Sometimes we get so used to dreamy landscapes and cute puppies that we forget about nature's dark side. But it's there. Regardless of whether we pay attention to it or not. To remind you about some of the Mother Earth's scariest 'children,' Bored Panda has compiled a list of photos that should send shivers down your spine. Or at least make you say a loud "NOPE." From half-dead spiders covered in fungus to mutated frogs with eyes growing in their mouth, consider viewing these images as a contest: if you can scroll to the very end, you win. The prize? Nightmares.
#21 Lactarius Rubidius Growing Out Of Fox Skull
Lactarius Rubidius, more commonly known as the 'candy cap' mushroom, is found in western North America and is known mainly as an aromatic mushroom. Instead of being eaten as a vegetable, they are instead used mainly as a flavoring in a way similar to vanilla, saffron, or truffles. Would you eat this one if you found it?
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241points
#22 This Spider Web That Looks Like A Spider-Man Mask
Light, temperature, and humidity can affect the strength of a web. The adhesive droplets that spiders apply to their silk become sticky only when the silk leaves the spider’s body. But its strength can be affected by environmental factors, thus transforming into a creepy skull like this one.
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236points
#23 Snake Was Electrocuted Then Bitten By Another Snake, Which Was Also Electrocuted
This shocking situation occurred within a power box and is just a terrifying ma-ssss-acre of serpentine proportions. Perhaps it was a botched rescue attempt after one poor snek found himself in trouble, his buddy tried pulling him away and suffered the same fate. Either way, it's truly the stuff of nightmares.
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215points
#24 Someone Bugged His Phone
Things like this can happen when people fumigate. Insects try to escape chemicals by crawling into tight little places. Then they usually die.
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211points
#25 Just Going To Run
This cozy fella has been identified as a ratsnake. Native to North America, ratsnakes are commonly found in the forests of the eastern and central United States and are essentially harmless to humans. If bitten by one of these critters, the most you will need is a small bandage, they are not venomous.
As the name suggests, their diet consists largely of small rodents, meaning they can often be found around barns and garages. Careful handling them though if you do find one in your shoe, instead of biting they are more likely to cover their victim with a foul-smelling musk!
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211points
#26 Hydnora Africana
The plant grows underground, except for a fleshy flower that emerges above ground and emits an odor of feces to attract its natural pollinators, dung beetles and carrion beetles. The flowers act as temporary traps, retaining the beetles that enter long enough for them to pick up pollen.
unknown
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#27 Something Is Growing Inside A Bottle Of Natural Orange Juice I Abandoned Inside A Cabinet For Over A Year
This looks like it could be a cylindrical yeast colony. They form when nutrients settle on the bottom below the colony, allowing it to form vertically.
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201points
#28 Grow Bigger Or Die
It's hard to say how large these terrifying-looking locusts actually are. Are they true giants, or is the snake just a lil nipper? Either way, they appear set for a lovely sit down meal.
unknown
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#29 Weird Mold Growing Out Of Cat Food Can I Left In An Empty Room For 10 Days
By the looks of it, this could be a type of fungi called phycomyces. Phycomyces is not known to produce toxins, although its chemical composition has been investigated in considerable detail. It is probably safe for mammals: the fact that the dung of small mammals is the best natural source for Phycomyces spores suggests a regular consumption as food.
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191points
#30 The Assassin Bug - The Ferocious Bug That Sucks Prey Dry And Wears Their Corpses
This terrifying and aptly named insects inject a lethal saliva into their prey which liquefies the insides, which are then sucked out.
The corpses of the emptied out creatures are then worn as camouflage by the cunning assassin. The camouflage is to protect the bug from being preyed on by jumping spiders, but if anything you'd think it would make them look even more tempting!
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185points