▲The stereotypical image of zombies decomposing is not that far from the truth in humans, if we consider something like necrosis.

▲Mostly found in rural areas of sub-Saharan Africa, symptoms include extreme tiredness, insomnia, and slurred speech, among others.

▲A few larvae stay inside the caterpillar, that then acts like a sort of zombie bodyguard to the cocoons until the wasps hatch. It's possible that the larvae that stay behind do so to control their host's behavior.

▲But nature adapts, and some species have developed a tolerance to the fungus and don't actually die from it.

▲The amber snail can get infected by a parasite called Leucochloridium paradoxum. They do so by eating the parasite's eggs found in bird's excrement.

▲CWD is similar to BSE (mad cow disease), and but there have been no recorded cases of human infection so far.

▲Wasps seem to have zombie superpowers. The jewel wasp, for instance, can turn cockroaches into zombies.

▲The wasp stings the roach in the brain. The venom allows for the wasp to cut off the roach's antennae and lead it into a burrow. The wasp then proceeds to seal the burrow.

▲As the parasite grows, it enlarges the snail's tentacles, giving them vivid colors.

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The colors attract birds, so they'll eat the snails. The parasite lays eggs inside the bird, the bird poops, and the cycle begins all over again.

▲The larvae will then feed on the caterpillar's body fluids until they enter the pupal stage and start forming cocoons.

▲The fungus causes the ants' jaws to become atrophied, so when they bite a leaf they get locked and remain there until they die.

▲The fungus turns Japanese tree frogs into irresistible heartthrobs. Infected frogs make a different mating call from their healthy rivals. The sound they make is actually more attractive to females!

▲A fungus called Ophiocordyceps can infect carpenter ants.

▲Necrotizing fasciitis, on the other hand, is a serious disease caused by flesh-eating bacteria. But don't panic about decomposing while being alive—this condition is actually quite rare.

▲A wasp called Glyptapanteles lays eggs in the body of a caterpillar.

▲A barnacle called Loxothylacus panopaei is responsible for turning small crabs into zombies. They make the crabs infertile and take over their reproductive system.

▲Rhithropanopeus harrisii (also known as dwarf crabs and white-fingered mud crabs) carry the parasite's larvae as if they were their own.

▲Infected people pretty much turn into zombies before they eventually fall into a coma and die.

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Chronic wasting disease (CWD), also known as 'zombie deer disease,' is a neurological disease that can affect deer, moose, and elk.

▲A Harvard ethnobotanist who investigated Haitian zombies found out that "zombie powder," was being used by voodoo priests in the '80s to turn people into zombies. It turned out that this powder contained a toxin found in puffer fish. This toxin can lead to paralysis while consciousness is not lost.

▲Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis is a deadly fungus which has been responsible for the extinction of many amphibian species.

▲The wasp then lays an egg on the cockroach. The larva digs a hole and enters the roach's body and eats it from the inside out.

▲Infected animals look like zombies. They lose weight, display abnormal behavior, and their bodily functions eventually shut down and death occurs.

▲But grasshoppers and crickets are not aquatic animals and the hairworms need to swim and find a mate when they mature. So they try to get their hosts into water.

▲Grasshoppers and crickets can get infected by an aquatic parasite called Nematomorph hairworm.

▲African trypanosomiasis, also known as 'sleeping sickness,' is spread by the tsetse fly.

▲The zombie fungus then grows from the ant's head and spores fall onto the floor, where it infects more ants.

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They do this by producing proteins that affect the grasshopper's central nervous system and their response to water, basically brainwashing them to jump into water!

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This is essentially when cells die prematurely. Instead of only getting rid of dead cells, the body also "attacks" healthy living cells. Luckily necrosis is mostly localized (e.g. following an injury).

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If you thought zombies were just a thing out of horror movies, think again. Nature has proved time and again that it can surprise us. From brain-controlling worms to sexy zombie frogs, in this gallery you'll find some of nature's most amazing zombies.

Take a look.