Monster Myths

That Are Actually True

TOTALLY CRAZY
MONSTER MYTHS
(THAT ARE ACTUALLY
TRUE!)

Zombie Among Us

There has never been a case of a human turning into a mindless zombie and attacking friends and family. But ants? That’s a different story. A strange new fungus, Ophiocordyceps unilateralis, releases chemicals into an ant’s brain and controls its mind. The ant will deviate from its peers in line, abandon its duties, and go to the underside of a leaf or branch. There it awaits its death by fungus. A few days later, a stalk of the fungus that protrudes from the dead ant’s brain releases spores into the air—to find a new victim.

Itty Bitty Dragon

It’s a bird, it’s a plane … No, it’s a Draco lizard! These teacup-size reptiles of Southeast Asia can catch the wind and glide between the trees using wings of skin stretched over their extra-long ribs. These real-life dragons would be scary if they could breathe fire—and weren’t small enough to become bird food!

The Rare Unicorn

They may not have the magical healing powers of the mythical unicorn, but deer and other antlered animals are occasionally born with a single horn, sometimes positioned at the center of their head. This rare genetic flaw could have inspired the unicorn legend a long time ago.