15 Terrifying Animals That Actually Exist

There are a lot of creature that we really don’t know about. Part of the reason we don’t know much about them is because they are terrifying. Whether it’s the way they look, or the way they act, these animals probably will never be on anyone’s list to have as a pet. This list will show you some of the mos terrifying animal on earth and where they are.

Poodle Moth

There isn’t much information on the poodle moth. We know that it is possibly a fairly new species of moth discovered in 2009 by Dr. Arthur Anker of Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan. He found it in the Gran Sabana region of Venezuela. It bears similarities to the Muslin Moth, but is not classified the same. We also know that is it scary looking and that I will not be making any trips to Venezuela anytime soon.

Cyclops Shark

Seeing a cyclops shark is very rare. Once you do see it you will wish you didn’t. It just freakishly terrifying to look at. A shark should have two eyes that’s the way thing should naturally be. Cyclops sharks are not a normal occurrence it is a deformity known as Cyclopia that can happen to humans and other animals as well. This one-eyed shark was found in Mexico when a fisher found it in the stomach of another, bigger and normal shark.

Goliath Tiger Fish

There are too many types of fish to even count. There are some species of fish we have yet to see. One type of fish that we don’t want to see is the Goliath tiger fish. The Goliath tiger fish is found in the Congo River Basin and Lake Tanganyika in Africa. The Goliath tiger fish has big sharp teeth to feed on other fish. There have been some incidents in the Congo, where people have been attacked.

Marabou Stork

The marabou stork is a large wading bird. It is not the stork that is usually animated and used as a way to tell kids where babies come from. This stork is ugly. It is often times called the “undertaker” bird. These large birds can be found in Africa south of the Sahara, in both wet and dry habitats, often near where humans live.

Lobster Moth Caterpillar

The lobster moth caterpillar’s name is self explanatory. This caterpillar has resembles to a lobster, but not the lobster that is served on a plate. The caterpillar looks much worst. It lives in the whole Palearctic ecozone which cover Europe and Asia, and Africa, except the North of Africa. In England it is more frequent in the Southern counties.

Asian Sheepshead Wrasse

Lucky for us we don’t really get to see the terrifying and weird looking animals that live in the ocean. The Asian Sheepshead Wrasse is one of those animals. It is the largest species of wrasse, and is native to the western Pacific Ocean. It is only known from the Korean Peninsula, China, Japan, and the Ogasawara Islands, where it inhabits rocky reef areas.

Tube Nosed Fruit Bat

Regular bats look scary and this one is one of the scarier ones. The tube nosed fruit bat looks like a sneak and devilish animal. It lives in subtropical or tropical dry forests. They can be found in the Philippines, Australia, Indonesia, Papua New Guinea, and the Solomon Islands. Due to deforestation, the tube nosed fruit bat is facing extinction.

Cthulhu Larva

Named after a fictional deity, the cthulhu larva are baby sea cucumbers. They look like alien babies ready to hatch and take over the world but they’re harmless. They are normally found 1,000-4,000 m below sea level eating mud, algae and other debris on the ocean floor. They can be found in almost every ocean on earth.

Naked Mole Rat

It’s a mole, a rat and it’s naked. It can’t get any more freaky than that. The naked mole rat spends most of its life underground. Also known has a sand puppy, it is native to East Africa. Despite its looks the naked mole rat is quite fascinating. Naked mole rats are remarkable for their resistance to cancer and its longevity. They also have a lack of pain sensation in their skin

Satanic Leaf-Tailed Gecko

The name it self is terrifying. The satanic leaf-tailed gecko has a tail that looks like a leaf allowing it to blend in with the trees and shrubs in its habitat. It relies on this camouflage to hunt his food at night and to keep from becoming food during the day. This little guy can be found only on the island of Madagascar.

Frilled Shark

If you thought a great white shark was the most terrifying of the species, you obviously have not seen the frilled shark. Frilled sharks are found in the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans. They stay close to the bottom of the ocean, and rarely make their way to higher depths. The long, extremely flexible jaws enable it to swallow prey whole, while its many rows of small, needle-like teeth make it difficult for the prey to escape. It feeds on fish and other sharks.

Wolf Fish

The bottom of the ocean is another world. It is home to some vicious fish like the wolf fish. This fish is far from your pet gold fish. As a matter of fact it will probably eat your pet gold fish. They produce a natural anti-freeze to keep their blood moving fluently as they swim in the cold waters of the Atlantic and North Pacific Oceans. The wolf fish has sharp teeth to snag its prey as it swims by.

Trogloraptor Spider

The trogloraptor is a large spider with long legs and a distinct yellow-brown hue. It is a new species of spider found in 2010. The trogloraptor was found deep inside caves in Oregon and others found in debris of old growth redwood forests of northwest California. Trogloraptor possess venom glands. However, the venom is not known to be harmful to humans. The spiders themselves are very shy and non-aggressive, they just look terrifying.

Star Nosed Mole

The star nosed mole looks as if it was not from this planet. It can be found in wet low areas of eastern Canada and the northeastern United States. The star-nosed mole is easily identified by the twenty-two pink fleshy appendages ringing its snout, which is used as a touch organ. The star nosed mole is a good swimmer and like other moles, it borrows under ground.

Honey Pot Ant

The honey pot ant has the ability to swell up to three times its original size. Honey ants, are ants which have specialized workers that are gorged with food by workers to the point that their abdomens swell enormously. They are like storage units for the colony. These ants stay underground, mostly in the hot and dry areas of the Southwest in the U.S.

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Most Dangerous Animals

Check out the most deadly animals in the world, discover how they mete out their punishment and, most importantly, find out how to avoid them!

The Bear

Forget gentle Ben – when a bear rears on its hind legs you know you’re in trouble. Although bears have a fearsome reputation, you are statistically more likely to survive a bear attack than to perish, but that’s small consolation to those who are faced with a bristling bear. With five attacks in Canada in 2005 alone, it seems that they’re on the increase due to human destruction of, and encroachment on, bears’ natural habitat.

Responsible for: An estimated 5-10 fatalities a year.

Hangs out in: North America, Canada, North Pole, Russia and isolated pockets around the world.

Method of dispatch: There are many different sub-species of bear and not all of them are vicious. However, the polar, black and grizzly varieties are deadliest. Bears will trample, maul and generally savage their prey until they’re frightened off or finish the job; and will attack for a variety of reasons, hunger being one. You should always keep food well away from your camp.

Useful avoidance techniques: If you are faced with an angry bear (categorised by snorting, false bluffs, ground beating, etc), slowly back away from the bear, watching it all the while. DO NOT turn and run. If it continues to act aggressively, you should respond in kind by shouting and throwing sticks and stones while continuing to back away. If a bear is upon you, fight back as you will stand a better chance of survival than if you play dead.

The Shark

Sharks have a terrible reputation thanks to films such as Jaws and Deep Blue Sea, but it’s one not entirely without cause. It seems that although great whites are often blamed for unprovoked attacks on humans, it is more likely to be down to those snappy bull sharks, who are very aggressive. Out of 360 species, only four are known killers: tiger, great white, oceanic whitetip and bull sharks. However, as we’ve seen with bears, although there are a high number of shark attacks, actual fatalities are fairly low.

Responsible for: An estimated 100 fatalities a year.

Hangs out in: Florida, Australia, Hawaii and South Africa.

Method of dispatch: Sharks attack the only way they can – by lunging with fearsome teeth. Sharks can grip their prey easily in their powerful jaws and are capable of biting through almost anything.

Useful avoidance techniques: Don’t wear yellow or orange, as sharks have good eyesight and these colours in particular seem to irritate them. If you are cut, get out of the water as they will smell blood from miles away. Engage in your aquatic recreation in groups – sharks are more likely to attack solitary prey. If you are attacked, punch the shark on the nose and claw the eyes and gills as these are sensitive spots.

Jellyfish

The sting-masters of the sea, Jellyfish are usually passive drifters who use their tentacles to dredge up small prey. However, anyone who becomes entangled with a jellyfish will experience degrees of pain from a nasty nip to excruciating pain, depending on the species. The box jellyfish is one of the most venomous marine creatures in the world; a sting can kill a man within minutes and most fatalities occur following a brush with a toxic jelly like this.

Responsible for: An estimated 100 fatalities a year.

Hangs out in: Northern Australia, Papua New Guinea, Malaysia, Indonesia, the Philippines, Thailand and Vietnam.

Method of dispatch: The jellyfish unwinds its coiled stinging tentacles, fires them at the victim and then pumps their venom to paralyse the unfortunate recipient, usually manifesting itself as cardiac arrest in humans.

Useful avoidance techniques: If swimming in an area where there are known jellyfish, wear a sting-suit. However, if you are stung, get out of the water pronto and apply vinegar to any stings remaining embedded in the flesh to remove the venom, then brush or lift off using a credit card, stick or similar.

The Hippopotamus

At first glance, these wallowing river-horses appear to be bulky, lazy beasts and not the fearsome predators you would expect to have a habit of mauling humans. However, with gaping mouths that can open four feet wide and swinging sledgehammer heads, as well as the fact that they can outrun us on land, these highly aggressive animals have plenty of scope for destruction and are considered one of the most dangerous of African animals.

Responsible for: An estimated 100-150 fatalities a year.

Hangs out in: Lakes, rivers, wallows – in fact any water – in Africa.

Method of dispatch: Hippos will charge, trample and gore victims with alarming ferocity, often when they are blocked from deep water or someone is standing between the hippo and their calf. They have also been known to upturn boats and canoes without provocation and feast on the victim within, despite being herbivores.

Useful avoidance techniques: Surprising hippos is a big no-no. If canoeing in hippo waters, rap on the side of the boat with your paddle to warn any wallowing occupants that you are close by, therefore giving them a chance to move to deeper waters. If you surprise them on land where they feel most vulnerable, do not block their escape route to water.

The Elephant

Despite their friendly and approachable image thanks to zoo feeding times, these herbivores kill an alarming amount of people every year. Elephants are unpredictable creatures, and have been known to kill zookeepers who have been with them for as long as 15 years. It is recorded that even the tamest of elephants can attack without warning, though it is thought that most elephants do not realise the harm they do with almost no effort.

Responsible for: An estimated 300-500 fatalities a year.

Hangs out in: Africa and India.

Method of dispatch: Considering their huge size – the average elephant weighs over 6 tons – they trample and gore using their fearsome tusks and are capable of causing untold amounts of devastation.

Useful avoidance techniques: General advice on avoiding an elephant attack seems to be: don’t startle the beast; he is more likely to charge if he feels intimidated. If the elephant seems intent on charging, make as much noise as you can and try to put it off – otherwise scale the nearest tree (large enough so that the elephant cannot knock it down, of course).

The Crocodile

Crocodiles are dreaded prehistoric creatures capable of wreaking a terrible punishment on puny human flesh. North American, Estuarine and Nile crocodiles are the most dangerous and probably kill more people yearly than figures show due to the isolated areas where attacks are likely to take place and distance from help. One meal will keep a crocodile sated for a good while, so they like to wait in the water for the perfect time to strike.

Responsible for: An estimated 600-800 fatalities a year.

Hangs out in: Africa and Australia.

Method of dispatch: With terrifying speed, crocodiles can launch themselves out of the water like a missile and latch hold of their prey. They then go into a death roll, spinning the victim around and around to disorientate, thereby lessening its chance of escape.

Useful avoidance techniques: Straight from the society of stating the obvious: do not swim in areas where there are crocodiles. It may be hot, and you may want a swim, but the croc will see you coming and the rest doesn’t bear thinking about. If you’re unfortunate enough to be grabbed, shout, scream, claw… and pray.

Big Cats

These big cats certainly mean business. With destruction of their natural habitat and a decline in prey species, particularly concerning the tiger and North American mountain lion or cougar, attacks on humans are increasing. The African lion is the biggest and most feared of big cats, but holidaymakers on safari are 100 per cent safe viewing from a vehicle, unless they decide to take a closer look and step down. Mountain lions are found in many national parks and are responsible for six attacks a year in the US and Canada.

Responsible for: An estimated 800 fatalities a year.

Hangs out in: Africa, North America and India.

Method of dispatch: Tigers generally attack from the back and look to bite the jugular or break the neck. Mountain lions stalk their prey and often attack from a vantage point. Presumably they then set about mauling the victim in a manner identical to that we’ve all seen in countless nature programs.

Useful avoidance techniques: To avoid a heinous attack by a big cat, stare them in the eye and don’t look away. To make yourself appear larger by opening your coat; they are unlikely to attack a larger animal, particularly in the case of a mountain lion. DO NOT turn and run – you may as well flash a neon sign asking to be attacked. They can outrun you in any case. Shout, scream and throw stones. If one has you, punch its nose and eyes.

The Scorpion

Highly deadly and twice as ugly, the scorpion is a nasty critter that is probably responsible for more deaths per year than recorded, due to the isolated places they hang out and probable lack of access to antivenin. However, out of an estimated 1,500 species of scorpion worldwide, only around 25 are regarded dangerous.

Responsible for: An estimated 800-2,000 fatalities a year.

Hangs out in: Worldwide; particularly Africa, the Americas and Central Asia.

Method of dispatch: Scorpions paralyse their prey by pumping deadly venom through the obvious curved stinger at the end of their tails. As with all venom, humans are particularly susceptible if they are allergic – though the African spitting scorpion, who scuttles around Africa, is the most venomous, as it is able to spray venom up to a metre. Yuk.

Useful avoidance techniques: Scorpions become active at night and lie low during the day, so be sure to shake out any bedding, clothing or anything close to the ground before use. Be vigilant at night and wear thick socks.

The Venomous Snake

Though there are more than 2,000 species of snake, 450 of which are venomous, only 250 are capable of killing a man. That’s little consolation to the thousands who meet a nasty death due to snake bites each year – it’s usually members of local populations who bear the brunt as they live and work where snakes inhabit and usually wear no protective gear.

Responsible for: An estimated 50-125,000 fatalities a year.

Hangs out in: Africa, Asia and North America.

Method of dispatch: Snakes are very fast and any part of the human body is a good place for a bite, seeing as the venom can flow into the bloodstream within minutes; although those near major veins and arteries will travel faster. Snakes use their venom to paralyse their prey. A fully grown king cobra can rear up so it looks a man in the eye; others can spit venom into the eye. Nasty.

Useful avoidance techniques: Unsurprisingly, most people come a cropper when they try to harass a snake or draw close to it. Snakes will usually only attack if they’re feeling threatened so the short answer is: stay away! Wear stout boots if hiking and check either side of paths. Don’t mess about looking under rocks or fallen vegetation as you’ll get more than you bargained for. If you come across a snake, back away very slowly, as it can strike to half its length and sudden movements are likely to alarm it.

The Mosquito

Yes, the humble mosquito. What we Brits regard as an annoying pest is actually the most dangerous creature on the planet, thanks to its ability to spread disease with alarming efficiency. Best known for spreading deadly malaria, mossies also spread elephantiasis, yellow fever, dengue fever and West Nile virus, which was recently introduced to the US and is now prevalent in all states.

Responsible for: An estimated 2-3 million fatalities a year.

Hangs out in: Worldwide; harmful in Africa, Asia and North America.

Method of dispatch: Using serrated mouth parts, female mosquitoes pierce the skin and inject saliva containing a thinning agent to liquidise the blood. Most people won’t know that they have been bitten until the immune system reacts, resulting in red, itchy bumps that continue to itch for days after the initial bite.

Useful avoidance techniques: Mosquito nets treated with DDT are the most effective way to keep them at bay, as well as combative sprays and treatments that can be applied directly to the skin. Wear light-coloured, long clothes in the evening. If travelling to malaria zones, ensure that you take your full course of tablets before, during and after your stay.