PERILOUS LOOKING BUT RELATIVELY HARMLESS ANIMALS

BASKING SHARK

The world´s second largest living shark after the whale shark,

the basking shark looks even scarier than his bigger relative but

this gentle giant poses no threat to us, none what so ever.

Its enormous, widely open mouth filters water in order to catch

plankton, invertebrates and small fish.

CAMEL SPIDER

Victim to a host of urban legends which include myths of camel

disembowelment, feeding on sleeping humans, and powerful

venomous bites, the Camel spider is guilty of none of these

accusations. Although it looks scary and dangerous, it is not a

venomous animal and though its bite might be painful,

it is not medically significant.

PIT BULL

Suffering from an inflated reputation of being an aggressive and

dangerous dog, pit-bulls are actually smart, loyal, and overall

good pets. As with any dog, proper socializing is needed.

HERCULES BEETLE

Reaching up to an incredible 17cm (7inch) and capable of lifting

more than 80 times its own weight, the Hercules beetle is the

largest rhino beetle. Equipped with extremely powerful horns,

the beetles often engage in ferocious fights among themselves

but are generally harmless to people.

GIANT ISOPOD 

A great example of deep-sea gigantism, the giant isopod is up to

36cm (14 inches) long and is usually found hundreds of metres

deep in the ocean. Despite its creepy alien-like

appearance, it’s completely harmless.

FRILLED SHARK 

Living as deep as 1,570m (5150ft) in the ocean, the frilled shark

is another sea creature you will probably never encounter and

even if you do, will probably not see you as a potential meal.

The only known cases of the frilled shark causing some harm to

people are scientists who have accidentally cut themselves

examining the shark´s teeth.

SAND TIGER SHARK

Inhabiting subtropical and temperate waters worldwide, the sand

tiger shark does look dangerous due to its relatively large size and

sharp slender teeth but there hasn’t been any case of a fatality

caused by this shark species. These slow creatures are

generally peaceful and hardly ever attack people.

HUMPBACK ANGLERFISH

Found in tropical to temperate waters at depths to 2,000m (6,600ft),

the humpback anglerfish is a scary-looking for sure. It lures its

prey with a bizarre glowing antenna sticking out from its forehead.

In spite of its ghoulish looks, this deep sea dweller is not

actively after human flesh.