Ten Scariest Animals And Plants: Dawson's Bee, Angler Fish, Vampire Squid And More Of The Most Frightening Species (PHOTOS)

From BBC Earth's Arj Singh:

Monsters, ghosts and ghouls will all be upon us come the witching hour on Halloween.

But sometimes spooky, scary and gruesome beasts can be found more readily in nature.

We've pulled together a collection of some of the most spine-tingling flora and fauna for your macabre 'enjoyment.'

If you find all this a bit too much you can find plenty of other exclusive nature stories, images and photos on our Facebook page or the Life Is website.

Thorny Devil

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It was Shakespeare who said that the devil has the power to assume a pleasing shape, presumably to tempt humankind. But if the devil does exist, he might look something a little like this. Covered in spikes, the Thorny Devil even has a “false head” on the back of its neck, which it shows to predators by dipping its neck. The intimidating spikes protect against predators but also collect drinking water from any part of the body. And if the devil can hide itself, as Shakespeare said, the Thorny Devil is similar. Its skin changes from pale colours when warm to darker colours when cold.

Thorny Devil

It was Shakespeare who said that the devil has the power to assume a pleasing shape, presumably to tempt humankind.
But if the devil does exist, he might look something a little like this. Covered in spikes, the Thorny Devil even has a “false head” on the back of its neck, which it shows to predators by dipping its neck.
The intimidating spikes protect against predators but also collect drinking water from any part of the body.
And if the devil can hide itself, as Shakespeare said, the Thorny Devil is similar. Its skin changes from pale colours when warm to darker colours when cold.

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Thorny Devil

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Comments

[TidalShadow]

03:07 PM on 11/02/2010

Manta rays are cool. They don't harm people, and their swimming is not unsettling at all. They especially like scuba divers, because they eat plankton and can hunt by the divers' lights. Not particularly creepy if you ask me.

[sigh-ence]

02:11 PM on 11/01/2010

Those Caecilians....Oh ugh....
*shudders*

[MysticInd]

10:48 PM on 10/31/2010

Pretty spooky critters; here on Earth. Happy Halloween everyone.

[Chauntecleer]

09:38 AM on 10/31/2010

Here is the Tongue Louse : http://todayonthenet.files.wordpress.com/2009/09/tongue-louse.jpg?w=400&h=470

It gets into a fish's mouth, devours the tongue of the fish and replaces it with itself.

[SirenForSanity]

12:51 PM on 10/31/2010

aye yi yiiiiii...made me queasy

[nybirdcalls]

02:48 PM on 10/31/2010

Hello, Siren. Hope you are well. No news yet, will keep ((you)) posted.

[krayonc]

02:57 PM on 10/31/2010

wth? Never heard of THAT before.

[carnitine]

05:35 AM on 10/31/2010

Scariest is humans.

[gparks]

03:38 AM on 10/31/2010

Why does this site use an app that is so erratic?

I want to READ the captions AND look at the pic.

Can I view these WITHOUT the "fancy" interface?

[oscarf]

07:57 AM on 10/31/2010

Ha! I was thinking the same. I can't even get to the captions except the first one. The good news is that I'm closing down the browser and getting to work! :)

[gparks]

09:55 PM on 10/31/2010

;>)

[krayonc]

02:59 PM on 10/31/2010

I hear ya...driving me nuts too.

[gparks]

09:55 PM on 10/31/2010

;>)

[rbryanh]

03:27 AM on 10/31/2010

Scariest? Really?

Not a single banker, CEO, politician, or fellow of the Cato Institute among them...

[czs5056]

01:34 AM on 10/31/2010

i really don't like this kind of sideshow

[techjockey]

01:07 AM on 10/31/2010

I'll tell you all scary....
The big hairy tarantula that was all cozy in my tennis shoe a couple days ago in Costa Rica.
Hello!

[sadie and boo]

08:49 PM on 10/30/2010

Who wrote the captions? "Elegant but unsettling swimming"? That's what my swim teacher wrote on my report card.

My personal favorite: "for centuries squid scared sailors, authors and many more." Many more what? Sailors and authors are so skittish.

And regarding the Greater Bulldog Bat: "With a wingspan of over three feet, sharp claws and sonar so precise that they can detect the tiniest fish’s fin poking out of the water, these bats are truly fearsome animals." Because they eat fish? That would make Seagulls "truly fearsome animals!"

But maybe sailors and authors are freaked out by seagulls, I don't know.

[MNinWI]

12:50 PM on 10/31/2010

At least you could read the captions which was more than I could.

[sadie and boo]

12:24 AM on 11/02/2010

I know, it was a stupid slideshow. Even once I worked out how to access the captions it was not user friendly.

[Metamofoosis]

06:49 PM on 10/30/2010

I don't blame that salamander for being blind... it leaves in texas.

Go Giants!

[tobynsaunders]

06:46 PM on 10/30/2010

I think we can all agree that venus fly traps aren't scary. Humans are easily the scariest animals! No other species does such horrible thing! War, genocide, slavery, rape, murder, bullying, torture, negligence, global warming, religion, the HuffPost celebrity page, stealing, lying, cheating... SCARY

[powerhuff]

06:10 PM on 10/30/2010

ooh

[mjeffn]

04:29 PM on 10/30/2010

I've scarier unrestrained animals at a local teabagger party.

[drbslurp]

04:49 PM on 10/30/2010

You take a mirror to those?

[mjeffn]

05:15 PM on 10/30/2010

missed my point but I should have written rally instead of party

[Rooster Coburn]

03:56 PM on 10/30/2010

George Soros.

[mjeffn]

04:29 PM on 10/30/2010

Soros - drink

[azxff]

04:48 PM on 10/30/2010

*clinks glass* :-)