Top 10 Animals with the Strangest Self-Defense Methods
In the wild, it's kill or be killed. Organisms need to be strong and clever to survive the harsh and cruel realities of nature.Luckily, nature has given each organism special self-defense methods to help them stay alive. Some of these self-defense methods are utterly strange.
The Malaysian exploding ant (Camponotus saundersi) is a species of ant found in Malaysia and Brunei.
Remarkably, this ant self-destructs when the battle with predators becomes too intense. It violently contracts its abdominal muscles, causing its mandibular glands to burst. This explosion releases a corrosive venom onto the predator.
Smart move. The predator will definitely think the ant is dead. Ants can feel pain, but how do they heal after exploding?
I don't understand the purpose. How is that self-defense if it kills itself? It could just let itself be eaten.
The sea cucumber is an echinoderm with an elongated body containing a single branched gonad.
It has two self-defense methods. The first one is relatively normal: it sprays toxic and stinging white strings. The second method, however, is quite gruesome. If the first method doesn't work, the sea cucumber resorts to Plan B: it ejects some of its internal organs, making the predator think it is dead.
That is very strange. This self-defense method must have a lot of drawbacks as well.
The Iberian ribbed newt (Pleurodeles waltl) is a species of newt endemic to the central and southern Iberian Peninsula and Morocco.
First, it pushes its ribs out of its body. Then, it covers the exposed ribs with poison, which can be lethal to predators. This self-defense method seems quite complicated, gruesome, and painful.
The newt likely requires a long period of rest to heal its chest and ribs after defending itself, which, honestly, makes this method of defense all the more dangerous for the newt's life.
The Texas horned lizard is one of about 14 North American species of spikey-bodied reptiles called horned lizards. The Texas horned lizard (Phrynosoma cornutum) is a species of horned lizard, known for its spiked body, native to North America.
When threatened, it squirts blood from the vessels near its eyes. It's somewhat reminiscent of laser-eyes in sci-fi movies, except the laser is blood. The blood tastes foul to canids and felids, deterring them from eating the lizard, though unfortunately, it has no effect on birds.
The hairy frog (Trichobatrachus robustus) is a species of frog found in Central Africa.
First, there's the newt that breaks its ribs. Then, the sea cucumber that ejects its organs to play dead. Now, we have the frog that breaks its own bones to create "claws" (hence the nickname "Wolverine frog"). The animal kingdom can indeed be quite gruesome.
I find the fact that it has hair even stranger. With an ability like that, it might as well be called the Wolverine Frog.
The Colorado potato beetle (Leptinotarsa decemlineata) is a pest to potato plants.
The larva has a particularly disgusting self-defense method. It covers itself with its own poisonous and foul-smelling feces to deter predators.
The northern fulmar (Fulmarus glacialis) is a species of seabird found in the subarctic regions of the North Atlantic and North Pacific oceans.
This bird has a rather disgusting self-defense mechanism. The chick vomits at predators, and the vomit has the extremely unpleasant scent of rotten fish, which repels the predators instantly.
The boxer crab (genus Lybia, not to be confused with the country Libya) is a genus of small crabs.
It might seem like the name doesn't fit because this crab looks more like a cheerleader than a boxer, but the name is quite apt. This adorable little creature is indeed a strong "boxer," and its punches can be deadly to certain animals. However, its "boxing gloves" resemble cheerleader pompoms.
This crab reminds me of Crabrawler from Pokémon Sun and Moon, even though it's based on the coconut crab according to Bulbapedia.
Found in Southeast Asia, this small primate is notable for its slow movements and distinctive facial markings. It possesses a gland near its elbows that secretes a toxin, which it can spread through its bite. Due to its cuteness, it is unfortunately often illegally traded as a pet. The slow loris (genus Nycticebus) is a genus of nocturnal strepsirrhine primates.
As the name suggests, it moves very slowly, which makes it difficult to escape predators. Fortunately, it has a deadly weapon: a pair of poisonous glands located in its armpits. Yes, armpits - a rather unusual place to store a lethal defense mechanism.
So what does it do? Put its hand under its armpit and make fart noises while simultaneously squirting out poison?
The Newcomers
A bumblebee, also written bumble bee, is a member of the bee genus Bombus, in the family Apidae. The brood parasitic or cuckoo bumblebees have sometimes been classified as a subgenus or genus, Psithyrus, but are now usually treated as members of Bombus.
The Tetraodontidae are a family of primarily marine and estuarine fish of the order Tetraodontiformes.
