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Photo Gallery: Eerie Animals

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Great Horned Owl
Photograph by Joel Sartore
The most common owl in North and South America, the great horned owl has adapted to a wide variety of habitats and climates.
Spider Exoskeleton
Photography by Paul Zahl
The empty exoskeleton of a huntsman spider, like this one in Arizona, is only slightly less creepy than the real thing. These imposing arachnids can be huge, with some species exceeding 5 inches (12 centimeters) in diameter. They're generally shy though, and their bite, though painful, is otherwise harmless.
Gaboon Viper
Photograph by Michael Nichols
A close-up shows the watchful eye of a Gaboon viper, Africa's largest viper. These highly venomous snakes can reach six feet (two meters) long and weigh 40 pounds (20 kilograms). Their fangs are the longest of any poisonous snake on Earth, growing up to two inches (five centimeters) long.
Vampire Bat
Photograph by Bruce Dale
A vampire bat laps blood from a sleeping calf somewhere in the United States. These archetypal eerie animals are the only mammals that subsist solely on blood.
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Tarantula Feeding
Photograph by Paul Zahl
The tarantula's appearance is worse than its bite. Tarantula venom is weaker than that of a honeybee and, though painful, is virtually harmless to humans.
Gray Wolf With Carcass
Photograph by Joel Sartore
In everything from pop songs to literature to Saturday morning cartoons, humans have long vilified wolves. They once roamed throughout North America, but their spine-tingling howls were nearly extinguished in the U.S. by ranchers trying to protect their livestock. Efforts to restore wolves to the wild are succeeding, though. Here a gray wolf fiercely guards its meal at the International Wolf Center in Ely, Minnesota.
Black Cat
Photograph by Brian Gordon Green
The object of superstition worldwide, black cats are often considered harbingers of bad luck. This one seems unaware of his power over humans though, as he lounges on a park bench in Savannah, Georgia.

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Photo Gallery: Eerie Animals