What strange animals. The most unusual animals
1. Leafy Sea Dragon
What kind of animal: Sea fish, a relative of the seahorse.
Habitat: In the waters surrounding southern and western Australia, usually in shallow, moderately warm water.
Special features: Branches of the head and body, similar to leaves, serve only for camouflage. It moves using the pectoral fin located on the crest of the neck, as well as the dorsal fin near the tip of the tail. These fins are completely transparent.
Dimensions: grows up to 45 cm.
By the way: the leafy sea dragon is the official emblem of the state of South Australia.
2. Malayan bear or biruang
What kind of animal: Mammal of the bear family.
Habitat: From northeast India and southern China through Myanmar, Thailand, the Indochina and Malacca peninsulas to Indonesia.
Special features: Stocky, strong animal with a short and wide muzzle. The ears are short and rounded. The limbs are high with disproportionately large paws; the claws are very large, curved. Feet are bare. The fangs are small. The biruang's fur is short, stiff and smooth. The color is black, on the face it turns into roan-yellow. On the chest there is usually a large whitish or red spot in the shape of a horseshoe, reminiscent in shape and color of the rising sun. A nocturnal animal, it often sleeps all day or sunbathes in the branches of trees, where it builds a kind of nest for itself.
Dimensions: The smallest representative of the bear family: it does not exceed 1.5 m in length (plus a 3-7 cm tail), height at the withers is only 50-70 cm; weight 27-65 kg.
By the way: Biruangs are one of the rarest species of bears.
3. Komondor
What kind of animal: The Hungarian Shepherd is a breed of dog.
Special features: When keeping a Komondor, special care is required for its coat, the length of which can reach almost a meter. It cannot be combed, but as it grows, the formed strands must be separated so that the hair does not fall off.
Dimensions: This “king of the Hungarian Shepherds” is one of the largest dogs in the world, the height at the withers in males is more than 80 cm, and the long white hair, curled into original laces, makes the dog even more massive and impressive.
By the way: Feeding this huge dog is not particularly difficult. Like any herding dog, they are very unpretentious and eat very little, a little more than 1 kg of food per day.
4. Angora rabbit
What kind of animal: A rodent-type mammal.
Habitat: Where its home is, since it is a pet. More precisely - everywhere.
Special features: This animal is indeed extremely impressive; there are specimens whose fur reaches a length of up to 80 cm. This wool is very valued, and a wide variety of useful things are prepared from it, even underwear, stockings, gloves, scarves and, finally, just fabrics. A kilogram of Angora rabbit wool is usually valued at 10 - 12 rubles. One rabbit can produce up to 0.5 kg of such wool per year, but usually produces less. The Angora rabbit is most often bred by ladies, which is why it is sometimes called “ladies’ rabbit”.
Dimensions: Average weight 5 kg, body length 61 cm, chest circumference 38 cm, but variations are possible.
By the way: These rabbits should be combed every week, because if you don’t take care of their fur, they get a disgusting appearance.
5. Little panda
What kind of animal: an animal of the raccoon family.
Habitat: China, northern Burma, Bhutan, Nepal and northeastern India. Not found west of Nepal. Lives in mountain bamboo forests at an altitude of 2000-4000 m above sea level in a temperate climate.
Special features: The fur of the red panda is red or nutty on top, dark, reddish-brown or black below. The hair on the back has yellow tips. The paws are glossy black, the tail is red, with inconspicuous lighter narrow rings, the head is light, and the edges of the ears and muzzle are almost white, and there is a mask-like pattern near the eyes. The red panda leads a predominantly nocturnal (or rather, twilight) lifestyle; during the day it sleeps in a hollow, curled up and covering its head with its tail. In case of danger, it also climbs trees. On the ground, pandas move slowly and awkwardly, but they climb trees very well, but, nevertheless, they feed mainly on the ground - mainly on young leaves and bamboo shoots.
Dimensions: Body length 51-64 cm, tail 28-48 cm, weighs 3-4.5 kg
By the way: Little pandas live alone. The female’s “personal” territory occupies an area of about 2.5 square meters. km, the male is twice as large.
6. Sloth
What kind of animal: A partially toothed mammal belonging to the Bradypodidae family.
Habitat: found in Central and South America.
Special features: Sloths spend almost all their time hanging on a tree branch with their backs down; sloths sleep 15 hours a day. The physiology and behavior of sloths is focused on strict energy savings, because... They feed on low-calorie leaves. Digestion takes about a month. In a well-fed sloth, ⅔ of its body weight may be food in its stomach. Sloths have long necks to reach leaves over a large area without moving. The body temperature of an active sloth is 30-34 °C, and at rest it is even lower. Sloths really don’t like to get out of trees, because on the ground they are completely helpless. In addition, it requires energy. They climb down to relieve their natural needs, which they do only once a week (that’s why they have a huge bladder) and sometimes to move to another tree, where, in order to further save energy, they often gather in groups in the forks of branches. There is an assumption that at the same time they mate lazily.
Dimensions: The body weight of different species of sloths varies from 4 to 9 kg, and the body length is about 60 centimeters.
By the way: Sloths are so slow that the moth often lives in their fur.
7. Imperial Tamarina
What kind of animal: Primate, prehensile-tailed monkey.
Habitat: In the Amazon rain forests in areas of southeastern Peru, northwestern Bolivia and northwestern Brazil.
Special features: A distinctive feature of the species is a particularly long white mustache, hanging down to the chest and shoulders in two strands. The toes have claws, not nails, only the big toes of the hind legs have nails. They spend most of their lives in trees, where larger species of monkeys cannot climb due to their weight.
Dimensions: Body length is 9.2-10.4 inches, tail length is 14-16.6 inches. The weight of adults is 180-250 g.
By the way: Tamarins live in groups of 2-8 individuals. All members of the group have their own rank, and at the highest level is the old female. Therefore, males carry the cubs.
8. White-faced saki
What kind of animal: Primate, broad-nosed monkey.
Habitat: Found in rain forests, drier forests and even the savannas of the Amazon, Brazil, French Guiana, Guyana, Suriname and Venezuela.
Special features: The coat color is black, the front of the head, forehead and throat of males are light, almost white. Sometimes the head is reddish in color. The fur is thick and soft, the tail is long and fluffy. The tail is not prehensile. Females have a general coloration of brown and uniform. There are lighter stripes around the nose and mouth.
Dimensions: Males weigh 1.5-2 kg and are slightly heavier than females. Body length 15 inches, tail 20 inches.
By the way: White-faced sakis spend their entire lives in trees. Sometimes they descend into the lower tier of the tropical forest (on the lower branches of trees and shrubs) in search of food. In case of danger, they make long jumps, while the tail serves as a balancer. Active during the day and night.
9. Tapir
What kind of animal: A large herbivore from the order of equids.
Habitat: In Central America, in warm places of South America and in southeast Asia.
Special features: Tapirs are relatively ancient mammals: even among the remains of animals 55 million years old, you can find many tapir-like animals. The closest animals to tapirs are other odd-toed ungulates: equines and rhinoceroses. Their front legs are four-toed, and their hind legs are three-toed; their toes have small hooves that help them move on muddy and soft ground.
Dimensions: The sizes of tapirs differ from species to species, but, as a rule, the length of a tapir is about two meters, the height at the withers is about a meter, and the weight is from 150 to 300 kg.
By the way: Tapirs are forest animals that love water. In forests, tapirs feed on fruits, leaves and berries. Their main enemy is man, who hunts tapirs for their meat and skin.
10. Hagfish
What kind of animal: an animal from the jawless class.
Habitat: They inhabit the seas of temperate latitudes, staying near the bottom at a depth of up to 400 m. At salinity below 29% they stop feeding, and at 25% and below they die.
Special features: The hagfish's mouth opening lacks a suction disc and is surrounded by only two pairs of antennae. By gnawing into the skin of the victim with strong horny teeth, they inject enzymes that dissolve proteins. Hagfishes most often prey on weakened vertebrate and invertebrate animals, as well as carrion. Often they find skeletons of fish covered with skin, and inside there are hagfish that have eaten all their entrails and muscles.
Dimensions: Body length up to 80 cm.
By the way: In Japan and some other countries, hagfish are eaten.
11. Star-nosed
What kind of animal: Insectivorous mammal of the mole family.
Habitat: Found only in southeastern Canada and the northeastern United States.
Special features: Externally, the star-nosed snake differs from other members of the family and from other small animals only in its characteristic stigma structure in the form of a rosette or star of 22 soft, fleshy, mobile bare rays.
Dimensions: The star-nosed mole is similar in size to the European mole. The tail is relatively long (about 8 cm), covered with scales and sparse hair
By the way: When the starfish is looking for food, the fleshy rays on the stigma are in constant motion, with the exception of the two middle-upper ones, which are directed forward and do not bend. When he eats, the rays are pulled together into a compact pile; While eating, the animal holds the food with its front paws. When the starfish drinks, it immerses both the stigma and the entire mustache in water for 5-6 seconds.
12. Proboscis
What kind of animal: A species of primate from the subfamily of slender-bodied monkeys in the family Ape.
Habitat: Distributed exclusively on the island of Borneo, where it inhabits coastal regions and valleys.
Special features: The most striking feature of the proboscis monkey is its large nose, similar to a cucumber, which, however, is only found in males. The fur of proboscis dogs is yellowish-brown on the upper side and white on the underside. The arms, legs and tail are gray, and the hairless face is red.
Dimensions: The size of proboscis monkeys reaches from 66 to 75 cm, the tail is approximately as long as the body. The weight of males ranges from 16 to 22 kg, twice the weight of females.
By the way: Proboscis whales are excellent swimmers, jumping into the water directly from trees and able to overcome up to 20 meters while diving underwater. Of all primates, they are perhaps the best swimmers.
13. Lesser frill
What kind of animal: Family of mammals of the order edentates.
Habitat: Armadillos inhabit steppes, deserts, savannas and forest edges of Central and South America.
Special features: These are the only modern mammals whose body is covered on top with a shell formed by skin ossifications. The shell consists of the head, shoulder and pelvic shields and a number of hoop-like stripes encircling the body from above and from the sides. The parts of the shell are interconnected by elastic connective tissue, which gives mobility to the entire shell.
Dimensions: Body length from 12.5 (frilled armadillos) to 100 cm (giant armadillo); weight from 90 g to 60 kg. Tail length from 2.5 to 50 cm.
By the way: The respiratory tract of armadillos is voluminous and serves as a reservoir of air, so these animals can hold their breath for 6 minutes. This helps them cross bodies of water (often armadillos simply cross them along the bottom). The air taken into the lungs compensates for the weight of the heavy shell, allowing the armadillo to swim.
14. Axolotl
What kind of animal: The larval form of an amphibian from the Ambystomaceae family.
Habitat: In mountain ponds of Mexico.
Special features: Long, shaggy branches grow on the sides of the axolotl’s head, three on each side. These are gills. Periodically, the larva presses them to the body and shakes them to clean them of organic residues. The axolotl's tail is long and wide, which helps it when swimming. It is interesting that the axolotl breathes with both gills and lungs - if the water is poorly saturated with oxygen, then the axolotl switches to pulmonary breathing, and over time its gills partially atrophy.
Dimensions: Total length - up to 30 cm.
By the way: Axolotls lead a very calm, measured lifestyle, without bothering themselves with unnecessary expenditure of energy. They lie calmly on the bottom, sometimes, wagging their tail, they rise to the surface of the water “for a breath of air.” But this is a predator that attacks its prey from ambush.
15. Aye-aye
What kind of animal: the largest animal of their nocturnal primates.
Habitat: Eastern and northern Madagascar. Lives in the same ecological niche as woodpeckers.
Special features: It has a brown color with white speckles and a large fluffy tail; like woodpeckers, it feeds mainly on worms and larvae, although it was initially believed - because of their teeth - that they eat like rodents.
Dimensions: Weight - about 2.5 kg. Length - 30-37 cm without tail and 44-53 cm with tail.
By the way: One of the rarest animals on the planet - several dozen individuals, which is why it was discovered relatively recently.
16. Alpaca
What kind of animal: an animal of the camel family.
Habitat: Peru, Bolivia, Chile, at an altitude of over 3500-5000 meters.
Special features: Valued primarily for its wool (24 natural shades), which has all the properties of sheep, but is much lighter in weight. 5 kg of wool is sheared from one individual; they are sheared once a year. The absence of front teeth forces alpacas to pick up food with their lips and chew with their lateral teeth. A very good-natured, intelligent, inquisitive animal.
Dimensions: Alpaca height is 61-86 cm, and weight is 45-77 kg.
By the way: The Indians believed that in order for an alpaca's wool to be blessed, it was necessary to kill it by tearing its heart out of its chest. Nowadays this is considered barbaric, but cases when several men hold an alpaca while someone cuts out a heart from its chest still occur.
17. Tarsier
What kind of animal: a mammal from the genus of primates.
Habitat: Tarsiers live in Southeast Asia, primarily on the islands.
Special features: Tarsiers are particularly distinguished by their long hind limbs, large head that can rotate almost 360°, and good hearing. The fingers are extremely long, the ears are round and bare. The soft wool has a brown or grayish tint. However, the most noticeable feature is the large eyes, up to 16 mm in diameter. When projected onto human height, tarsiers correspond to the size of an apple.
Dimensions: Tarsiers are small animals, their height ranges from 9 to 16 cm. In addition, they have a bare tail with a length of 13 to 28 cm. Weight varies from 80 to 160 grams.
By the way: In the past, tarsiers played a big role in the mythology and superstition of the peoples of Indonesia. The Indonesians thought that the heads of tarsiers were not attached to the body (since they could rotate almost 360°), and were afraid to encounter them, because they believed that the same fate could happen to people in this case.
18. Dumbo Octopus
What kind of animal: A small and peculiar deep-sea octopus, a representative of cephalopods.
Habitat: Found in the Tasman Sea.
Special features: Apparently he got his nickname in honor of the famous cartoon character - the baby elephant Dumbo, who was ridiculed for his large ears (in the middle of the body the octopus has a pair of rather long, paddle-shaped fins resembling ears). Its individual tentacles are literally connected to the ends by a thin elastic membrane called the umbrella. It, together with the fins, serves as the main mover of this animal, that is, the octopus moves like jellyfish, pushing water out from under the umbrella bell.
Dimensions: the found octopus is half the size of a human palm.
By the way: Little is known today about the varieties, habits and behavior of these octopuses.
19. frilled lizard
What kind of animal: A lizard from the agamidae family.
Habitat: Northwestern Australia and southern New Guinea. There it lives in dry forests and forest-steppes.
Special features: Coloration from yellow-brown to black-brown. It stands out for its long tail, which makes up two-thirds of the length of the frilled lizard's body. However, the most noticeable feature is the large collar-shaped fold of skin located around the head and adjacent to the body. The fold contains numerous blood vessels. The frilled lizard has strong limbs and sharp claws.
Dimensions: The length of the frilled lizard ranges from 80 to 100 cm, females are significantly smaller than males.
By the way: When in danger, it opens its mouth, sticks out its brightly colored collar (it can stand up to 30 cm from the body), stands on its hind legs, makes hissing sounds and hits the ground with its tail - which makes it seem scarier and more dangerous than it is.
20. Narwhal
What kind of animal: a unicorn, a mammal of the unicorn family.
Habitat: The narwhal lives in high latitudes - in the Arctic Ocean and the North Atlantic.
Special features: In the size and shape of the body, pectoral fins and dark coloration of the suckers, narwhals are similar to beluga whales, however, adult individuals are distinguished by spotting - grayish-brown spots on a light background, which sometimes merge - and the presence of only 2 upper teeth. Of these, the left one develops in males into a tusk up to 2-3 m long and weighing up to 10 kg, twisted in a left-hand spiral, while the right one usually does not erupt. The right tusk in males and both tusks in females are hidden in the gums and develop rarely, in about one case out of 500.
Dimensions: The body length of an adult narwhal is 3.5-4.5 m, newborns are about 1.5 m. The weight of males reaches 1.5 tons, of which about a third of the weight is fat; females weigh about 900 kg.
By the way: It’s not exactly clear why a narwhal needs a tusk, but not to break through a crust of ice. This tusk is a sensitive organ and presumably allows the narwhal to sense changes in pressure, temperature and relative concentration of suspended particles in the water. By crossing their tusks, narwhals apparently clear them of growths.
21. Madagascar suckerfoot
What kind of animal: Chiropteran mammal.
Habitat: Found only in Madagascar.
Special features: On the bases of the thumbs of the wings and on the soles of the hind limbs, sucker bats have complex rosette suckers, which are located directly on the skin (unlike the suckers on sucker-footed bats).
Dimensions: Small animal: body length 5.7 cm, tail 4.8 cm; weight 8-10 g.
By the way: The biology and ecology of suckerfoot has been practically unstudied. Most likely, it uses rolled up leathery palm leaves as shelters, to which it sticks with its suckers. All suckers were caught close to the water. Listed in the Red Book with the status “vulnerable”.
22. Pygmy marmoset
What kind of animal: One of the smallest primates, belongs to the broad-nosed monkeys.
Habitat: South America, Brazil, Peru, Ecuador.
Special features: The marmoset's nostrils are directed forward, and its nose is large and wide.
Dimensions: The weight of an adult does not exceed 120 g.
By the way: Lives well in captivity. When kept, it requires a constant temperature of 25-29 degrees, slightly higher humidity of 60%.
23. Blob fish
What kind of animal: fish, scientific name Psychrolutes marcidus.
Habitat: lives in the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian Oceans, found in deep waters (about 2800 m) of the coast of Australia and Tasmania.
Special features: Drop fish live at depths where the pressure is several tens of times higher than at sea level, and in order to maintain viability, the body of the drop fish consists of a gel-like mass with a density slightly less than water; this allows fish to swim above the seabed without expending energy to swim.
Dimensions: Maximum body length is about 65 cm.
By the way: Lack of muscles is not a disadvantage, since the blob fish feeds on prey that swims around it.
24. Platypus
What kind of animal: A waterfowl mammal of the order Monotreme.
Habitat: Australia.
Special Features: Its most curious quality is that it has a duck's beak instead of an ordinary mouth, allowing it to feed in the mud like birds."
Dimensions: The body length of the platypus is 30-40 cm, the tail is 10-15 cm, it weighs up to 2 kg. Males are about a third larger than females.
By the way: The platypus is one of the few poisonous mammals; it is generally not fatal to humans, but it causes very severe pain, and swelling develops at the injection site, which gradually spreads to the entire limb; pain can last for many days or even months.
25. Shoebill or royal heron
What kind of animal: A bird of the wavy order.
Habitat: Africa.
Special features: The shoebill’s neck is not very long and thick. The head is large, with a small and, one might say, sloppy crest at the back of the head. The beak is massive and very wide, somewhat swollen. There is a hanging hook at the end of the beak. The shoebill's plumage is generally dark gray, with powdery down on the back, but no such down on the chest. The legs are long and black. The shoebill has a short tongue; There is no muscular stomach, but the glandular one is very large.
Dimensions: Shoebill is a large bird, in a standing position it has a height of 75-90 cm; wing length 65-69 cm.
By the way: This lethargic bird often stands completely still, holding its large beak on its chest. The shoebill feeds on various aquatic animals - fish, crocodiles, frogs and small turtles.
The variety of shapes, colors and sizes of creatures inhabiting our planet surpasses even the richest imagination. We are pleased to present to you the most unusual animals in the world. Some of them look like characters from a science fiction movie about Mars, others seem to come from another dimension, but they all live on Earth and were created by Mother Nature.
25. Octopus Dumbo
The funny octopus opens the hit parade of amazing creatures. It lives at great depths (from one hundred to five thousand meters) and is primarily engaged in searching for crustaceans and worm-like creatures on the seabed. The octopus got its name, reminiscent of a baby elephant with large ears, thanks to its two unusually shaped fins.
24. Darwin's Bat
Creatures from the bat family are found in the waters around the Galapagos Islands. They are terrible swimmers and have instead learned to navigate the ocean floor on their fins.
23. Chinese water deer
This animal has earned the nickname "Vampire Deer" for its prominent tusks, which are used in battles for territory.
22. Star-nosed
The small North American mole gets its name from the circle of 22 pink, fleshy tentacles at the end of its snout. They are used to identify starfish food (worms, insects and crustaceans) by touch.
21. Aye-aye
This photo shows one of the most unusual animals in the world called “aye-aye” or “little arm”. This native of Madagascar is distinguished by its unique method of foraging; it knocks on trees to find larvae and then chews holes in the wood and inserts an elongated middle finger to pull out its prey.
20. "Living Stone"
Pyura Chilensis are living, breathing organisms found on Chilean beaches. Their appearance allows them to avoid predators. Interestingly, these creatures have both male and female organs and can reproduce without the help of a partner.
19. Pacu fish
Freshwater fish with human teeth are found in rivers in the Amazon and Orinoco basins, as well as in Papua New Guinea. A nightmare for local fishermen who are afraid to swim in the water because pacu confuse male testicles with nuts falling from trees into the water.
18. Drop fish
One of the strangest animals in the world. From the appearance of this creature, one can say that it is despondency incarnate. Lives in deep waters off the coast of Australia and Tasmania.
The blobfish lives in the depths and its flesh is a gel-like mass with a density slightly less than that of water. This allows the “dull” creature to stay afloat.
17. Eastern long-necked turtle
These turtles can be found throughout Australia. Their remarkable necks can reach a length of up to 25 cm.
16. Surinamese pipa
The leaf-like appearance of the Suriname pipa is a natural defense against predators. These toads have a unique method of reproduction: the female lays eggs and the male simultaneously releases sperm. The female dives down and the eggs fall onto her back, into the cells, where they remain until the time comes for the young peeps to be born.
15. Yeti Crab
The “hairy” claws of this crustacean, which lives in the depths of the southern part, contain many filamentous bacteria. They are needed to neutralize toxic minerals from water and, possibly, serve their host as food.
14. Bearded man
These beautiful birds live on Everest, the Himalayas and other mountainous areas in Europe and Asia. They were almost destroyed because people were afraid that bearded men would attack animals and children. Now there are only 10 thousand of them left on Earth.
13. Pike blenny
Found in the waters off the west coast of America, they can grow up to 30cm in length and have intimidatingly large mouths. Their pike blennies show each other as if they are kissing. Whoever has the biggest mouth is more important.
12. Decorated Tree Serpent
Many people's nightmare comes to life: a snake that climbs trees and then jumps down. Before jumping, the reptile curls up into a spiral, and then sharply turns around and rushes into the air. In flight, it stretches out and lands smoothly on a lower branch or other tree. Fortunately, flying snakes do not pay attention to people; they are more interested in bats, frogs and rodents.
11. North American kakimitsli
This cute animal from the raccoon family is native to the arid regions of North America. Cacomitsli are so easy to tame that miners and settlers once kept them as companions and gave them the nickname "miner's cat."
10. Striped Tenrec
It lives only in the tropical forests of Madagascar. The tenrec is somewhat porcupine-like, and the quills on the central part of the back can vibrate. With their help, animals locate each other.
9. Pink sea cucumber
He looks like a character from a science fiction film, but in reality he is a harmless creature. And it looks more like a jellyfish than its fellow sea cucumbers. Around its red mouth are tentacles that dig up edible mud from the bottom of the sea. From there it enters the creature's intestines.
8. Rhinopithecus
Famous TV presenter and naturalist David Attenborough once remarked that these amazing monkeys with their stub noses and blue “mask” around their eyes look like “elves.” Or, looking at them, you can say that “plastic surgery has gone too far.” Rhinopithecus lives in Asia, at altitudes up to 4000 meters and is rarely seen by humans.
7. Mantis crab
The colorful stomatopod, or mantis, spends most of its life hiding in burrows. Capable of breaking through the walls of aquariums by moving at speeds of up to 80 km per hour. During mating displays, mantis crabs actively fluoresce, and the fluorescence wavelength corresponds to the wavelength that the pigments in their eyes can perceive.
6. Panda Ant
Among the most unusual animals on the planet is a furry creature with the coloring of a panda. In fact, this is not an ant, but a wingless wasp that lives in South America. It is very similar in appearance to an ant, but, unlike it, it has a powerful sting.
5. Leaf-tailed gecko
Master of disguise originally from Madagascar. Thanks to its leaf-shaped tail, it can fit into the interior of the local jungle.
4. Gerenuk
It's hard to believe that this long-necked cutie is not a mini-giraffe, but a real African gazelle. In order to reach high branches, the gerenuk lacks only the length of its neck. You still have to stand up on your hind legs.
3. Chinese giant salamander
It can grow up to 180 cm long and weigh up to 70 kg. If you are in China and see such a creature in a local pond, then know that the water in this reservoir is very clean and cold.
2. Angora rabbit
It looks like the result of an experiment on crossing a Bigfoot with a kitten. Angora rabbits were extremely popular in the 17th and 18th centuries among European nobility. They were not eaten, but kept as pets.
1. Goblin shark (aka goblin shark)
Number one on our top 25 weird creatures is a rare shark, sometimes called a “living fossil.” It is the only surviving member of the family Scapanorhynchidae, with a pedigree of about 125 million years. Goblin sharks live all over the world at depths of more than 100 m, so they are not dangerous to swimmers.
The fauna is rich and diverse. Nature never repeats itself, creating new species of fauna that amaze and amaze. A selection of the most amazing mammals will demonstrate this clearly.
Star-nosed moles are insectivores that differ from other members of their family in the special structure of their stigma. It consists of 22 mobile fleshy naked processes 15-40 mm long. Their arrangement looks like a star or a flower with needle-shaped petals. At the moments when the mole is looking for food, the rays actively move; when eating, they are pulled together into a compact bunch.
The size of star-nosed moles is the same as that of ordinary European moles:
- carcass weight 40-70 g;
- body length, covered with coarse short hair, 17-20 cm;
The tail, covered with sparse hairs and scales, reaches a length of 7-8 cm. In winter, due to an increase in fat reserves, this part of the body increases in volume up to 3-4 times.
Woolly wings are placental mammals, the main feature of which is the presence of a membrane running through the entire body from the chin to the tail. This parachute is much more extensive than that of other known gliding animals.
Thanks to such membranes, kaguans can fly over distances of up to 140 meters. In fact, they do not fly, but glide, releasing their parachute, whose outline resembles a large rectangle. Each paw is equipped with retractable “cat” claws and suction cups on the pads, with the help of which the animal clings to branches at the moment of landing.
The animal is nocturnal, collecting leaves and fruits. In a day it can fly over an area of 1.5 km. During the daytime, he sleeps in hollow trees, wrapped in his parachute.
In the Brazilian forests lives a marvelous animal with a large body, a small head and almost microscopic ears. The sloth spends its entire life on tree branches, descending to the ground only in extreme cases, when it is necessary to relieve its natural needs. This happens every 6-7 days. Yes, the animal's bladder is very strong! And it’s not surprising, because the three-toed animal sleeps 20 hours a day. This physiological feature allows you to save energy as much as possible. After all, leisurely animals eat only dietary food - fresh leaves.
The local population calls the slow animals nothing more than “ah-ay”. It is these crying sounds that they make when they feel helpless on a flat surface. The animals are so leisurely that the moth often settles in their fur.
The most mobile part of the animal's body is the neck. It can rotate 270°, allowing the animal to eat leaves within half a meter, without making unnecessary movements.
A representative from the order of edentates is the only mammal whose body is covered with a hard shell. Such armor protection in the form of head, shoulder and pelvic shields was formed as a result of skin ossification. The shields are connected to each other by elastic fibers, thanks to which the armor protection provides the necessary mobility to the body.
Miniature animals have a body length of only 12.5 cm and weigh about 150-200 grams. Despite their compact dimensions, cape bearers are able to hold their breath for up to 6 minutes. They manage this due to their voluminous lungs. This physiological feature gives the frilled bears the ability to cross the river by swimming or walking along the bottom. The air filling the lungs partially compensates for the weight of the heavy shell, allowing the animal to move freely in the water.
Proboscis monkeys are primates with the most extraordinary appearance on the island. Borneo. They are distinguished from other species of Bornean primates by their giant floppy nose, which looks like a cucumber, and a large, round belly. No wonder locals often call them “monyet belanda”, which translates as “Dutch monkey”. Their ancestors noticed long ago that the Dutch colonialists had the same huge bellies and elongated red noses.
Proboscis animals prefer to settle in coastal regions rich in minerals, which are an important component in the diet of primates. Monkeys feel comfortable not only on land, but also in water, easily covering distances in the water element of up to 20 m.
Animals with such an unusual and even sinister appearance are among the largest nocturnal primates. They received this name due to the fact that their apron paws with long fingers and flat nails resemble bony brushes. At the same time, the middle finger of the hand is much thinner than the others, as if it had shrunk.
Although naturalists classify bats as primates, they are actually lemurs that have changed during evolution.
The arms are not large animals: 30-37 cm long, if measured together with the tail, then 45-50 cm. They weigh like growing kittens - about 2.5 kg. These amazing and quite rare mammals inhabit the southern part of the island, living in handmade nests in the forks of trees. Nocturnal primates feed on worms, larvae, as well as nuts and fruit seeds.
Biruangs, or dog bears, are distant relatives of pandas and are considered one of the rarest bear species. They are also the smallest of the entire bear family:
- body length 1.5 m plus 3-5 cm on the tail;
- height at withers up to 70 cm;
- weight 40-60 kg.
The name Helarctos, which means “sunny” in Greek, was given to the clubfoot because they have a white spot on their chest, shaped like a sunrise. Biruangas are well adapted to climbing trees. Perched in branches at a height of about 5-7 m, they prefer to sleep, take solar treatments and feast on fruits. Since Malayan bears live in tropical forests, where food sources are available all year round, the clubfoot never hibernates.
Large, stocky herbivores resemble the pigs we are used to in appearance. They are among the most ancient inhabitants of our planet. The weight of each individual varies between 150-250 kg, the body length is about 2 m, and the height at the withers is about 1 m. It is noteworthy that their front paws have 4 fingers, and their hind paws have 3.
Despite their appearance, tapirs are excellent climbers and divers. They are great at climbing trees and overcoming any obstacles with ease. Tapirs feed on fruits and leaves of plants.
Representatives of the rodent family can be considered among the most amazing mammals on our planet for the reason that they do not drink water at all. They get all the moisture they need for life from food: seeds, plant leaves and insects. Scientists even conducted an experiment in which they observed animals eating exclusively dry seeds within the walls of the laboratory for 3 years.
The animals resemble miniature kangaroos in appearance and habits. They are capable of jumping to a distance of 2.5-3 meters without a running start. This amazing jumping ability helps tarbagans avoid attacks from predators. To survive the cold winters and the hottest summer months, rodents can hibernate.
This representative of the rodent family, similar to a raw sausage 8-10 cm long, is surprising not only for its appearance, but also for its longevity. If you compare the lifespan of a naked mole rat with any other rodent of similar size and lifestyle, the difference is tens of years. For comparison: 28-30 years and 2-3 years. Animals are not sensitive to thermal burns, acid and conditions with high CO2 concentrations.
You can meet long-lived rodents in the dry savannas of East Asia. In arid and hard soil like concrete, they dig, gnawing with their teeth, entire catacombs of underground passages with an area the size of football fields. They live in large families numbering up to two hundred individuals. They extremely rarely come to the surface of the earth; they do without water, extracting liquid from underground plant tubers.
Echidnas are rare representatives of mammals whose offspring hatch from eggs. At the same time, they not only lay eggs, like reptiles or birds, but also carry them in their pockets, like marsupials. The pocket is formed only temporarily before the actual laying of eggs, and after the baby grows up, it miraculously smoothes out.
Not many people know that although echidnas produce milk, they cannot feed their young in the usual way. They don't have nipples! Nutrient fluid is secreted directly through the skin pores, and the cub licks it from the skin.
Animals are incredibly strong. In search of delicacies, they easily destroy termite mounds and anthills. The echidna's mouth is so small that it is unable to capture large food. In this situation, a long tongue helps, to which pieces of food stick.
Sea unicorns are the only species of the narwhal genus. They can only be found in the cold waters of the North Atlantic and Arctic Ocean. Swimming flocks make sounds reminiscent of creaks, whistles and clicks.
The size of these amazing mammals is simply amazing:
- body length 38.-4.5 m;
- weight almost 1.5 tons, of which 30% is fat.
The main difference between the animals is the presence of a tusk twisted in the form of a spiral, reaching a length of 2-3 m and weighing about 10 kg. This part of the body does not perform a protective function. The organ, permeated with millions of nerve endings, helps the mammal sense fluctuations in temperature and pressure of water, as well as the concentration of various types of impurities in it. In terms of value, narwhal tusks are often equated to ivory.
The sea cow is the only representative of the dugong family from the sirenian order. The name of this amazing mammal translated from Malay means “sea maiden”. The animals have a cylindrical powerful body, thick folded skin and paws-fins transformed in the process of evolution.
Dugongs cannot climb onto land because their weak fins are simply not capable of supporting 500-kilogram carcasses. Therefore, they walk near the bottom, slowly nibbling algae and looking for plant roots with their noses in the sand. It is noteworthy that animals that are silent by nature make a sharp whistling sound in moments of danger.
Playful and affectionate, Angora rabbits are bred for decorative purposes and as a source of long, delicate fur used in the manufacture of textiles and wardrobe items. From one individual you can get up to 500 grams of wool annually. But such “lumps” need careful care, with which they can live from 5 to 7 years.
Among domesticated mammals that have an unusual and even surprising appearance, it is also worth highlighting the Hungarian Shepherd dog breed. The extraordinary appearance is given by nature to animals for camouflage. Dense thick wool forms peculiar braids, reaching a length of 90-100 cm. These flagella feel like felt.
The longest hair is located in the area of the waist and tail, the softest is around the eyes and in the area of the limbs.
Long, voluminous hair, twisted into flagella, visually makes the animal’s body larger and more impressive. Therefore, Komondors are given another name: “Kings of the Hungarian Shepherds.”
Nature has never repeated her creations twice. It only moves forward, creating more and more new species, among which there are amazing creatures that can amaze even a person experienced in zoology.
We have compiled a list that includes some of the most unusual animals in the world, but if you are also interested in reading about animals with the most unusual behavior, you can get acquainted with them in this article.
The most unusual birds
Red-crested turaco
A bird whose plumage contains true green and red colors is the red-crested turaco, the only bird with this coloration. Water that gets on the red feathers of a turaco turns red due to the high copper content in the plumage pigment. 
hatchet bird
Is it possible to fly underwater? It turns out that it is possible - and the hatchet bird proves it. While getting food underwater, it literally flies using its wings. Waterfowl can function comfortably at depths of up to 100 meters. 
Blue-footed booby
Blue-footed boobies, inhabitants of the Galapagos Islands and the Pacific coast of America, look comical. The gannet is easy to recognize – its webbed feet are blue. During the mating season, males show off their blue legs by dancing in front of females. 
The most unusual mammals
Tarsier
The tarsier has a large head, disproportionate to the size of the body. The mammal can rotate it almost 360 o. Another characteristic feature of the tarsier is the ability to communicate with relatives using ultrasonic waves. 
Echidna
The echidna, endemic to Australia and New Guinea, is a unique animal, unlike any other creature on the planet. It is a mammal, but the echida's offspring hatch from eggs. The echidna's mouth is so small that it is unable to grab anything with it, but it pulls out a long tongue from its mouth, and food sticks to it. 
Despite their size, the animals swim well even over long distances. Keen vision allows the echidna to instantly identify danger even at night and hide in crevices, and if there are none nearby, powerful front paws come to the rescue, digging a hole in the ground in no time. If the soil is hard, the echidna curls up into a ball, exposing its entire arsenal of needles.
Malaysian bear or biruang
The mammal from the bear family lives in India, China, Thailand, Indonesia, and the Indochina Peninsula. Biruang is a stocky, strong animal with a wide and short muzzle. At the same time, it has high limbs with disproportionately large paws, which, in turn, are distinguished by large curved nails. 
The Malaysian bear is black in color, except for a yellow-roan face and a red or white horseshoe-shaped spot on the chest. The animal is nocturnal; During the day, the biruang sleeps or basks in the sun on tree branches, where it has something like a nest. It is considered practically the rarest species of bear.
Komondor
An interesting breed of dog is the Hungarian Komondor Shepherd. Representatives of this breed resemble either a giant mop on four legs or a dreadlocked Rastafarian - this is due to the unique structure of the coat, the length of which can reach one meter. The owners of such a dog are spared from daily manipulations with a brush - its fur is simply impossible to comb - but they still need to visit the groomer, because as the strands grow, they need to be separated to avoid matting. The long white hair is curled into peculiar laces, which make the Komondor's appearance even more impressive. 
Star-nosed mole
An insectivorous mammal from the mole family. It can only be found in the Northeastern United States or Southeastern Canada. Externally, the animal is very different from other representatives of moles. Only it has a peculiar stigma structure, which resembles a star of 22 fleshy, soft, moving and bare rays. When a mammal is looking for food, all the rays on the stigma, except the two middle and upper ones, move. During the absorption of food, the rays are pulled together. 
Angora rabbit
This rodent looks very impressive. Among them there are individuals with a coat length of up to 80 centimeters. The wool of the Angora rabbit is very valuable - many useful things can be made from it, from scarves and socks to underwear and fabric. Wool is sold by the kilogram and sells out instantly. 
From one rabbit you can get up to 0.5 kilograms of wool per year. Most often, women own this funny animal, which is why it is sometimes called “ladies’.” Representatives of the breed grow up to 61 centimeters in length and reach a weight of up to 5 kilograms. Rabbits need to be brushed weekly, otherwise they start to look downright ugly.
Lesser (red) panda
This animal belongs to the raccoon family and lives in China, Bhutan, Northeast India, Northern Burma, and Nepal. It can be found in bamboo forests that grow at 2000-4000 meters above sea level. The animal has nut or red fur on top, black or dark reddish-brown underneath. And on the back, the ends of the hair are colored yellow. The tail is red, the paws are black, the head is light, and the muzzle and tips of the ears are white. Along the eyes there is a pattern resembling a mask. The red panda is active at night, at dusk, and sleeps in a hollow during the day. 
Sloth
The partially toothed mammal lives in South and Central America. Almost all the time, sloths hang on trees with their backs down, spending 15 hours a day sleeping. The behavior and physiology of sloths are aimed at saving energy, so the animals’ diet consists of only leaves, and this is quite enough for them.Life of sloths
Nature gave sloths a long neck so that they could reach leaves without unnecessary movements. As a result, the animals practically do not leave the top of the tree, leaving their homes about once a week to fulfill their natural needs. Sometimes sloths gather in groups and also lazily mate.
Imperial tamarin
The prehensile-tailed monkey lives in the rain forests near the Amazon River. You can distinguish it from other monkeys by its long white mustache, which hangs down to the shoulders, giving the tamarin a resemblance to some ancient Chinese philosopher. 
Emperor tamarins live in isolated groups of up to 10 individuals, climbing trees where access to larger primates is denied. The pack maintains an extremely strict hierarchy; each member of the family has a specific role. The highest rank is that of the oldest female. She does not care for the cubs, paying attention to them only during feeding with milk, and the babies spend most of the time in the company of adult males.
White-faced saki
This bizarre primate lives in South America, among dense rain forests. It is extremely easy to determine whether a monkey belongs to this species; it is enough to notice the characteristic cream color of the head, contrasting with the dark fur on the body. Unlike most South American primates, the white-faced saki does not use its tail to cling to tree branches. It uses a long, bushy appendage for balance during long leaps from branch to branch. 
Tapir
A herbivorous equid animal that lives in warm places in South America, Central America, and Southeast Asia. Newborn tapirs resemble a hybrid of a wild boar and an anteater; adult individuals resemble the fruits of the union, again, of an anteater and a panda. 
The tapir's hind legs are three-toed, and its front legs are four-toed. Small hooves on the fingers help animals walk on muddy and soft ground.
Tapirs are afraid of humans and run away at the sight of bipeds - many years of experience suggest that they will not hesitate to kill for meat and skin.
Unusual fish
Clown fish
The males of this fish, popular among aquarists, can change their sex. An undeniable hierarchy reigns in a school of clown fish: a dominant pair is selected from among the entire population. The remaining members of the family are male individuals who not only do not receive privileges in the form of the opportunity to mate, but are also forced to control their growth in order to avoid jealousy on the part of the alpha male. If the leader female dies, then her partner changes sex and becomes a female himself, and one of the “reserve players” takes on the role of the dominant male. 
Crocodile fish
The crocodile fish, or scientifically the spotted flathead, actually looks like a green predator. For the sake of camouflage, it uses a spotted color, becoming gray or green depending on the color of the bottom. 
Saberfish
A terrifying-looking fish lives in the ocean at great depths. Its second name is “man-eating fish.” The sabertooth's teeth are so long that they have a kind of sheath on both sides of the fish's brain. The saber tooth quickly pierces its victim several times with its nail-like teeth. Adults are very different from young fish. The difference is so great that scientists only realized after fifty years of research that the young and adult individuals are representatives of the same species. 
Hagfish
Unusual jawless animals that can be found in the seas of temperate latitudes at depths of up to 400 meters. The second name for hagfish is witch fish. The life support system of these creatures is salt water. If the percentage of salt content in the water drops to 29%, then hagfish stop feeding, and at 25% and below they simply die. 
Hagfish - witch fish
Leafy Sea Dragon
The official emblem and symbol of South Australia. This fish, a member of the needlefish family and a relative of the seahorse, is found exclusively in the southern and western seas of Australia. The processes of the body and head of the fish are similar to leaves - they serve for camouflage in shallow water. Predators confuse the bizarre creature with algae and do not even try to attack it.Leafy sea dragon on video
The leafy sea dragon swims with the help of an absolutely transparent pectoral fin, which is located on the crest of the neck, and also a colorless dorsal fin in the tail area.
There are other unusual creatures that appeared on our planet thanks to human intervention. For example, a pizzle bear or a liger. Read about the most unusual hybrids on the website.
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Some are sad that dragons exist only in fairy tales, and there are no unusual animals left on earth. However, here is a list of the most unusual animals on the planet that debunk this statement.
Leafy sea dragon. This saltwater fish is a relative of the seahorse and lives in the waters of western and southern Australia. Usually the sea dragon can be found in shallow waters, where the water warms up quite well. A distinctive feature of the animal is the processes on the body and head, which resemble leaves and serve for camouflage. In the water, the dragon moves with the help of a fin, which is located on the crest of the neck, and the dorsal fin near the tip of the tail is also used. The animal's fins are completely transparent. The dragon is not so small - it can grow up to 45 cm. Interestingly, the leafy sea dragon is the official emblem of the state of South Australia.
Biruang or Malayan bear. This mammal belongs to the bear family. The biruang lives in Indochina and Indonesia. This bear has a stocky figure with a short but wide muzzle. The biruang's ears are short and round in shape. On the high limbs there are huge paws with large curved claws. The bear's feet are bare and its fangs are small. The fur of the biruang is smooth, hard and short, the color is black, turning into roan yellow. On the chest of the animal there is usually a spot resembling the rising sun. Biruang is nocturnal, but during the day it sleeps or sunbathes in trees, where it builds a nest-like home for itself. This animal is noteworthy in that it is the smallest representative of the bear family, and is also very rare. The length of the biruang does not exceed one and a half meters, the height is no more than 70 cm, and the weight is from 27 to 65 kg.
Komondor. This breed of dog is also called the Hungarian Shepherd. It lives everywhere, as it is a domestic animal. When keeping a dog, you cannot do without special care for its coat, because its length can reach almost a meter. The wool should not be combed, but as it grows, the strands simply need to be separated, otherwise the hair will become matted. This Hungarian Shepherd has an impressive size, being one of the largest dogs in the world. The height at the withers of males can exceed 80 cm, and the long white hair, rolled into laces, further increases the visual size of the animal. Feeding a Komondor is not as difficult as it might seem. Like any other herding dogs, they are completely unpretentious and require about 1 kg of food per day.
Angora rabbit. This is a mammal from the rodent breed. This rabbit is distributed everywhere as this animal is also a domestic animal. The Angora rabbit looks truly impressive; in some specimens the fur reaches 80 cm in length. It is very valuable and is used to make many useful things, including scarves, stockings, gloves, and even just fabrics. Women like to breed Angora rabbits, which is why the animal is also called “ladies' rabbit”. Its average weight is 5 kg, its body length is up to 60 cm, and its chest circumference is 38 cm. Rabbits should be brushed every week; if the fur is not taken care of, it will quickly lose its appearance, becoming simply disgusting.
Little panda. This animal of the raccoon family lives in China, Nepal, Burma and India. This panda cannot be found west of Nepal. The animal lives in mountain forests with bamboo at an altitude of 2 to 4 kilometers above sea level with a temperate climate. The fur of the red panda is red or hazel on top, and dark or reddish-brown, even black, below. The hair on the back has yellow tips. The panda's paws are glossy black and its tail is red. The head of the animal is light, while the muzzle is almost white, near the eyes there is a pattern similar to a mask. The red panda's lifestyle is predominantly nocturnal. During the day, covered with her tail, she sleeps in her hollow. If the animal senses danger, it quickly climbs the tree. Their movement on earth is awkward and slow, but in the trees they move quickly. But pandas still feed on the ground, choosing young leaves and bamboo shoots. The length of the red panda is 51-64 cm, and it is worth adding a long (28-48 cm) tail. Its weight is from 3 to 4.5 kilograms. These animals prefer a solitary lifestyle. The female allocates herself a territory of 2.5 square kilometers, and the male - twice as much.
Sloth. This non-toothed mammal lives in South and Central America. The sloth is known to everyone for its habit of living - almost all the time it hangs on a branch with its back down, while spending 15 hours every day sleeping. All behavior of animals and their physiology are designed for the most severe energy savings, since their diet includes exclusively low-calorie leaves, the digestion of which takes up to a month. A well-fed sloth can concentrate 2/3 of its weight on food in its stomach. In order to reach leaves from a large area while remaining motionless, animals have a long neck. In an active state, their body temperature is 30-34 degrees, but in a resting state it is even lower. Since animals are absolutely helpless on the ground, they do not like to get down from the trees; this process is also energy-consuming. Sloths still sometimes find themselves on the ground in order to fulfill rare natural needs (this happens several times a week thanks to their huge bladder), as well as to move to other trees. You can often see these animals gathering in the forks of huge trees in groups, this allows them to save energy, and it is also possible that the animals lazily mate. The body weight of sloths ranges from 4 to 9 kg, and their length is about 60 centimeters. Interestingly, the animals are so slow that fire butterfly settlements are often found in their fur.
Imperial tamarin. This prehensile-tailed monkey lives in the rain forests of the Amazon basin, as well as in Peru, Bolivia and northwestern Brazil. The special feature of the tamarin is immediately visible - it is a special white mustache that hangs in two strands to the shoulders and chest. There are nails only on the big toes of the hind legs, while the rest have claws. These monkeys spend the bulk of their lives in trees, where larger species of primates cannot reach. Tamarins do not live alone, but in groups of 2-8 individuals. Moreover, each member has its own rank, and at the top of the hierarchy there is always an old female. It is not surprising that with such a “matriarchy” the males carry the cubs. The body length of monkeys is only about 25 cm, while their tail can reach 35 cm. Adults weigh no more than 250 grams.
White-faced saki. This broad-nosed monkey lives in rainforests, arid forests, and savannas of the Amazon, Suriname, Venezuela and Brazil. The animal has a black coat color, and the front of the heads, throat and forehead of males are almost white. Sometimes the head may have a reddish tint. The tail of monkeys is fluffy and long, but does not have grasping functions, and the fur is soft and thick. Females have the standard uniform brown color for all. There are light stripes around their mouth and nose. Males can weigh up to 2 kg, females slightly less. The body length of monkeys is about 30 cm, and the tail is up to half a meter. White-faced sakis spend their entire lives in trees. They rarely descend into the lower tiers of the tropical forest, only in search of food. Monkeys are active both at night and during the day. If they are in danger, animals escape with the help of long jumps, with the tail acting as a balancer.
Tapir. This large equid eats grass and lives in Central America, as well as warm places in South America and southeast Asia. Tapirs are remarkable because these mammals are quite ancient - tapir-like animals lived 55 million years ago. The closest modern relatives of these animals are other equids - rhinoceroses and animals. The front legs of animals are four-toed, and the hind legs are three-toed. The toes have small hooves that help them move on wet and soft ground. The size of tapirs depends on their species, usually their length is about two meters, the height at the withers does not exceed a meter. The weight of the animals ranges from 150 to 300 kg. Tapirs living in forests are extremely fond of water. Their main food is berries, leaves and fruits. The tapir has few natural enemies, but the main danger comes from humans who hunt these harmless animals for their meat and skin.
Hagfish. This animal of the jawless class lives in the seas of temperate latitudes, while sticking to the bottom. Hagfish can be found even at a depth of 400 meters, and its length reaches 80 cm. If the water salinity is less than 29%, then the animals stop feeding, and salinity below 25% is fatal to them. Interestingly, the hagfish's mouth does not contain a suction disc, but is surrounded by only two antennae. These animals bite into the skin of the victim with horny teeth, and enzymes are injected that dissolve proteins. The prey of hagfishes are weakened invertebrate and vertebrate animals and carrion. You can often find fish skeletons covered with skin, inside of which lives a hagfish that has eaten all the insides. In Japan and some other countries, hagfish are successfully used as food.
Star-nosed. This mole-family mammal feeds on insects and is found in the United States and Canada. Externally, the starfish differs from its fellow members of the family only in its characteristic stigma in the form of a rosette or star of 22 fleshy and mobile bare rays. The size of this mole also differs little from the usual European one; the animal’s tail is relatively long, reaching 8 cm, and is covered with sparse hair and scales. When the starfish is busy searching for food, the rays of its stigma are in constant motion, with the exception of the two middle-upper ones, which always look forward and do not bend. But when a mole eats, its rays are pulled together into a small group, and while eating, the animal holds the food with its front paws. In order to drink, the star-nosed fish has to immerse both its whiskers and the entire stigma in water for 5-6 seconds.
Nosach. This monkey of the marmoset family can only be found on the island of Borneo, where it has chosen coastal areas. The most distinctive feature of the animal, of course, is its large nose, similar to a cucumber. However, this trait is inherent only in males. The upper part of the proboscis monkey is colored yellowish-brown, and the lower part is white. The hairless face is red, the arms, legs and tail are gray. The size of these monkeys is usually from 66 to 75 cm, the length of the tail is approximately equal to the length of the body. Males weigh from 16 to 22 kg, while females weigh half as much. Proboscis monkeys love and know how to swim; they jump into the water directly from trees; monkeys can swim up to 20 meters under water. They are considered the best swimmers among primates.
Small cape-bearer. Many people have heard about armadillos, but do you know about caped bats? This mammal of the edentate family has chosen the steppes and savannas of Central and South America. The uniqueness of the frilled bears is that they are the only modern mammals today whose body is covered on top with a shell formed by dermal ossifications. The shell includes shoulder, pelvic and head shields, as well as a number of hoop-like stripes that encircle the body both from above and from the sides. The parts of the shell are connected to each other by flexible connective tissue, which allows the entire shell to remain mobile. Frilled armadillos can be only 12 cm long, but the giant armadillos belonging to this family reach a length of a meter. The length of the tail of these animals varies from 2.5 cm to 50 cm. Frilled bats can hold their breath for up to 6 minutes, as they have voluminous respiratory tracts and serve as a reservoir for air. Thanks to this, animals easily cross bodies of water; often they simply walk along the bottom. The weight of the heavy shell can be compensated for by the air taken in, so the armadillo also has the ability to swim.
Axolotl. This larval form of an amphibian plant of the Ambystomaceae family lives in the mountain ponds of Mexico. A special feature of the axolotl is 6 shaggy and long branches, 3 growing on each side of the head. In fact, these are not decorations, but gills. Periodically, the larva, pressing them to the body, shakes them, thereby freeing itself from organic residues. The axolotl's swimming is facilitated by its wide and long tail. This amazing animal can breathe with both gills and lungs. If there is a sufficient amount of oxygen in the water, the axolotl uses the lungs, in which case the gills partially atrophy over time. The total length of the amphibian reaches 30 cm, their lifestyle is measured, and they try not to expend a lot of energy on their actions. This predator prefers to lie quietly in ambush at the bottom, waiting for prey and occasionally making raids to the surface for air.
Aye-aye or Madagascar little hand. This largest animal of all nocturnal primates lives in Madagascar. The aye-aye occupies the same ecological niche as woodpeckers. This species was discovered quite recently; it numbers only a few dozen individuals, and is therefore extremely rare. Especially aye-ayes are brown in color with white speckles, have a fluffy large tail, and, as already noted, like woodpeckers, feed on larvae and worms. Initially, because of the large teeth of these primates, it was assumed that they fed like rodents. Aye-ayes weigh about 2.5 kg, their body length is 30-37 cm, and their tail can reach 16 cm.
Alpaca. In Peru, Bolivia or Chile, at an altitude of 3.5-5 kilometers you can see this unusual animal of the camel family. The main thing in alpaca is wool, which has as many as 24 shades. It is much lighter in weight than sheep, and is not inferior in quality. Up to 5 kg of wool is sheared from one individual once a year. The alpaca does not have front teeth, so the animal is forced to collect food with its lips and chew it with its side teeth. Alpaca is very inquisitive, good-natured and intelligent. The animal's height reaches 86 cm, and its weight ranges from 45 to 77 kg. Once upon a time, the Indians believed that in order to bless an alpaca's wool, it was necessary to tear out its heart. Despite the barbaric roots of this custom, there are still cases of killing these gentle animals in this way.
Tarsier. These animals live in Southeast Asia, mainly on the islands, and they belong to the primates. Their feature is their long hind legs and large head, which can turn almost 360 degrees. Tarsiers have good hearing, their fingers are very long, and are bare and round. Primates have gray or brown soft fur. But most of all they stand out for their eyes, which have a diameter of up to 16 mm. If you project them onto a person’s height, it will be the size of an apple. The animals themselves are quite small, their height is from 9 to 16 cm. But the tail can significantly exceed the length of the body, reaching up to 28 cm. The weight of a tarsier ranges from 80 to 160 grams. Once upon a time, these animals played an important role in the superstitions and mythology of the peoples of Indonesia. Due to the peculiarities of the rotation of the animal’s head, people for a long time believed that it was not attached to the body at all, therefore, a collision with them was dangerous, since the same fate could await a person.
Dumbo Octopus. This peculiar octopus is a cephalopod. He lives in the depths of the Tasman Sea, and his size is small, about half the palm of a man. The octopus' nickname comes from the name of the baby elephant Dumbo, a famous cartoon character. Everyone mocked him because of the large size of his ears, but the octopus has a pair of long and oar-like fins that resemble ears. The individual tentacles of the animal are connected by a flexible and thin membrane called the umbrella. It is this, together with the fins, that serves as the octopus’s main engine. Thus, Dumbo Octopus moves in a similar manner to jellyfish, pushing water out from under the umbrella.
Frilled lizard. This animal lives in the dry steppes and forest-steppes of Australia and New Guinea. The lizard can have different colors - from yellow-brown to black-brown. She has a very long tail, which makes up 2/3 of the entire length of her body. The most noticeable feature of the animal is the fold of skin around the head, similar to a collar and adjacent to the body. This formation contains many blood vessels. The frilled lizard itself has strong limbs and sharp claws. The length of the lizard reaches 801-00 cm, while females have significantly modest sizes. Sensing danger, the animal opens its mouth and protrudes its bright collar, which can be 30 cm from the body. The lizard stands on its hind legs, begins to hiss and beat its tail on the ground. However, such a terrifying appearance does not at all characterize the character of the animal.
Narwhal. This unusual unicorn mammal lives in the waters of the Arctic Ocean and the North Atlantic. It is not known exactly why the narwhal needs its tusk, because it does not seem to pierce the ice crust with it. The fact is that the narwhal’s tusk is a very sensitive organ; with its help, the animal measures temperature, pressure and the relative concentration of suspended particles in the water. By crossing their tusks, narwhals most likely clear them of growths, thus helping each other. The animals stand out for their size - their length is from 3.5 to 4.5 meters, the height of only newborns is about 1.5 meters. Males can weigh up to one and a half tons, and females can weigh about 900 kg. At the same time, fat makes up about a third of the weight of animals. Narwhals have pectoral fins and their suckers are dark in color, making the animals similar to beluga whales. But in adult individuals, gray and brown spots appear on a light background of the body, which can merge. Narwhals only have two upper teeth. The left one develops in males into a tusk, which weighs up to 10 kg, is 203 meters long and twists in a left-hand spiral, while the right tooth usually does not erupt. In rare cases (0.2%), males may also develop a right tusk, or females may develop a tooth hidden in the gums.
Madagascar suckerfoot. This chiropteran mammal, as the name suggests, is found only in Madagascar. The animal is only 6 cm in length and weighs 8-10 grams, while the tail can reach 5 cm. Interestingly, the ecology and biology of the suckerfoot is poorly understood. Scientists suggest that rolled palm leaves serve as a refuge for them, to which they stick with their suction cups. They are the special characteristics of animals. Rosette suckers are located directly on the skin at the base of the big toes, as well as on the soles of the hind limbs. All caught suckers lived near water. These animals are protected by law, as their species is very vulnerable.
Dwarf marmoset. This primate is one of the smallest and belongs to the broad-nosed monkeys. The marmoset lives in South American countries - Ecuador, Peru, Brazil. An adult weighs no more than 120 grams. The primate's nostrils are directed forward, which is unusual, but the nose is quite large and wide. In captivity, the marmoset feels great; to keep it, you just need to keep a constant temperature of 25-29 degrees and high humidity of 60%.
Drop fish. The scientific name for it is Psychrolutes marcidus. The fish lives in the Pacific, Indian and Atlantic oceans, preferring greater depths (about 2800 meters). In such places, the pressure is usually several ten times higher, so the gel-like composition of the body with a density lower than that of water helps the fish maintain viability and swim with little energy consumption. The body length of the drop fish can reach 65 cm, although it does not have muscles, it is quite content with the prey that swims around it.
Platypus. This waterfowl can only be found in Australia. Instead of an ordinary mouth, this animal is equipped with a beak, thanks to which it can, however, feed like birds in the mud. The body of the platypus is usually 30-40 cm in length, while the tail is 10-15 cm in size. The weight of the animal is no more than 2 kg, with females being about 30% smaller. Few people know that the platypus is one of the few poisonous mammals. Although the poison is not fatal to humans, it can cause a severe headache, and swelling forms at the site of the bite, which will gradually grow. As a result, the pain may persist for many days or even several months.
Shoebill or royal heron. This bird of the order locusts can only be found in Africa. Although the shoebill's neck is not very thick and long, the bird's head is quite large with a small crest at the back. The heron's beak is wide, it seems to be swollen. At the very tip of the beak there is a hanging hook. Typically, the shoebill's plumage is dark gray; on the back, unlike the chest, there is powdery down. The bird's legs are black and long, its tongue is short. The glandular stomach is quite large, but there is no muscular stomach at all. The size of the bird is quite large - in a standing position its height reaches 90 cm, while the wing length is 65-69 cm. The Shoebill leads an advantageous sedentary lifestyle - it usually stands motionless, with its beak pressed to its chest. Food for the bird is various animals that live in the water - fish, frogs, turtles and small crocodiles.
