trumpman

7 лет назад

Halloween Special: A Real-Life Monster Compilation

Well, the guys from @steemiteducation asked us to write an educational post to celebrate Halloween and since I like writing about animals I thought it would be fitting to share with you some really creepy but real animals that I think fit the whole Halloween theme.

I know this post comes a bit late, but late is better than never!

So, go get yourself a second pair of pants and keep on reading!

1. BigFin Squid

When I think of scary creatures the Bigfin squid is always the first to come in mind. If the above photo doesn't look scary enough for you, it's because I have seriously cropped it, otherwise the thumbnail of the post would look like crap. Here's the full body shot:

(credit for both photos: Shell Oil)

The thing about bigfins squids is that we barely know anything about them as we have yet to catch a live or dead adult specimen. We only about their existence from videos taken submersible remotely operated vehicles!

In case you wonder, adults grow to be at least 8 meters long. Feel free to check this post I wrote two months ago if you want to learn more about these elusive creatures!

Here's a video showing this hellish creature. Hope it gives you nightmares for many nights to come:

2. The King of Herrings

US Navy Seals display a 23-foot (7 m) giant oarfish (public domain)

Another deep sea monster! The king of herrings (Regalecus glesne), holds the record for the world's longest bony fish, reaching a maximum verified length of at least 11 m (36 ft)!

Again, this is a very elusive creature with only a handful of verified sightings. Consider yourself extremely lucky if you ever happen to see one, and make sure to take your camera out if you want some easy youtube money.

Continuing my blatant self-advertisting, feel free to check this old post of mine, if you want to learn more about it. And here's a cool video featuring some ultra-rare footage of the animal:

Regalecus glesne found in Los Cabos, Baja California Sur, Mexico (credit)

3. Tiny Monsters From Hell

The deep blue is just one place to find scary ass animals. Your bedroom is another, although you would need an electron microscope to actually see them:

(credit)

The creature above, that looks almost the same as the head crabs from half life, is a house dust mite. If the image above gives you the creepers then I shouldn't tell you that there are hundreds, possibly thousands on your bed (and other places in your house) feeding everyday from the dead skin you shed!

And here's another scary tiny creature straight out from hell:

(credit)

Well chances are you won't find the creature depicted above anywhere in your house regardless of how hard you try. This because it's a hydrothermal worm.

Want to see more tiny hellish creatures? Don't miss this awesome post by @trumpman :D

4. Gasteracantha Spiders

Now, this wouldn't be a Halloween special without a scary looking spider, would it? What do you think about this one? Is it scary enough for you?

(credit)

How about this one?

(credit)

Both these spiders belong to the same genus called Gasteracantha. The first one is from the species Gasteracantha arcuata and the second from the species Gasteracantha curvispina.

Gasteracantha spiders (hmm.. I wonder where that link leads to!), are commonly known as spiny-backed orb-weavers, due to the prominent spines on their abdomen. All species are quite small, usually less than 3 cm long.

Personally, I find them cute in a weird way. You shouldn't actually be scared of them, they don't bite or sting, although the spines are sharp enough to puncture you so be careful if you ever see one!

Here's a video from another species, Gasteracantha cancriformis, I just love the way it walks, it's like a tiny spider robot or something:

6. Griffin's Leaf-Nosed Bat

When you think of Halloween, bats are definitely of the first things to come in mind. So here's the one I find to be the scariest and ugliest one out there:

(credit: Vu Dinh Thong)

The Griffin's leaf-nosed bat (Hipposideros griffini) is a newly discovered species of roundleaf bat that was discovered in 2008 and scientifically described in 2012. Since this ugly critter can only be found in Vietnam chances are that you will never encounter it!

Despite its frightening appearance, this is actually one of the calmest species found in the area!

7. Amblypygi

The last scary creature I want to share today is the "Amblypygi", which is definitely one of the scariest critters I have seen in a while:

(credit)

Despite their looks, they can't harm humans much as they have no venomous sting. They rarely bite but they can grab fingers with their pedipalps, resulting in thorn-like puncture injuries.

As of today, there are about 5 families, 17 genera and around 155 species that have been discovered and described. These critters are found in tropical and subtropical regions worldwide, mainly in warm and humid environments. Depending on the species, their size varies from 5 to 70 cm in legspan.

The End

So that's with today's post! Do you know of any other scary looking creatures? Please do share them in the comments down below :D

More Strange Animals

If you enjoyed reading about this strange creature make sure to check some of my latest posts. I am sure you will love them: