Step into the jungle, where nature is at its best and worst, where the animals are at their most brutal. Watch the trees, there might be a wild cat stalking you around. Keep an eye on the bushes, as they might be sharp to the touch.
But most of all – don’t step on the rivers unprotected and unprepared. Unless you want to attract a frenzy of piranhas your way, bloodthirsty and looking for their next meal.
Or are they?
Piranhas are yet another animal that most people know as aggressive savages, and, like sharks, won’t hesitate to bite your legs off if you so much as wade in the rivers where they can be found. But unlike sharks, there isn’t just one of them: there’s multiple, maybe even a school!
So, let’s break it down. How dangerous are piranhas to humans?
Bloodthirsty and ravenous?
Images of piranhas pulling a piece of meat below water and chowing down, whether it’s attached to a living creature or not, come to mind. The school of piranhas swarm all around their meal, munching and chewing. If their meal happens to be alive, then the water is colored with their blood. At the end of it, only their bones remain.
At least that’s what we probably imagine them as, and what popular culture depicts them as either. But the reality may be a little surprising.
Scavengers of the water world
First, let’s take a look at their feeding habits. Are they apex predators that feast on the flesh of anyone unfortunate enough to step in their territory?
As it turns out, no.
Quite the opposite, Piranhas are actually well-known as foragers and scavengers instead. Some species of piranha, like the pike piranha, are specialized scale-eaters. As the name suggests, this means that their primary food source is the scales on other fish. This diet is a surprisingly nutritious one too, as the scales of fish contain layers of enamel and keratin. They are also known to feed on the morsels of fins as well.
As for the fish on the receiving end of the piranha’s diet, well, they are very much free to swim away and heal completely and without trouble. Indeed, quite unlike the ravenous beasts that we’re used to hearing about, there are many types of piranhas that exist, and some of their methods of feeding don’t even kill the other fish.
Diet
Far from being the carnivores that their reputation paints them as, piranhas are actually omnivores. As mentioned earlier, piranhas are known to scavenge,
Piranhas are still predators, however, and also prey upon small fish or fish that are slightly larger than themselves.
But them being omnivores also means that piranhas consume plantlife: Fruit, seeds and even leaves.
Piranha reputation
So where does the reputation of piranha attacks come from? This would likely be from one species, the red-bellied piranha. Like all other species of piranha, they are known foragers and scavengers. But they can get quite aggressive too, primarily during the dry season when it is defending its nest or during times of extreme hunger when there is a lack of food sources available. This leads to piranhas even taking chunks out from their fellow piranhas out of desperation!
This is also where their reputation for “skeletonizing” things like cattle comes from. This is because red-bellied piranhas can be in schools of more than 100 piranhas, and when they decide to attack a large animal, they converge in a feeding frenzy, of which multiple other groups can decide to join in as well. Piranhas also “share” by taking a single bite then swimming away to make room for other piranhas.
But again, this is a considerably rare occurrence and almost never ever happens. Piranhas usually do not target large animals, as they might perceive them as potential predators to them, and as such would rather move away than risk their lives. When they do target large animals, this is usually a move of desperation and not aggression, such as during moments where a group or two of piranha have been blocked off or low on nearby food sources, causing them all to starve. This means that they will take any means of food, even if it is something much much larger than their usual targets if it means that they will get to feed.
Attacks on humans
Piranha attacks on humans can actually happen, but when they do, they usually only result in minor injuries, which are usually located on their hands or feet. But sometimes, these injuries are more serious and can even be fatal in extreme cases, depending on how aggressive the piranha attack was. Though as mentioned before, these types of situations are a rarity, and only occur during times of food scarcity.
There are other situations where humans can be attacked too: For instance, swimming near fisherman may cause piranhas to accidentally target you due to the presence of bait in the water as well as the struggling and splashing of nearby fish. In that sense, if you splash a lot while you swim, you might also attract piranhas as well.
Finally, if you are injured or have a bleeding wound, you might attract piranhas to your location, as piranhas are attracted to the scent of blood.
But the dangers of piranhas in general are low – You only need to be aware of a piranha’s habitat and to stay away from the waters if it is the dry season for maximum safety, but otherwise, piranha would rather be the ones to stay away from you.