Spooky Animals

/ Jet Eliot

For our Halloween fun today, it’s a good time to look at wild animals that give us a slight chill. Wild animals have a rawness that is unpredictable and can indeed be spooky.

BERJAYA
Calif. Striped Racer, CA

These are not even some of the very scariest animals (like a hyena) because I don’t want to give you nightmares.

We start with a fellow mammal, a Halloween specialty, the bat. This one is a spectacled flying fox. We came upon a colony in a forest in northern Queensland, Australia.

You can see in the photo below the bat looks bespectacled, for which it is named.

BERJAYA
Spectacled Flying Fox, Australia

Some of the creatures here just look spooky because they’re different, but others really are spooky for how dangerous they can be.

Below is a male African buffalo. We were in Zambia, Africa and more than once our jeep came from behind tall grass and there one would be, glaring at us.

Took my breath away a few times.

His left eye is scarred and half-shut, no doubt the result of a fight. A typical male, like this one, weighs 1,650 pounds (750 kg).

BERJAYA
African Buffalo, Zambia

This hippo, below, was scarred and surly. Some people may think hippos are kind of cute, but when you are near one in the wild, you immediately grasp the sobering presence they exude.

Hippos are fast–faster than they look.

BERJAYA
Hippo, Zambia

Below are warthogs we came upon in Zambia; they had been digging for roots and tubers. Long, flat snouts, sharp tusks and soulless eyes. A strong-legged and very fast animal.

While on a safari walk, the guide told us to stay away from ground holes because the warthogs cleverly back into burrows, out of sight, and come charging out tusk first if they are threatened.

BERJAYA
Common Warthogs, Botswana

There are many intimidating African animals in the wild, but we’ll look at just two more, seen in Botswana.

The male lion, below. I think we all know to fear this formidable creature. They swagger confidently and have piercing golden eyes and when it’s the right time, they pounce and tear flash like the warriors they are.

BERJAYA
African Lion, Botswana

This is a cobra we encountered. The snake’s hood (neck) is flared and its head is up, ready to strike.

Shimmery and golden in the African sun, but deadly.

BERJAYA
Cobra, Botswana

Let’s hop on our witchy broomstick to head over to the western hemisphere, look at more spooky creatures.

BERJAYA
Golden Silk Spider, GA

Galapagos Islands. Far out in the Pacific Ocean about 600 miles (1,000 km) from the mainland, the wildlife has evolved in isolation, unaccustomed to humans.

These two wild iguana species, below, were not dangerous to be around, but just so incredibly unusual. Absolutely prehistoric looking.

The only living lizard that forages in the sea, marine iguanas are slow on land but graceful under water. We saw hundreds of them basking on rocks and even found a few in the water when we were snorkeling.

In 1835 Charles Darwin reported the Galapagos black lava rocks were frequented by these “most disgusting, clumsy lizards.” That seems a bit harsh–he probably found them on one of the days he was having stomach troubles.

BERJAYA
Marine Iguana, Galapagos Isl.

Equally as curious-looking were the land iguanas. Here is a pair, below.

Peeling skin, crusty faces, long rat-like tails and gnarled claws.

BERJAYA
Land Iguanas, Galapagos Isl.

Let’s head to Central America next. But yikes, this broomstick is so uncomfortable. Let’s switch to a magic carpet.

This American Crocodile, below, was churlishly staring at us as our little boat cruised by. Look at that mouth. Even when the chops are shut you know there’s pointy, sharp teeth lurking inside. How many teeth? About 65.

BERJAYA
American Crocodile, Costa Rica

The array of spooky insects we have on this planet is immense. Many are very cool, but I’m taking it easy on you today. I’ve just got one for you, the assassin bug, below.

They’re called assassin bugs because they use an “assassination” method to hunt and kill. They ambush their prey, then grab them with their front legs, inject them with paralyzing saliva and then suck out the liquefied innards.

BERJAYA
Assassin Bug, Belize

Heading north to America for the last two spooky creatures.

We were eating our sandwiches inside the car in a parking area when this big bison wandered very close to us, apparently attracted to the mud puddle. We could hear its steady, heavy breathing.

We were of course thrilled but a little nervous.

They’re faster than they look too, faster than most horses.

BERJAYA
American Bison, SD

Lastly, my own backyard. We lived on an isolated mountain top and in the summer it was hot and dry.

This mature rattlesnake, below, hung out with us one summer.

We agreed not to bother each other, and it worked out. Why did we do that? Because the rattlesnake kept the rodent population under control.

Its head is in the center of the photo below, and it is looking at you. Rattles are on the right; there are 7 or 8 or 9?

It rattled at us a couple of times that summer, but we quickly got the message.

BERJAYA
Northern Pacific Rattlesnake, CA

There’s something so gripping and powerful about wild animals. Add to that the dark superstitions of this holiday that go back centuries, and we have ourselves a spooky Halloween.

Happy Halloween!

Written by Jet Eliot.

Photos by Athena Alexander.

BERJAYA
Spectacled Owl with Fer-de-lance Snake, Belize

55 thoughts on “Spooky Animals”

  3. Happy Halloween, Jet!
    Yikes, some heavyweight potential horrors in there this week…
    I try to love ‘em from a distance, but snakes tend to give me the shivers whenever I encounter one – my hopping and jumping and failure to keep any cool probably gives them a good laugh as they slither off…
    Enjoyed this collection – but I have to go check under the sofa and in those dark corners now.

  7. Great collection Jet and Athena. The scariest, assuming you came on one about ten times as big: The assassin bug. There was something about liquifying your guts and sucking them out that caught my attention.

  9. I have seen a Cape Buffalo lose its cool and it’s quite frightening but that assassin spider – oh my! But the grizzly bear has my vote for most frightening.

  10. Ticks Jet, you forgot the ticks…

    Seriously though, that was a neat cross section of the worlds animals. Perhaps it’s because the majority of my life, whether for work or at play has been in the outdoors, I’ve always been respectful of animals, but never “spooked” (apart from those ticks!) Happy Halloween you guys, stay safe out there.

    • This was fun, AJ. I agree the ticks may be small but they are spooky. I don’t know what has been spookier, the tick in my flesh or me trying to light it with a match. Spooky stories abound in the outdoors, as you well know. Many thanks.

  11. Very clever and enjoyable to read, Jet… but so happy to just be looking at photos rather than viewing all these scary creatures in person! Thanks! Happy Halloween to you and Athena.

  15. Definitely some scary creatures especially snakes, and Iguanas are the ugliest, but I’d be very careful around hippos. Hmmmm better be careful around them all.

  17. What a varied and wonderful collection of critters. I’m glad you and Athena were able to find a way of co-existing with the rattlesnake. As you say, they help control rodent numbers, but are also worthy of respect in their own right.

    I didn’t know about Charles Darwin’s antipathy to iguanas. He was a formidably clever guy, obviously, but I’m sad that he couldn’t appreciate them as just another living creature trying – and succeeding – to live long and prosper in a hostile environment.

    • Yes, those times with Darwin and the Beagle and the Galapagos were very different times than today. He made such a monumental contribution to science that it’s worth just giving him credit for that. The history of the tortoise abuse on the Galapagos is another sad tale, but again, different times. Many thanks, PM, for your visit and lovely comment.

    • Oh man, glad I’m not the only one. Years ago down on the Grande Ronde River in Washington, I was wrangling a good sized rattlesnake off the road when an old rancher drove up, stopped and asked if there was “something wrong with my brain…” Good times!

      • Great story, AJ! Yes, there are a number of us who give rattlesnakes respect even back when it was considered crazy to do so. My warmest thanks for your visit today.

  19. A very fitting post for Halloween. Some animals and wildlife out there seem to be a bit more unnerving than others. It’s quite something to get so close to buffalos in the wild, and hippos too. They can look so formidable right in front of you. How interesting that bison are faster than most horses. At least it was interested in the mud puddle and not your sandwiches. I hope you and the rattlesnake in your backyard maintain this sort of acquaintance you got there. It works. Great photography. Happy Halloween, Jet 🙂

  20. Great photos Jet of some amazing, and potentially dangerous animals. Hope you were photographing behind some sort of barriers for the dangerous ones.

    • No barriers in the wild, Brad, but a long lens kept the distance. I appreciate your visit and am happy you enjoyed the spooky animals. And oh boy did I ever enjoy your spooky fun fest at Wildlife Intrigued!

Comments are closed.