Which animals make the best movie monsters?

polygon.com:

It’s not hard to see the appeal of the “animal attack” subgenre of horror. There are a ton of animals in the world, many of which have an overload of teeth and legs and claws, and our lousy fleshy bits just can’t quite stand up to them. Horror films have often not been terribly interested in representing the natural world, but if you leave a horror movie thinking, Maybe I should respect wild animals a little more and give them their space, more power to them.

However, just within the scope of the horror film, which animal has been given the best treatment and the most nightmarish vibes? Which one is the top of the food chain, repeatedly dominating humankind in a confident and gnarly fashion? With decades of films to choose from, here are the top 10 animals that horror has decided just aren’t worth messing with. Honorable mentions go to rats (Willard is utterly fantastic, with Crispin Glover’s best and most unhinged performance,) ticks (please enjoy Clint Howard screaming “I’m infested!” with his face full of them,) wild boars (Razorback is an Australian treasure), and orcas (mainly due to the film Orca, which is better than any horror film called “Orca” has any right to be.)

While being mostly limited to a single franchise, movies about piranhas do have their high points, depending on what you’re looking for. Fans of low-budget Roger Corman productions need to check out 1978’s Piranha, a movie written by independent film darling John Sayles and directed with gory aplomb by a young Joe Dante. However, if you’re looking to see a bunch of little fishes devour young adults in between thumping songs by Pitbull, Shwayze, and Far East Movement, then 2010’s Piranha 3D will be much more your speed. Fans of bloody special effects