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The 9 Most Terrifying Animals That Are (Mostly) Safe.

As long as you don't catch them off guard, all of these creatures are generally safe to people.

By Fruits And Plants Diary - Get Insight Published about a year ago 4 min read
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Although the animal kingdom is full with ferocious predators and terrifying creepy-crawlies, there are a few frightening-looking animals that don't live up to their reputation as being so terrifying. Due to their enormous size, some of these animals appear frightening, while others have pointed teeth or fangs.

1. Basking Shark

Before you learn it's a basking shark, seeing this shark's wide-open mouth bearing down on you could look like a diving nightmare. Basking sharks are filter feeders, in contrast to other carnivorous shark species. Even if they wanted to, they couldn't eat you since they prefer the flavor of zooplankton.

If you come across a basking shark in the ocean, be careful to take in its stunning appearance because they are a threatened species. However, keep your distance because they are enormous and have very rough skin.

2. Vulture

Because of their menacing appearance, terrifying wing span, and unsuitable habit of only appearing when there is a dead carcass lying nearby, vultures are frequently maligned. But as long as you're still breathing and conscious, they're absolutely safe. They are actually very helpful because without them, there would be dead, decaying bodies laying around.

In the life cycle, vultures play an essential function. Although these scavengers have razor-like talons and sharp beaks, they don't employ these features to kill their prey. Vultures typically eat carrion, though they will occasionally prey on sick or weak animals when food is short.

3. Gharial

With the exception of its long, thin snout, a gharial resembles a crocodile in every way. As a result, people frequently assume that these critically endangered South Asian animals, like their crocodilian cousins, are man-eaters. A huge animal cannot be swallowed by the gharial because of its weak jaws. Gharials are shy and would rather stay away from people entirely. They are better suited for hunting small fish, frogs, and insects.

4. Milk Snake

They strongly resemble the coral snake, an extremely venomous snake, and are well known for their biomimicry. The most significant distinction between the two is that milk snakes are well-liked pets since they are absolutely harmless to humans. But keep in mind this helpful mnemonic: "Red next to black is a friend of Jack; red next to yellow will kill a fellow" before you attempt to handle a colorfully striped snake that you come across in the wild.

5. Manta Ray

These magnificent creatures, which are frequently referred to as "devilfish," are the largest species of ray in the entire world. They have the highest brain-to-body ratio of any shark, ray, or skate. They are filter feeders that consume the smallest of food, like many other enormous fish in the water.

Divers need not worry because manta rays don't hurt like stingrays do. Although they have enormous jaws, they only use them to eat plankton and spit out any fish that might mistakenly enter. The only protection a manta ray has is to swim away as rapidly as it can.

6. Giant Arachnid

These enormous arachnids are sometimes referred to as camel spiders or wind scorpions, although they actually belong to a separate group called Solifugae and are neither spiders or scorpions. They can reach a maximum length of six inches and reach speeds of ten miles per hour when running. Despite urban legends to the contrary, these hunter spiders do not attack people and do not carry poison.

7. Goliath Birdeater

The South American rainforests are home to tarantulas, which are enormous, hairy spiders. The goliath birdeater, one of the biggest spider species in the world, got its name from an etching made on copper in 1705 that showed the spider devouring a hummingbird. Despite the goliath birdeater's intimidating appearance, enormous fangs, and notorious reputation, this spider prefers to consume insects, lizards, and snakes and will only harm humans if provoked.

8. Vampire Bat

In addition to having ghoulish looks, living in dark caverns and hollow trees, and only emerging at night, vampire bats consume primarily blood. However, they frequently choose to eat cattle, goats, and occasionally birds. Instead of sucking their prey's blood, vampire bats puncture their victims' skin with their teeth.

They do it so casually that they occasionally have enough time to consume alcohol while their victim is still asleep for up to 30 minutes. Bats that are vampires can be fairly gentle and even friendly to people. One researcher claimed to have vampire bats that he could call to him when he called their names, according to National Geographic Kids.

9. Aye-aye

This gremlin-looking creature is a primate found in Madagascar. Perhaps due to their odd appearance, these gentle, harmless animals that weigh only four pounds are often killed because of a local superstition that they are harbingers of death.

Aye-ayes have a number of unusual traits, including a long, bony, witch-like middle finger that these peaceful, nocturnal foragers use to pry insects and grubs from tree trunks. The aye-aye is also unafraid of humans and will approach for a closer look.

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