- [Narrator] Earth is
home to over eight million different species . Through numerous explorations,
biologists are able to discover and catalogue
some of the creatures that reside in our planet. However, our planet is a vast place. Several regions are still
shrouded in mystery, and within it are strange
and enigmatic species that often leave scientists baffled. Before we start, don't forget to subscribe so you can explore more
amazing creatures we reveal through our daily uploads. - [Cartoon] Amazing! - [Narrator] Number 10: tubifex worms. Worms are nasty-looking, slimy creatures. Just the sight of them moving around will make anyone feel uneasy. Tubifex worms are no different. In fact, they may be worse.
Just look at it. Unlike their other worm
relatives, tubifex worms prefer to live in sludgy places, such
as sewers and dirty lakes. These worms don a
reddish-orange appearance due to their high haemoglobin content, making them able to survive
in their challenging habitat. Their diet mainly consists
of dirt and microorganisms that thrive in these types of places. What makes tubifex worms
strange is that they like to cling onto slimy surfaces, which includes other tubifex worms. Piling on top of one another, they form a huge tumor-like creature that will surely gross out
anyone who comes across it. Gross as they may be,
tubifex worms are considered a great source of protein for fishes. However, there is a bit of controversy regarding feeding fish tubifex worms, as some people believe
that it is unwise to do so as they are raised on filthy environments. Quite a fair argument,
especially after seeing that video.
Ugh. Number nine: Creatonotos gangis moth. If you don't have a fear of hairy bugs, then you'll start having one now. Earlier this year, a viral video surfaced on Facebook showing a moth-like creature with huge hairy appendages
protruding from its back. Here is the video. Indeed, this is a moth and it's called the Creatonotos gangis moth,
which is mostly present in Southeast Asia and Australia. Despite its alien-like appearance,
it is basically harmless and presents no danger
to humans or animals. The hairy appendages on its
back, also known as coremata are the male's scent glands. Once it is ready to mate,
the coremata inflates and disperses pheromones to
attract a potential partner. The size of a male's coremata
is determined according to the amount of alkaloid
chemicals it consumed during its caterpillar stage. The more they intake, the
bigger their corematas would be once they mature. Terrifying as they may
be, please don't hurt them if you chance upon one. Just politely tell them to
leave, I'm sure they'll oblige. Number eight: Deepstaria enigmatica. The deep sea holds many bizarre creatures that are yet to be discovered. Back in 2012, a strange
balloon-like creature was caught on tape in deep waters. Take a look at this video. Speculations ran around,
stating that it might be whale placenta or a fishing net swept into the depths of the sea. Neither guesses were correct
as experts have confirmed that the creature spotted
by the underwater camera was a Deepstaria enigmatica, a rarely-seen jellyfish species. True to its name, it possesses
an enigmatic appearance that is uncommon even for other
deep-sea jellyfishes. This has a purpose, as they
can easily catch small prey with their inflated medusa,
stinging it to death with its tentacles. The Deepstaria enigmatica
can grow up to two feet long, but it can appear larger
once it inflates itself. If you're wary about
encountering this creature the next time you take
a dive in the ocean, then you're in luck, as they can only be found 5,000 feet below. That doesn't mean you're safe from other jellyfish species though. Number seven, triops. Back in 2008, a strange
marine creature was found in a small town in Russia. This was accompanied with a
video titled Prehistoric Horror that quickly went viral within days. Here is the video. This grotesque-looking
creature is called triops, more commonly known as tadpole shrimps. Often found in freshwater bodies, these creatures have
the same characteristics as its 300 million year-old ancestors, such as having three eyes
and more than a hundred legs, characteristics which definitely describe a "prehistoric horror" creature. And while they look like
something out of a horror movie, they are completely harmless. In fact, some people often
make pets out of them. Their diet is a varied one, as they will eat anything
smaller than them, including other triops. While they pose no risk to humans, it is not recommended to
put them close to your face like a facehugger from the Alien movies. They really don't make for a good costume. Number six: basket star. Here is yet another deep sea creature that will surely make you squirm. In 2014, a Singaporean angler
caught an underwater creature which he said was "moving like an alien". Here is a glimpse of what he caught. This wriggly sea creature
is called a basket star, an echinoderm and a distant
relative to the common starfish. Like other echinoderms,
it develops multiple arms in order to move around the
sea floor and to gather food. Basket stars, however,
have arms that branch into several slender, slimmer
arms, giving it a weird, coral-like appearance. Another unique trait of this
creature is that it is able to defend itself by curling
its arms to form a tight ball whenever it is threatened,
discouraging predators like sharks and eels from preying on them, a necessary skill to have
on predator-infested waters. Like starfishes, basket
stars often get beached if the current is strong enough. So yeah, there is a
possibility that you may get to see a writhing mass of tentacles while you are finding a spot on the beach. Number five: Ampulex dementor. Wasps are terrifying. This wasp, however,
takes the word terrifying to the next level.
Meet the Ampulex cementor. Named after the Dementors of
the Harry Potter universe, the Ampulex Dementor is
able to immobilize its prey, leaving it in a vegetative state. Kind of like its namesake, but instead of sucking out their soul, it injects a venom that
quickly paralyzes its prey. It's a good thing to know that
they only hunt cockroaches. Once the victim is paralyzed, the Ampulex dementor
leads it to its burrow, where it will inject its
egg onto the cockroach. Its offspring will then
take in the nutrients of the cockroach, emerging fully-grown out of the cockroach's
carcass after forty days. From there, the new Ampulex
dementor will search for its own cockroach to prey on and the cycle continues.
Terrifying, indeed. Number four: Homaemus proteus nymphs. Very rarely will you find cute bugs, as most of them come
equipped with stingers, hairy appendages, and many
other disgusting bug features. But a lucky resident of Houston, Texas was able to find a few of them, taking a video of these cute
critters dancing on her garden. This video went viral last August, and although few knew what they were, an entomologist at Texas
Invasives revealed they were Homaemus Proteus
nymphs, a type of shield bug that is commonly found on
fields and shrubby areas. As recorded in the video, the
bugs stop for a few seconds and then begin to move
again, creating the illusion that they are dancing. However, according to entomologists, these bugs aren't able to take in oxygen while on the move, so they need to stop to be able to breathe in oxygen properly. Like other bugs, they
have a defense mechanism to ward off predators. They produce a strong, stinky smell that will put off predators
from wanting to eat them. They look similar to
blueberries, so you might want to check first if that
is indeed a blueberry or you're going to have a bad time. Number three: fangtooth snake-eel. Hurricane Harvey was a
devastating hurricane that wrought destruction
in the United States. This same hurricane was also responsible for some sea creatures getting beached, including one bizarre-looking creature that greatly resembles sea monsters found in fictional stories. With the help of
biologists, they determined that the sea monster was
a fangtooth snake-eel, a type of eel found in
the West Atlantic Ocean and Gulf of Mexico. Like other eels, it
inhabits burrows and stays at depths of a hundred meters
where its common preys, crustaceans and bony fishes, reside. Its fangs are massive and
sharp, helping it to penetrate the hard shells of its prey. Upon reaching maturity, the
fangtooth snake-eel can grow to lengths of up to 84 centimeters. The fangtooth snake-eel is
rarely encountered in the wild, unlike other types of eels. Should you encounter one,
it's best to stay calm, as you wouldn't want its sharp teeth anywhere near your skin. Number two: ribbon worm. Yet another strange worm
squirms its way into this video. Back in May 2015, the internet
were all over a strange worm that expels this gooey, white
substance out of its mouth. This worm is called the ribbon
worm, which is often found in large bodies of water. This slimy worm normally
measures 20 centimeters, but they can appear longer thanks to their highly-developed muscles, allowing them to contract
or expand at will. But what surprises most
people is its unique ability, which is their main tool
for scavenging food. The white substance they
expel is incredibly sticky, allowing them to trap their
prey for later consumption, just like spiders and their webs. Ribbon worms are also poisonous, deterring predators from consuming them. While most ribbon worms
seen in the wild are small, there are records showing that
there are larger varieties of these worms, growing up to 60 meters. If that fact didn't make
you wince in terror, then I don't know what will. If you made it this far,
I'm going to bet you enjoyed this video, so why not subscribe? We upload amazing,
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on some amazing knowledge that could have filled your brain. Now lets get back to it. Number one: giant stingray. Stingrays are often feared,
especially when Steve Irwin, the famed crocodile hunter,
died when he encountered one. But this viral video back in 2013 proves that friendship can blossom between a boy and a giant stingray. Giant stingrays can
grow to massive lengths, growing up to five meters
once they reach adulthood. Contrary to what people believe, stingrays are not aggressive,
only turning violent when threatened or provoked by outsiders. Should they feel threatened,
they will use their sharp tail coated with neurotoxins to stab attackers, poisoning and killing
them if left untreated, provided that they don't die
from the stab wound first. Of course, this will only happen if you're hostile towards it. The boy in the video showed respect towards the massive creature
which was likely scavenging for by-catch that was
often throw near the port. The video garnered over 50
million views worldwide, as both the massive size of the stingray and the heart-warming bond
between animal and human have captured the hearts
of many people online. Fascinating world we live in, right? If you were given the
chance, would you like to encounter these strange
creatures in one of your trips? Do let me know in the comments below. Thanks for watching. (energetic electronic music)
