COSMOS MAGAZINE

Top 5 creepiest, crawliest stories of 2024

A nocturnal species of orb-weaving spider, Araneus ventricosus, has been caught manipulating male fireflies to attract more victims. Scientists think the spiders alter the fireflies’ signals somehow, possibly through repeated wrapping and biting attacks.

Dice snakes 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.

X-ray videography has revealed how juvenile Japanese eels escape after being swallowed whole by their predator, a freshwater fish ominously known as the dark sleeper. Their escape route? Tail-first up through the oesophagus and then out through the gills!

A family of fishes that evolved leg-like appendages to walk along the seafloor have another use for their strange appendages. Their legs are covered “sensory papillae”, which allow them to perceive touch and taste chemical signatures while digging around for food.

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.

cosmosmagazine.com 

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