The Most Horrifying Defense Mechanisms of Adorable Animals

Voting Rules
Vote up the adorable animals that have the most horrifying defense mechanisms.

List of the most horrifying defense mechanisms of adorable animals. It turns out, some of the most adorable creatures on the planet also have the most terrifying adaptations. It appears as though mother nature has blessed our cutest and most cuddly animals with the most heinous of defenses. It makes sense, after all, since it's all about natural selection and survival of the cutest.  

Who wouldn't want the blue ringed octopus to stay alive when attacked by predators? When those rings turn blue, you'll know it's ready to snap your butt off. If only humans were able to communicate this kind of thing without speaking. Same goes for the mantis shrimp, which is one of the cooler shellfish out there. But this guy ain't kosher – its appendages will slam into an enemy at the speed of a car on the highway. We see this with other members of the animal kingdom, like pottos and platypuses and porcupines alike. Don't be fooled by their fuzzy appearances and cute little faces... the animals on this list have some killer ways of, well, killing other animals.
Photo: Metaweb / GNU Free Documentation License

  • 1
    355 VOTES

    Hairy Frogs

    Hairy Frogs
    Photo: Metaweb / CC-BY
    This delightful fuzzy jumper breaks its own bones, using the resulting spines as a weapon against predators. Nothing too cute anymore about a near-suicidal monster.
    355 votes
  • 2
    342 VOTES

    Noble Hoopoes

    Its name is as lovable as its face, but consider yourself warned. A little birdie told me that the hoopoe dissuades predators from attack by squirting fecal matter at on-comers. 
    342 votes
  • 3
    335 VOTES

    Northern Fulmar Chicks

    Don't get too close to this darling pile of fluff. A Northern Fulmar Chick will literally projectile vomit a horrible-smelling orange liquid on your face.
    335 votes
  • 4
    308 VOTES

    Mantis Shrimp

    Mantis Shrimp
    Photo: Metaweb / CC-BY
    Fight club has a got a new member – and it's an itty bitty one. The shrimp mantis has club-like appendices under its head that travel up to 50 miles per hour, crashing into its prey.
    308 votes
  • 5
    270 VOTES

    Boxer Crabs

    Boxer Crabs
    Photo: flickr / CC0
    A symbiotic relationship with anemones gives this crab its cute appearance of having playful little pom poms. But these pom poms can sting attackers… ZAP!
    270 votes
  • 6
    271 VOTES

    Blue-ringed octopus

    Blue-ringed octopus
    Photo: Wikimedia Commons / CC-BY
    This beautiful octopus normally blends in, but when it’s threatened, blue rings will appear, indicating that it’s ready to bite. So next time you wanna pet a baby octo's awesome tentacles, beware.
    271 votes