Phillie Phanatic terrifies unsuspecting dog with unfurling red tongue

Nature!

The Phillie Phanatic has never been trustworthy, and turning 40 years old last week apparently did not compel the Phillies' longtime mascot to start behaving himself. Stunning footage captured over the weekend and uncovered by the vigilant anthropologists at /r/baseball shows a rare interaction between the Phanatic and a domestic dog, canis lupus domesticus.

The dog, friendly and curious, made the grave mistake of sniffing the Phanatic's beak and received for its overtures the fright of its life courtesy the Phanatic's unfurling tongue. This is, presumably, as scared as this pug has been since the last time it heard thunder or saw a vacuum cleaner.

MORE:

How LaVar Ball's coaching feud and the Ball brothers' experience unfolded in Lithuania

CC Sabathia gets into heated shouting match with umpire Angel Hernandez

Brazilian surfer broke the world record for surfing an absurd 80-foot wave

Bryce Harper was fed up after getting intentionally walked

CC Sabathia gets into heated shouting match with umpire Angel Hernandez