A small eared animal with big eyes. Unusual animals you didn't know about
A selection of 30 of the most unusual creatures of our planet...
Based on materials from: wikipedia.org & animalworld.com.ua & unnatural.ru
Madagascar suckerfoot
Found only in Madagascar. On the bases of the thumbs of the wings and on the soles hind limbs The sucker bat has complex rosette suckers, which are located directly on the skin (unlike the suckers of sucker-footed bats). The biology and ecology of the suckerfoot has been virtually 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.
Angora rabbit (ladies)
These rabbits look quite impressive; there are specimens whose fur reaches up to 80 cm in length. Their wool is extremely valuable, and a wide variety of things are made from it: stockings, scarves, gloves, just fabrics and even linen. One kilogram of this rabbit's wool is valued at about 10 - 12 rubles. One rabbit produces about 0.5 kg of this wool per year, but usually much less. Most often, Angora rabbits are bred by women, which is why they are sometimes called “ladies’ rabbits.” The average weight of such a rabbit is 5 kg, body length 61 cm, chest girth 35-40 cm, but other options are possible.
Monkey marmoset
This is the most amazing species of monkeys living on Earth. The weight of an adult does not exceed 120 g. When you look at this tiny creature the size of a mouse (10-15 cm) with a long tail (20-21 cm) and large Mongoloid eyes with a conscious gaze, you feel some embarrassment.
Coconut crab
This is one of the representatives of decapod crustaceans. The habitat of this animal is the western Pacific Ocean and islands in the Indian Ocean. This animal of the land crayfish family is quite large for representatives of its species. An adult can reach 32 cm in length and weigh up to 3-4 kg. For quite a long time, it was mistakenly believed that the palm thief could split coconuts with its claws in order to then eat them, but now scientists have definitely proven that this cancer, despite the enormous strength of its claws, is not capable of splitting a coconut, but can easily break your arm...
Coconuts that split when they fall constitute their main source of nutrition, which is why this crayfish was named the palm thief. However, he is not averse to enjoying other food - the fruits of plants, organic elements from the earth, and even God's creatures similar to themselves. His character, meanwhile, is timid and friendly.
The coconut crab is unique in its kind, its sense of smell is as developed as that of insects, and it also has olfactory organs that ordinary crabs lack. This feature developed after this type came out of the water and settled on land.
Unlike other crabs, they move forward rather than sideways. They don't stay in the water for long.
Sea cucumber. Holothuria
Sea cucumbers, egg capsules (Holothuroidea), a class of invertebrates such as echinoderms. The modern fauna is represented by 1,150 species, divided into 6 orders, which differ from each other in the shape of the tentacles and calcareous ring, as well as the presence of some internal organs. There are about 100 species in Russia. The body of sea cucumbers is leathery to the touch, usually rough and wrinkled. The body wall is thick and elastic, with well-developed muscle bundles. Longitudinal muscles (5 ribbons) are attached to the calcareous ring around the esophagus. At one end of the body there is a mouth, at the other there is an anus. The mouth is surrounded by a corolla of 10-30 tentacles, which serve to capture food, and leads into a spirally twisted intestine.
They usually lie “on their side”, raising the front, oral end. Holothurians feed on plankton and organic debris extracted from bottom silt and sand, which is passed through the digestive canal. Other species filter food from bottom waters with tentacles covered with sticky mucus.
Hell Vampire
This animal is a mollusk. Despite its external similarity to an octopus or squid, scientists have separated this mollusk into a separate series, Vampyromorphida (Latin), because only it has retractable, receptive, whip-shaped filaments.
Almost the entire surface of the mollusk’s body is covered with luminescent organs - photophores. They appear as small white discs enlarging at the ends of the tentacles and at the base of the fins. Photophores are absent only on the inner side of the membraned tentacles. The hellish vampire has very good control over these organs and is capable of producing disorienting flashes of light lasting from hundredths of a second to several minutes. In addition, it can control the brightness and size of the color spots. 
Amazonian dolphin
This is the world's largest river dolphin. Inia geoffrensis, as scientists have named it, can reach 2.5 meters in length and weigh up to 200 kg. Juveniles are light gray in color, but become lighter with age. The Amazonian dolphin has a full body, with a narrow snout and a thin tail. Round forehead, slightly curved nose and small eyes. You can meet the Amazonian dolphin in the rivers and lakes of Latin America.
Star-nosed
The star-nosed insect is an insectivorous mammal from the mole family. You can meet such an animal only in South-Eastern Canada and the north-eastern USA. Externally, the star-nosed snake differs from other animals of this family and from other small animals, only it is characterized by the structure of its snout in the form of a rosette or an asterisk made of 22 soft mobile fleshy naked rays. The size of the star-nosed ray similar to its European relative the mole. Its tail is relatively long (about 8 cm), covered with scales and sparse hair. When the starfish is looking for food, the rays on the stigma are constantly moving, with the exception of the two middle ones, they are directed forward and do not bend. When he eats, the rays are pulled together into a compact lump; While eating, the animal holds the food with its front paws. When the starfish drinks, it immerses both the stigma and all the whiskers in the water for 5-6 seconds.
Fossa
These amazing animals live only on the island of Madagascar; there are nowhere else in the world, not even in Africa. The Fossa is a rare animal and the only member of the genus Cryptoprocta, with the Fossa being the largest predator found on the island of Madagascar. The appearance of the Fossa is a little unusual: it is something between a civet and a small puma. At times, the Fossa is also called the Madagascar lion; the ancestors of this animal were much larger and reached the size of a lion. The fossa has a strong build, a massive and slightly elongated body, its length can reach up to 80 cm (on average the fossa body reaches 65-70 cm). Fossa's paws are high, but quite thick, and hind legs longer than the front ones. The tail of this animal is very long, often reaching the length of the body and reaching up to 65 cm. 
Japanese giant salamander
The largest amphibian found in the world, this salamander can reach 160 cm in length and weigh up to 180 kg. In addition, such a salamander can live up to 150 years, although the officially recorded longest age of a huge salamander is 59 years.
Madagascar crayfish (or Aye-Aye)
The Madagascar monkey (lat. Daubentonia madagascariensis) or aye-aye, is a mammal of the suborder of prosimians; the only representative of the family of arms. One of the rarest animals on the planet - there are only five dozen individuals, which is why it was discovered relatively recently. The largest animal of the nocturnal primates. 
The body length of the arm is 30-37 cm without a tail, 44-53 cm with a tail. Weight - about 2.5 kg. The head is large, the muzzle is short; The ears are large and leathery. The tail is large and fluffy. The coat color ranges from dark brown to black. They live in the East and North of the island of Madagascar. They are nocturnal. They feed on the fruits of the mango tree and coconut trees, bamboo and sugarcane heartwood, wood beetles and larvae. They sleep in hollows or nests.
This animal is one of the most unique mammals on the planet; it has no similar features to any other animal. The little arm has a thick, wide head with large ears, which makes the head appear even wider. Small, protruding, motionless, and glowing eyes with smaller pupils than those of a nocturnal monkey. Its muzzle bears a close resemblance to the beak of a parrot, an elongated body and a long tail, which, like the whole body, is sparsely covered with long, stiff, bristle-like hair. And finally, unusual hands, and these are hands, their middle finger has the appearance of a withered one - all these features, connected together, give the aye-aye such a unique appearance that you involuntarily rack your brains in a vain zeal to find a related creature similar to this animal,” wrote A.E. in his book “The Life of Animals.” Bram.
Listed in the “Red Book”, ay-ay is the most remarkable animal, over which a serious danger of extinction hangs. Daubentonia madagascariensis is the only representative of not only the genus, but also the family that has survived to this day.
Guidak
The photo shows the longest-living and at the same time the largest (up to 1 meter in length) burrowing mollusk in the world (the age of the oldest individual found is 160 years). The concept of Guidak was taken from the Indians and is translated as “deep-digging” - these gastropods can actually bury themselves quite deep in the sand. A “leg” protrudes from under the thin, fragile shell of the hyodac, which is three times larger than the shell (there have been cases where specimens with a leg length of more than 1 meter were found). The clam meat is very tough and tastes like abalone (this is also a clam, terribly tasteless, but with a very beautiful shell), so Americans usually cut it into pieces, beat it and fry it in butter with onion.
Liger
The liger (English liger from the English lion - “lion” and English tiger - “tiger”) is a hybrid between a male lion and a female tigress, looking like a giant lion with blurred stripes. The appearance and size are similar to the cave lion and its relative the American lion, which became extinct in the Pleistocene. Ligers are the largest big cats in the world today. The largest liger is Hercules from the interactive theme park Jungle Island.
Male ligers, with rare exceptions, have almost no mane, but unlike lions, ligers know how and love to swim. Another feature of ligers is that female ligers can give birth to offspring, which is unusual for feline hybrids. The extraordinary gigantism of ligers is due to the fact that ligers receive genes from their lion father that promote the growth of their offspring, while the tiger mother does not have genes that inhibit the growth of their offspring. While the tiger father does not have genes that promote growth, the lioness mother has genes that inhibit growth, which are passed on to her offspring. This explains the fact that the liger is larger than the lion, and the tiger lion is smaller than the tiger.
Imperial tamarin
The name of the species (“imperial”) is associated with the presence of fluffy white “whiskers” on these monkeys and is given in honor of Kaiser Wilhelm II. Body length - about 25 cm, tail - about 35 cm. Weight of adult individuals - 250-500 grams. Tamarins feed on fruits and lead a diurnal lifestyle. They live in small groups of 8-15 individuals.
Emperor tamarins are native to the Amazon rainforest and are found in northwestern Brazil, eastern Peru and northern Bolivia. In the east, the range is limited by the Gurupi River, in the upper reaches of the Amazon - by the Putumayo rivers in the north and Madeira in the south. Although the species lives in hard-to-reach places, its conservation status is assessed as vulnerable.
Cuban slittooth
Cuban slittooth, a strange creature similar to big hedgehog with a funny long-nosed muzzle, when it bites, it kills insects and small animals with poisonous saliva. The slit tooth is not dangerous for humans, quite the contrary. Until 2003, the animal was considered extinct until several specimens were caught in the forest. The slittooth has no immunity to its poison, so fights between males are usually fatal for all participants.
Kakapo parrot
The New Zealand kakapo parrot, also known as the owl parrot, is probably the most unusual parrot in the world. He never flies, weighs 4 kilograms, croaks in a nasty voice and is nocturnal. It is considered an extinct species in nature due to ecological imbalance caused by rats and cats. Experts hope to restore the kakapo population, but it is very reluctant to breed in zoos.
Cyclocosmia
This species of spider stands out from the representatives of its genus only by the very original shape of its abdomen. Cyclocosmia digs burrows 7-15 cm deep in the ground. Its abdomen, at the end, is as if chopped off and ends with a chitinized flat disc-shaped surface; it serves to close the entrance to the burrow when the spider is in danger. This method of defense is called Pragmosis (eng. Phragmosis) - a method of defense in which an animal, if threatened, hides in a hole and uses part of its body as a barrier, blocking the path of a predator.
Tapir
Tapirs (lat. Tapirus) are large herbivores from the order of equids, somewhat reminiscent of a pig in shape, but with a short trunk adapted for grasping.
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. Life expectancy in the wild is about 30 years, the cub is always born alone, pregnancy lasts about 13 months. Newborn tapirs have protective coloring consisting of spots and stripes, and although this coloring appears to be the same, there are some differences between species. The front paws of tapirs are four-toed, and the hind paws are three-toed; the toes have small hooves that help them move on muddy and soft ground.
Mixin
The common hagfish (lat. Myxini) lives at depths of 100-500 meters, its primary habitat is near the coast of North America, Europe, Iceland, and East Greenland. Sometimes it can be found in the Adriatic Sea. IN winter time The hagfish sometimes descends to great depths - up to 1 km.
The size of this animal is small - 35-40 centimeters, although sometimes giant specimens are found - 79-80 centimeters. Naturalist Carl Linnaeus, who discovered this miracle in 1761, initially even included it in the class of worms because of its specific appearance. Although in fact hagfish belong to the class of cyclostomes, which are the historical predecessors of fish. The color of hagfish can vary, but the predominant colors are pinkish and gray-red.
A distinctive feature of hagfish is the presence of a number of holes that secrete mucus, which are located along the lower edge of the animal’s body. It should be noted that mucus is a very important secretion of hagfish, which is used by the animal to penetrate into the cavity of the fish chosen as a victim. Mucus also plays an important role in animal respiration. The hagfish is a veritable mucus-creating plant, particularly when placed in a bucket, full of water, then after some time all the water is converted into mucus.
The fins of hagfishes are actually not developed; they are difficult to distinguish on the long body of the animal. Organ of vision - the eyes see poorly; they are masked by light areas of skin in this area. The round mouth has as many as 2 rows of teeth, and there is also one unpaired tooth in the palate area. Hagfish “breathe through their nose”, and water enters the hole at the end of the snout - the nostril. The respiratory organs of hagfish, like all fish, are gills. The area where they are located are special cavities-channels running along the animal’s body. The hagfish hunts only those fish that are sick, weakened (for example, after spawning) or caught in gear or nets installed by humans. The attack process itself occurs as follows: the hagfish eats through the wall of the fish’s body with its sharp teeth, after which it enters the body, consuming first the internal organs, and then muscle mass. If the unfortunate victim is still able to resist, then the hagfish passes into the gills and fills them with mucus, abundantly secreted by its glands. As a result, the fish dies from suffocation, leaving the hunter the opportunity to eat its body
Proboscis
The proboscis monkey, or Kahau (lat. Nasalis larvatus) is a monkey widespread in only one small area globe- valleys and coast of Borneo. The proboscis monkey belongs to the family of thin-bodied monkeys and got its name thanks to its huge nose, which is hallmark males.
It has not yet been possible to establish the exact purpose of such a large nose, but, obviously, its size plays a role in choosing a mating partner. The fur of these monkeys is yellowish-brown on the back and white on the belly, the limbs and tail are gray, and the face is not covered with hair at all and has a rather bright reddish tint, and in the cubs a bluish tint.
The size of an adult proboscis monkey can reach 75 cm, excluding the tail, and twice that size from the nose to the tip of the tail. The average weight of a male is 18-20 kg, females weigh almost half as much. Almost never moving away from the water, proboscis whales were known as excellent swimmers who could travel more than 20 meters underwater. In the open shallow waters of tropical forests, proboscis monkeys move, like most primates, on four limbs, but in the wild thickets of mangroves (the so-called tropical forests of Borneo) they walk on two legs, almost vertically.
Axolotl
Representing the larval form of Ambystoma, the axolotl is considered one of the most interesting objects for study. Firstly, axolotls do not need to reach adult form and undergo metamorphosis to reproduce. Surprised? The secret lies in neoteny - a phenomenon in which sexual maturity occurs in the axolotl even in “childhood” age. Note that the tissues of this larva react rather poorly to the hormone secreted by the thyroid gland.
Experiments have proven that lowering the water level during home breeding of these larvae promotes their transformation into adults. The same thing happens in cooler, drier climates. If an axolotl lives in your aquarium, and you want to turn it into an ambistoma, then be sure to add the hormone thyroidin to the larva’s food. A similar result can be achieved with an injection. As a rule, the transformation of an axolotl will take several weeks, after which the larva will change its body shape and color. In addition, the axolotl will permanently lose its external gills.
Literally translated from the Aztec language, axolotl is a “water toy”, which is quite consistent with its appearance. Once you see an axolotl, you are unlikely to forget its unusual, bizarre appearance. At first glance, the axolotl resembles a newt, but has a rather large and wide head. The smiling “face” of the axolotl deserves special attention - tiny beady eyes and an excessively wide mouth.
As for the amphibian’s body length, it is about thirty centimeters, and axolotls are characterized by the regeneration of lost body parts. The axolotl's natural habitat is concentrated in Xochimailco and Cholco, mountain lakes in Mexico.
If you look closely at the amphibian's head, you will notice six long gills, symmetrically located on the sides of the head. The axolotl's gills externally resemble thin shaggy twigs, which the larva cleans from time to time of organic debris.
Thanks to their wide, long tail, axolotls are excellent swimmers, although they prefer to spend most of their lives at the bottom. Why bother with unnecessary movements if the food itself floats into your mouth?
At first, biologists were quite surprised by the respiratory system of axolotls, which included both lungs and gills. For example, if the aquatic habitat of an axolotl is not sufficiently saturated with oxygen, the larva quickly adapts to such a change and begins to breathe with its lungs.
Naturally, the transition to pulmonary breathing negatively affects the gills, which gradually atrophy. And, of course, it is worth paying attention to the original coloring of the axolotl. Small black spots evenly cover the green body, although the axolotl's abdomen remains almost white.
Zoologists have made different assumptions as to what exactly attracts the candira to the human genitals. The most plausible assumption seems to be that the candiru are extremely sensitive to the smell of urine: it happened that the candiru attacked a person a few moments after he urinated in the water. It is believed that candiru are able to find the source of smell in water.
But the candiru does not always penetrate the victim. It happens that, having overtaken prey, the candiru bites through the skin of a person or the gill tissue of a fish with long teeth that grow in their upper jaw and begins to suck blood from the victim, causing the body of the candiru itself to swell and swell. Candiru hunt not only fish and mammals, but also reptiles.
Tarsier
Tarsier (Tarsier, lat. Tarsius) is a small mammal from the order of primates, the very specific appearance of which has created a somewhat ominous halo around this small animal weighing up to one hundred and sixty grams.
Particularly impressionable tourists say that the first time they see huge shining eyes looking at them without blinking, and the next moment the animal turns its head almost 360 degrees and you look straight at the back of its head, you feel, to put it mildly, uneasy. By the way, local aborigines still believe that the tarsier’s head exists separately from the body. Well, this is all speculation, of course, but the facts are obvious!
There are about 8 species of tarsier. The most common are the Bankan and Philippine tarsier, as well as a separate species - the ghost tarsier. These mammals live in Southeast Asia, the islands of Sumatra, Borneo, Sulawesi and the Philippines, as well as in adjacent territories.
Externally, tarsiers are small animals, the size of which does not exceed sixteen centimeters, with large ears, long thin fingers and a long tail of about thirty cm, and at the same time with very little weight.
The animal's fur is brown or grayish, and its eyes are much larger compared to human proportions - about the size of an average apple.
In nature, tarsiers live in pairs or small groups of eight to ten individuals. They are nocturnal and feed exclusively on animal origin - insects and small vertebrates.
Their pregnancy lasts about six months and a small animal is born, which, within a couple of hours after birth, grasping the mother’s fur, will make its first journey. The average lifespan of a tarsier is about ten to thirteen years.
Narwhal
Narwhals (lat. Monodon monoceros) are a protected rare species belonging to the unicorn family and are listed in the Red Book of Russia due to their small numbers. The habitat of this marine animal is the Arctic Ocean, as well as the North Atlantic. The size of an adult male often reaches 4.5 meters, weighing about one and a half tons. Females weigh slightly less. The head of an adult narwhal is round, with a large, tuberous forehead, and there is no dorsal fin. Narwhals are somewhat reminiscent of beluga whales, although compared to the latter, the animals have a somewhat spotted skin and 2 upper teeth, one of which, growing, turns into a three-meter tusk weighing up to 10 kg.
The narwhal tusk, twisted to the left in the form of a spiral, is quite rigid, but at the same time it has a certain limit of flexibility and can bend up to thirty centimeters. Previously, it was often passed off as a unicorn horn, which had healing powers. It was believed that if you throw a piece of narwhal horn into a glass of poisoned wine, it will change its color.
At this time, there is a hypothesis that is very popular in scientific circles, proving that the narwhal’s horn, covered with sensitive endings, is needed by the animal to measure water temperature, pressure and other parameters of the aquatic environment that are no less important for life.
Narwhals most often live in small groups of up to ten animals. The diet of narwhals, which, by the way, can hunt at depths of more than a kilometer, consists of cephalopods and bottom fish. The enemies of narwhals in nature can be called other inhabitants of these territories - polar bears and killer whales.
However, the greatest damage to the narwhal population was caused by people who hunted them for their tasty meat and horn, which is successfully used to make various crafts. At this time, animals are under state protection.
Octopus Jumbo
Dumbo is a very small and unusual deep-sea octopus, a representative of the cephalopods. Lives only in the Tasman Sea.
Jumbo apparently received his name 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.
The largest Jumbo was discovered in the Tasman Sea - half the size of a human palm.
Medusa Cyanea
Jellyfish Cyanea - considered the largest jellyfish in the world, found in the Northwest Atlantic. The diameter of the bell of the cyanea jellyfish reaches 2 meters, and the length of the thread-like tentacles is 20-30 meters. One of these jellyfish, washed ashore in Massachusetts Bay, had a bell diameter of 2.28 m, and its tentacles extended 36.5 m.
Each such jellyfish eats about 15 thousand fish during its life.
Piglet squid
This is a deep-sea marine inhabitant, which received the nickname “pig squid” because of its round body. The scientific name of piglet squid is Helicocranchia pfefferi. Not much is known about him. It is found in the Atlantic and Pacific oceans at a depth of about 100 meters. Swims slowly. And under the eyes (like many deep-sea animals) it has luminous organs - photophores.
“Little Pig”, unlike other squids, swims upside down, so its tentacles look like a tuft.
Snake Carla
There are currently 3,100 known species of snakes on our planet. But the snake Carla from the island of Barbados is the smallest of them. The maximum length it reaches in adulthood is 10 centimeters.
Leptotyphlops carlae was first officially described and identified as a new species in 2008. Blair Hedge, a biologist at Penn State, named the snake after his wife, herpentologist Carla Ann Hass, who was also part of the team that made the discovery.
It is believed that the Barbados thread, as this snake is also called, is located close to the theoretically possible minimum size for snakes, which evolution allows. If suddenly the snake happens to be even smaller, it simply will not be able to find food for itself and will die.
The snake Carla feeds on termites and ant larvae.
Due to its miniature size, the thread snake bears only one egg, but it is a large one. The size of the born snake at the moment of birth is half the mother’s body. However, this is normal for snakes. The smaller the snake, the proportionally larger its offspring - and vice versa.
Leptotyphlops carlae has so far been found only on the island of Barbados in the Caribbean Sea, and even then only in the east-central part of it. Most of Barbados' forests have been cleared. And since the thread snake lives only in the forest, it is assumed that the territory suitable for habitation of the strange creature is limited to just a few square kilometers. So the survival of the species is a concern.
Lamprey
Lampreys look like eels or huge worms, although they have nothing to do with either one. They have a naked body covered with mucus, which is why they are mistaken for worms. In fact, these are primitive vertebrates. Zoologists group them into a special class of cyclostomes. You can’t say about cyclostomes that they have a tongue without bones. Their mouth is equipped with a complex system of cartilage that supports the mouth and tongue. There are no jaws, so food is sucked into the mouth like into a funnel. Along the edges of this funnel and on the tongue there are teeth. Lampreys have three eyes. Two on the sides and one on the forehead.
Lampreys are predators and attack mainly fish. The lamprey attaches itself to the victim, gnaws through the scales, drinks the blood and snacks on the meat (from the area it bit into). In our country, lamprey fishing is carried out in the Neva and other rivers flowing into the Baltic Sea, as well as in the Volga. In Russia, lamprey is considered an exquisite delicacy. But in many countries, such as the USA, lampreys are not eaten.
Killer Clam
This curiosity lives on coral reefs at a depth of almost 25 meters. The mollusk weighs up to 210 kilograms with a body length of up to 1.7 meters. Life expectancy is up to 150 years. Due to its impressive size, it gave rise to many rumors and dark legends.
It is called Giant clam (from the English giant clam), Tridacninae, Tridacna. The giant clam is a delicacy in Japan, France, Southeast Asia and many Pacific Islands. Lives due to symbiosis with the algae that live on it. It also knows how to filter water passing through it and extract plankton from there.
It doesn’t actually eat people, but if a careless diver tries to touch the mollusk’s mantle with his hand, the shell flaps will reflexively close. And since the compression force of the tridacna muscles is enormous, a person risks dying from lack of oxygen. This is where the name “killer clam” comes from.
There are many exotic animals on our planet that are not familiar to everyone. Their small numbers and narrow habitat mean that not even all residents of the country in which they live may know about the existence of these animals. This post will introduce you to the most exotic animals belonging to completely different species and classes.
Sumatran rhinoceros. The smallest of the family: the body length of an adult reaches 200–280 cm, and the height at the withers is 100–150 cm
Madagascar little arm (ouch). The only representative of the family of arms, a lateral branch of lemurs. Scary and charming
Tree kangaroos. They live in the highland tropical forests of Indonesia, Papua New Guinea and Australia. They are excellent climbers and can jump from one tree to another at a distance of 9 m
Moonfish. Can be more than 3 m long and weigh about 1.5 tons
Ant-eater
The Japanese giant salamander is the largest amphibian, which can reach 160 cm in length, weigh up to 180 kg and live up to 150 years.
Sulawesi bear couscous. A cute marsupial creature that lives in the treetops of the tropics and spends its time mostly sleeping
Sumatran rhinoceros
Laurie. A characteristic feature of this cutie is its large eyes, which can be bordered by dark circles. The face of a loris can be compared to a clown mask (in fact, loeris in translation means “clown”)
Muskrat. The second name is no less beautiful - Khokhulya. Popularly nicknamed the blind submariner. Indeed, it lives under water, its characteristics are most similar to a mole, and it does not see anything. By the way, it is endemic in the territory of the former USSR and is listed in the Red Book
Platypus. Its duck beak allows it to find food in the mud, like birds
The naked mole rat is a biological phenomenon: it is insensitive to pain, non-aggressive, and can be doused with acid or sprinkled with chili pepper without consequences. Lives ten times longer than any rodent and does not age. Society is structured like an anthill or a hive: with castes and the main female
Fish with a transparent head. She sees through it. It was discovered in 1939, but studied only in 2009, as it lives at great depths. Can only look up
Okapi, forest giraffe. At the beginning of the 20th century, the first explorers of the African continent mistook it for a small horse. Only after obtaining the skin and skull of the animal, scientists were able to discover that it looked more like a dwarf giraffe from the Ice Age.
Manul - the main symbol of the Moscow Zoo
The capybara is the largest rodent in the world and the only representative of the capybara family. The weight of males can reach 65–70 kg
Belttail. Modern dragon. More precisely, a lizard
The gaptooth is a mammal from the order of insectivores. Small and dangerous because it is poisonous. Fortunately, the venom of the gaptooth kills only its victims, and can only cause some trouble to humans
Lilac frog. The jelly-like amphibian grows up to 9 cm, lives underground, feeding on termites, and only comes to the surface for a couple of weeks for dates.
Lamprey. Not a fish, but their predecessor from the class of cyclostomes. Endangered - delicious too
Sloth. Lives in trees, mimicking very successfully: real moss even grows in its fur!
Small red panda. Found only in mountain bamboo forests of the Chinese provinces of Yunnan and Sichuan, northern Burma, Bhutan, Nepal and northeast India
Hellish vampire, clam. Not an octopus, and not a squid, but a separate detachment - vampires
Mudskipper. Actually a fish, although it looks like a frog
The star-nosed animal is an insectivorous mammal of the mole family. It differs from other members of the family only in its characteristic stigma structure in the form of a rosette or star.
Sifaka is a monkey of the Indriidae family, Madagascar. A relatively new genus of primates, discovered only in 2004
Guidak is a large gastropod weighing up to 1.5 kg
Tarsier, order of primates. At home, in Indonesia, the local population was terribly afraid of them: of course, the pop-eyed monkeys could rotate their heads 360°. The Indonesians were afraid to encounter them, because they believed that the same thing could happen to people in this case
Tibetan fox. Found in Tibet, northwest India and northern Nepal at high altitudes
Fossa, endemic to the island of Madagascar. In appearance, it is something between a civet and a small puma. Fossa is sometimes called the Madagascar lion.
Isopod. Giant woodlice, approximately 30 cm long, live in the depths of the sea (about 1.6 km)
Maned wolf. Long legs are the result of evolution; they help the animal overcome obstacles in the form of tall grass growing on the South American plains
Tasmanian devil. It earned its nickname from the time of colonization, having strangled almost all the settlers' chickens - although it is a marsupial, it is a predator!
The wombat is a marsupial that looks like a bear. It feeds on grass, digests it for up to 14 days and is the most economical consumer of water after the camel (22 ml of water per 1 kg of body weight per day). Fun fact: a city, an asteroid, a group and an anti-tank gun are named after wombats
Galago - the owner of a beautiful tail, the most numerous representative of primates in Africa
Fennec fox, desert fox
Gavial. Of course, one of the representatives of the crocodile order. Considered “kind” - never attacks people, muzzle is too narrow
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 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
Herbivorous equid animal that lives in warm places South America, Central America, 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 males, 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 resembles a green predator in appearance. 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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In addition to the handsome animals listed in the Red Book (although ugly ones are also included in it, and beauty is a relative concept), there are such “eccentrics” that there is not enough amazement to reflect all the reactions to them.
Today we will talk about such interesting representatives of the fauna world.
So, the strangest, scary, funny, disgusting, creepy, cute animals, sea creatures(and this list is very stingy with the full diversity available in nature).
Imagine that there are animals in the world about which we still know nothing, and there are quite a lot of them, and when some inexperienced naturalist meets such an unstudied creature in a dark alley on the planet, then this creature can be called both a chupacabra and a ghost, both evil spirits and divine punishment.
And, looking at some of the representatives, you can’t say otherwise.
There are some that have been studied, but no less strange.
There is a lot of unknown in water (ocean, sea, reservoirs).
Holothurians
“Holothurians, or sea capsules, or sea cucumbers (lat. Holothuroidea) are a class of invertebrate animals such as echinoderms. Species eaten as food are commonly known as sea cucumbers.
The modern fauna is represented by 1,150 species; about 100 species are found in Russia.”
In the photo, this creature looks like a huge black leech, a worm-shaped multi-colored sponge, a huge worm - these are different species. Some are even eaten; the sizes of sea cucumbers are also varied: from 3 cm to 3 and even 5 meters!!! That is, like a big python.
Actually, sea cucumbers do not have any particular value in the animal chain; they feed on starfish, mollusks, fish, crayfish, they themselves feed on plankton; for pharmacology, the toxins produced by “sea cucumbers” are of interest.
Lampreys
“Lampreys (lat. Petromyzontiformes) are a detachment of jawless creatures from the monotypic class of lampreys (Petromyzontida) or, according to another classification, the class of odd-nosed fish (Cephalaspidomorphi). The length of lampreys ranges from 10 to 100 cm.
They are hunted and eaten. Some species have become rare."
In the photo there is a fish bitten by lampreys
You’ll find one like this in sea water and you’ll be afraid to swim for half your life... But there are places where they’re simply swarming and look like worm-like snakes. Although those who catch them with their bare hands are more loyal to the origin and type of lampreys, they do not consider them very disgusting.
Paku
Or: A fish with a human mouth, or rather, teeth.
“The largest fish of the characin family can be called the brown pacu (Colossoma macropomum), which can be found in river waters, the Orinoco and the Amazon. The weight of this fish is about 25 kg, and sometimes reaches 40 kilograms, 10% of which is fat mass.”
There are several types of Pacu fish, they are relatives of piranhas, and there have even been cases of these seemingly harmless creatures attacking humans; one jumped out of the aquarium and bit off the owner’s nose. Yes, they tried to humanize the fish and raise them at home. A photo of a fish with its mouth open gives a clear idea that their teeth resemble human teeth, sometimes in several rows. What doesn't float in nature!!
Giant leech (or Amazonian)
“Haementeria ghilianii is a species of proboscis leeches from the family Glossiphoniidae. Representatives are characterized by the largest sizes among leeches: up to 45 cm in length (usually up to 30 cm) and 10 cm in width.”
They attach themselves to anacondas, large fish representatives and even humans; they can insert their trunk into the victim 15 cm and drink blood from large arteries, thereby depriving the victim of life. However, this type of leeches is considered very useful among a number of scientists, since, thanks to the abundant content of the antithrombin substance in the salivary glands, it is capable of dissolving blood clots. Scientists do not yet know how to use this benefit, either to obtain a “medicine” by killing living creatures, or to control the suction process so that the leech does not killed a man. For now, there is an intermediate option: leeches are grown to small sizes (for their build) and used a couple of times for medicinal purposes until they are huge.
An adult is approximately the size of a newborn (slightly less) in length...
Axolotl
“The axolotl, as scientists have established, is the larva of the Mexican ambystoma. Ambystomatidae, family of tailed amphibians. Includes 28 species, including tiger ambystoma, marbled ambystoma, mole-shaped ambystoma, Pacific ambystoma, etc. Distributed in North and Central America.
In appearance, the axolotl is similar to a large big-headed newt with external gills sticking out to the sides. The total length of the amphibian is up to 30 cm. In captivity, axolotls live up to 10-12 years.”
Some of the individuals in the photo may well outshine cats and dogs in terms of cuteness, and looking at them, I think I understood where Luntik came from. True, there is a photo where the Axolotl is a nasty and brown lizard, at least similar to a lizard. The main feature of the Axolotl is that this amphibian larva can reproduce before reaching sexual maturity, that is, the larva can give birth to larvae - such a paradox. But there is a way to “grow” the larva: plant the Axolotl in a dry, cool environment - it develops into an adult ambystoma. There are different species, the cutest being the Mexican Axolotl.
Psychedelic frog fish(lat. Histiophryne psychedelica)
It's unlikely that you've heard of this one. The name of this creation speaks for itself; its essence can only be understood through psychedelics... (just kidding). It’s just that if you look at a frog for a long time, hallucinations may begin, why? Look at the photo below.
Discovered by American zoologists in 2009, the fish is about 15 cm in length. “The psychedelic fish is a representative of the order Anglerfish; zoologists consider it a “relative” of the monkfish.” The fish has thick, flabby skin, no scales, covered with mucus to protect the delicate skin from injury... Each such fish has an individual color, a unique and bewitching pattern.
Blob fish
In the opinion of many ordinary people, the blob fish looks like a shapeless jelly-like mass, but it is not just a clot of gel with empty eyes, it is quite viable, lives in the ocean at great depths, and is more often found on the coasts of Tasmania, Australia, this moment is on the verge of extinction.
The length of the fish is up to 30 cm, it does not have a swim bladder, which helps it more easily endure the pressure of great water depths and swim without expending energy.
Grimpoteuthys
This is a mini-octopus that lives at great, great depths. He has ears nose and funny eyes.
“Grimpoteuthis (lat. Grimpoteuthis) is a genus of deep-sea octopuses. They live in the depths of the ocean, and some species have been found as deep as 7,000 meters, although they usually live at depths of 100 to 5,000 meters."
Yeti crab
“Kiwa hirsuta (lat.) is a species of decapod crustaceans from the infraorder Anomura, previously allocated to the monotypic family Kiwaidae (in 2011, a second species, Kiwa puravida, was described). First discovered in 2005 at a depth of over 2000 meters in the area of hydrothermal vents in the South Pacific Ocean.”
It is about 15 cm in size, has fluffy legs, a chest, but in fact its body is covered with feathery bristles. The discovery of this type of cancer caused a strong reaction from Internet users; some attributed mystical significance to this event. This crab is included in both the lists of the cutest and ugliest creatures, but the fact is that it is one of the most unstudied, and it is not for us, mere mortals, to judge the beauty of the yeti crab...
Let's move on to earthly inhabitants.
Panda Ant
Either a wasp, or an ant... The first descriptions of German wasps were found in 1938, but little has been studied so far; it is known that the ancestors of these insects lived for many millions of years.
They live in hot countries, are considered poisonous insects, and can kill a cow with several dozen bites. Dangerous for humans too.
Angora rabbit
Decorative rabbit with long soft fur. If you give such an animal vitamins for fur growth and care, its fur can reach immense sizes...
Star-nosed
This is such a weirdo, and there’s no other way to call him, he looks like a mole, but with a star in his nose. “A species of mammal of the mole family (Talpidae), living in North America. It differs from other members of the family primarily in twenty-two skin growths on the muzzle, resembling a star.” The star-nosed fish is 10-13 cm long, the tail is 6-8 cm.
The most social representative of all the reclusive moles of the dark kingdoms, they unite in small groups with their own kind, build underground passages, and dig with their tenacious paws. The animal’s starry nose serves it not for the sake of beauty, but for the purpose of searching for prey; receptors located on the crests of the nose help in a split second to recognize the smell of “food” and react.
bearded pig
“The bearded pig (lat. Sus barbatus) is a species of mammal from the pig family (Suidae), common in Southeast Asia. Compared to other members of the pig family, the bearded pig's body type is relatively slender, with thin legs and an elongated head. The most noticeable feature, which gives the species its name, is the yellowish-white hair covering the snout.”
There is such an animal in the world as a bearded pig. It seems like an ordinary little animal, but it reminded me a little of Alf, the weirdo from the foreign series of the 90s, remember??
Herbivore Dracula
You see something like this on a dark night and it can feel bad, but we won’t see this in Russia, these animals live under the roofs of houses in South America.
These are relatives of bats. Both funny and scary at the same time. Despite the impressive photos - the mice are small, only 5-6 cm in length, the wingspan is 4-5 cm. They also live in the tropical forests of Venezuela and Bolivia, they live alone, scattered, uniting only to give birth to offspring, small mice are only 2.5 cm .
This is truly a masterpiece of nature, which came up with such a disguise for the beast. Lives in the forests of Madagascar, has different colors, but always with brown notes.
Marsupial wolf
This representative of the fauna was last seen alive in Tasmania in 1930, and the last such wolf died in the zoo in 1936. They were exterminated by people who considered them dangerous enemies who attacked sheep; a reward was announced on the head of each wolf.
It is now considered an extinct species.
“The marsupial or Tasmanian wolf, or thylacine (lat. Thylacinus cynocephalus) is an extinct marsupial mammal, the only representative of the family of marsupial wolves that survived into the historical era. The length of the marsupial wolf reached 100-130 cm, including the tail 150-180 cm; shoulder height - 60 cm, weight - 20-25 kg."
He resembled a dog, had the color of a tiger, and could jump like a kangaroo (though not so high).
Golden Tiger
This is a VERY beautiful albino tiger. Red and snow-white.
“The golden tiger is the rarest albino tiger. Just like white tigers, their color is caused by a recessive gene.” The appearance of an animal with this color is caused by a gene mutation after several generations. These tigers are larger than other types of tigers, they do not have black stripes, their fur is softer, and there are currently 30 individuals of these animals living in captivity.
Our planet is full of such unusual animals. It is always worth remembering that the extinction of all animal species is mainly due to human fault.