5 scary animals with an undeserved reputation

People believe that all sharks are dangerous but this species prefers a different sort of food. They mostly feast on zooplankton and wouldn’t even be able to take a bite of a human. So despite its impressive size, it’s unlikely that this endangered ocean dweller will cause any harm.

Vultures look intimidating. They’re a huge bird with an impressive wingspan and they’re food of choice is quite unsightly to human sensibilities. Their proclivity for rotted meat along with their dangerous looking claws and beaks make them quite unpopular. But these creatures won’t be chasing you around. Chances are, if you still have a pulse, vultures will leave you well alone.

Spiders are always candidates for people’s fears and this one really looks the part. It’s huge, hairy and there are depictions of it eating whole hummingbirds, dating as far back as the 18th century. But this reputation is undeserved as well. The Goliath Birdeater would rather be left alone and if left unprovoked, will likely never bite a human.

Gharial look a lot like crocodiles and therefore inherit their more violent cousins’ dread. But if you look closely you’ll see that the snout of this species is very thin. It’s actually not suited for eating large prey at all. The gharial’s food of choice is in the size range of frogs, fish and insects.

Completely harmless but very weird looking, this african insect is among the largest of its kind. They clock in around 400 legs and grow to be 12 inches long. But despite their creepy appearance, they pose no danger.