Imma Perfetto
Cosmos science journalist
Of all the animals that crawl, wriggle and ooze across the surface of the Earth, these are by far the creepiest we uncovered in 2024.
Spider preys on male fireflies blinded by false love
A nocturnal species of orb-weaving spider, Araneus ventricosus, has been caught manipulating male fireflies to attract more victims.
Scientists in the field realised something was amiss when they noticed the spiders’ webs almost exclusively trapped male fireflies (Abscondita terminalis) but rarely females.
They think the spiders alter the fireflies’ signals somehow, possibly through repeated wrapping and biting attacks.
Read more about their twisted manipulations here.
Dice snakes fake their own gruesome deaths
Dice snakes (Natrix tessellate) use dramatic practical effects to feign their own deaths to avoid predators.
In an effort that rivals any Hollywood actor, the snakes smear themselves with musk and faeces and even ooze blood from their mouths.
Read more about all the gory details.
Video of eels escaping from predator’s stomach
X-ray videography has revealed how juvenile Japanese eels (Anguilla japonica) escape after being swallowed whole by their predator, a freshwater fish ominously known as the dark sleeper (Odontobutis obscura).
Their escape route? Tail-first up through the oesophagus and then out through the gills!
Read more about how researchers filmed their escape act.
Fish that evolved “legs” has another surprise in store
A family of fishes that evolved leg-like appendages to walk along the seafloor have another use for their strange appendages.
A study published in September found the legs of a species of sea robin (Prionotus carolinus) are covered “sensory papillae”, which allow them to perceive touch and taste chemical signatures while digging around for food.
Watch them in action here.
Welcoming a new species of fluffy beetle
An Australian researcher stumbled across a striking new genus of longhorn beetle that appears to be covered in white, fluffy hairs.
Though the purpose of the hairs isn’t known, the main theory is that they make the insect look like it’s been killed by an insect-killing fungus.
Learn more about the accidental discovery.
