The wizarding world’s premier expert on animal life hits the big screen in North America on November 18—with a menagerie of fantastical creatures in tow.

In Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, the latest film based on J.K. Rowling’s Harry Potter series, a wizard named Newt Scamander has traveled the world, studying and collecting magical creatures of all shapes, sizes, and descriptions—and then has to deal with the chaos of their escape from captivity.

The creatures in Scamander’s magical suitcase—and Rowling’s imagination—may be awe-inspiring, but the real world offers up creatures that are just as amazing.

From ancient snakes more than 40 feet long to explosive beetles, here are a few examples of what nature has to offer.

In the wizarding world,