While the previous blogs here have focused on the paranormal and strange, I decided for a little change, to look at the weirder creatures we share our planet with. Therefore we shall begin our exclusive tour of Earth's shadowy corners, where the creatures of your wildest nightmares (and those you never even dreamed of) skitter, slither, and lurk. "Nightmare Fuel: Discover the Creepiest Animals Lurking on Earth" isn't just a journey; it's an invitation to peek behind nature's velvet curtain into a world that seems to defy logic and, occasionally, good taste.

Aye-Aye

We’ll start off with perhaps a more well-known creature known as the aye-aye. A peculiar oddity, it is found in Madagascar and belongs to the lemur family making it the largest nocturnal primate. What makes it creepy to most observers are its long skinny fingers and yellow piercing eyes. It feeds on grubs found within tree trunks where it uses its long middle finger to jab and spear the tasty larvae to then feast on.

No one is sure how it got its name, but it is thought the words “aye-aye” translates to “I don’t know” in Malagasy owing to the people not wanting to utter the name.

In all honesty, once you get used to how it looks, it’s a rather sweet and shy little critter that sadly is on the endangered list.

Bigfin Squid

Let’s take deep dive into the ocean, I mean really deep. Located in the deepest part of the ocean known as the hadal zone, these very weird and rather ethereal creatures come in at a whopping 4 to 8 metres long. The tentacles sit perpendicular to the body making them appear to have joints like knees or elbows.

They are so-called owing to their large fins on their bodies. Because they live in such a remote and deep part of the ocean, little is known about them, including their eating habits.

*Source: /http://www.tolweb.org/Magnapinna*

Japanese Spider Crab

Staying within the vicinity of the ocean, another creature with long spindly legs that can be nightmare fuel for most, is the Japanese spider crab. This long-legged crustacean would make even the leggiest catwalk model jealous. The pins on this crab come in at an impressive 3.7 metres long. It is the biggest crab currently known to science.

The image below is of a specimen from the American Museum of Natural History. An impressive species!

Sarcastic Fringehead

This small fish species is so-called owing to its withering put downs and snarky remarks. I’m joking, obviously. Apparently it’s called this due to its large mouth and aggressive behaviour (so perhaps not too removed from the first comment). They are usually found off the coast of North America in the Pacific Ocean. They can be found in manmade junk such as cans, plastic tubes, and bottles. Otherwise they will use small crevices and empty shells where the female will lay her eggs and the male will then guard them with his aggressive mockery and sharp wit.

Amazonian Giant Centipede

If you don’t like bugs, then I suggest skipping this next one. These monstrous beasties come in at 12 inches and predate small animals such as mice, small birds, snakes, and even bats. Their bite is poisonous and in 2014, a 4-year old child in Venezuela died from being bitten by one of these where it had taken cover inside an open can of soda.

Like most larger invertebrates it is typically found in tropical and sub-tropical areas where it find sanctuary in dark, moist places like leaf litter or underneath rocks. So, next time you go travelling to one of these countries, perhaps check your shoes before you put them on.

Source: *Image credit: pwmoonlight via* *iNaturalist*, *CC BY-NC 4.0*

Lamprey

Lampreys, a type of jawless fish, have a long and fascinating evolutionary history dating back hundreds of millions of years. These eel-like creatures are known for their distinctive appearance, characterized by their circular, jawless mouths filled with sharp teeth. Evidence suggests they are more related to hagfish than jawed fish. Lampreys are infamous for their parasitic feeding habits, attaching themselves to other fish with their suction cup mouths to feed on blood and body fluids. Yikes.

While some lamprey species are parasitic, not all lampreys exhibit this behavior, as some are non-parasitic and feed on organic debris. Lampreys play an essential role in various ecosystems, serving as both predators and prey. Despite their somewhat intimidating nature, lampreys are intriguing little creatures that contribute to the diversity and balance of aquatic environments.

So there you have just some of the weirder creatures to be found on Earth. There are so many more. Let’s just hope they stick around for as long as possible. Without these strange and unusual creatures, the planet would be a blander place.

Nightmare Fuel: Discover the Creepiest Animals Lurking on Earth