These 10 Wildlife Creatures Will Give You Nightmares

Animals, Lists, Nature, Shocking, Weird

The world is full of interesting animals, many of which have given out phobias to a number of people. However, some might actually be quite harmless to us. On the other hand, some may seem harmless but are actually quite deadly. It is easy to misunderstand a horrific looking creature but often times just because something looks scary doesn’t mean it poses any direct threat to us. The animal kingdom is full of surprises. Here are 10 scary creatures that will haunt your dreams. Advertorial image by Jeff Chang.

Goliath Bird Eating Tarantula

Considered to be the largest spider in the world, the Goliath Birdeater is found in the rain forests of South America. When threatened, the birdeater will rub hairs off of its abdomen that are extremely irritating. Despite its name, this spider rarely feasts on birds.

Humboldt Squid

Found in the eastern Pacific Ocean, these squid are some of the largest in the world and are known to show some aggression towards humans. What makes them truly scary are the 100-200 suckers on each arm lined with razor sharp teeth, which they use to drag their prey towards their large beaks.

Botfly

What’s so scary about a fly? Well, their larvae are actually parasites that may grow underneath your skin. That’s right, maggots that grow in your flesh. Terrible right?

Coconut Crab

These crabs don’t pose a direct threat to humans, although I wouldn’t want to get pinched by one. They cannot swim and have actually been seen climbing trees to pick coconuts, which they use their powerful pincers to cut open.

Irukandji Jellyfish

These tiny box jellyfish prove that big things can come in small packages. Found in the waters of Australia, the bell of the Irukandji runs from 5-25 millimeters wide. Its sting gives victims symptoms that range from vomiting and nausea, to excruciating pain and burning in the skin and face.

Narcisse Snake Dens

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If you think one snake is scary, the Narcisse Snake Dens are not for you. Tens of thousands of red-sided garter snakes mate in this area of Canada in the spring. Garter snakes are harmless but tens of thousands of them is quite terrifying.

Naked Mole-Rat

Native to parts of East Africa, naked mole-rats look more intimidating than they actually are. It is a burrowing rodent that spends plenty of time underground in tunnels. Naked mole-rats have also been never seen to grow tumors or have cancer.

Vampire Bat

Vampires have long been engraved into society as entities of horror. Vampire bats have long been associated with characters such as Dracula. Hunting only when it is dark, vampire bats feast on the blood of mammals which can sometimes include humans.

Cicada Killer

Wasps are scary. Large wasps are even scarier. Anything that flies around with stingers, causing destruction in its path is absolutely horrifying. However, these wasps are responsible for control of the cicada population which makes them beneficial in nature.

Aye-aye

The aye-aye is a lemur, one of those cute primates found in Madagascar. Ancient Malagasy legend said that the aye-aye were a symbol of death. Unfortunately this has led to many of them being killed on sight and they are now classified as Endangered.