Yes, these are real.

[JDSart]

[8smoku8]

Japanese giant salamanders are definitely one of the most bizarre creatures:





0:58
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_d_TENp5qCE

[JeffX99]

OK...now I have a top 11 creatures list.

[blogmatix]

Rain frog. You mess with it, you get sealed in carbonite:

[snacks ex machina]

Surinam toads, why do you exist?

EDIT: I would upload actual images, but I there's no way I'm leaving pictures of that thing in my photobucket. Enjoy the google images link instead.

[blogmatix]

http://youtu.be/mZ7b4spjXhw

Surinam toads, why do you exist?

EDIT: I would upload actual images, but I there's no way I'm leaving pictures of that thing in my photobucket. Enjoy the google images

Aliens R Us, huh?

And while we're on the subject of body horror, take a look at this:



The caterpillar has been parasitised by braconid wasps: they lay their eggs on the victim, then the larvae eat it alive from the inside, and eventually burrow their way out again to pupate on its skin.

And you thought chest bursters only existed in the Alien movies... :-)

[TinyBird]

Well, if we're going to the creepy-cool territory now, have a look at this:

A SQUID WITH ELBOWS!
It doesn't look so creepy in that photo, but I swear when you see the actual video of it... Imagine this thing hovering outside your window at night:


And here's some zombie creating mushrooms:


And for some levity, here's an endangered but really cute Kakapo parrot shagging a man's head:

Aaaand a fuzzy mutant mop budgie!

[blogmatix]

You ain't seen nothin' yet!



Some pretty cool fake photos of all manner of paranormal critters:

http://paranormal.about.com/od/ghost...ontest-Slide-/

[Velocity Kendall]

Sessile land animals of the Malaysian Hajnal river delta
"Sessile animals are common in he sea, clinging to rocks for example barnacles and anamones and fanworms.
These are the only sessile animals ever discovered on land. Since their discovery in 2009 the area covered by these creatures has grown by 20,000 hectares per year and continues to spread."

[snacks ex machina]

Aliens R Us, huh?

And while we're on the subject of body horror, take a look at this:

The caterpillar has been parasitised by braconid wasps: they lay their eggs on the victim, then the larvae eat it alive from the inside, and eventually burrow their way out again to pupate on its skin.

And you thought chest bursters only existed in the Alien movies... :-)

Urrrrgh, yeah. Those guys. >.>

I figured how to post youtube videos, so in honor of the occasion, here's a time elapse and dissection of that nonsense happening.

[Arshes Nei]

*hairless cat photo*

Raise you a hairless hamster.


http://images.sodahead.com/polls/001..._2_xlarge.jpeg

and one hairless rat

http://petratcare.org/wp-content/upl...irless-rat.jpg

[JDSart]

Boom! Bald Bear

Though is a rare condition, not a trait of a breed that makes the bears look like a guy in a cheap werewolf suit.

[Featheredface]

Haha, bats. I love 'em. :3

Though, my admiration of bats got me in trouble last year. I did one of the most stupid things possible. I went to my attic looking for something saw a little brown bat hanging out on the wall, and was like "awww! It's so fluffy and small~!" and then went and attempted to use two fingers to gently touch it's fluffy back out of curiosity. Well, needless to say, the bat (rightfully) got pissy with me waking it up and bit me on the index finger tip.

I left it alone and went down stairs.

A few hours later, I thought "Hm, maybe a bat bite is a bad thing?" and researched it on the Internet, and was scared straight by articles about rabies and the like. We had to go to the ER under the explanation of "I pet a potentially rabid bat and now I might get rabies."
I got a huge needle full of Hemoglobin jabbed into my finger tip (which SUCKED.) as well as in my thighs, ass cheek and other places which I forget. A few weeks later of regular rabies shots, I vowed to never try and touch a bat or approach/disturb, even if it was with no malicious intent, a wild animal again.

They also, at the ER, wanted us to catch the bat that had bit me and kill it and bring it in for examination of it's brains, for rabies so they can determine if I am in threat of getting it. But, I was firm in my answer of "no." I didn't think the bat deserved to die for doing nothing but defending itself against a big scary human. The bat's life shouldn't be taken for an act of MY stupidity. So, the bat was left to fly free. I think it still hangs out in the attic.

/end bat story/ contribution to the thread

[OldJake666]

Sessile land animals of the Malaysian Hajnal river delta
"Sessile animals are common in he sea, clinging to rocks for example barnacles and anamones and fanworms.
These are the only sessile animals ever discovered on land. Since their discovery in 2009 the area covered by these creatures has grown by 20,000 hectares per year and continues to spread."

FFFFFFFFAAAAAAAAAAAKKKKKKKKKKKEEEEEEEEE.

The closest thing to sessile land animals are certain kinds of larva and fungi.

[Velocity Kendall]

can you rephrase that in the form of poem?

[JFierce]

I shit myself the first time I saw this. To think a creature could ever do such a thing.

[Samszym]

Pangolins are my current favorite animal.



Their tongue attaches to somewhere before their sternum and also I'm pretty sure they were the inspiration for sandshrew.

[TinyBird]

also I'm pretty sure they were the inspiration for sandshrew.

Well, personally I'm thinking more about armadillos for that, they fit the physical look bit better. Though they're cute too.
Daww:


But these things, damn. The pink fairy armadillo. I never liked these as a kid because they just look.. wrong. Like mole-shrimps.

[TinyBird]

Oh and the flat, hairless butt of the pink fairy armadillo reminded me of this unholy thing, the one thing that has made me truly go "DO NOT WANT".

Imagine you're digging a pile of dirt and you see this odd.. plug, or a bottle cap looking thing. In the ground.

WHAT THE HELL IS WRONG WITH THAT THING.
Anyway, that trapdoor spider actually uses its armored butt-half to prevent anyone coming to its tunnel.

Also the pelican spider, which eats other spiders. It has a neck.

[Velocity Kendall]

that blue spider is fucking amazing

[OmenSpirits]

Where's the cute animules? Dammit, not happy!

[OldJake666]

Wow that Pelican Spider is pretty cool. It doesn't really look like a spider, just a weird creature.

[blogmatix]

Where's the cute animules? Dammit, not happy!

Try this:

http://cuteoverload.com/

[blogmatix]

Where's the cute animules? Dammit, not happy!

How about bat-eared foxes? Probably the most consistently cute things in existence, especially the pups:

[OmenSpirits]

Days already on hur.

[Mossi]

Sessile land animals of the Malaysian Hajnal river delta
"Sessile animals are common in he sea, clinging to rocks for example barnacles and anamones and fanworms.
These are the only sessile animals ever discovered on land. Since their discovery in 2009 the area covered by these creatures has grown by 20,000 hectares per year and continues to spread."

This is fake, dude.

Back in my school days, we were shown the making of of this video, with commentary from it's creator.

Pretty impressive and cool stuff nonetheless though.

[Velocity Kendall]

Ah ok thanks for being the information
heres a cute Picard facepalm for the thread



course if youd really been paying attention youd know Hajnal is another venetian Snares track and Malaysia isnt a real country.

[OldJake666]

You want cute? There is NOTHING cuter than a baby sloth!

[Ahnem Mee]

WHAT THE HELL IS WRONG WITH THAT THING.

What's wrong is that it seriously looks like you're supposed to use it as some kind of stamp for wax seals or something.
I daresay it's desperately trying its best at that, too.

Youknow this might a nice 'truth or dare' thing for Creationists.

[Aly Fell]

My wife just found this old bookmark in a bottom drawer. See, it is possible to eat something as big as your head...