Everyone loves animals - cats, dogs, hamsters and other cute animals, but you are unlikely to want to have one as a pet one of the creatures of nature presented in this collection. Not all creatures living on our planet look beautiful and aesthetically pleasing, but even the strangest and nastiest of them have the right to life, because evolution continues for millions of years, and each of these animals takes its own place under the sun (or in the depths of the ocean) .
The Ugly Animals Protection Society recently announced a competition for the most ridiculous and strange animal to become its mascot. Here you will find 12 “applicants” for this honorable position.
1. Drop fish
The Latin name of this sea creature is Psychrolutes marcidus (it is also called “psychrolute goby”). The blobfish lives off the coast of Australia and Tasmania, usually at depths of 600 to 1200 meters - its jelly-like body allows it to withstand enormous water pressure. Due to increasing cases of illegal fishing, this not very attractive sea creature is in danger of extinction.
2. Proboscis Monkey
The proboscis monkey (lat. Nasalis larvatus) lives on the island of Borneo, and in addition to its huge, ridiculous nose, it is known for its extremely shrill and nasty voice. Only males can boast of a large nose, for whom this physiological feature, as well as loud screams, is a way of attracting females during the mating period.
3. Two-clawed turtle (pig-nosed turtle, lat. Carettochelys insculpta)
These inhabitants of the fresh waters of Australia and New Guinea are the only representatives of their kind soft shell turtles, related to living fossil animals. A long nose, similar to a pig's snout, allows turtles to breathe while underwater.
4. One-humped jumping slug
At first glance, the slug that lives on the American continent and reaches six cm in length is unremarkable, but nature has rewarded it unique ability: When a slug senses danger, it can jump very high to avoid the threat.
5. Titicaca Whistler
This soft-bodied frog, living in Lake Titicaca, is the largest amphibian on Earth that never comes onto land. These animals grow up to 15 cm in length, and the structure of the surface of the skin allows the whistler to absorb oxygen directly from the water, so the frog appears on the surface only occasionally.
6. Axolotl
Under unusual name hiding a creature belonging to the amphibian class amphibian species. In fact, the axolotl is a neotenic larva, that is, these animals reach sexual maturity at the larval stage of development, without turning into an adult. In addition, axolotls are known for their ability to regenerate lost body parts.
By the way, translated from the Aztec language, axolotl means “water toy.” These unique animals live in the reservoirs of Mexico City, and currently their numbers are rapidly declining due to environmental degradation.
7. Bats
These winged mammals are considered one of the most disgusting-looking creatures of nature, which is why 18 species are vying for the title of mascot of the Society for the Protection of Ugly Animals. The photo shows one of the most prominent representatives order of bats - a large horseshoe bat.
8. Toad lizard
Strange creatures, more like ugly toads than lizards, are common in the area from the southwestern United States and northern Mexico to Guatemala and Central America.
Nature has endowed some of the species of toad-shaped (or, as they are also called, horned) lizards with interesting defense mechanism: when threatened, a reptile can squirt a small portion of its own blood from its eyes into a predator, which has a sharp, unpleasant odor.
9. Kakapo (owl parrot)
As a rule, when hearing the word “parrot,” many people imagine cute, bright birds capable of reproducing human speech. However, not all parrots can pronounce words, and, for example, kakapo, or owl parrots (lat. Strigops habroptilus), inhabiting the forests of New Zealand, do not even fly and do not have a particularly outstanding appearance.
10. Common river eel
The unsightly appearance of a resident of the fresh waters of Europe cannot mislead poachers - the meat of river eels tastes excellent, so Lately the predator is mercilessly exterminated - in 2008 european eel was included in the Red Book as a species on the verge of extinction.
11. Pubic louse
For more than three million years, these insects have been living side by side with people, or rather, in human hair. Few things in themselves can be more disgusting than finding such a “guest” in one’s hair, so humanity is taking all measures to protect itself from such a “neighborhood.” As a result, the number of lice around the world has sharply decreased, and scientists have sounded the alarm - one of oldest species may disappear from the face (and hair) of the Earth.
12. African dung beetle
An animal sacred to the ancient Egyptians, known as the scarab, spends its entire life literally in shit, or rather in elephant and bull dung. IN last years The population of African dung beetles has declined greatly, as as a result of improved sanitary conditions in cities, it is becoming increasingly difficult for them to find a suitable pile of dung, the quality of which scarabs are very demanding.
The beetles roll dung into balls and are able to travel quite significant distances with such “baggage”, and the dung is used not only as food, but also as an air conditioner - the evaporation of wet dung allows the scarab to effectively cool itself by climbing onto its ball.
By the way, scientists previously discovered that in their movements dung beetles are able to navigate the Milky Way, the Sun and the Moon so as not to lose their way.
We often hear that now more and more more types animals are becoming extinct or on the verge of extinction, and their complete disappearance is only a matter of time. Hunting, destruction natural environments habitats, climate change and other factors have led to a 1000-fold increase in the rate of loss of animal species more speed restoration of the natural background. And although the extinction of animals is always sad, sometimes for us humans, it can even be beneficial.
From 12-metre-long megasnakes to giraffe-sized flying creatures, check out this list of 25 animals you wouldn't want to see next to.
1. Pelagornis sandersi
With a wingspan of about 7 meters, Pelargonis sandersi was apparently the largest flying bird to ever exist on Earth. She seemed to be able to fly only by pushing off a cliff, and spent most of her life above the ocean, relying on the winds rising off the ocean to keep her afloat. Although compared to pterosaurs, whose wingspan was almost 12 meters, this bird was still quite “moderate” in size.
Similar to modern centipedes in shape and behavior, Euphoberia still had one significant difference - it was more than 90 cm in length! Although scientists aren't entirely sure what exactly it ate, we do know that some modern centipedes feed on birds, snakes and bats. If a 25-centimeter centipede could hunt birds, imagine what a nearly meter-long one could hunt!
3. Gigantopithecus
Gigantopithecus lived between 9 million and 100,000 years ago in modern Asia. It was the largest species of monkey on Earth. It is believed that this creature, up to 3 meters tall and weighing up to 540 kg, walked on four legs, like gorillas and chimpanzees, but some believe that it could walk on two limbs, like humans. The properties of their teeth and jaws suggest that these animals were able to chew coarse, fibrous food by cutting into it and grinding it.
4. Andrewsarchus
This cutie lived during the Eocene era, about 45-30 million years ago. Andrewsarchus was a huge carnivorous mammal. Given the skull and several bones found, paleontologists suggest that this predator could weigh up to 1800 kg, making it the largest land mammals predator in history. However, the feeding behavior of this animal is not entirely understood, and some theories suggest that Andrewsarchus may have been omnivores or even scavengers.
5. Pulmonoscorpius
The scientific name of this creature translates to “breathing scorpion.” He lived during the Visean era (c. 345-330 million years ago) Carboniferous period. Relying on fossils found in Scotland, scientists believe that this species reached 76 cm in length. It lived on land and probably fed on small arthropods.
6. Megalania
Megalania lived in South Australia. It was a huge lizard that went extinct about 30,000 years ago, which means it may well have been encountered by the first Aborigines of Australia. Scientists disagree on the size of this lizard - it may have reached 7 meters in length, making Megalania the largest land lizard in history.
7. Helicoprion
One of the prehistoric centenarians (310-250 million years ago) - Helicoprion - is a genus of extinct shark-like creatures with an interesting jaw. Reached 4 m in length, but its closest living relatives - the chimaeras - can reach only 1.5 m in length.
8. Entelodons
Unlike their modern relatives, Entelodons were boar-like mammals with a special gourmet taste for meat. Probably one of the most fearsome-looking creatures in history, entelodons walked on four legs and were almost as tall as a man. Some scientists believe that entelodons were even cannibals. Well, if they ate each other, do you think they wouldn't want to eat a human?
9. Anomalocaris
Probably lived in all seas Cambrian period. Translated, its name means “abnormal shrimp.” This is a genus of marine animals, close relatives of arthropods. Scientists believe it hunted hard-bodied sea creatures, including trilobites. They had unique eyes with 30,000 lenses - it is believed that these were some of the most “advanced” eyes in the history of the species.
10. Meganeura
Meganeura is a genus of extinct insects from the Carboniferous period. Resembles modern dragonflies (and is related to them). With a wingspan of up to 66 cm, it is one of the largest flying insects in the history of our planet. Meganeura was a predator, and its diet consisted mainly of other insects and small amphibians.
Attercopus was a genus of arachnid animal with a scorpion-like tail. For a long time Attercopus was considered prehistoric ancestor modern spiders, but the scientists who discovered its traces soon came to a different opinion. It is unlikely that Attercopus spun webs, although it may have been used to wrap eggs, lay frame thread, or build the walls of its burrow.
12. Deinosuchus
Deinosuchus is an extinct relative of modern alligator crocodiles that lived 80-73 million years ago. Although he was larger than any of them modern species, he looked almost the same. It reached 12 meters in length and had sharp large teeth capable of killing and devouring sea turtles, fish and even large dinosaurs.
13. Dunkleosteus
Living at the end of the Devonian period about 380-360 million years ago, Dunkleosteus was a huge super-predatory fish. Due to its terrifying size (up to 10 m in length and weighing almost 4 tons), it was the apex predator of its time. This fish had strong armor, which made it a relatively slow but very powerful swimmer.
14. Spinosaurus
Spinosaurus larger than a tyrannosaurus Rex is the largest carnivorous dinosaur of all time. It reached 18 m in length and weighed up to 10 tons. They ate tons of fish, turtles, and even other dinosaurs. If this horror were alive today, we most likely would not be alive.
15. Smilodon
Smilodon lived in North and South America during the Pleistocene era (2.5 million - 10,000 years ago). This is the best example of a saber-toothed cat. An excellent predator with particularly well-developed forelimbs and incredibly long, sharp fangs. The largest individual could weigh up to 408 kg.
16. Quetzalcoatlus
The wingspan of these creatures could reach an incredible 12 meters. This pterosaur was the largest creature ever to fly, including modern birds. However, it is very difficult to estimate the size and weight of these huge animals, because... No existing animal has the same body plan, so published results vary widely. One of the characteristic features of these animals was that they all had unusually long and rigid necks.
17. Hallucigenia
The name comes from the idea that these creatures are very strange, almost like a hallucination. These worm-like creatures were 0.5-3 cm in length and lacked some sensory organs on their heads, such as eyes and nose. Instead, Hallucigenia had seven tentacles on each side of its body, as well as three pairs of tentacles behind them. To say that this is a strange creature is an understatement.
18. Arthropleura
Inhabitant of the Upper Carboniferous period (340-280 million years ago). Lived in the territory of modern North America and Scotland. It was the largest species of terrestrial invertebrate in history. Despite their enormous length, up to almost 2.7 meters, Arthropleura were not predators; they fed on rotting forest plants.
19. Short-faced bear
The short-faced bear is an extinct species of bear that lived in North America during the Pleistocene era until 11,000 years ago, making it the "most recent" extinct creature on our list. However, its size is truly prehistoric. Standing on two hind legs, the bear reached 3.6 m in height and 4.2 meters if he raised his front paw up. It is believed that these giants weighed more than 1360 kg.
20. Megalodon
The name of this toothy monster translates as “big tooth.” This is an extinct species of huge shark that lived about 28-1.5 million years ago. With an incredible length of up to 18 meters, it is considered one of the largest and most powerful predators to ever live on Earth. Lived almost all over the world and looked like a larger and more terrifying version of the modern great white shark.
21. Titanoboa
Living approximately 60-58 million years ago during the Paleocene era, Titanoboa was the largest, longest, and heaviest snake in history. Scientists believe that individual representatives of the species reached 12 meters in length and weighed about 1133 kg. Their diet consisted of giant crocodiles and turtles, with which they shared the territory of modern South America.
22. Fororacoaceae
Also called "terror birds", these prehistoric creatures are an extinct genus of large birds of prey that were the largest species in South America during the Cenozoic period, approximately 60 million years ago. The largest flightless bird of prey to ever roam the Earth. They reached 3 meters in height, weighed up to half a ton and supposedly could run as fast as a cheetah.
23. Cameroceras
Lived during the Ordovician period 470-460 million years ago. This is the giant ancestor of modern squids and octopuses. Most characteristic feature This mollusk had a huge cone-shaped shell and tentacles with which it caught fish and other sea creatures. It is believed that the size of its shell varied from 6 to 12 meters.
Carbonemys is an extinct genus of huge turtles that lived about 60 million years ago, i.e. they survived mass extinction dinosaurs. Fossils found in Colombia suggest they had a shell that reached almost 1.8 meters. Turtles were carnivores, with huge jaws powerful enough to eat large animals such as crocodiles.
25. Jaekelopterus
Jaekelopterus, without a doubt, can be called one of the largest arthropods in the world - its length reached 2.5 meters. Sometimes it is called " sea scorpion", however, in fact, it is more related to lobsters living in freshwater lakes and rivers of modern Western Europe. This terrible creature lived about 390 million years ago, earlier than most dinosaurs.
Sometimes among the animals you come across quite strange specimens, which perhaps especially impressionable people should not look at.
The purple frog is a species of large ground frog that was discovered in 2003. It looks like a piece of purple jelly-like mass. The frog is notable for its small head and trunk. It is often found in the Western Ghats.
The goblin shark got its name for its bizarre appearance: the muzzle of this shark ends in a long beak-like outgrowth, and its long jaws can extend far. The largest known specimen reached a length of 3.8 meters and weighed 210 kg.
Hawaiian Ash bat is an animal with short rounded ears, a yellow-brown mouth that resembles a cow's. She lives on the islands of Hawaii, in humid and places at an altitude of 4 thousand m above sea level.
New sucker-footed bat - the new kind, discovered by scientists from Madagascar. It has suction cups, which are located on the hind legs, and thumbs, with which the mouse grabs onto smooth and shiny surfaces.
A hairless mouse has very thin, one might say, translucent skin, and its entire body is covered with wrinkled folds. Only big ears remain smooth.
Frogfish reaches maximum length 40 cm. This creature can survive in different conditions, which is why NASA in 1997 chose among other animals to send into space. There, the influence of microgravity was studied on a frog fish.
The almiqui - a black, brown or dark brown nocturnal animal - has short legs, an elongated head, tiny eyes, a mobile nose, and its skin glands secrete a smell reminiscent of a goat.
The ancient Japanese shark lives at depths of more than 600-1000 meters. Reminds me of a huge eel with needles in its mouth. It has practically not changed over many millennia of its existence.
Rattails or Grenadiers - and this is something from the realm of “horror films”...
Drop fish - very unusual creature, which can be seen at least from her photograph. She lives on great depths off the coast of Australia and Tasmania.
This turtle's name Matamata means "I kill" in Spanish. And indeed, it seems that she can kill with just her appearance - a creature with a flat head and a neck covered with numerous bulges, warts, and humps...
The armadillo (armadillo) has short legs with sharp claws, with the help of which it obtains food for itself: ants, beetles, caterpillars. It also feeds on carrion and plants.
The larva of the coridal, or vislocryl, has a truly terrible appearance under an electron microscope. The coridal lives in northern and central America, Australia and Africa. And men's and women's individuals can be up to 12.5 cm long.
Monkfish is also known as the "poor man's lobster", anglerfish, angelfish. This fish species lives in the northwestern Atlantic coastal zone.
The echidna looks like a hedgehog. Like another “Australian”, the platypus, lays eggs, but feeds its offspring with milk. The echidna has two layers of fur - one for warmth and the other for protection.
An elephant seal can gain weight up to 4 tons. Its diet consists of fish, squid and other marine life. They call him Elephant because he mating season the cat inflates its nose, and it becomes like a trunk.
The aer-aer, or Madagascar bat, is the world's largest nocturnal primate, native to Madagascar and living primarily in the tropical forest.
The Russian wheat aphid has very short, rounded horns and is pale green in color. This aphid is found in all seasons in western Kansas and within 50 miles of the Colorado border. The length of the aphid is only 2 mm.
The hatchet fish got its name because of its body shape. The eyes of the hatchet fish are located on the top of the head, its length does not exceed 15 centimeters.
These unusual warthogs have a barrel-shaped body, a large head adorned with six facial warts, and huge curved dog-like fangs... Reaching 150 kilograms in weight...
The Muscovy duck is a large native bird of Mexico, Central and South America. It has dark brown or black plumage, with white spots on its head and wings.
The naked mole rat resembles a tiny walrus. It has a tubular body, covered with wrinkles, and hairless. It feeds on roots and root crops, seeds and small plants.
The common proboscis monkey has a large nose and a large belly. It feeds on seeds, leaves and green fruits. Unlike other primates, it does not use its tail for grasping, but only for balance.
The hagfish is a fish that has a long, eel-like body with a paddle-like tail. Color varies from pink to pale gray, sometimes with dark spots.
The frilled lizard belongs to the family of lizards called "dragons." Lives mainly in dry forests in the northwestern and northern parts of Australia and Papua New Guinea.
The nose of a soft-shelled turtle serves as a kind of breathing tube. It helps her breathe while underwater or buried in the ground. Its shell is soft, leathery, and its paws are webbed.
The food of the star-nosed mole is aquatic insects, worms and mollusks. The mole swims well, and most of its habitat is under water. It has waterproof fur, scaly paws and a thick, long tail.
Yeti crab. This is a new species of crab discovered in the South Pacific Ocean in 2005. Its claws are covered with long, pale yellow hair. This crab is unusually large, with specimens reaching 15 cm in length. Lives at a depth of 2 thousand meters.
The tarsier's eyes are large and motionless, but its head can rotate almost unlimitedly. The tarsier's arms and legs are longer than those of most primates. It feeds on insects, birds, lizards and bats.
Komondor - enough unusual breed dogs. Belongs to the Hungarian Shepherd Dogs. Her body is covered with thick white fur, which curls and resembles dreadlocks. The height of dogs at the withers is 70-80 cm and more. Weight 35-60 kg.
Not all animals are so nice appearance as or as extravagant as a peacock, but each animal performs its important role, and every living organism has its own purpose.
Here are the 13 ugliest animals on the planet.
California condor
One of the most rare birds in the world and the largest in North America, the California condor does not have a very attractive appearance. His bald head is adapted to his lifestyle as a scavenger. Birds eat so much that they often have to rest for several days after a large meal. Sometimes the California condor cannot even take off immediately after a hearty meal.
The birds were near the point of extinction in the late 1970s, when only a few dozen individuals survived. Scientists began an intensive program to increase the population and today, about 127 California condors live in the wild.
Blob fish
Maybe it's unfair to judge a fish based on its appearance, but the blobfish looks more like a ball of slime than a living creature.
Blobfish live deep in the ocean where water pressure is extremely high. In fact, this fish's jelly-like appearance is a brilliant adaptation - its sticky flesh allows the blobfish to stay afloat in depths where gaseous bubbles cannot function.
The blob fish was once challenged aesthetically by the British ugly animal community by holding an online vote for the ugliest animal in the world. After a poll, the community made the blobfish the official mascot of the group.
Naked mole rat
Must be hard to maintain high self-esteem if you are a hairless rodent, but this is not a problem for the naked mole rat. These do not need good eyesight. Their hairless bodies are also adapted for the underground environment.
Scientists note that naked mole rats more closely related to porcupines, chinchillas and guinea pigs than with moles or rats. Interestingly, naked mole rats are the longest-lived of all rodents, given their size, they can live for almost 30 years, and they have remarkable resistance to cancer.
Proboscis
A person may be embarrassed by such a nose, but for a nosy person, the bigger the nose, the better! Scientists believe that the large nose amplifies the sounds that the proboscis monkey makes to impress the female, as well as to intimidate other males.
This curious species is an amazing swimmer, thanks to its webbed feet and hands. Proboscis monkeys jump from trees into the water and can often swim faster than crocodiles.
Warthog
These wild members of the pig family have a distinctive pig's snout, prominent tusks, warts and a fuzzy mane of hair that cascades down their backs. The warthog's body is covered with bristles, and its disproportionately large head looks terrible.
The warthog is far from being the epitome of beauty, but it is surprisingly well adapted to its environment.
Star-nosed
The star-nosed fish's strange 22 fleshy appendages act more like hypersensitive fingers than a nose. They help the star-nosed creature feel its way underground.
It is said to look like a cross between a rat and an octopus. The most impressive nose in the animal kingdom also makes this strange creature deadly hunter. The outer tentacles search for potential food, and the internal sensors decide whether the prey is edible.
Aye-aye
Among the 13 ugliest animals on the planet, the aye-aye is a primate from Madagascar. It uses its long, bony middle finger to pluck insects and larvae from tree trunks. This allows it to fill an important biological niche, performing the functions of a woodpecker. Aye-aye leads night image life and only comes out at night.
Angler
This unappetizing, bizarre type of fish is a common delicacy. For many years, people did not consider this fish edible due to its appearance. But the chefs realized that appearances are deceiving and now monkfish is a delicacy on the menu of all expensive restaurants.
The monkfish has a huge head that is filled with a ton of razor-sharp teeth.
African marabou
The African marabou is not at all like the stork from fairy tales, where it brings newborns. Standing 1.5 meters tall with a wingspan of over 3 meters, these African birds feed on carrion, which is why they have no feathers on their heads. They also eat other birds.
Apart from its ugly appearance, the African marabou also has some unattractive habits. They defecate directly on their legs and feet. This nasty action helps them regulate their body temperature.
Sea Elephant
Babies and females elephant seals have a pleasant appearance. But males acquire a large nose when they reach sexual maturity, somewhere around 3-5 years. Such a nose helps produce loud, roaring sounds, which are simply necessary when defending territory.
Horseshoe bats
Like most insectivores bats Which use echolocation to catch their prey, horseshoe bats have a distorted face that looks more like an ear. This adaptation makes them more susceptible to sound waves, which allow them to move quickly through the air.
This species gets its name from the fleshy structure surrounding the bat's nose. Top part pointed, and the lower part is shaped like a horseshoe. These folds of skin are used to send echolocation signals and help focus sound.
Darwin's bat
Looking at Darwin's pipistrelle, it looks like he was trying to compensate for his unusual body with bright lipstick. These fish most often live around Galapagos Islands and around Peru. Scientists believe that males attract females with this bright red color.
Interestingly, Darwin's pipistrelle more often walks along the ocean floor than swims.
Hyena
The list of the 13 ugliest animals on the planet ends with the hyena. Although they are often called scavengers, in fact, hyenas themselves kill 95% of what they eat. A group of hyenas can dismantle and devour a 200kg zebra in 25 minutes.
Having the appearance of wild dogs, they are more closely related to civets, mongooses and meerkats.
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Of our planet. Animal species are amazing in abundance and indicate that powerful nature is capable of much... A wide variety of inhabitants exist in all corners of the planet, and many of them repel and terrify us. After reading this article, you will find out what the most terrible animals in the world are. We will describe each of them in detail in order to prove that it was no coincidence that they were included in our list. It's called "The most terrible animals in the world: top 10."
Long-horned sabertooth
This predatory fish lives in subtropical and tropical waters of all oceans of the Earth. The weight of an adult is about 120 g, length - 15 cm. The long-horned saber tooth has a terrifying appearance. The color of this fish is jet black. She has a very large head with sculpted ridges. The long-horned sabertooth has many fangs on the lower and upper jaws. Teeth are like nails. When the fish closes its mouth, it hides them in special cavities located in the jaws. The sabertooth has the longest teeth of any other fish known to science. The skin of the long-horned saber-tooth is rough to the touch.
The fry are very different from the adults. Their color is lighter, their body structure is different, and they have pointed spines on their heads. Adults live at approximately a depth of 500 to 700 meters, and fry - 100-200 m. This species, one of the top most terrible animals in the world, feeds on squid, small fish, and crustaceans. The young are food for large predators such as alepisaurs and tunas. Interestingly, the juvenile saber-tooth differs from the adults so much that scientists even named it differently and considered it a different species for 50 years.
Hagfish (or witchfish)
Many of the most terrible animals in the world are inhabitants of the deep sea. The witchfish is one of the most repulsive fish on Earth. It feeds on both small inhabitants of the waters and the dying and dead. In an unusual way it attacks the victim - it makes a hole in the skin of the fish, after which it enters its body and gradually eats all the insides of its victim, of which only the skeleton and skin remain.
This is a jawless fish. The hagfish has a reputation for being the slimiest creature on Earth. On both sides of her body there are pores in a huge number sticky, viscous mucus that predators can choke on. It also plays the role of a lubricant, allowing the hagfish to climb out of the body dead fish, where she climbed in order to feast on it. The witch fish, moreover, is the only one that can sneeze. Thanks to this, she frees her nostril from mucus. The hagfish is also the only vertebrate that can curl up into a knot. This allows the fish to crawl out of its victims and cleanse the body of mucus.
Hagfish live in the Mediterranean Sea and North Atlantic in large groups(in one territory - up to 15 thousand). Very large eggs are laid by females in small quantities. This suggests that hagfish have a very low mortality rate. Baby fish have both female and male reproductive organs. As they grow older, they choose their own gender. It depends on the demographic situation in the group.
The hagfish lives at approximately depths of 100 to 500 meters, mainly off the coast of East Greenland, Iceland, Europe, and North America. You can sometimes find it in the Adriatic Sea.
The size of this fish is small. In length it reaches 35-40 centimeters, although sometimes specimens of 79-80 cm are found. The color can be different. The predominant colors are gray-red and pinkish.
Hagfishes are very tenacious. They tolerate being without water for a long time, and can also starve for a long time and remain alive, even receiving very serious injuries. One case is described when a hagfish continued to swim 5 hours after it was beheaded.
You will agree, after reading this article to the end, that many of the most terrible animals in the world are significantly inferior to the hagfish! Witchfish are edible. However, people generally refuse to eat them. Well, who would agree to eat a half-meter worm...
"Aye-aye", or Madagascar little hand
This is a primate that has a very repulsive appearance for representatives of its species. The little hand is a cross between a rat and a small monkey. It feeds on insects and larvae, obtained from trees with the help of dexterous fingers.
The Madagascar monkey belongs to the order Prosimians. The animal lives in the bamboo thickets of Madagascar. This species was discovered by Pierre Sonner, a naturalist. Based on all the characteristics, scientists attributed the little arm to lemurs. But outwardly, aye-aye doesn’t look at all like monkeys. It is most likely akin to a squirrel or a cat. Yes, and in size this animal resembles domestic cat. The weight of the animal is only 3 kg. In length, including the head, its size reaches only 40 cm. But it has a fluffy tail, reminiscent of a squirrel, which is much longer than the body. Its size is 60 cm!
The animal's teeth resemble those of a rodent. He has 18 of them. Interestingly, only on the outside are they covered with enamel. The hand bites through the skin of a nut or stem with its front teeth. She then selects the pulp with her long finger to feed on. These animals eat fruits, mangoes, coconuts, as well as various larvae and beetles.
The animal is nocturnal. It does not tolerate daylight well, which frightens the little hand. After sunset, these most terrible animals in the world frolic, grunting merrily...
This is of serious concern exotic look in academia. The danger of its extinction has become urgent not only because of deforestation in the habitats of the bat. People's prejudices also threaten the extinction of the aye-aye. There is a legend according to which a person who meets a little hand in the forest will die soon if he does not kill this animal.
Giant squid, or Architeuthis
Architeuthis is a genus deep sea squid, which constitutes an independent family. This is one of the largest invertebrate animals. Many believe that Architeuthis is the most terrible animal in the world. The length of its mantle is about 2.5 meters. In females it is slightly larger than in males. Without taking into account the hunting tentacles, the length of the squid is about 5 meters. Reports of finds of 20-meter squids have not been confirmed by scientific data. Its long tentacles are covered with serrations and suction cups, which allows the squid to attack even very large fish. Architeuthis, like all other squids, has a mantle, as well as 2 hunting tentacles and 8 arms (regular tentacles). Their terrifying appearance suggests that this is the most terrible animal in the world.
Dragon fish or idiot
Idiacanths are deep-sea fish whose body mainly consists of a head and a long body. To this set, females also have monstrous teeth, which prevent the fish from literally closing its mouth. Idiacanths live in the tropics, as well as in temperate zone Indian and Pacific Oceans and Atlantic. Outwardly, this most terrible animal in the world looks like a snake - the same thin and long body, almost invisible fins. It has photophores, like most inhabitants of the depths. Photophores are luminous organs. Their location is different for females and males. In the latter, a developed photophore occupies about a third of the head, and in females, luminous spots are “scattered” throughout the body, and in the teeth there are special planes with a luminous substance. There is also a difference in size between females and males. The male grows to a maximum length of 7 cm, while the female can reach half a meter in length. Having completed manipulations to procreate, he dies. In general, the male gives the impression of an extremely absurd creature: he has no teeth, his intestines are underdeveloped (that’s why he cannot eat). All that is available is a giant photophore that lures the female in the deep-sea darkness. But the latter lives for several years, having managed to bear offspring several times during this time.
The bats
Many people believe that these animals are vampires. This is only partly true. Many of their species are harmless. However, some do drink the blood of large animals. Sharp fangs allow them to bite through the skin. Bats are a suborder of the order Chiroptera, uniting 700 species, which are distributed into 16 families.
They eat mainly insects, although large bats (giant noctule, for example) can feed on frogs, lizards, birds, and some even fish. Species are known that prey on other bats. There are three types of vampires in South America that feed on the blood of vertebrates - mammals and birds. Some are vegetarians: they eat nuts, pollen, nectar, berries, fruits (for example, these are leaf-noses). In an hour of hunting, an insectivorous bat can eat up to two hundred mosquitoes.
Anaconda
While describing the 10 most terrible animals in the world, we did not forget about the anaconda. This giant snake reaches five meters in length. Thanks to its mass, it can kill even very large prey. There are frequent cases of this species attacking people and then strangling them.
The anaconda is the most massive snake in the world. The weight of the largest female reached 97.5 kg, and its length was 5.2 meters. There are reports of larger individuals, the size of which ranges from 9 to 11 meters, but they are unreliable. Anaconda, purely theoretically, can have a length of up to 6.7 m.
Its color is mainly grayish-green. There are two rows of brown spots of oblong or round shape, alternating in a checkerboard pattern. Row yellow spots somewhat smaller in size, they are surrounded by black rings and run along the sides of the body. The anaconda's coloring effectively camouflages the snake as it lurks in calm water, covered in tufts of algae and brown leaves.
Tasmanian devil
This animal has enormous bite force. Tasmanian devil with sharp fangs and strong jaws can crush even large bones. Due to its stocky body, black color, as well as its huge mouth, increased aggressiveness and terrible taste preferences, Europeans called this animal the “devil”. There is something sinister even in his Latin name. Sarcophilus is translated as "lover of flesh." This animal can now be found only on the island of Tasmania, in its western, northern and central parts. Previously, this species also inhabited mainland Australia, but disappeared 400 years before the first Europeans appeared here. However, with the advent of Western people on the island, a struggle began with the Tasmanian devil, in particular due to the fact that this animal ravaged chicken coops. In addition, its meat, which tasted like veal, was liked by local residents. As a result, the animal's population declined sharply. The population was still restored. In June 1941, a law was passed banning the destruction of this species.
Indiscriminate in food and gluttonous marsupial devil. It feeds on almost everything: medium and small animals, insects, birds, snakes, amphibians, edible roots and tubers of plants. His diet also includes carrion, which is almost the main dish. The animal eats any corpses, preferring rotten, already decomposed meat. These are Tasmanian devils, the most terrible animals in the world. A photo of a representative of this species is below.
Star-nosed
Various "World's Scariest Animals: Top 100" lists invariably include the star-nosed fish. What did he do to deserve such a bad reputation? Although this mole is not dangerous to humans, meeting him can be a whole test for the psyche. On the animal’s face there are many skin growths that will terrify and scare away even the most courageous.
The naked nose of the starfish is surrounded by twenty-two (11 on each side) small processes. Their length ranges from 1 to 4 mm. Their shape on the face resembles a star, which is why the animal got its name. The body length of the starfish varies from 17 to 20 cm, and the weight ranges from 35 to 70 grams. Like other moles, this animal has a cylindrical, thick body with clawed and powerful forelimbs. Its fur is black or dark brown on its sides and back, and its belly is light brown. The tail of the animal is quite long, from 6 to 8 cm. In winter, the star-nosed fish stores fat reserves in it, which is why its tail increases 3-4 times in volume.
Human
The most terrible animal in the world is man. And now we will prove it. Man is nature's most scary looking, because, for the most part, they do not care at all about the safety of the rest and brutally destroy representatives of fauna and flora. It is through human labor that the Red Book is filled, which includes not only the most terrible animals on the planet. The human race constantly finds excuses for why it is so ungrateful towards nature. This mammal is insidious - yet many individuals look pleasant and peaceful. This is the most terrible animal in the world, whose name is man.
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