Boo! Top 10 Spookiest (Coolest) Animals At the ABQ BioPark
Happy Halloween from the ABQ BioPark! To celebrate, we made a list of the top spooky (but really cool) animals here at the BioPark. Learn why these supposed scary animals are actually really neat and misunderstood!
#10 Tasmanian devil
Scare factor: Devils are known for rowdy communal feedings and squabbling over carcasses.
Cool factor: These marsupials are capable of incredible feats of strength - they can climb trees and swim across rivers.
#9 Crocodile
Scare factor: Those jaws have 24 sharp teeth meant to grasp and crush, not to chew.
Cool factor: They can live up to 80 years!
#8 Wolf
Scare factor: You're scared they'll huff and puff and blow your house down.
Cool factor: Once a wolf has found a mate, the two usually stay together for life.
#7 Shark
Scare factor: The music from Jaws still keeps you up at night.
Cool factor: They always have a row of smaller teeth behind their front teeth - eventually, the front teeth fall out and the smaller ones take their place like a conveyor belt!
#6 Roach
Scare factor: Cockroach infestations can cause allergies and asthma.
Cool factor: They can live for a week without their heads!
#5 Vulture
Scare factor: They prey on dead animals. They're scary looking.
Cool factor: Vultures are nature's cleanup crew - they remove animal carcasses that would otherwise get left behind.
#4 Hyena
Scare Factor: Hyenas produce a characteristic laughing sound when attacked or chased. They also whoop, grunt, giggle, growl and whine.
Cool factor: They're smart - in one study they showed greater problem solving and social cooperation than chimpanzees!
#3 Snakes
Scare factor: They can't chew, so they swallow their prey whole.
Cool factor: They can smell with their tongue!
#2 Tarantula
Scare factor: They're big, hairy spiders.
Cool factor: Females can live 30 years or longer in the wild.
#1 Naked mole rat
Scare factor: They're completely hairless and wrinkled with protruding teeth. They live underground.
Cool factor: They are the longest living rodents, with a lifespan of up to 30 years.