Did you know that there is an animal that, when threatened, can shoot a stream of toxic blood from its eyes? Nature is WILD, so we wanted to put together a list of animals that have evolved to use their own bodily fluids as weapons.
Bombardier Beetle
Hopefully, you haven’t just eaten, because these little guys might gross you out. The bombardier beetle has two chambers in its abdomen that contain liquids that, when combined, create a chemical reaction that creates a scalding liquid so hot it can reach 212 degrees Fahrenheit.
Even worse, they can jet this chemical concoction from their bums at a speed of 33 feet per second! And they’re not just firing blindly, mind you. These guys take the time to aim.
Archerfish
These freshwater fish love hunting land-dwelling insects. No, they aren’t capable of crawling out of the water to chase their prey… Instead they do something really unique. They spit water at them!
Imagine a cricket munching on a leaf near a fresh water stream. The archerfish will identify the cricket and then come out of the water just enough to send a jet of water at the cricket, knocking it loose to fall into the stream and be eaten. The water can travel up to 6 feet per second! That’s some serious spitting power.
Ringnecked Spitting Cobra
When you encounter a snake, the common advice is to freeze and then slowly move away from the snake. That’s all well and great if you are just worried about the fangs. But what if the snake could spit venom at you from a distance? That’s exactly what this cobra can do.
These cobras are good at spitting, too. Like the archerfish they have perfected their aim. They can spit venom up to 6.5 feet away! Meaning if you are anywhere near these snakes, you could be in serious trouble.
Bloody-Eyed Lizard
And here we are, at our strangest example. Fish spitting water makes sense. Snakes spitting venom makes sense. But a lizard spitting a jet of blood straight from its eyes? It sounds like Mother Nature invited Stephen King to design an animal.
The blood jets that these lizards shoot can travel up to 3 feet and contain toxins that affect dogs, wolves, and coyotes — common predators for these lizards. The bloody-eyed lizards have muscle linings around the veins near their eyes that they can contract, which builds up pressure and allows them to shoot. It’s truly one of the strangest self-defenses on Earth!
