It turns out; some of the most adorable creatures on the planet also have the most terrifying adaptations. It appears as though Mother Nature has blessed our cutest and most cuddly animals with the most heinous of defenses. It makes sense, after all, since it’s all about natural selection and survival of the cutest. Who wouldn’t want the blue ringed octopus to stay alive when attacked by predators? When those rings turn blue, you’ll know it’s ready to snap your butt off. If only humans were able to communicate this kind of thing without speaking. Same goes for the mantis shrimp, which is one of the cooler shellfish out there. But this guy ain’t kosher – its appendages will slam into an enemy at the speed of a car on the highway. We see this with other members of the animal kingdom, like pottos and platypuses and porcupines alike. Don’t be fooled by their fuzzy appearances and cute little faces… the animals on this list have some killer ways of, well, killing other animals.
Hairy Frogs
https://blogs.scientificamerican.com
This delightful fuzzy jumper breaks its own bones, using the resulting spines as a weapon against predators. Nothing too cute anymore about a near-suicidal monster.
Noble Hoopoes
https://www.fromthegrapevine.com
Its name is as lovable as its face, but consider yourself warned. A little birdie told me that the hoopoe dissuades predators from attack by squirting fecal matter at on-comers.
Northern Fulmar Chicks
https://gudmann.photoshelter.com
Don’t get too close to this darling pile of fluff. A Northern Fulmar Chick will literally projectile vomit a horrible-smelling orange liquid on your face.
Boxer Crabs
http://bio390parasitology.blogspot.com
A symbiotic relationship with anemones gives this crab its cute appearance of having playful little pom poms. But these pom poms can sting attackers… ZAP!
Duck Billed Platypus
This huggable amalgam of species has sharp spurs on its hind legs that produce venom.
Mantis Shrimp
The shrimp mantis has club-like appendices under its head that travel up to 50 miles per hour, crashing into its prey.
Blue-ringed octopus
This beautiful octopus normally blends in, but when it’s threatened, blue rings will appear, indicating that it’s ready to bite.
Pottos
Watch out for the vertebrae on the back of its silky soft neck. These spiky bones can cause real damage when the suddenly tough animal “neck-butts” any approaching threats.
Crested Porcupines
The awesome looking quills that make these rodents cute to begin with can actually kill you! Before attacking, the porcupine warns predators by menacingly shaking its quills.
Dormice
These cute little fellas are hanging onto their teeny tails while they can. Predators who catch their tales can detach them from the body, giving the dormice a chance to escape.
Opossums
With mini, pug-like faces, opossums go into an involuntary comatose state when they experience extreme fear, giving the illusion that they’re dead. So resist the urge to save the life of one of these guys.
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