6 Demonic Animals

They’re not really demonic in the sense that they’re possessed by the devil, but their looks and names are so diabolical, it’ll make you think twice about where these animals originated. From snakes to birds to insects, Mother Nature made a number of devilishly strange and creepy creatures. Below are a few of them.

Satanic Leaf-Tailed Gecko

With tiny horns, a set of piercing red eyes and a mouth that makes it look like it’s always sporting a sinister smile, this gecko is definitely not your average looking lizard. Commonly seen in the forest of Madagascar, these animals are part of the Uroplatus, also known as leaf-tailed family of gecko. They blend in and look like twigs as they cling on trees in the forest.

Anglerfish

From the depths of the ocean, bumping into one of these scary looking fishes will definitely give you nightmares. There have been more than 200 different species of these fishes recorded, and some were just recently documented. Another bizarre feature about this fish, aside from their looks, is the way they mate. Male specimen would latch into females and fuse themselves into her body.

Thorny Devil

Also called the mountain devil, thorny dragon and the moloch, these lizards are native to the dry and hot deserts and scrubland that makes up most of Australia. It was named after moloch, an ancient god that is associated with sacrifice. However, these animals are pretty harmless. Their main source of food are ants.

Long-Horned Beetle

This scary looking beetle isn’t only known for its long whisker-like horns, but they also come with beautiful patterns on their bodies, kind of like wood carvings and tribal art.  They’re native to South America and although there are a number of species, the IUCN has tagged these insects as “vulnerable” in the red list.

California Condor

If a giant black bird swooping down on you sounds horrifying, you might not want to see a California condor in real life. One of the biggest flying birds ever recorded, it has a wing span that can reach 3 meters or 10 feet wide. The indigenous tribes who lives in California has long associated this majestic bird with the dead. Their scary looks may be intimidating, but these birds are actually very gentle and graceful.

Ogre-Faced Spider

One of the most unique spiders around, the ogre-faced spider gets its name from the mythological creature because of its fearful face. Also called net-casting spiders, they spin their webs in a different way. These spiders create a net-like pattern with their silk and then snare their pray from above with it.