10 Animals So Creepy, They’re Cool
It’s spooky season and we’re celebrating by shining the spotlight on some of our “creepier” animals. While these animals get a bad reputation of being creepy, we’re going to share some awesome facts on why they are really cool!
Phobia Disclaimer: This article contains photos of snakes, spiders, insects, and other creepy-crawlies.
Poison Dart Frogs
Creep Factor: Poison dart frogs secrete toxins from their skin as a defense mechanism.
Why they are cool: It’s believed that Poison dart frogs get their toxicity from the food they eat! Because of this, the Poison dart frogs you see at the Aquarium are not poisonous.
Hagfish
Creep Factor: Hagfish feed on dead creatures that lay on the sea floor.
Why they are cool: These feeding habits are an important ecological service! They clean and recycle dead animals from the sea floor.
Vine Snakes
Creep Factor: Green vine snakes are venomous!
Why they are cool: Though their venom is potent to their prey, it is not fatal to humans only inducing a slight numbness or tingling.
Desert Tarantula
Creep Factor: Desert tarantulas use their large fangs with venom to liquefy their prey.
Why they are cool: While their bite might sting, most tarantulas have another defense, sticky hairs! Their bodies are coated with small hairs that they can release when threatened, causing a mildly irritating itch to humans.
Horseshoe Crab
Creep Factor: Unchanged for millions of years, Horseshoe crabs looks like living fossils with spiky abdomens and tails.
Why they are cool: Horseshoe crabs do not use their long, spiky tail for stinging! It’s used as a rudder, helping them swim and get upright when stuck on their backs
Cave Cockroaches
Creep Factor: There are about 4,600 species of cockroaches and they can be found on every continent except Antarctica.
Why they are cool: Despite the numbers, only about 30 of the cockroach species can become pests. Most live their lives in forests, caves, fields, swamps, grasslands, and even underground!
Giant Isopods
Creep Factor: Sometimes called the Pill bugs of the sea, Giant isopods can be up to 14 inches in length!
Why they are cool: Scientists believe that their large size is an adaptation that helps them survive the extreme pressure on the ocean floor.
Tiger Salamanders
Creep Factor: Tiger salamanders can breathe through their slimy skin.
Why they are cool: Salamander’s skin is very sensitive to man-made pollutants, and their population can serve as a warning of environmental problems.
Green Moray Eel
Creep Factor: Moray eels are formidable hunters, using special adaptations to catch their prey.
Why they are cool: Moray eels have two sets of jaws! The outer jaw grasps the prey and it in place. Then the pharyngeal jaw shoots forward and pulls the prey into the eel’s throat.
Green Anaconda
Creep Factor: The Green anaconda is often referred to as the world’s largest snake, weighing in at over 200 pounds.
Why they are cool: Because of their large size, Green anacondas have been recorded eating large prey such as Capybaras, White-tailed deer, and even Caimans!
Next time you visit the Aquarium, keep an eye out for these spook-tacular animals that are so creepy, they’re cool!
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