Here's where you're most likely to run into wildlife that could kill you

Dragan Radovanovic/Business Insider

Just this past June, a 2-year-old boy was playing near the water at a Disney World resort when an alligator attacked and killed him. A black bear attacked a woman running the marathon in New Mexico just a few days later. In Colorado, a mother had to fight off a mountain lion to save her 5-year-old son that was attacked in their own backyard.

Even when the headlines about wildlife don't involve attacks - a bear is spotted swimming in a backyard pool, for example, or a great white shark is tagged off the coast of Cape Cod - we are still vividly reminded that America is not only our home, but also the home to some dangerous, wild predators as well. And sometimes these creatures are closer than we think.

But how dangerous are these animals really? How afraid of them should we be? Well, it turns out, we shouldn't be too afraid since the animals we fear most might not actually be the most deadliest. For example, dogs, deer, and cows kill more Americans every year than bears, sharks, or alligators.

So from wolves to spiders, here is a look at 10 creatures that most normal Americans fear, where they live, and just how dangerous they really are.