Mother Nature can be both fascinating and fearsome, giving rise to creatures that appear truly intimidating, yet, many animals that look scary are actually much friendlier than their appearance suggests. In this article, we’ll take a closer look at 17 animals that, despite their fearsome looks, are surprisingly gentle and friendly.
Basking Shark
The basking shark is the second-largest shark on our planet. According to Oceana, they can grow up to a whopping 147 feet (45 meters) in length, so it’s understandable why people may find them pretty scary. However, this gentle giant is actually a filter feeder, meaning it feeds on plankton and poses absolutely no threat to humans.
Vampire Bat
The vampire bat may have a scary name that suggests it may seek out human blood, but this is not the case. It mostly feeds on the blood of livestock and plays an important role in our ecosystem. What’s more, according to Scientific American, its saliva can actually help humans who suffer from strokes and blood clots.
Komodo Dragon
As the largest living lizard on our planet, the Komodo dragon may look rather scary on first inspection. However, they are actually surprisingly gentle around humans when left alone. They also usually feed on carrion rather than hunting for food.
Aye-Aye
The aye-aye is famous for its distinctive, ominous appearance. It comes out at night and has a long, thin finger, which it uses to tap on trees and find insects. However, the aye-aye is actually a pretty cute creature that is shy and harmless in nature.
Goliath Birdeater Tarantula
With a name like the Goliath birdeater tarantula, you can imagine how intimidating these critters can be. It is known for being one of the largest spiders in the world, and its name comes from the fact that it sometimes even eats birds. However, they very rarely bite humans unless physically provoked, and their venom is surprisingly mild.
Giant African Millipede
As you may expect, the giant African millipede is pretty… giant. Its huge size and many legs can make it off-putting for many people. However, it is a gentle-natured herbivore that can safely be held by humans in the right environments.
Whip Scorpion
The whip scorpion has an intimidating appearance, with a whip-like tail that looks like it could be used as a weapon. However, this tail is actually used for communication and navigation. This scorpion also has no venom, is not dangerous to humans, and would rather run away than fight.
Manta Ray
Manta rays are huge ocean creatures that can appear intimidating to onlookers. But in reality, they are gentle giants that feed only on small fish and plankton, meaning they are no threat to humans whatsoever.
Tasmanian Devil
The Tasmanian devil may be loud and ferocious in its appearance, but it poses very little threat to humans. They mostly scavenge for food, meaning they prefer to eat animals that are already dead rather than fight for their food.
Reticulated Python
The reticulated python may be one of the world’s longest snakes, but that doesn’t mean you should be afraid of it. It is not venomous, preferring to constrict its prey rather than biting, and will very rarely attack humans without being threatened.
Honey Badger
Honey badgers are often thought of as being fierce and aggressive. However, in reality, they will not choose to attack humans as long as they are left alone. Their name comes from their love for honey, which leads them to invade beehives for food.
Nurse Shark
Nurse sharks are large and appear rather menacing, but they are actually very docile creatures that will not attack humans without being threatened. In fact, they are so relaxed that many divers feel comfortable enough to observe them up close.
Solifugae (Camel Spider)
There is a well-known myth that camel spiders can grow to be absolutely huge and lethal to humans. However, this is not true. While they may be fast and physically intimidating, they are non-venomous and usually feed on insects and some small animals.
Bearded Vulture
The bearded vulture is a mighty bird with a menacingly sharp beak and impressive wingspan. However, these big birds pose no threat to humans, as they mostly feed on carrion and usually prefer to stay away from people.
Crown-of-Thorns Starfish
As its name implies, the crown-of-thorns starfish has many venomous spines that can make it off-putting to people. However, while it’s not recommended to hold them, this ocean dweller has no desire to harm humans and primarily feeds on coral.
Elephant Seal
According to National Geographic, the southern elephant seal is the world’s largest seal, weighing a maximum of 8,800 pounds. Naturally, this, along with their loud vocalizations, can make them somewhat intimidating. However, they are very rarely aggressive toward humans and spend most of their lives in the sea.
Thorny Devil
The thorny devil is thorny by name and thorny by nature. In fact, this little lizard’s body is completely covered in intimidating spines. However, thorny devils are not as devilish as they seem, posing no threat to humans and primarily feeding on ants.
