If this isn’t a creepy animal, then we may as well close shop. The Tongue-eating Parasite is an absolutely repulsive crustacean that truly lives up to its name. It enters through a fish’s gills, then latches onto the host’s tongue. Once fully secure, the parasite gorges on the blood supply. In due time the tongue shrinks to nothing and the parasite literally replaces it, carrying on as a functioning ‘tongue’. The gluttony continues – with its prime location in the mouth, the parasite continues to consume whatever comes its way, like blood, mucus, foodstuffs. Mmmmm.
What is the object in the photo above? Select the correct answer: A) Worm B) Plastic Toy C) Reptile D) Alien
The correct answer is C. Congratulations to all you connoisseurs of creepy! The Ajolote Lizard aka the Mexican Mole Lizard lives mainly underground eating worms and other insects. This reptile can be found only in the Baja California peninsula in Mexico – if you happen to go there on vacation, get to the wild and start overturning rocks and digging lightly around the mesquite.
When you see a long, flesh-colored creature with 2 minuscule arms and a set of pinholes for eyes, you’ll know what it is:
We never thought the words creepy and vegetarian could ever be used in the same sentence in a contextually sound way. But really, this Vegetarian Spider (the only vegetarian spider) is very seriously creepy. The Vegetarian Spider is a species of jumping spider that favors the buds of acacia plants, among other green items in tropical southeastern Mexico and Costa Rica where it lives.
"I spy with my many eyes...vegetables!" - the spider above
Imagine: Wolverine-style claws implanted on your XXL paddle-shaped hands, beady eyes buried deep in your matted fur, and…22 fleshy pink tentacles surrounding your nostrils. Sounds creepy? Very. Just a day in the life of the Star-nosed Mole.
The Pink Fairy Armadillo is one part warm fuzzy, one part cold prickly. The plates of armor-like skin protect this lilliputian armadillo species (~4 inches) against abrasion whilst digging underground, where it spends nearly all of its time. The supremely creepy animal is currently endangered in central Argentina, where it is found.
Slimy things aren’t supposed to be this big. And yet here is the Chinese Giant Salamander, which can reach almost 6 feet in length. If Creepy Animals had a rating system, this would probably hover at 90%.
There is also a Japanese Giant Salamander. Though it is smaller than the Chinese version, it is still an absurdly large amphibian. Watch this snippet:
In Greek mythology, the chimaera (or chimera) was a fire-breathing monster composed of various animals: a lioness, a snake and a goat. In reality, the chimaera is a deep-sea monster composed of various substances: cartilage, slimy skin and utter creepitude. The Long-nosed Chimaera is the strangest looking one. In fact, we can’t look at this image and not think horrible thoughts.
The long nose contains many sensory nerve endings used to detect small fish in black waters and the spine on its dorsal fin carries venom for defense.
And to make sure you don’t sleep tonight, here is another chimaera named the Elephant Shark – yet another hideous cartilaginous fish with a face that will give you nightmares.
In spite of being just 2mm in length, a super long neck and even longer jaws make this arthopod very creepy. This spider species was discovered in Madagascar in 2006 – while it is one of a family of known Assassin Spiders (those that kill and eat other spiders), it is the only one with dare we say…comically distorted proportions.
How it works:
1. The Assassin Spider uses its elongated jaws to capture prey.
2. Venom in the fangs at the end of the jaw effectively kill the prey.
Say hello to my little friend.
And this is why they live underground.
