We’ve all seen this clip of the Nemertea, or ribbon worm’s, attempt to digest that man’s hand. Here’s a bit more info, and take comfort in the fact that they can grow up to 54 metres (177 ft) long. That’s longer than my nightmares can cope with:
I’ve been fascinated by disgusting animals since I saw a fly give birth to a maggot. “They don’t give birth to maggots” I hear you cry, “they lay eggs.” Well, I didn’t realise that until years later when it hit me that the thing wasn’t giving birth, it was being eaten from the inside out. Eeuuuuuurrr.
So, for anyone else delighting in the SciFi, B Movie creatures of our natural world, here are a few more (have a peek at my previous post) grotesques to see you on your way.
Here’s a BBC clip of a leech swallowing a giant worm. It’s like it’s eating itself. A self-hating leech. Well, not quite, I’m sure they have very different bodily make-up, but…oh, just watch it.
Tapeworms are pretty disgusting. A while ago scientist Michael Mosley infested himself with parasites for a TV programme and here is a little clip:
If ever a creature evolved from the tears of frightened children the ‘living fossil’ Goblin Shark would be it. Growing to lengths of 12.6 feet (384cm) the oddest thing about them is their freaky protruding jaws:
You know how it is. It’s spring, you’re thinking of which flowers you want in your garden, what would look pretty with what. Look no further – here’s The Corpse Flower, a plant known for the stench of rotten flesh:
Butterflies, bees and other creepy crawlies sometimes drink tears – my tears when I think about this too much:
Let’s end on a cute (but still pretty weird) note with the Dumbo Octopus. Look at its little ears!
Madeleine Swann 