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What Are The Most Abundant Animals Found In The Pelagic Zone

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[Updated on February 9, 2022]

The globe is a wild and wonderful place, filled with millions of absurd animals most of us take never even heard of.

Growing upward feeling like a fleck of an odd bird myself, I've always been fascinated by strange animals and weird insects. I even studied ornithology and entomology in high school.

The Duck-billed Platypus and the Praying Mantis were both early on childhood favorites of mine. Today we feel special affinity for weird looking animals such as the Pangolin and the Dugong, which we snorkeled with in Coron, Palawan .

Getting to see foreign animals such as the Baird's Tapir (in Corcovado National Park ), Bushbaby (in Meru National Park ), Flightless Cormorant (in the Galapagos Islands ), and Hoatzin (in the Peruvian Amazon ) in the wild has been one of our favorite parts of traveling the earth together.

If you're attracted to weird birds, unusual amphibians, and other cool creatures like we are, so you lot'll love our ballsy guide to 70 cool, strange, and weird animals around the world!

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COOL & WEIRD ANIMALS GUIDE

  1. Strange Amphibians & Weird Reptiles
  2. Weird Birds
  3. Weird Creepy-Crawly Creatures
  4. Unique Mammals
  5. Unusual Nocturnal Animals
  6. Cool Animals from the Bounding main

STRANGE AMPHIBIANS & REPTILES

Strange Animals: Weird Amphibians Around The World -Axolotl
Male Axolotl via Maxpixel

i. Axolotl

Latin Name: Ambystoma mexicanum

Habitat: Mexico's Lake Xochimilco and Lake Chalco

Size: Length: Upwards to 12 in; Weight: 2.11 to 8 oz

Diet: Trout, salmon pellets, bloodworms, earthworms, waxworms

Conservation Status: Critically Endangered, population decreasing

Also known equally the Mexican Walking Fish, this amphibious salamander is critically endangered, and nearly went extinct in 2010.

They're weird animals because they don't go into metamorphosis like other salamanders: Even adults remain aquatic and gilled.

They're frequently used for research past scientists due to their ability to regenerate limbs.

Once a staple of the Aztec diet, they're now the focus of conservation efforts in United mexican states Metropolis, where local NGOs are building "Axolotl shelters."

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Ugly Amphibians Around The World -Atretochoana Eiselti also known as the
Atretochoana eiselti, also known as the "penis serpent". Photo by Matt Roper

2. Atretochoana

Latin Proper noun: Atretochoana eiselti

Habitat: Brazil nearly the oral cavity of the Amazon and in the Madeira River

Size: Length: two.4 feet; Weight: 1.76 to 3.52 oz

Diet: Small fish, worms

Conservation Status: Information Deficient

This odd amphibious species was start discovered on an expedition to the Brazilian rainforest in the late 1800s.

But most people had never heard of them until workers institute six of these bizarre, eyeless creatures in 2011 while draining a portion of the Madeira River (a tributary of the Amazon) for a controversial hydroelectric project.

Information technology's also known equally the "penis snake," and it's easy to see why.

They're limbless, with snake-like bodies marked with earthworm-like rings, and heads that expect like a portion of the male beefcake.

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Unusual Amphibians Around The World -Chinese Giant Salamander
Chinese Giant Salamander by J. Patrick Fischer via CC BY-SA three.0

3. Chinese Giant Salamander

Latin Name: Andrias davidianus

Habitat: Rocky colina streams and lakes

Size: Length: Up to five.9 anxiety; Weight: Upwards to 65 pounds

Diet: Insects, millipedes, horsehair worms, amphibians, fish, freshwater crabs

Conservation Status: Critically Endangered, population decreasing

The largest amphibian in the world, this critically endangered salamander can attain lengths of upward to 5'nine" and counterbalance up to 65 pounds.

Fully aquatic, they're primarily found in the rocky mount streams and lakes of China but accept been introduced in Japan and Taiwan.

They have crazy vocalizations– from barking and hissing to whining and crying– which has earned it the Chinese nickname "the infant fish."

Unfortunately, the Chinese too consider it a delicacy and utilise it in traditional medicine.

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Strange Frogs Around The World -Clawed Frog
Clawed Frog by Brian Gratwicke (Flickr: Xenopus laevis) via CC Past 2.0

four. Clawed Frog

Latin Name: Xenopus laevis

Habitat: Grassland ponds, streams, and lakes in barren and semi-barren climates

Size: Length: 4 to 5 inches; Weight: 2 to 2.five oz

Nutrition: Brine shrimp, shrimp pellets, waxworms, bloodworms, mealworms, insects, minnows

Conservation Condition: Least Concern, population increasing

The Xenopus genus includes xx species of aquatic frogs found in sub-Saharan Africa.

What makes them weird is the fact that they cannot hop, so they have to clamber long distances in order to go from one pond to some other.

The frogs have eyes on tiptop of their flattened heads, but no eyelids or eardrums. They likewise cannot motility their tongue, so they utilise pocket-size fore limbs to help during feeding.

When the lakes, ponds, and potholes they tend to favor dry up, the frogs may lie dormant for a year awaiting pelting.

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Unusual Turtles Around the World- Eastern Long Necked Turtle
By Andy Mitchell from Glasgow, United kingdom of great britain and northern ireland (Eastern Snake-necked Turtle) CC Past-SA 2.0

five. Eastern Long-Necked Turtle

Latin Name: Chelodina longicollis

Habitat: Wetland and swampy areas, streams rivers; common in eastern Australia

Size: Length: 9.84 in to 11 in; Weight: fifteen.half dozen to 28.vii oz

Nutrition: Fish, crustaceans, mollusks, amphibians, worms, insects

Conservation Condition: Data deficient

Similar a reptilian giraffe , this aptly-named turtle (commonly establish in eastern Australia) has a snake-like neck that's almost as long as its entire carapace.

Rather than retracting its head back within as you might await, this "side-necked turtle" bends it sideways into its shell.

When threatened, the Eastern Long-neck will emit a terribly noxious smell from its musk glands, which has also earned it the nickname "The Stinker."

READ MORE:20 Weird & Cute Australian Animals

Odd Amphibians Around the World -Glass Frog
Glass Frog by Geoff Gallice from Gainesville, FL, The states CC BY 2.0

6. Glass Frogs

Latin Name: Centrolenidae

Habitat: Tropical rainforests

Size: Length: 0.78 to 3 in

Nutrition: Insects, spiders

Conservation Status: Least Concern

Commonly known as Glass Frogs, members of the amphibian family Centrolenidae all share a similar small-scale size and lime green groundwork colors.

What makes them foreign animals is the fact that sure species take translucent abdominal skin that allows yous to see their insides.

This includes their heart, liver, gastrointestinal tract, and (in the case of females) eggs!

It's besides a helpful feature for escaping predators, since the frogs are primarily agile at night.

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Weird Turtles Around The World, Mata Mata Turtle
By Dick Culbert from Gibsons, B.C., Canada (Chelus fimbriatus) CC Past 2.0

vii. Mata Mata Turtle

Latin Name: Chelus fimbriata

Habitat: Streams and swamps in the Amazon and Orinoco basins

Size: Length: Upwards to 18 in; Weight: xxx pounds

Diet: Fish, frogs, insects

Conservation Condition: Near Threatened

This South American freshwater turtle is found in the Amazon and Orinoco basins, primarily in slow-moving streams and swamps where information technology tin can stand in shallow h2o and stretch its nose to the surface to breathe.

Information technology'southward an unusual, ancient-looking brute that's conspicuously made for camouflage.

It has a horny snout and flattened, triangle-shaped head that looks like fallen leaves, and a brown/black shell said to resemble bark.

Measuring up to 18 inches long and weighing some 30 pounds, information technology's a big, trippy-looking turtle!

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Weird Lizards Around The World -Mexican Mole Lizard
Mexican Mole Cadger past Marlin Harms via CC BY two.0

8. Mexican Mole Lizard

Latin Name: Bipes biporus

Habitat: Mexico'south Baja California region

Size: Length: seven.ane to 9.4 in; Weight: 3 oz

Diet: Ants, termites, insects, larvae, earthworms

Conservation Status: Least Business organization, population stable

These baroque animals, which are also ordinarily known every bit the 5-Toed Worm Lizard, are endemic to Mexico's Baja California region.

Measuring up to 9.4 inches long, it looks like a freaky hybrid– part earthworm, function mole, part salamander.

It'southward got a edgeless caput; a slender, ribbed, pinkish trunk; and ii tiny forelimbs that information technology uses to dig underground.

They live there, close to the surface, and but emerge at night or after heavy rains.

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Weird Looking Frogs Around The World, Pinocchio Frog
Pinocchio Frog, photo © Tim Laman via Conservation International

9. Spike-Nosed Tree Frog

Latin Proper noun: Litoria pinocchio

Habitat: Rainforest of the Foja mountains of Indonesia

Size: Spike: two.five mm

Diet: Insects

Conservation Condition: Data Deficient

Colloquially known as the "Pinocchio Frog," this unusual beast was discovered during a Conservation International and National Geographic Society expedition to Indonesian New Guinea in 2008.

Its nickname comes from the fact that the tree frog's elongated olfactory organ grows rigid and cock when he'south calling out to prospective mates, only otherwise remains limp and deflated.

Not much else is known most the species, other than the fact that it lives in the rainforest of the Foja Mountains .

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Weird Looking Amphibians Around the World -Purple Frog
Imperial Frog via EdgeofExistence.org

10. Purple Frog

Latin Name: Nasikabatrachus sahyadrensis

Habitat: India'due south Western Ghats

Size: Length: 6 to 9 cm; Weight: 5 to 6 oz

Diet: Termites

Conservation Status: Endangered

Also known as the Indian Regal Frog or Pignose Frog, this grape-colored goliath looks like Grimace (if he was a fat frog with a pocket-size head and a pointy snout).

Endemic to India's Western Ghats, the endangered frog's proboscis is designed to help it feed on its favorite food, termites.

They spend the majority of their time underground: They just surface to breed once a yr, for ii weeks during India'due south monsoon season.

A breeding pair will lay up to iii,000 eggs annually in rocks along streams, and then head dorsum hush-hush again.

READ More than: Indian Animals: A Guide to 40 Incredible Indian Wild animals Species

Indian Gharial
Indian Gharial, photo by DaFranzos via Pixabay

11. Indian Gharial

Latin Name: Gavialis gangeticus

Habitat: Freshwater rivers, sandbanks

Size: Length: viii.nine to 16 feet; Weight: 350 to 550 pounds

Diet: Fish, Insects, crustaceans, frogs

Conservation Condition: Critically Endangered, population increasing

Another unusual animal in Republic of india , the Alligator-similar Gharial is notable for its long, narrow snout and a bizarre smile comprised of nearly 100 teeth.

These critically endangered reptiles can grow up to 15 anxiety long and weigh nigh two,000 pounds.

Once ranging all across South asia, there are currently less than i,000 left in the wild. These days they can only be found along rivers in India and Nepal.

What makes these unique animals different from other crocodilians is that, instead of having to stem their side by side meal, they can locate prey by picking up vibrations in the water through sensory cells in their sensational snouts.

READ MORE: The 15 Best Places to Visit in Republic of india for Nature Lovers

European Legless Lizard, aka Scheltopusik or Palla's glass lizard
"Scheltopusik IMG_8446" by OZinOH is licensed under CC BY-NC two.0

12. European Legless Lizard

Latin Proper name:Pseudopus apodus

Habitat:Wooded areas in southern Europe, the Balkans, southern Crimean coast, Black Bounding main coast, & primal Asia

Size:Length: 2 to 3 feet; Weight: 7.05 to 14.10 oz

Diet:Crickets, mealworms, waxworms, cockroach nymphs

Conservation Condition:Data deficient

As well known as the Scheltopusik or Palla's Glass Lizard, the European Legless Cadger is establish throughout Eastern Europe and Central Asia.

Their nickname comes from an age-old myth that they would shatter like glass if bothered. Strangely plenty, this old wives' tale is partially true!

These lizards are one of the few foreign animals that uses caudal autotomy, and will break off their tail in an human activity of self-defense if they experience threatened.

European Legless Lizards are often mistaken for snakes, due to their lack of legs and ability to reach up to 4 feet in length.

In fact, they and then closely resemble snakes that they were used in the snake pit scene in the classic hazard film, Indiana Jones & theRaiders of the Lost Ark.

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Vietnamese Mossy Frog photo
"File:Mossy Frog (68400615).jpeg" by DarwIn is licensed under CC BY 3.0

13. Vietnamese Mossy Frog

Latin Proper noun:Theloderma corticale

Habitat: Cliffs and rainforests in northern Vietnam

Size:Length: 2.5 to 3.5 in

Diet:Crickets, cockroaches, earthworms

Conservation Condition:Least Concern, population decreasing

These weird looking animals appear just equally their proper name would suggest– mossy. They're verdant green with black spots, and their peel is covered in tubercles and spines.

Found mostly in northern Vietnam, this semi-aquatic amphibian species spends about of its time in the water, laying on rock crevices where they're nearly duplicate from moss itself.

This sort of camouflage comes in handy when they're threatened. Every bit does their ability to throw their voices upwards to 13 anxiety to confuse their predators!

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WEIRD BIRDS

Amazing Birds Around The World -California Condor
California Condor by USFWS Pacific SW

fourteen. California Condor

Latin Proper name:Gymnogyps californianus

Habitat:Rocky shrubland, coniferous forests, oak savannas

Size:Length: 43 to 55 in; Weight: xx to 24 pounds

Diet:Expressionless animal carcasses

Conservation Status:Critically Endangered, population increasing

The largest land bird in North America, the odd-looking California Condor won't be winning any beauty contests anytime before long.

But what makes this critically endangered scavenger ane of the earth's weirdest birds is its size.

Ranging in length from 43 to 55 inches and weighing fifteen to 31 pounds, their massive wingspan of 8 to 10 anxiety has had them confused with small airplanes on more than than one occasion.

These animals are cool. They've besides got some impressive skills, such as soaring for more than three miles without flapping their wings.

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Strange Birds Around The World: Galapagos Flightless Cormorants
Flightless Cormorants past Bret Love & Mary Gabbett

xv. Flightless Cormorant

Latin Proper name:Nannopterum harrisi

Habitat:Rocky shores of volcanic islands

Size: Length: 2.91 to 3.29 feet; Weight: 5.5 to 11 pounds

Diet:Fish, octopus, squid

Conservation Status:Vulnerable, population stable

Found simply in the Galapagos Islands, this is one of the about rare bird species in the globe, with around one thousand left.

The Flightless Cormorant is an odd bird, with black and brown feathers, brilliant turquoise eyes, and depression growling voices.

Their stubby wings are well-nigh 1/iii the size they'd need to fly, merely in the water they could give any sea king of beasts a run for its coin.

They use their webbed feet and powerful legs to dive down to the bottom of the bounding main in search of fish, eels, octopus and other small prey.

READ MORE: thirty Amazing Galapagos Islands Animals

Weird Looking Birds Around The World-Two Hoatzins in the Peruvian Amazon
Two Hoatzins, photo past Mary Gabbett

xvi. Hoatzin

Latin Proper name:Opisthocomus hoazin

Habitat:Forests along streams, mangrovs, swamps in Southward America

Size:Length: 25 to 26 in; Weight: 1.78 pounds

Diet:Marsh plants

Conservation Condition:To the lowest degree Concern, population decreasing

As well known equally the Canje Pheasant (or punk-stone bird), Hoatzin are genetically enigmatic, and there's been intense scientific debate nigh their evolutionary connections to other species.

The pheasant-sized bird, whose chicks possess claws on ii of their wing digits, is too called the Stinkbird due to the manure-similar odor caused by its unique digestive arrangement.

Their noises are just as odd, including a baroque variety of groans, croaks, hisses and grunts that are often associated with its body movements.

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Weird Birds Around The World, Kakapo
By derivative piece of work: Snowmanradio (talk) Strigops_habroptilus_1.jpg: Mnolf CC BY-SA 2.0

17. Kakapo

Latin Name:Strigops habroptila

Habitat:Coastal areas, scrublands, tussocklands

Size:Length: 23 to 25 in; Weight: four.iv to eight.eight

Diet:Plants, seeds, fruits, pollen

Conservation Status:Critically Endangered, population increasing

The Kakapo is one of the world'south most endangered species, with a known population of around 125.

New Zealand 's "Owl Parrot" is an undeniable odd fauna– large, flightless, nocturnal and ground-dwelling house, weighing up to 9 pounds at maturity.

It's the but parrot in the earth that mates by lekking: Males line upward to put on a mating display en masse, and the females pick their favorites.

Unfortunately, these lovebirds only breed an average of three times a decade, when the fruit of the Rimu tree is abundant making it 1 of the most endangered birds.

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Odd Birds Around The World-Long-wattled Umbrellabird
Long-wattled Umbrellabird by Francesco Veronesi from Italia CC Past-SA two.0

18. Long-Wattled Umbrellabird

Latin Proper name:Cephalopterus penduliger

Habitat:Forests in Republic of colombia and Ecuador

Size:Length: ane.14 to 1.37 feet; Weight: 11.28 to 20.10 oz

Diet:Insects, lizards, fruit

Conservation Status:Vulnerable, population decreasing

Primarily establish in the humid forests of Colombia and Republic of ecuador , the Long-wattled Umbrellabird's features are as bizarre as their name.

The males have a magnificent coiff-like crest Elvis would kill for, with hair-like feathers that extend out over their bill.

Their wattle is even weirder: It's long, blackness, and hangs down xvi to 17 inches from the centre of their chest.

They tin can inflate it during courtship rituals to draw attention or retract it against their chest during flight.

READ More than: Wildlife in the Ecuadorian Amazon

Ugly Birds Around The World -Marabou Stork
Marabou Stork past Lip Fundamental via CC By-SA 2.0

19. Marabou Stork

Latin Name:Leptoptilos crumenifer

Habitat:Savannas, grasslands, swamps, and riverbanks in Sub-Saharan Africa

Size:Length: iii.9 to 4.3 anxiety; Weight: 9.ix to 18 pounds

Diet:Feces, human being food waste, fish, insects, frogs, lizards, snakes, rats

Conservation Condition:Least Concern

Institute in Africa s of the Sahara, the Marabou Stork has a confront just a mother could love.

With their long, skinny legs and feathers that look like a black jacket worn over a white dress shirt, it'due south like shooting fish in a barrel to see how they earned their nickname, "the undertaker bird."

And so there's the massive beak, the baldheaded pinkish head, and a featherless wattle hanging from their neck.

Weighing up to 18 pounds, with a wingspan that can measure over ix anxiety, this is 1 of Africa'south most huge and hideous birds.

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Unusual Birds Around The World - OilBirds
Oilbirds by The Lilac Breasted Roller via CC two.0

twenty. Oilbird

Latin Proper noun:Steatornis caripensis

Habitat:Evergreen lowland and montane forests

Size:Length; sixteen to 19 in; Weight: 12.3 to 16.viii oz

Diet:Fruit

Conservation Condition:Least Concern, population decreasing

The Oilbird, known in northern South America equallyguácharo, is a striking beauty by contrast: Reddish-brown, with diamond-shaped white spots edged in black.

What makes this cave-dwelling fruit-eater odd is the fact that it is nocturnal and finds its food by using echolocation (much like bats and dolphins ).

And considering its preferred food is the fruit of the oil palm (from which palm oil is produced), the aptly-named bird was once hunted and boiled down in gild to extract their oil for use as fuel.

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Strange Looking Birds Around The World-Shoebill Stork
Shoebill Stork by belgianchocolate via CC two.0

21. Shoebill

Latin Proper noun:  Balaeniceps rex

Habitat:Freshwater swamps and marshes in due east Africa

Size:Height: 43 to 55 in; Length: 39 to 55 in; Weight: 8.eight to 15.four pounds

Diet:Fish, immature crocodiles, frogs

Conservation Status:Vulnerable, population decreasing

Also known equally the Whalehead or Shoe-billed Stork, this foreign bird is named for the shoe-like shape of its humongous nib, which allow it to take hold of surprisingly big prey.

They're found in east Africa, primarily in large tropical swamps from Sudan due south to Republic of zambia.

Seeing them in the wild is… well, wild, because they tend to stand silent and motionless for long periods of time.

With a top of 43 to 55 inches and a wingspan upwards to 8 anxiety 6 inches, these funny looking birds are difficult to miss.

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Strange Birds Around The World -Sri Lanka Frogmouth
Sri Lanka Frogmouth past Koshy Koshy via CC ii.0

22. Sri Lanka Frogmouth

Latin Name:Batrachostomus moniliger

Habitat:Forests in the Western Ghats of South India and Sri Lanka

Size:Length: 9.i in; Weight: i.5 to 23.6 oz

Nutrition:Insects, frogs, mice

Conservation Status:To the lowest degree Concern, population stable

Related to the Nightjars, this pocket-size Frogmouth is found in the Western Ghats mountain range of Southward Republic of india and Sri Lanka.

They live in the dumbo undergrowth of tropical forests, where their grey-chocolate-brown feathers make them very difficult to meet.

What makes them weird is their oversized caput, which gives the nocturnal bird a wide field of binocular vision, and the gaping wide hooked bill for which they are named.

The short, stiff bristles around their eyes are another attractive distinguishing feature.

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Most Amazing Birds Around The World-Superb Bird of Paradise
A male Superb Bird of Paradise by Natasha Baucas via CC 2.0

23. Superb Bird of Paradise

Latin Name:Lophorina superba

Habitat:Rainforests of New Guinea

Size:Length: 9.84 to 10.23 in; Weight: 1.ix to 3.7 oz

Diet:Fruits, berries, seeds, insects, amphibians, pocket-size reptiles

Conservation Status:Least Concern, population decreasing

If yous've watched award-winning ecology documentaries such equally Planet World, y'all've probably seen the dazzling mating trip the light fantastic toe that makes this iridescent New Guinea beauty so special.

Their female person population is unusually low and contest for mating privileges is trigger-happy.

Males volition meticulously set their dance floor earlier loudly calling the object of their affection.

The dance is spectacular: He spreads his black feather greatcoat and bluish-green breast shield widely, snapping a beat with his tail feathers while hopping around her.

About of the females volition refuse xv to xx suitors before giving one consent!

READ More than: Galapagos Birds: 25 Spectacular Species

Horned Screamer bird
"Screaming Screamer" by Billtacular is licensed nether CC BY-NC-ND two.0

24. Horned Screamer

Latin Name:Anhima cornuta

Habitat:Freshwater lagoons, tropical wet savannas, lakes

Size:Length: i.08 to one.23 feet; Weight: 6.9 to seven.vii pounds

Nutrition:Aquatic plants, seeds, stems, leaves

Conservation Status:Least Concern, population decreasing

Although Horned Screamers are related to Swans, yous wouldn't be able to tell from these funny looking animals' appearance.

As their proper name indicates, they accept a horn-similar appendage projecting from the top of their head. It seems to serve no particular purpose, unlike the spurs on their wings (which are used for fighting).

These unique birds conspicuously like to be heard, and have a very distinct telephone call that is often performed as a duet between mating males and females.

The Horned Screamer resides in the marshes of Southward America, and is the official bird of the Department of Arauca in Colombia .

READ MORE: The All-time Things to Do in Cartagena, Colombia

Victoria Crowned Pigeon
Victoria Crowned Pigeon, photo past InspiredImages via Pixabay

25. Victoria Crowned Pigeon

Latin Name:Goura victoria

Habitat:Lowland and swamp forests of northern New Guinea

Size:Length: 29 in; Weight: Up to 5.5 pounds

Nutrition:Fruit, seeds, grains, modest invertebrates

Conservation Status:Near Threatened, population decreasing

Named afterward the British Monarch Queen Victoria, these colorful Pigeons are hitting in their beauty.

They are pulverisation blue with a purple breast and avowal an intricate about lace like crown that, along with their poise, makes them appear undeniably majestic.

These interesting animals are the largest pigeons in the earth and are the closest living relative to the extinct Dodo bird.

Native to the forests of New Republic of guinea, Victoria Crowned Pigeons do non like to be lone and typically travel in pairs or small groups.

People are oft surprised by their telephone call which isn't like other pigeons' soft "coos," simply rather a hollow "boom."

READ More: 35 Cute Birds of Hawaii & The Polynesian Triangle

WEIRD CREEPY Crawly CREATURES

Weird Looking Insects from Around The World -Giant Fishing Spider
By Dick Culbert of Gibsons, B.C., Canada (Ancylometes bogotensis-Giant Line-fishing Spider) CC BY 2.0

26. Amazon Behemothic Fishing Spider

Latin Proper name:Ancylometes

Habitat:Near ponds, lakes, rivers, and streams in South America

Size:Length: Up to 8 in; Weight: 0.4 oz

Diet:Insects, tadpoles, small fish

Conservation Status:Data Scarce

Proving big can be beautiful, this spectacular spider can abound upwards to 8 inches, with a bright green, golden, and white body.

Establish in Southward America, they're semi-aquatic and usually seen at the edge of pools or streams.

At that place they expect for ripples that annunciate prey (insects, tadpoles, and even small fish), then run beyond the surface to grab it and inject their venom.

Some subspecies of these weird creatures tin even encase themselves in a silver air bubble and climb beneath the h2o.

READ MORE: 21 Incredible Animals That Live in the Amazon Rainforest

Unusual Insects Around The World -Assassin Bug
Past JJ Harrison (jjharrison89@facebook.com) – Own work, CC BY-SA three.0

27. Assassin Bug

Latin Name: Reduviidae

Habitat:Rainforests

Size:Length: 0.2 to i.6 in; Weight:

Diet:Ants, bees

Conservation Condition:Data Deficient

These alien-looking predators are related to the found-eating Shield Bug.

But they've adjusted a piercing proboscis with which they feed upon their victims (ants and bees are their favorites).

The ninja-similar skills for which they're named include coating themselves with ant carcasses to disguise their pheromones and covering their legs with tree sap to grab bees out of mid-air with their sticky claws.

They may not expect like much, merely these clever carnivores accept some seriously deadly moves!

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Biting Insects -Army Ants (Dorylus_sp.)
By Bernard DUPONT from FRANCE (Army Ants (Dorylus sp.) CC BY-SA 2.0 (7073859635)

28. Driver Ant

Latin Name:Dorylus laevigatus

Habitat:Primal, e, and southern Africa, tropical Asia

Size:Length: four.52 cm

Diet:Insects, arachnids, earthworms

Conservation Status:Information Deficient

If you've always seen a b-pic in which humans or animals are unexpectedly swarmed by hyper-aggressive ants, these merciless army ants (primarily found in primal and east Africa) are likely the inspiration.

Sometimes called safari ants, they set on en masse, which frequently proves deadly for modest animals when their colonies number up to 20 million members.

Their bite is painful, and their powerful jaws remain locked even if you kill the pismire. Locals are known to utilize them to suture wounds in instance of a medical emergency.

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Giant Insects Around The World -Giant LongLegged Katydid
By Wikipedia Loves Art participant "The_Wookies" CC Past two.5

29. Giant Katydid

Latin Name:Arantia fasciata

Habitat:Montane forests of Malaysia

Size: Length: Up to 6 in

Diet:Leaves, grass, fruit, tiny insects

Conservation Condition:Least Concern

There are some 6,400 species of katydids in the Tettigoniidae family, which are closely related to crickets.

But the Giant Long-legged Katydid, plant in the montane forests of Malaysia , are easily the largest.

They can grow upward to 6 inches long– large enough to cover your hand– with antennae that can grow fifty-fifty longer. It's leaf-life wings make great cover-up, merely their long legs are relatively useless.

They cannot bound well, and rarely fly. Their loftier-pitched mating call makes them ane of the loudest insects in the earth.

READ More:What is an Eco Lodge? The Height 20 Eco Resorts & Eco Hotels in the World

Ugly Insects Around The World -Hickory Horned Devil
Past Bob Warrick – Own piece of work, CC BY-SA 4.0

30. Hickory Horned Devil

Latin Name:Citheronia regalis

Habitat:Deciduous forests in the eastern United States

Size: Wingspan: 3.75 to 6.1 in

Diet:Leaves, walnuts, pecans, buttonbush, filbert, ash

Conservation Status:Data Deficient

Widely found in deciduous forests in the The states, the Regal Moth (a.k.a. Royal Walnut Moth) is as beautiful every bit whatsoever butterfly we've seen, with stunningly vivid colors.

But in the larval phase they're known every bit Hickory Horned Devils, and wait like something out of a horror motion picture manager'south nightmares.

They eventually plough green, with huge black-tipped ruby-red horns and what await like footling blackness spikes all over their bodies.

The nocturnal feeders don't sting, only they do curl upwards into a j-shape during the day that makes them look like bird poop.

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Large Insects Around The World -Giant Jumping Stick
By Ltshears (Own work) [Public domain], via Wikimedia Eatables

31. Jumping Stick

Latin Name:Proscopiidae

Habitat:Forests and grasslands in the tropics and subtropics

Size:Length: 2.6 in

Diet:Leaves, green plants

Conservation Status:Data Deficient

This skinny beanpole looks like a common Giant Walking Stick. But it's more closely related to the Locust, and is named for its ability to jump and kick like a kung fu main.

Its hind legs are two.5 times as long as its front and middle legs, allowing information technology to propel its ii.6-inch trunk up to iii feet in a single bound.

They're also known for their odd, elongated faces, with a Grasshopper-like mouth and big eyes on a stem that help information technology wait for predators and concenter mates.

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Odd Insects Around The World -Lantern Fly
By Pavel Kirillov from St.Petersburg, Russia (Lantern wing) CC By-SA 2.0

32. Lantern Fly

Latin Name:Lycorma delicatula

Habitat: Southeast Asia, United States

Size:Length: 1 in

Nutrition:Sap, excrete

Conservation Status:Data Deficient

Don't let the name fool you. This odd-looking Amazonian insect looks more similar a moth than a fly, and their massive peanut-shaped heads don't light up.

They have vivid spots on their wings that some people believe help to scare off predators by mimicking the eyes of a much larger animal.

There's besides a myth in certain local populations that if the bug bites someone (which information technology doesn't), they'll die if they don't have sex within a day. I wonder how many young men have used that line?

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Beautiful Insects Around The World -Orchid Mantis
Past Pavel Kirillov from St.Petersburg, Russia (Orchid mantis later lunch) CC Past-SA 2.0

33. Orchid Mantis

Latin Name:Hymenopus coronatus

Habitat:Humid regions of Malaysa

Size:Length: 1 to iii in

Nutrition:Bees, butterflies, moths, crickets, flies, beetles

Conservation Status:Data Scarce

This is arguably amidst the world's almost beautiful insects exterior of the butterfly family.

The Orchid Mantis is one of several species of flower mantises, which look like and mimic the flowers upon which they're frequently found.

Their brilliant colors tin modify,and range from white and xanthous to pink and brownish.

Each of its four legs resembles flower petals, which they utilise to their advantage by swaying to lure insects, then eating them.

They've also been known to eat larger vertebrates, such as lizards and frogs.

READ More: The 13 About Cute National Parks in Thailand

Strange Insects Around The World -Scorpionfly
By Clinton & Charles Robertson from Del Rio, Texas & Higher Station, TX, USA (Scorpionfly) CC By 2.0

34. Scorpionfly

Latin Proper name:Panorpa nuptialis

Habitat:Wooded areas, ravines

Size: Length: Up to i.2 in

Diet:Dead insects, nectar, rotting fruits

Conservation Condition:Information Deficient

What fresh hell is this? Picture an ancient insect that dates dorsum some 174 million years, with the long nib of a pterodactyl, the coloring of a wasp, and the stinger of a scorpion.

Then imagine information technology's closely related to a flea and scavenges the bodies of dead invertebrates. Sounds haunting and horrifying, right?

The fact that the stinger is actually enlarged genitals might make yous experience a picayune amend, but the fact that there 350+ species of them probably won't.

READ MORE: The 15 Virtually Haunted Hotels in America

Weird Insects Around The World, Venezuelan Poodle Moth
Venezuelan Poodle Moth, photographed past Dr. Arthur Anker via Artistic Commons

35. Venezuelan Poodle Moth

Latin Name:Artace

Habitat:Canaima National Park in Venezuela

Size:Length: i in

Diet:Herbaceous plants

Conservation Status:Data Deficient

Discovered in Venezuela'south Gran Sabana region past Kyrgyz republic's Dr. Arthur Anker in 2009, this unusual insect looks like a cross between a poodle and an angora sweater.

Ankara's odd (some might say ambrosial) discovery went relatively unnoticed for several years, until someone posted his photograph of the fuzzy white moth with bulging black eyes and bizarre antennae online.

It quickly went viral, only the moth (which experts believe belongs to the Artace genus) has even so to be confirmed as a new species.

READ MORE: 40 Green Travel Tips (The Ultimate Guide to Sustainable Travel)

Eastern Goliath Stick Insect (Eurycnema goliath)
"Eurycnema goliath (Goliath Stick-Insect)" by Arthur Chapman is licensed nether CC By-NC two.0

36. Eastern Goliath Stick Insect

Latin Name:Eurycnema goliath

Habitat:Forests of northern and eastern Australia

Size:Length: Up to 25 cm

Diet:Eucalyptus, acacia, callistemon

Conservation Status:Least Business organisation

Found in northern and eastern Australia, these cool animals are the largest phasmids in the continent, with females reaching lengths of upwards to 25 cm.

Due to their large size and smaller wings, females cannot fly like their male person counterparts exercise.

Their cover-up is pretty amazing. It'south nearly incommunicable to see them when their hiding in the treetops because of their green color and stick-like figure.

When neecessary due to threats, they'll make a precipitous hissing sound and open up their wings to uncover a carmine underside. Both of these defenses are designed to ward off predators.

READ MORE: Things to Do in Australia for Nature Lovers

UNIQUE MAMMALS

Unusual Mammals Around The World-Bactrian Camel
Wild Bactrian Camels via pixabay

37. Bactrian Camel

Latin Proper noun:Camelus ferus

Habitat:Steppes of Central Asia

Size:Height: 5.ix to 7.5 feet; Length: 7.38 to eleven.48 anxiety; Weight: Upwards to one,000 pounds

Diet:Plants, bones, other animals' skin

Conservation Status:Critically Endangered, population decreasing

Native to the Steppes of Central Asia, the Bactrian Camel is differentiated from its more familiar Arabian cousins by the fact that information technology has two humps.

It has genetically adapted well to the region's extreme climate.

It has squishy foot pads that work like snowshoes to help it proceed its footing in the desert sand, and a coat that is remarkably which in wintertime and nigh bald in summer.

Unfortunately, though the domesticated species is plentiful, the wild ones are critically endangered.

READ More than: 30 Facts about the Mongolian Horse (a.k.a.Przewalski'southward Horse or Takhi)

Weird Large Animals Around The World: Baird's Tapir
Baird'south Tapir, photo past Bret Love & Mary Gabbett

38. Baird's Tapir

Latin Name:Tapirus bairdii

Habitat: Rainforests, montane forests, deciduous forests, flooded grasslands

Size:Length: 6.6 feet; Weight: 330 to 880 pounds

Diet:Leaves, twigs, fruit, seeds

Conservation Status:Endangered, population decreasing

Looking like a bizarre cross between a pig, a ass and a rhinoceros, this cow-sized mammal is an endangered species endemic to Fundamental and South America.

Known equally the Mount Cow in Belize , it is historic as the national animal. Baird'southward tapir is most active at night but are oft seen during the day.

Ane famously attacked the Costa Rican Government minister of Environment in 2006, and we were fortunate to take hold of i taking a catnap in Corcovado National Park .

READ MORE: 40 Amazing Costa rica Animals

Male Chinese Water Deer by Altaileopard [Public domain]

39. Chinese H2o Deer

Latin Name:Hydropotes inermis

Habitat:Rivers and islands of People's republic of china and Korea

Size:Length: 2.5 to three.3 feet; Weight: xx to 31 pounds

Nutrition:Coarse grasses, vegetables, beets, reeds

Conservation Condition:Information Deficient

More similar to a Musk Deer than a true Deer, H2o Deer are proficient swimmers who live along the rivers and islands of China and Korea.

But the Chinese subspecies is particularly unusual. What makes this deer 1 of the strangest animals is that it has prominent tusks, which are actually elongated canine teeth.

These especially long teeth led to the Chinese Water Deer's English nickname, the Vampire Deer.

Able to swim for several miles, the Chinese Water Deer can as well pull their canines tusks back past using their facial muscles.

READ MORE: twenty Longest Rivers in the Globe by Continent

Unusual Animals Around The World, Lowland Streaked Tenrec
Lowland Streaked Tenrec, photographed past Frank Vassen via Creative Commons

forty. Lowland Streaked Tenrec

Latin Name:Hemicentetes semispinosus

Habitat:Tropical lowland rainforest in northern and eastern Madagascar

Size:Length: five to 6 in; 3.17 to vii.05 oz

Diet:Earthworms

Conservation Condition:Least Concern

Genetically, the Tenrec is like a cross betwixt a shrew, an opossum and an otter, with a five-6 inch body, long snout and vestigial tail.

These unique animals are the only mammals known to use stridulation for generating sound, a method more commonly associated with insects and snakes.

Found only in the rainforests of Madagascar, its bright yellow stripes and spinous quills signal danger for predators, particularly when the Tenrec vibrates them.

READ More than: Madagascar Animals

Odd Mammals Around The World -Markhor
By Rufus46 – Own work, CC BY-SA three.0

41. Markhor

Latin Name:Capra falconeri

Habitat:Mountain ranges from Afghanistan to northern Bharat

Size:Length: iv.3 to 6.08 anxiety; Weight: 71 to 243 pounds

Diet:Grass, leaves

Conservation Status:Near Threatened, population increasing

This large wild goat grazes on grass and lives in mountain ranges from Afghanistan to northern India , but it's the national fauna of Pakistan.

The male Markhor tin can grow to over 200 pounds, has a crazy amount of hair on their chin and breast, and boasts spectacular spiraling horns atop their heads.

The world'south population got down to around 2,500, simply has rebounded by 20% in the terminal decade.

Its Persian proper noun translates as "snake eater," and locals believe the cream they release while chewing cud tin excerpt snakebite venom.

READ MORE: 40 Interesting Facts About Snowfall Leopards

Weird Rodents Around The World, Nutria
Nutria, photographed by Petar Milošević via Creative Commons

42. Nutria

Latin Proper name:Myocastor coypus

Habitat:Freshwater marshes, wetlands

Size:Length: 17 to 25 in; Weight: 15 to 22 pounds

Diet:Insects, freshwater mussels, crustaceans

Conservation Status: Least Concern, population decreasing

Too known as the Coypu or river rat, this big, semi-aquatic rodent is native to subtropical South America.

It'southward too been introduced on other continents by fur ranchers, but information technology is a destructive species with its feeding and burrowing behavior turning it into an an invasive persona not grata.

The nutria has front legs for excavating roots, rhizomes, and burrows, and webbed hind feet to aid in swimming.

Weighing upward to 37 pounds, they look a lot similar the R.O.U.Due south. from The Princess Helpmate.

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Weird Marsupials Around The World, Quokka
Quokka, photographed by Sean McClean via Artistic Commons

43. Quokka

Latin Proper name:Setonix brachyurus

Habitat:Small islands off the coast of Western Australia

Size:Length: 20 to 30 in; Weight: six to 11 pounds

Diet: Leaves, stems, bawl, grass

Conservation Status:Vulnerable, population decreasing

With a minor population primarily establish on pocket-sized islands off the declension of Western Australia , this ambrosial marsupial was originally confused for a wild cat or a giant rat.

But the adorable fauna actually looks more similar a tiny Kangaroo , measuring approximately 20-30 inches long and weighing 6 to xi pounds.

The beautiful Quokka has little fearfulness of humans, only it is illegal to touch or feed them, every bit information technology can make the Vulnerable species sick. Fines for doing then start at $300.

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Unique Mammals Around The World -Platypus
By Stefan Kraft – Selbst fotografiert am twenty.9.2004 im Sydney Aquarium., CC By-SA 3.0

44. Platypus

Latin Proper noun:Ornithorhynchus anatinus

Habitat:Freshwater lakes, rivers, lagoons, farm dams, streams

Size:Length: 17 to 20 in; Weight: 1.5 to 5.three pounds

Diet:Annelid worms, insect larvae freshwater yabby and shrimp

Conservation Status:Almost Threatened, population decreasing

Want to know but how extremely weird the Platypus is?

The first scientists to study them (back in 1799) accounted them fake, made from sewing several different weird animals together!

It's easy to sympathise their confusion. This adorable oddball has the nib of a Duck, the feet of an Otter, the tail of a Beaver, and venom in the spur of the male'south foot.

It's also one of only two mammals in the globe that lays eggs.

They were in one case hunted for their fur but are now protected throughout their range in eastern Australia.

READ MORE: Tasmanian Devil Conservation on Maria Isle

Weird Mammals Around The World - Saiga Antelope
Past Navinder Singh (By email from Ej Milner-Gulland) CC By-SA iv.0

45. Saiga Antelope

Latin Proper noun:Saiga tatarica

Habitat:Grasslands, open woodlands, semideserts, steppes

Size:Length: 3.25 to 4.58 feet; Weight: Upwardly to 150 pounds

Nutrition:Plants, low growing vegetation

Conservation Status:Critically Endangered, population decreasing

Though their range today is limited to Russia and the 'stans of Fundamental Asia, this critically endangered antelope species had a vast range during the Ice Historic period.

Standing 24 to 32 inches at the shoulder and weighing up to 150 pounds, these bizarre animals are known for their bloated shnozz, which looks a bit similar someone docked an Elephant'south torso.

But the nose serves a valuable purpose, warming frigid air during winter while cooling and filtering out dust in the summer.

READ MORE: 50 Facts Almost Elephants (for Earth Elephant Day)

Weird Animals, Zebra Duiker
Zebra Duiker, photographed by Kispál Attila via Artistic Commons

46. Zebra Duiker

Latin Name:Cephalophus zebra

Habitat:Lowland principal rainforests of West Africa

Size:Length: thirty to 35 in; Weight: twoscore to 45 pounds

Nutrition:Leaves, shoots, seasonal fruits

Conservation Status:Vulnerable, population decreasing

As well known every bit the Banded or Striped-back Duiker, this diminutive antelope species is found in the lowland main pelting forests of Westward Africa .

Idea to be ane of the earliest of the Duiker species to evolve, they're tiny (thirty-35 inches long, weighing 40-45 pounds), with short, sharp horns.

Their Zebra-like stripes help them hide from the many predators that eat them.

They too have super-powerful nasal basic, which allow them to utilise their face to crack open the tough exterior of certain fruits.

READ MORE:50 Fascinating Facts about Giraffes

Sulawesi Babirusas at Singapore Zoo
"File:Babirusa, Singapore Zoo 2.JPG" by I64s, licensed under CC BY 2.five

47. Sulawesi Babirusas

Latin Proper name: Babyrousa celebensis

Habitat:Swamps and rainforests of Indonesia

Size:Length: two.75 to 3.58 feet; Weight: Up to 220 pounds

Diet:Leaves, fruits, berries, mushrooms, insects, fish

Conservation Status:Vulnerable, population decreasing

Of all the mammals in the world, the male person Sulawesi Babirusas is the only one to have vertically growing canine teeth.

Their not-so-pearly whites actually grow through their skin and bend back towards their forehead, ultimately reaching up to 17 inches long.

Native to the rainforests and swamps of Indonesian islands , these unusual animals are non picky eaters. Their diet consists of everything from leaves and insects to fish, and even smaller Babirusas!

Their antler-like teeth, along with a stocky body and slender legs, led to their name: Babirusas ways "pig-deer" in the Malay language.

READ MORE: Fascinating Facts About Bornean & Sumatran Orangutans

Proboscis Monkey at Sepilok Forest Reserve
Proboscis Monkey at Sepilok Forest Reserve, photo in Public Domain

48. Proboscis Monkey

Latin Name:Nasalis larvatus

Habitat:Mangrove swamps, lowland rainforests

Size:Length: 1.7 to ii.5 feet; Weight: 21 to 45 pounds

Nutrition:Leaves, seeds, unripe fruits, insects

Conservation Status:Endangered, population decreasing

These weird animals earned the name Proboscis from their bulbous noses, which can grow upward to 7 inches long.

Though they may announced odd to usa, they besides prove that beauty is in the eye of the beholder. Considering Proboscis Monkey males actually use their ginormous noses to concenter female mates.

Constitute in the jungles of Borneo (including the Kabili-Sepilok Forest Reserve ), these monkeys are largely arboreal. spending most of their time in the trees. But, surprisingly, they are extremely potent swimmers equally well.

Due to palm oil deforestation and other forms of habitat destruction, their populations take declined sharply in recent years. So the species is currently listed every bit endangered on the IUCN Red listing.

READ MORE:50 Interesting Facts About Gorillas

UNUSUAL NOCTURNAL ANIMALS

Weird Nocturnal Animals Around The World: Aye Aye
Yes Yep, photographed past Frank Vassen via Creative Eatables

49. Yes-Yes

Latin Name:Daubentonia madagascariensis

Habitat: Rainforests and deciduous forests on the east coast of Madagascar

Size:Length: 14 to 17 in; Weight: 4 pounds

Diet:Nuts, nectar, fungi, insect grubs

Conservation Status:Endangered, population decreasing

These endangered Lemurs are the globe'southward largest nocturnal primate and have hirsuite gremlin faces, rodent-like teeth, and long Crypt Keeper-style fingers.

To find food, the Yep-Aye first taps on trees to find grubs, then chews a small pigsty before using their narrow center finger to pull a tasty meal out of the woods.

Some superstitious locals believe these weird animals to be harbingers of evil or decease and will often kill them on sight.

READ More: Republic of madagascar: Conserving Band-Tailed Lemurs

Weird Flying Mammals Around The World- Colugo
By Dermoptère.JPG: Didasteph derivative piece of work: Medeis (Dermoptère.JPG) CC BY-SA iii.0

50. Colugo

Latin Name:Cynocephalus volans

Habitat:Forests of southeast Asia

Size:Length: fourteen to 16 in; Weight two to 4 pounds

Nutrition:Leaves, fruits, flowers, shoots, insect

Conservation Condition:Vulnerable

Found in the forests of Southeast Asia, these gliders are also known as Cobegos or Flying Lemurs (but they're non true Lemurs).

They're the world's nearly skillful gliding mammals, using flaps of extra skin between their legs to soar from tree to tree.

Measuring fourteen to xvi inches long and weighing just two to four pounds, their lite build allows them to "fly" up to 230 anxiety.

But they're not very stiff, so they have to hop slowly upwards the copse using their sharp claws.

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Weird Flying Animals Around The World, Honduran White Bat
Honduran White Bat, photographed by Geoff Gallice via Creative Eatables

51. Honduran White Bat

Latin Proper noun:Ectophylla alba

Habitat:Jungles of Central America

Size: Length: i.five in; Weight: 0.two oz

Diet:Fruit, vegetation

Conservation Status:Near Threatened

Also known as the Ghost Bat, this tiny (1.5-inch) cutie is one of just 2 white bat species in the world.

They're found merely in the jungles of Central America, where they're usually seen hanging in colonies of up to 6 from heliconia plants.

They'll actually cut the large leaves of the plant, which causes them to fold down into a tent that protects the colony from rain and predators.

They are one of 15 different Latin American bat species known roost in this type of natural tent.

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Egg Laying Mammal -Long-beaked Echidna
Past User:Jaganath – Transferred from English language Wikipedia., CC BY-SA 3.0

52. Long-Beaked Echidna

Latin Name:Zaglossus bruijnii

Habitat: Tropical hill forests, sub-alpine forests

Size:Length: 18 to 30 in; Weight: 20 pounds

Diet:

Conservation Status:Critically Endangered, population decreasing

This freaky-looking fella, institute in New Guinea, is one of only 2 mammals in the world known to lay eggs. Yet they have the fur and lactation abilities of other mammals.

They also have a pointy, beak-similar snout that'southward two-third the length of their head; spiky spines scattered among their hair; and, in the case of males, spurs on each of their hind legs.

At that place are iii living species of Echidnas, but unfortunately all of them are classified equally critically endangered and they're rarely seen during the twenty-four hours.

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Weird Carnivorous Mammals Around The World, Olinguito
Olinguito, photographed by Marking Gurney via Artistic Eatables

53. Olinguito

Latin Name:Bassaricyon neblina

Habitat:Forests of the northern Andes Mountains, Ecuador and Colombia

Size:Length: 13 to 17 in; Weight; 2 pounds

Diet:Fruit, insects, nectar

Conservation Status:Near Threatened, population decreasing

Colloquially known as the "kitty bear," this cuddly cutie is actually from the raccoon family.

It was discovered in the Andes of Colombia and Republic of ecuador in 2013, making it the first new cannibal mammal seen in the Western Hemisphere in 35 years.

Though they resemble the Kinkajou, they're more closely related to Coatis, with extended muzzles and anal scent glands.

Not much is known about this relatively new species, but they are believed to live in trees and be solitary and fairly reclusive.

READ More:Best Coffee in the World (A Gourmet'south Guide to xxx Types of Java

Unusual Animals Around The World-Pangolin
By David Brossard via flickr CC two.0

54. Pangolin

Latin Name:Pholidota

Habitat:Tropical and flooded forests, savanna grassland

Size:Length: 12 to 39 in; Weight: eight to 29 pounds

Nutrition:Ants, termites, larvae

Conservation Status: Near Threatened

There are eight species of Pangolin found on two unlike continents (Asia and Africa).

But due to poaching, deforestation , and the fact that they're the nigh heavily trafficked mammals in the world, two are endangered and two are critically endangered.

They await similar some sort of aboriginal Armadillo/pine cone hybrid, with overlapping armored scales, long tongues, and stink glands like a Skunk'south.

They're solitary animals, living in hollowed trees and burrows, and curl upward into a ball when threatened.

READ MORE: Saving Endangered Asian Animals (All-time Conservation Programs)

Weird Insectivorous Mammals Around the World, Solenodon
Solenodon, photographed by Seb az86556 via Artistic Commons

55. Solenodon

Latin Name:Atopogale cubana

Habitat:Forests in Cuba, the Dominican Republic, and Republic of haiti

Size:Length: 12 to 14 in; Weight 1.8 to 2 pounds

Nutrition:Insects, earthworms, small-scale reptiles, amphibians, fruits

Conservation Status:Endangered, population decreasing

These nocturnal, burrowing insectivores are establish in Cuba , the Dominican Republic , and Haiti ,

They're incessantly fascinating to phylogenetic researchers because they closely resemble a species that went extinct near the end of the dinosaur era.

Solenodons may await like rodents, but they're more closely related to shrews and moles.

They're also the simply mammals in the world that inject their prey with venom, using special grooves in their teeth.

READ More: 20 Best Caribbean Islands to Visit (If y'all Love Nature & Detest Crowds)

Weird Small Animals Around The World, Tarsier
Tarsier, photographed by mtoz via Artistic Commons

56. Tarsier

Latin Name:Tarsius tarsier

Habitat:Forests in southeast Asia

Size:Length: iv to half-dozen in; 1.i to v.half-dozen oz

Diet:Insects, birds, bats, snakes, lizards

Conservation Status:Vulnerable, population decreasing

With a longer fossil tape than any other primate genus, fossils suggest the enormous-eyed Tarsiers of Southeast Asia haven't evolved much in the last 45 1000000 years.

The only thing that has changed is their size: Their bodies measure 4-6 inches, with tails twice as long.

These interesting animals have enormous eyes (16mm wide– as big as their brain!), super sensitive ears, and uniquely shaped caput makes them bang-up at catching prey such as bats, birds, and insects.

Their long bodies also make Tarsiers great leapers.

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Weird Animals, Yapok
Yapok, photographed by IMARWXp via Creative Commons

57. Water Opossum

Latin Proper noun:Chironectes minimus

Habitat:Freshwater streams in Latin America

Size:Length: 28 in; Weight: 1.vii pounds

Diet:Fish, crabs, freshwater shrimp, frogs

Conservation Condition:To the lowest degree Business, population decreasing

Known locally as the Yapok, this semiaquatic opossum is constitute well-nigh freshwater streams and lakes in Latin America, from Mexico s to Argentina .

The Water Opossum is the only marsupial in the globe in which both sexes have a pouch.

The males place their genitalia within their pouch while swimming (kind of like a assistant hammock) in the water , which helps streamline their bodies.

The pouch is also water-tight, which keeps their young dry even when the parent is swimming.

READ MORE: Isla Holbox, the Hidden Gem of Quintana Roo, Mexico

Weird Burrowing Animals Around The World, Northern Hairy-Nosed Wombat
Northern Hairy-Nosed Wombat, bearding photograph via Creative Commons

58. Wombat

Latin Proper name:Lasiorhinus kreffti

Habitat:Queensland'south Epping Wood National Park

Size:Length: iii.28 feet; Weight: 90 pounds

Nutrition:Leaves, grasses

Conservation Status:Critically Endangered, population stable

One time common in Australia, the Northern Hairy-Nosed Wombat is now one of the most rare animals in the globe. Information technology is critically endangered and found only in Queensland'southward Epping Woods National Park.

With a backwards-opening pouch and teeth that never terminate growing, information technology'south the earth's largest (90 pounds) burrowing mammal.

As weird animals go, nosotros recall this 1'due south a cutie!

Unfortunately they're also critically endangered due to predators such as the Dingo, with less than 100 individuals remaining.

READ MORE:Top 10 Australian National Parks (For Your World Bucket List)

Naked Mole Rat
File:Nacktmull.jpg" by Einer flog zu Weit is licensed nether CC By-SA 3.0

59. Naked Mole Rat

Latin Name:Heterocephalus glaber

Habitat:Grasslands of East Africa

Size:Length: 5.1 in; Weight: 1.2 oz

Diet:Tubers, roots

Conservation Status: To the lowest degree Business concern, population stable

Appearing just equally you would think based on their proper noun, these strange looking animals accept wrinkly pink skin as if they were completely missing a coat of fur.

Found in East Africa, Naked Mole Rats are the longest living rodents in the globe and are i of the rare eusocial species.

This means they live in communities of several dozen, led by 1 dominant female rat. They make their homes in intricate clandestine burrows, which are dug with their large front teeth.

They don't have ears at all and have such tiny eyes that they are practically blind. They rely heavily on their sense of scent and pay close attention to vibrations in the ground.

READ MORE: Maasai Mara Conservancies: Community-Based Wild fauna Conservation

Cool ANIMALS FROM THE Sea

COOL ANIMALS FROM THE SEA, Dumbo Octopus
Dense Octopus, photographed by Mike Vecchione via NOAA

sixty. Dumbo Octopus

Latin Proper name:Grimpoteuthis

Habitat:Ocean floor

Size:Length: viii in; Weight: 13 pounds

Nutrition:Copepods, isopods, bristle worms, amphipods

Conservation Condition:Data Deficient

Constitute just at extreme ocean depths of 10,000 to 13,000 feet, Grimpoteuthis is a genus containing 13 species of Octopus, whose webbed tentacles look like an umbrella when spread.

Theses cool animals are known for the prominent ear-like fins, which jut out comically only above their eyes (much like a certain flying Elephant from the Walt Disney stable).

Though they're found in deep waters all around the earth, they rank among the well-nigh uncommon animals of the Octopus species.

READ More: 40 Alaskan Animal Species

Weird Animals in the Ocean, Frilled Shark
Frilled Shark, photographed past Citron via Artistic Commons

61. Frilled Shark

Latin Name:Chlamydoselachus anguineus

Habitat:Sea floor of the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans

Size:Length: half dozen.6 feet

Diet:Squid, fish, other sharks

Conservation Status:To the lowest degree Concern

1 of the world'south nearly rarely seen creepy animals, the Frilled Shark crosses the line into frightening, WTF territory.

Found in the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans at depths of upwardly to 5,000 feet, this rare "living fossil" is a positively prehistoric species of shark .

Its monstrous advent includes an eel-like trunk, six frilly pairs of gill slits, and 300 trident-shaped teeth in 25 rows that allow information technology to rip through casualty like a knife through hot butter. Cute, huh?

READ MORE:Arctic Animals: 30 Species of Chill Birds, Mammals & Whales

Weird Tiny Sea Animals, Glaucus Atlanticus
Glaucus Atlanticus, photographed by Taro Taylor via Creative Commons 2.0

62. Glaucus Atlanticus

Latin Name:Glaucus Atlanticus

Habitat:Temperate and tropical waters

Size:Length: 1.2 in

Diet:Portugese Human o'War jellyfish

Conservation Status:Data deficient

More than commonly known as the Blue Dragon or Blue Sea Slug, this inch-long nudibranch is just as lethal as it is lovely.

The creature preys on the Portuguese Man o' State of war (which is pretty darn dangerous in its own correct).

Information technology stores venom in its finger-like cerata, producing a sting that causes fever, shock and even death.

These beautiful badasses are pelagic: they bladder upside down by using the surface tension of the h2o to stay upward, where they're carried along by the winds and ocean currents.

READ MORE: xxx Cool & Weird Bounding main Animals Around the World

Weird Sea Creatures -Humpback Anglerfish
Javontaevious at English Wikipedia CC Past-SA 3.0

63. Humpback Anglerfish

Latin Name:Melanocetus johnsonii

Habitat:Bathypelagic zone of the open up sea

Size:Length: two.ix to xviii cm

Diet: Crustaceans, shrimp, other fish, snails

Conservation Status:Least Concern

The horrifying Humpback Anglerfish (a.thousand.a. Humpback Blackdevil) is a species from the family Melanocetidae, or Blackness Seadevils.

Found at depths of 5,000-fifteen,000 feet, they're seven inches long, globular, and black every bit pitch, with a clangorous mouth filled with huge, fang-like teeth.

Fabricated famous past a scene in Finding Nemo, these fish are definitely ane of the coolest animals in the ocean.

They use a bioluminescent "fishing lure" (known as the illicium) on their heads to attract its unsuspecting prey. All in all, information technology's a haunting animate being we never wish to see in real life!

READ More: 40 Fascinating Blueish Whale Facts (From Size to Diet to Conservation)

Irrawaddy Dolphin
Irrawaddy Dolphin By Stefan Brending via CC BY-SA 3.0 de

64. Irrawaddy Dolphin

Latin Proper noun:Orcaella brevirostris

Habitat:Shallow, virtually-shore tropical and subtropical marine waters

Size:Length: 4.eight to 9 anxiety; Weight: 420 pounds

Diet:Cephalopods, fish, crustaceans

Conservation Status:Endangered, population decreasing

With their formidable foreheads; brusque, round faces; and broad, rounded flippers, this Southeast Asian species look like some anime artist's cartoonish rendering of a dolphin.

Interestingly, their genetic make-up is closely related to the Killer Whale .

Unlike any other dolphin, the Irrawaddy Dolphin's u-shaped blowhole is placed on the left of the midline and opens towards the forepart.

Their short beaks are also very unlike from those of other dolphins, with 12-xix peg-like teeth on each side of their jaws.

READ More: How To Class Captive Dolphin Facilities

Scary Looking Animals Around The World, Japanese Spider Crab
Japanese Spider Crab, photographed past Michael Wolf via Creative Commons

65. Japanese Spider Crabs

Latin Name:Macrocheira kaempferi

Habitat:Temperate waters of the Pacific Body of water nigh Nippon

Size:Length: Up to 18 feet; Weight: Upwards to 42 pounds

Diet:Shellfish, dead animals, algae, plants, small fish, mollusks

Conservation Condition:Information Deficient

The Japanese name for this species is taka-ashi-gani, which literally translates to "tall legs crab."

These crazy animals– whose legs can span 12 feet in length, weigh up to 42 pounds, and clamber along the bounding main flooring like a creepy spider– looks similar something that might attack Tokyo in the next Godzilla motion picture.

Orange, with white spots along the legs, these crabs reportedly take a very gentle disposition despite their daunting appearance.

READ More: Japan Photos: xv Pictures from a Dream Come True

Weird Sea Creatures Around The World Mantis Shrimp
Mantis Shrimp, photographed by Silke Baron via Creative Commons

66. Mantis Shrimp

Latin Name:Stomatopoda

Habitat:Shallow or subtropical waters

Size:Length: iii.9 to xviii in

Nutrition:Fish, crabs, shrimp, worms

Conservation Status:Data Deficient

It may wait similar a cantankerous between a crayfish, a praying mantis, and a colorful parrot, just the Mantis Shrimp is not to exist trifled with.

Its raptorial appendages move and so quickly, they literally boil the h2o effectually them, producing shockwaves strong enough to kill prey!

Seeing its vivid colors amongst the coral reef final year in Coron, Palawan was one of the nigh heady and memorable experiences nosotros've ever had while snorkeling or Scuba diving during our travels.

READ More than: Ecotourism in Costa Rica

Strange Sea Animals Around The World, Red-Lipped Batfish
Red-Lipped Batfish, photographed by Rein Ketelaars via Artistic Commons

67. Red-Lipped Batfish

Latin Name:Ogcocephalus darwini

Habitat:Deep waters of the Galapagos Islands

Size:Length: 15.7 in

Diet: Mollusks, small fish, crustaceans

Conservation Status:Least Concern

Likewise known as the Galapagos Batfish, this freaky-faced fish is found in the Galapagos Islands at depths of 10 to 250 anxiety.

In addition to its red lips, the fish (which is a terrible swimmer) is distinguished by its ability to "walk" on the ocean flooring using its pectoral fins.

Once they reach maturity, their dorsal fin evolves into a single spine-like project that they primarily utilize to lure casualty, including crustaceans and other small fish.

The illicium on its head is used for the aforementioned purpose.

READ MORE: Galapagos Islands Animals

Weird Sea Animals Around The World -Sea Pen
By Andrepiazza (Own work) [CC BY-SA 3.0

68. Sea Pen

Latin Name:Pennatulacea

Habitat:Tropical and temperate waters

Size:Length: two to 6 feet

Diet:Plankton

Conservation Status:Information Scarce

Easily among the weirdest animals on this list, the colorful Ocean Pen appears less like an animal and more like an ancient writing implement.

These unusual looking creatures' quill-like advent is created by multiple polyps (each of which has viii tentacles) branching out from a single key stalk.

Found in less turbulent waters ranging from 33 to half dozen,600+ anxiety, some species tin grow over 6 feet tall, usually positioning themselves in a current that provides a steady supply of plankton.

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Weird Fish Around The World -Warty Frogfish
By Steve Childs from Lancaster, Britain (Warty Frogfish) CC Past 2.0

69. Warty Frogfish

Latin Name:Antennarius maculatus

Habitat:Sheltered rocky and coral reefs in the Indo-Pacific region

Size:Length: Up to 5.9 in

Diet:Shrimp, fish

Conservation Status:Data Deficient

Though information technology's also known as the Clown Frogfish, this globulous, warty wonder is no joke.

Found in the Indo-Pacific region, this voracious carnivore attacks any minor beast inside its strike range and has a huge mouth that can consume prey its ain size.

Females may fifty-fifty eat males after mating if he doesn't move abroad.

They likewise have the power to change colors for cover-up in their environment, which is as well aided past their biofluorescence.

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Ribboned Sea Dragon at Newport Aquarium
"Ribboned Body of water Dragon" past David441491 is licensed nether CC BY-NC-ND ii.0

70. Ribboned Seadragon

Latin Name:Phyllopteryx taeniolatus

Habitat:Coastal waters, rocky reefs, seagrass meadows

Size: Length: Upwards to 12 in

Diet: Small planktonic crustaceans

Conservation Status:Data Deficient

Ribboned Seadragons are non in fact true seadragons, but a member of the pipefish group. They're too known as Pipe Horses and can be found in the Indo-Pacific region.

Their stunning colors vary based on the depth of water they reside in. Those in shallow water are usually a greenish-yellowish color, while those institute in deeper waters appear more brownish-red.

Their appearance is quite hit, as they have ribbon-similar protrusions along their body as well equally a long, tubular snout.

They can exist distinguished from the Weedy and Leafy Seadragons by their tail, which they use to catch onto sea grass while looking for prey. –past Bret Love, with additional reporting past Christina Maggitas

Source: https://greenglobaltravel.com/weird-animals-around-the-world/

Posted by: whiteeatilten.blogspot.com

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