Q&A for How to Safely Swim with Piranhas

Clean the wound and see a doctor as soon as possible in the event of a piranha bite.

Yes, there are around sixty species.

According to Ray Owczarzak, assistant curator of fishes at the National Aquarium in Baltimore, it would probably take 300 to 500 piranhas five minutes to strip the flesh off a 180-pound human.

No, but dried blood will become damp in the water and potentially attract the attention of nearby piranhas.

Generally not, because anaconda's meat is not to their liking. However, if they are starving or it is bleeding then they definitely can attack.

If a piranha charges at you, move as quick as you can. If the body of water is short, like a river, move quickly and without too much movement. If you made a diversion, you won't attract as much attention to yourself, than if there wasn't. Always be prepared.

Their diet is mostly fish, insects, crustaceans, worms, carrion, seeds and maybe other plant material. Humans aren't going to be eaten unless the piranhas are starving.

You can use a tampon, but It would be best to be better safe than sorry and not go into the water.

They will only try to attack humans if they are starving. They would attack as a group.

No; they are freshwater fish, and the ocean is saltwater.

Piranhas usually don't attack bigger animals. But if you are a very small kid, beware.

There are an estimated 30-60 species, with new species being found quite frequently.

Most likely not. Piranhas generally only eat human flesh when it's already dead/decaying.

There are few bodies of water where piranha are prevalent, so avoiding those places altogether would be the easiest and most sure way.

Because they are hungry. Piranhas attack any meat source when they are hungry.

A single piranha can't defeat a shark, but a whole school of piranhas could eat a shark.

Piranhas usually find their food by their rough movement in the water, but they sometimes sense them by their blood.

The bite will hurt almost immediately due to the amount of teeth they have and the sharpness of them.

I hope you don't. If you do, however, this article may be of service to you.

I highly doubt you would be okay. You would lose a lot of blood.

Piranhas are relatively small fish and vary in size from 8 to 12 inches, and while a piranha can weight up to 3 pounds, it is mostly found in half this size.

Try your best to swim out of the water, and avoid contact with the piranhas.

If piranhas are hungry enough, they will eat anything that's available.

Piranhas usually are everywhere in the river.

Piranhas are fish and can be eaten.

Yes, piranhas don't like to attack animals that move in groups.

They will just strike without hesitation. You may feel a bite or two first, but once one starts, they will all join in.

While it's theoretically possible in a nightmare scenario, piranhas don't generally attack humans, so you don't need to worry about it.

Evolution. The surrounding environment was more difficult to survive in for their species without these digestive adaptations. The ones who thought to eat meat and could do it efficiently didn't die and reproduced.

There has been only one spotting in the United States, it was in Texas. But this is extremely rare. Their natural habitat is in South America.