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
- Strange Amphibians & Weird Reptiles
- Weird Birds
- Weird Creepy-Crawly Creatures
- Unique Mammals
- Unusual Nocturnal Animals
- Cool Animals from the Bounding main
STRANGE AMPHIBIANS & REPTILES
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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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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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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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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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."
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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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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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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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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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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.
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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.
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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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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
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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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.
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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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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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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.
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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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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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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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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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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!
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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 .
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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."
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WEIRD CREEPY Crawly CREATURES
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.
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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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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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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.
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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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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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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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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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UNIQUE MAMMALS
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.
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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 .
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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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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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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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UNUSUAL NOCTURNAL ANIMALS
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.
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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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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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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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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.
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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.
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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.
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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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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.
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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.
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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.
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Cool ANIMALS FROM THE Sea
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.
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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?
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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.
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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!
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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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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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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/
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