Texas Horned Lizard-Blood Squirter
When this pokey little guy feels threatened, he puffs up to make his spikes more prominent, and shoots blood out of his eyeballs.
This both confuses predators, and because it’s mixed with a foul-tasting chemical, makes the predator run away.
Komodo Dragon – Biological Warfare
The mouth of the Komodo Dragon is so filthy, that it’ll bite it’s prey and wait around until it dies of an infection.
Then, they’ll eat their disgusting and putrid meal.
Pistol Shrimp – Bubble Bullets
This little guy can snap his claw so fast that it creates a pressure wave in the water. The resulting bang is louder than a jet engine and superheats the water, to a temperature hotter than the sun.
They use this to shoot bubble bullets and jets of water to stun fish, then they eat them.
Hairy Frog – Bone Claws
This Central American frog can crack it’s own toe bones and will shove them through it’s feet to create sharp claws.
It’s like the Wolverine of frogs.
Spanish Ribbed Newt – Rib Spikes
This newt is known to shove its ribs through its chest to ward off predators.
These ribs are also coated in a poison that stings the thin skin inside a predator’s mouth.
French Guinea Termite – Self-Destruction
There are certain species of termite here, that accumulate toxins in a gland on it’s back for its entire life. If the colony comes under attack, the oldest termites, stuffed with the toxins, will blow themselves up near the attackers.
Hagfish – Slime Attack
The hagfish is similar to an eel, and it’s got a disgusting defence mechanism. It has glads that secreted a thick mucus when it comes under attack.
This substance can either allow the animal to escape, or it’s even thick enough to envelop the gills of the predator, and suffocate them to death.
Sea Cucumber – Organ Throwing
These guys don’t do much, other than hang out on the sea floor, but they do one specific disgusting thing.
When threatened, they’ll expel their toxic organs and it drives predators away.
Opossum – Playing Dead
It’s pretty common knowledge that opossums play dead, but what most don’t know is that it’s completely involuntary and is triggered by intense fear.
They also release a foul-smelling odour that adds to the effect of death and decay.
Hippos – Sweating Blood
This isn’t really blood, but it looks like it. In the hot sun, Hippos can sweat a red substance that coats them and protects them from the sun, bugs, and infections.
Ladybugs – Urinating Blood
Usually, peeing blood isn’t a good sign, but for ladybugs, it’s their thing.
When they’re scared, they’ll excrete their blood and it supposedly scares the predators away.
Jellyfish – Immortality
This is the only known animal on earth that is known to be immortal. Called the Turritopsis dohrnii, it can revert its cells to young cells, when it’s injured or dying, and start its life all over again.
Hooded Seal – Making Nose Balloons
To attract a mate, the male seal will close one nostril and inflate a pink nasal membrane out of the other.
When it comes to getting the sex, the one with the biggest balloon wins.
Zombie Worm – Melting Prey
Rather than having a mouth, this deep-sea worm will lay up against its meal and secrete an acid that will turn it into mush. Then, it absorbs the food through its skin.
Clown Loach – Eye Knives
While these guys are a popular fish to add to an aquarium, you can’t underestimate them. They have retractable spines beneath their eyes, that they use to stab predators and other fish they don’t like.
Diving Bell Spider – Scuba Attacks
If you thought you were safe from your arachnophobia in the water, you’re wrong. This spider can live under water. They can create a bubble of air and wander around attacking water bugs and the occasional tiny fish.
Mimic Octopus – Mimicry
It’s right there in the name, but this Indonesian octopus, can take on the characteristics of up to 15 different forms of life, including other octopi, the sea floor and an algae encrusted rock.
Leopard Gecko – Removable Tails
Many geckos have tails that grow to resemble their heads, so when a predator goes for the throat, they just drop their tail and get out of there.
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