The Earth has been in existence for billions of years. So, it’s safe to say it has seen its fair share of creatures. Some adorable, some fun, and some downright terrifying.
We always think of dinosaurs as being the scariest creatures to have ever walked the earth. And, while they definitely are one of the scariest, there are a few creatures that are even more terrifying.
No matter how much of an animal lover you are, there are always going to be some animals you’re glad aren’t around anymore.
In this article, we will detail an array of animals that are so terrifying you will be glad they’re extinct! So, if this is of interest to you, read on for more!
13 Terrifying Animals That Went Extinct
Here are some scary animals that went extinct!
Euphoberia
An euphoberia is a giant centipede. They are similar to the centipedes of today, except for the fact that they were over three ft long! We don’t have a lot of information about their diet.
But, if the centipedes of today can eat birds…well, we dread to think what an even bigger centipede could eat…
Megapiranha
The Megapiranha is a much bigger, much deadlier version of the piranha. It weighed around 20 to 30 lbs, much, much bigger than the 2 lbs piranha.
These megapiranhas were native to South America and lived around 10 to 6 million years ago. They would eat creatures like crocodiles and snakes.
And you thought piranhas were bad?
Titanoboa
You may want to avoid reading this one if you have a fear of snakes. The Titanoboa was the largest snake to exist. It weighed up to 2,500 lbs and was more than 40 ft long!
The Titanoboa first appeared after the dinosaurs went extinct, but luckily, was extinct itself long before humans walked the earth.
Terror Birds
Terror birds got their name for being exactly that: terrifying. The huge creatures did not have wings, but they were 10 ft tall and were first around in both South and Central America 60 million years ago.
They were at the very top of the food chain, and believe us when we say you would not want to be around to see their massive beaks in action. Luckily, Terror Birds went extinct 2 million years ago.
Cameroceras
If you asked us what ruled the ocean around 460 to 470 million years ago, we would have to say the Cameroceras. This is an ancestor to our modern-day octopi and squid.
Cameroceras were around 20 to 40 ft in size, and trust us when we say you won’t catch us jumping into the ocean again if these creatures were still around.
Cameroceras had gigantic cone-like shells with huge protruding tentacles that would help them catch their prey.
Dunkleosteus
This fish was alive around 360 million years ago, during the late Devonian period. It was hyper-carnivorous, and one look at those teeth tells us all we need to know about the fate of their prey.
The Dunkleosteus weighed around 4 tons and grew to 33 ft tall. It had a strong body and a powerful jaw, making it the ideal predator – and one we are very, very glad to see gone.
Hallucigenia
This creature looks like it came directly from our nightmares. It did not have ears, eyes, or a nose on its head. Instead, it had seven tentacles on its body, each one with a pincer at the tip.
Behind these were three more pairs of tentacles. We don’t know what we would do if we saw one of these making its way toward us.
Epicyon
Next, we have the Epicyon. This creature could be found in North America around 12 to 6 million years ago. It was one of the largest members of the canine family, and was actually the size of a bear!
And if that wasn’t enough, it could weigh up to 300 lbs and had huge jaws that could easily tear anything to pieces.
Spinosaurus
Of course, some dinosaurs were always going to make it onto this list. The Spinosaurus was actually larger than the T-Rex and it was one of the biggest carnivorous dinosaurs to ever have existed.
This scary creature could weigh up to 10 tons and could grow up to 19 meters tall!
It primarily fed on turtles, fish, and other dinosaurs, nothing was out of the question.
Megalodon
Here’s one you have probably heard of already. The Megladon were the biggest sharks to ever have existed. They were around 60 ft long and could weigh anywhere between 50-100 metric tons.
The scariest thing is that Megladon went extinct only 2.6 million years ago, meaning that it ate many animals that are still alive today, like whales, porpoises, and sea turtles.
Josephoartigasia
Think of a capybara but make it the size of a cow. That is what a Josephoartigasia looked like. This creature was a huge rodent that weighed around one ton and was 10 ft long with a 5 ft tail.
These creatures may have been herbivorous, but we definitely would not want to have been near them or their 1 ft-long incisors, just in case.
Megalania
Megalania are relatives of the Komodo dragons and only went extinct around 50,000 years ago. They were around 18 ft long and would have weighed around 1,300 lbs.
These creatures have a diet that compasses anything from bird eggs and chicks to small mammals and reptiles, to large marsupials.
Deinosuchus
The Deinosuchus is a relative to modern-day alligators and crocodiles. They were alive around 80 to 73 million years ago and would measure around 40 ft long.
These creatures were terrifying because of their teeth, which were sharp, large, and strong enough to take down a T-Rex.
If this creature could take down a T-Rex, we don’t want to think about what it could do to us.
Final Thoughts
And there you have it! These creatures may have been extinct for millions and millions of years (most of them), but their legacy of being some of the most terrifying creatures in the world lives on.
Hi, I’m Olivia Kepner and I am a zookeeper here in San Diego. Since I was a young girl I have always been fascinated by animals and species across the globe.
I used to beg my parents to take me to our local zoo every single weekend. Well, I say local – it was more like a two hour drive away. But they took me as much as they could, allowing me to fall in love with the animals again and again.
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