Terrible animals. The most terrible animals in the world: names, photos and descriptions
We often hear that now more and more more types animals are becoming extinct or are on the verge of extinction, and their complete disappearance- it's only a matter of time. Hunting, destruction natural environments habitats, climate change and other factors have led to the fact that the rate of loss of animal species is 1000 times greater than the rate of 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 that it hunted solids sea creatures, including trilobites. They had unique eyes with 30,000 lenses - it is believed that these were one 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 the prehistoric ancestor of modern spiders, but 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 the territory of Northern and South America during the Pleistocene era (2.5 million - 10,000 years ago). This best example 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. Say what it is strange creature- consider it 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 largest species in South America during the Cenozoic period, approximately 60 million years ago. The largest flightless predatory bird that ever roamed 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 the mass extinction of the 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.
The number of different animals on our planet is large and each species has its own specific characteristics. There are incredibly large and powerful animals, and there are small and fragile ones. Along with this, there are very cute ones that make you want to touch and stroke them, and there are those who are rejected by their mere appearance, they are so terrible. We have compiled a list of top 10 most terrible animals in the world living both on land and underwater.
10. Madagascar crayfish
A very rare creature, listed in the Red Book, which is also called aye-aye. Based on the name, it becomes clear that the little arm lives on the island of Madagascar. It cannot be found outside its boundaries; it feeds on insects, picking them out of the ground and tree bark thanks to its powerful claws. She has huge, wide-set eyes, sparse hair on her head and completely hairless ears, which altogether makes it impossible to confuse her with any other creature.
9. Drop fish
Among the top 10 most terrible animals, one cannot do without the blob fish, the appearance of which leaves nothing to be desired. It lives exclusively off the coast of Australia, as well as Tasmania, located at a depth of 500 to 1000 meters. It differs from other fish in the anatomy of its body; it does not have a swim bladder, but it has a fat-like, slimy coating. Often she does not move, but remains in one place, waiting for the prey to come closer to her.
8. Long-horned sabertooth
Although the creature reaches a length of no more than 15 centimeters, this is enough for it to terrify itself. He has an extremely disproportionate body - a very small tail and body, and too big head, as well as a lot of sharp fangs, which are scary.
7. Satanic leaf-tailed gecko
Another permanent resident of Madagascar, who has the ability to change his color, adapting to his environment. The gecko is only awake at night, spending its time hunting. It feeds only on insects, which it tracks using its eyelidless eyes.
6. Matamata giant tortoise
One representative of the turtle world was also included in the list of the top 10 most terrible animals in the world. Matamata has a very long neck, which is completely covered with some growths, as well as a head that resembles a triangle in shape. The creature is found quite often, feeds on fish and lives most often in reservoirs with well-heated water.
5. Goblin Shark
Individuals of this shark species can reach up to 4 meters in length. Apart from their far from attractive appearance, they are distinguished from the rest of their relatives by their love of depth. They live and hunt below two hundred meters under water, and although they have two rows of dangerous long teeth, they are not a threat to humans, because they never swim to the shore.
4. Monkfish
An underwater giant, from which various exclusive dishes are prepared in France. It is found most often in the waters of the Atlantic Ocean. It can reach a length of up to 2 meters, the depth of residence ranges from 18 to 600 meters. The monkfish, as a rule, lies on the bottom and waits for the fish to swim above it, after which it makes a jerk and swallows it along with the water.
3. Sea lamprey
2. Zvezdnos
Thanks to its unique olfactory organ, the star-nosed bat also made it onto the list. special kind moles that have disgusting-looking growths on their faces. With their help, the animal finds food for itself, and then determines whether it is suitable to be eaten or not.
1. Naked mole rat
Place at the top of the list of the most repulsive appearance creatures deservedly gets the naked mole rat. This is a rodent whose body is devoid of any vegetation. It is completely bald and has pink color skin with an unpleasant yellowish tint. It lives underground and has long, strong front teeth, with which it successfully chews even the strongest, hardened soil.
The Top 10 with the most terrible animals in the world opens with an animal called aye-aye. It's about about the Madagascan hand-foot, which is easily distinguished by big eyes, and, attention, a very long middle finger. Using a large limb, the animal taps different trees to find out if there are larvae there. We considered the animal the most disgusting animal among primates. However, in this competition of unattractiveness he is clearly the favorite, because there are no others like him left in the family of hand-footed animals.
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Continuing the conversation about scary animals, one cannot ignore the real horror of trypophobia. We are talking about a frog called the Suriname pipa. For about two and a half months, this toad carries its offspring. Do you know how the child lives? In a cluster of holes located on the back of a vile frog. However, the rest of the body does not look so unsightly. However, even one photo will be enough to prevent you from wanting to see this miracle of nature in person.
For a long time, many experts believed that representatives of the slittooths were extinct. In (relatively) recent times, almiqi have been discovered. We are talking about terrible beasts, which resemble in their appearance something between a rat and a shrew. Fortunately, you can only meet disgusting animals in Cuba. There are rumors that some members of the family have already managed to reach Haiti. It is worth adding that the animal’s behavior is completely consistent with its behavior. Extremely poisonous, dangerous and aggressive.
Another name is starfish. There are many species of moles, but the star-nosed mole is different from any of them. Have you seen the movie "Resident Evil"? So, the appearance of this beast is quite reminiscent of the zombie from the film. I would not like to see this terrible creation of nature in reality. But it is quite likely, because starfish are rapidly spreading throughout the world. There are 22 movable tentacles on their face. With their help, the unpleasant animal catches larvae and hunts worms.
Do you think turtles are cuddly animals? Not always! A clear confirmation of the words is the fringed turtle, also called matamata. It is distinguished by the presence of sharp growths that cover almost the entire neck of the animal. Growths can also be seen on the head. Their task is to protect the animal, that is, the growths act as natural camouflage. Unlike most representatives of this genus, the matamata sucks food rather than swallowing it.
A very scary animal that lives on our amazing planet! Many people know the monstrously scary animal as the angler fish. Always hungry, disgusting and dangerous creature poses a danger to deep sea inhabitants of our planet. Disgusting angler quickly destroys targets due to the presence fast-acting poison. However, angler fish are not dangerous for people, except perhaps for their psycho-emotional state.
For a long time, zoologists could not understand what role the proboscis monkey plays in the food chain, the key organ from whose name reaches monstrous sizes. As a result, it was concluded that the size of the male nose plays a role in the attractiveness of male monkeys. But this spreads exclusively among monkeys of this species. The rest of the terrible animal is unlikely to be affected in the same way. People will certainly be frightened by such an animal.
By far the most disgusting insect is the gadfly larva. Not a gadfly, but its larva. As a rule, it reaches a size of 2 centimeters. Adults only touch animals, but their larvae are able to gnaw their way through human blood. Thus, they enter the bloodstream, where they gain access to the nutrient medium. They can live inside until they grow and cause terrible damage to the health of the body.
The fauna of the planet is extremely rich and is divided into 5 kingdoms: protozoa, bacteria, fungi, animals and plants. Each kingdom, in turn, is divided into types, and types into classes. Currently, there are about 2 million different representatives of the fauna. Among them there are predators and herbivores, living on land and in water, large and small, rare and ubiquitous, fast and very slow. There are also examples that horror movie directors would be happy to invite to shoot. Today we will introduce you to the ugliest inhabitants of the planet. So, meet: the most terrible animals in the world.
Photo source: lemur.duke.eduThis rare representative order of prosimians and a suborder of lemurs, found only in Madagascar, is rather funny in its ugliness. The tiny animal received its unusual name (ay-ay) thanks to the sounds it makes when it senses danger. The overseas miracle lives in bamboo forests, in trees, rarely descending to the ground. The length of the body of the aye-aye, covered with black-brown hair, is up to 42 cm, weight is about 3 kg. Strange lemurs have thin limbs with long fingers, sharp claws, a bushy tail and big head with round eyes and bald ears. Little arms are long-lived animals, their life expectancy is 24-26 years. However, rare individuals survive to this venerable age. In its homeland, aye-aye is considered a harbinger of death and is mercilessly exterminated by the local population. Today this animal is on the verge of extinction.
Photo source: sharemylesson.com So unusual name This creature, belonging to the mole family, received for its sense of touch - 22 pink tentacle growths made of skin, which are located on its muzzle and resemble a star. The unusual animal lives in the eastern part of North America, in wet forests, meadows and marshy areas. Animals don't fall into hibernation, they are able to dive underwater and dig tunnel holes up to 270 m long. The mole has a small body, the length of which is 12-15 cm, and the weight is 80 grams. The tail, which has the property of increasing in diameter - no more than 8 mm, is used by the star-nosed fish as a store of fat. Oddly enough, these animals can safely be called the most fast predators. In just a second, the sensitive star appendage can detect up to 5 hunting objects. It takes the tiny voracious mole only a quarter of a second to eat its prey.
Photo source: meetup.com Strange nosed monkeys belong to the order of marmosets and inhabit rainforests Borneo Islands (Kalimantan). The huge fleshy nose gives the animal a comical and ugly appearance. In males it is much larger than in females. Males use this olfactory organ in the fight for the attention of their ladies. In addition, the prominent nose of the stronger sex becomes filled with blood and increases in size when the monkey is irritated or wants to scare the enemy.
Proboscis animals are quite large animals, their body length reaches 150 cm (including the tail), and their weight is 24 kg. These representatives of the marmoset order settle in small groups near river banks. Amazing creatures are excellent swimmers, able to overcome more than 20 m underwater. Interestingly, the island’s aborigines often call these monkeys “Dutch,” since the colonizers of Borneo have the same large noses and large bellies.
Photo source: e360.yale.edu This bird, belonging to the order of vultures of the New World, is a relict species, whose age is more than one million years. Since the Pleistocene era, these huge birds have inhabited the entire territory of North America. Currently, the California condor is an endangered representative of the fauna world; it is no longer found in nature. In 1987, the last 22 birds were captured and sent to the Los Angeles and San Diego Zoos for breeding.
The California condor is a real giant. The length of its body, covered with black feathers, is 125 cm, and its huge wingspan is 3 meters. In flight, the condor is capable of reaching speeds of up to 90 km/h, using air currents to save energy. Depending on the bird’s mood, the skin of its bald head can change color from bright pink to yellow.
Photo source: ocean.si.edu These marine mammals belong to the seal family and are its largest representatives, reaching a length of 5 meters. The weight of an adult male is 2.5 tons! The weight of the skin alone is about 120 kg, and the fat layer is 665 kg. Females are three times smaller and lighter than males. Distinctive feature males have a large fleshy outgrowth in the upper part of the muzzle, which can grow up to 28 cm. This peculiar “trunk” is a resonator of reproduced sounds and attracts females during the rutting period.
In nature, there are 2 species of elephant seals, one of which lives in the Northern Hemisphere globe(the coast of Mexico and California), and the second - in the South (Antarctica). Animals migrate over vast distances - up to 5 thousand kilometers.
Photo source: kids.nationalgeographic.com The next participant in the “Most Scariest Animals” rating is the goblin shark. The only representative of the genus Scapanorhynchus lives in the ocean at a depth of about 1,000 m. This shark is also called a goblin for its terrifying appearance, beak-shaped long nose and protruding jaws. The ugly creature reaches a length of 3.7 meters and weighs about 210 kg. The skin of Scapanorhynchus is almost transparent, and capillaries and blood vessels are visible through it, which gives the fish an unusual pink color. The shark does not have a swim bladder; its functions are performed by the liver, the size of which makes up 25% of the total body weight.
The biology of this sea predator very little has been studied. The first specimen was discovered in 1897 off the Japanese coast. Since then, only 45 specimens have been examined.
Photo source: sciencewows.ie The amphibian got its name for its unusual purple smooth skin. This strange creature with a large, squat and almost round body about 8 cm long, short legs turned outward and a tiny head with a pointed nose reminiscent of a pig's snout, was discovered quite recently - in 2003. Nevertheless, its ancestors inhabited the planet 180 million years ago! The purple frog lives only in Western India on an area of 14 km2. The amphibian spends its entire life in burrows underground at a depth of 1.2-3.5 m, coming to the surface only during the monsoons - for 2 weeks, when it is time to mate. The bizarre frog is listed in the Red Book, and it is also included in the official twenty “Ugliest Animals on the Planet”.
Photo source: pixelbirds.co.uk Unlike others bat belongs to the order Chiroptera. Like all members of the family, the horseshoe bat is small in size (5-7 cm). The span of the wide rounded wings is 33-42 cm. The hind limbs have extremely sharp claws, with the help of which the animal excellently moves along ceilings upside down. These mammals cannot walk on a horizontal surface. They feed on insects (flies, grasshoppers, butterflies, mosquitoes) and their larvae.
Horseshoe bats differ from other relatives not only in their amazing appearance. As you know, bats are capable of echolocation by generating ultrasound and receiving the reflected echo. These animals can perceive sounds with a frequency of up to 100 thousand hertz. However, the method of creating and amplifying sounds among members of the family is different. Thus, the horseshoe bat emits pulses that have a constant frequency. To do this, the animal uses its nostrils, surrounded by cartilaginous growths shaped like a horseshoe.
Photo source: chababs.com Real nightmare for those who are afraid of mice and rats. The sight of this creature, which is at the top of the tops “The most terrible animals in the world,” causes only disgust: a hairless body about 10 cm long, covered with folded skin, a pin-shaped head and huge, protruding incisors. This miracle of nature lives in East Africa, forming colonies underground.
The naked mole rat has several unique qualities. Firstly, the mammal has cold blood. It is able to adjust body temperature to the temperature environment. Secondly, small underground dweller He feels absolutely no pain and is able to live without oxygen. But the most important thing is that diggers live up to 30 years without aging! Their body has a double defense mechanism, which controls cell growth. Hairless babies are even resistant to cancer! Scientists around the world are researching this incredible property, since the same genes are involved in the human body as in the naked mole rat.
Photo source: pinterest.co.uk Nature clearly wanted to joke when she created this ugliest creature in the world. Amazing structure body makes the drop fish unlike any of the inhabitants of the sea. The disgusting creature is found in the ocean waters of Australia and Tasmania, at depths of up to 1,200 m. The body of this fish, which is 70 cm long and weighs 10 kg, has no scales, and the tail and fins are very small. The body, which does not have muscles and a swim bladder, resembles a gelatinous mass, since the fish’s body produces a gel-jelly. This amazing creature simply floats with the flow or lies on the bottom, waiting for food to swim into its open mouth.
Inimitable inhabitant ocean depths dubbed the saddest fish on the planet. This was facilitated by round eyes, downturned corners of the mouth and a big nose, very similar to human. And it is not surprising that the blob fish has long been at the top of the world’s “most terrible animals” ratings.
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