5 Terrifying-Yet-Awesome Creatures on Earth

Ciao lovelies! Today’s post is highlighting some of the most terrifying yet awesome creatures on Planet Earth! From plants to fish to insects, these creatures are both nightmare inducing and intriguing!

Plenty of nightmares can come from this list in general, but for those with phobias of- insects, leeches, fish, giant flowers, or carnivorous plants, this is a small trigger warning for you. Maybe skip this one.

That warning being put out there, let’s get into the list!

 #1- Corpseflower (Amorphophallus titanum)

from National Geographic

This giant flower dwells within the rainforests in western Sumatra. Not only is it famous for it’s monstrous size (it can be up to ten feet tall!), but it is also well-known for a much more sinister reason- it smells like rotting flesh! Coincidentally, this is where it gets it’s common name, “corpseflower.” I don’t know about you, but the idea of a massive plant that smells like rotting corpses gives me the shivers. Imagine, someone could hide a body in there and nobody would know. Ugh!

Source

#2- Anglerfish (Lophius piscatorius)

From National Geographic

This sea monster lurks at the bottom of the ocean, where no light reaches. While they are relatively tiny (barely bigger than a teacup), they possess a mouth full of sharp, needlelike teeth. But the strangest part is for sure the way they lure their prey. Female anglerfish use that glowing spike that pokes out of their head to lure prey right into their mouths! And have I mentioned how they mate? The male is nothing more than a pair of testes that attaches to the female, dies, and becomes part of her. Talk about together forever. Remind me to never court an anglerfish. (Not that I would anyway, look at those TEETH!)

Source

#3- Terrestrial Leeches (Phytobdella catenifera)

from Wonders of the Monsoon

If A Series of Unfortunate Events didn’t make you scared of leeches, this certainly will. There are some species of leeches that live on land, not in the water. The worst part? They can sense carbon dioxide put off by prey. If you sit on the ground in areas where they are, you can see them start to move towards you. These leeches are terrifying, and can swallow an entire earthworm whole, crushing it with it’s throat muscles. If that doesn’t make you shiver even a little bit, I don’t know what will.

(Source- My Biology Class in college)

#4- Venus Flytrap (Dionaea muscipula)

from National Geographic

Imagine this. You’re a fly, buzzing around getting nectar for lunch. You see a yummy looking plant, and land on it. BAM! It closes on you and begins to digest you. It may sound like science fiction, but this is a real plant on planet Earth! Venus Flytraps secrete nectar, but have neat little contraptions called “trigger hairs” all over them; when a fly or other insect lands for a nice nectar meal, the trigger hairs alert the plant and it snaps shut, and begins digesting it’s prey. Sometimes alive, sometimes dead. Not to mention those lethal looking “spikes” on it. It looks like a hungry mouth full of sharp teeth!

Source

#5- White Witch Moth (Thysania agrippina)

From Project Noah

Not only does this moth have the largest wingspan of any insect in the world, but it also “comes from the Family Noctuidae, the same family as the Black Witch.” (Source ) With all that witchcraft in one animal family, one could almost believe that these creatures are reincarnated witches, come to seek revenge on the people who killed them. Or something terrifying like that.

Have you got the shivers yet? Going to have nightmares? I know I am!

Thanks for reading this list! I had a lot of fun researching these creatures!

See you in tomorrow’s post! It’s an opinion piece!