AUSTRALIA'S deadliest animals don't lurk on the banks of muddy Northern Territory rivers or slither on hot rocks. Nor do they hunt in the shallows of the sea or crawl on eight legs.

Horses are the creatures most likely to cause a human death, national coroners' statistics show. Cows are the next most dangerous, followed by dogs.

Sharks are in fourth position, while crocodiles and spiders account for only slightly more deaths than emus, cats and fish.

Out of 128 deaths linked to animals that were investigated by the National Coroners Information System between 2000 and 2006, 40 were caused by horses. Most of these occurred when riders fell off them, including one that resulted in a coroner recommending helmets be encouraged in commercial horse riding ventures, and be mandatory for tourism operations.

Cows, bulls and other bovine were linked to 20 fatalities, usually after a car hit the animal or swerved to miss it.