Shapeshifters, blood-suckers and subterranean zombies, the natural world is brimming with creatures to satiate even the most twisted horror fanatic. Moles with exploded, tentacles noses? We've got those. Electric fish? Take your pick. Frogs that rise from the dead? You betcha. This Halloween, we've rounded up some of our favourite freaks of nature:

The Rise of the frogs

In times of drought, African bullfrogs have an innovative survival strategy. These monstrous frogs – the males weigh in at around 1.4 kg (3.1 lb) – wrap themselves in a cocoon of skin and retreat to an earthy burrow to wait out the dry months. The skin blanket helps hold in moisture so the frogs don't dehydrate and their bodies slow down to accommodate a temporary life of dormancy. In this state, it's believed the frogs can survive for 7-8 months. When the first rains of the wet season begin to quench the parched earth, the frogs emerge, surging out of their subterranean burrows like undead soldiers. First on the agenda for a zombie frog: food. 

Skinburster

We all remember that scene from the original Alien movie. You know the one: the crew are sitting down to a jovial dinner joking about the lousy food when Kane, overcome with sudden convulsions, writhes and contorts his way onto the table. Much to the surprise of Kane and the crew, an infant Xenomorph erupts from his chest in a marvellously grotesque spray of entrails that helped cement the franchise. Botfly larvae opt for a similar journey of burrowing, incubation and nauseating evacuation (although their emergence is, thankfully, a lot less dramatic) ...

Zombie caterpillars

Who doesn't love a good zombie flick, amiright? Examples of zombification are practically commonplace in the animal kingdom. Take the parasitoid wasps – these formidable insects seek out chubby caterpillars to use as living incubators for their broods. Female parasitoid wasps bury their eggs deep inside the bodies of caterpillars. Once they hatch, the larvae take over. They control the nervous system and appetite of the caterpillar forcing it to consume one and half times more food than it normally would. When the larvae are good and ready they eat their out of their zombie hosts. Nice.

Stream these titles and more for free this Halloween Weekend on Earth Touch TV (available in select territories on Samsung TV Plus, Rakuten and LG Channels).