teeth. It's very aggressive too. Even now it's trying to chomp on the hand that's holding it.
It's not much of a consolation as you are stripped to the bone in the next few minutes, but at least now you know the source of your demise: it's nature's most persistent freshwater predator -- the piranha fish.
Introducing the Subject of Our Story, Mr. Piranha
The average piranha is 15 to 25 cm long (6-10 inches), although specimens of up to 40 cm long have been found. The biggest can weigh up to five kilograms. Famed for their sharp, strong teeth, they have even been known to bite through steel fishing hooks. Piranhas (or pirañas as they perhaps also like to be called) are as canivorous as they come. They live in rivers in South America and will attack any sort of flesh within their sight. Also, like sharks, they are highly attracted to the scent of blood. The more you shed, the more attractive you are to them. If you happen to be out fishing and hook one, thus causing a spilling of blood, you may just find that it's attached to one or two of its brothers who are trying to devour it.
Though their teeth are relatively small, they are powered by very strong musculature and are able to chomp quickly and repeatedly. In other words, they are ideally equipped to tear off flesh, including bone. Naturally, the bigger the fish, the bigger the size it can bite off.
Now That I know Piranhas Are Dangerous, How Do I Avoid Them?
To start with, piranha attacks on humans are very rare. In fact, there are no documented cases in which a swimmer has been gorged upon and stripped to the bone while alive. There are, though, plenty of instances when a body has washed up as no more than a white skeleton, but only after first having succumbed to death by drowning, for example. So unless you think you're going to drown, it's probably safe for you to go for a swim. Natives have been known to think nothing of going for a swim in piranha-infested waters. Only it would be very unwise to go swimming if you have a wound or are otherwise bleeding.
The myth of the all-devouring piranha has been handed down to us by the Conquistadors, who observed the above-mentioned skeletons washing ashore. The Conquistadors also had the misfortune to be wearing red trousers, making the piranhas think of blood -- thus bringing out the aggressive worst in them.
I'm Confused. Does That Mean I Can Swim Alongside Schools of Piranhas Safe in the Knowledge That I'll Remain Unmolested?
No, it's never a good idea to swim among piranhas, especially during low-water season when there are larger concentrations of them and they are likely to be more hungry and therefore more aggressive. While you won't be eaten all up by them, you might just lose a toe or two, and that's never a good thing, is it?
Also, remember the old saying that there's a first time for everything. You don't really want to tempt fate and be known as the first person to be eaten alive by a school of piranhas, right?
