This species is also referred to using the names Whalehead or
Shoe-billed Stork. The bird has a large shoe-shaped bill, hence its
unusual name. The Shoebill lives in tropical east Africa in large swamps
from Sudan to Zambia, and it is also known for its unique, blue
feathers. These birds are quite large, and they can range in height from
110cm - 152cm.
#3
The Pacu Fish
Thankfully, it's not everyday that you see a fish with human-like teeth
in its mouth. So what exactly is this fish then? Called the Pacu Fish,
this species is native to South America and they are closely related to
the piranha - no surprises there! Nicknamed the "ball cutter" for
obvious reasons, this is one fish we definitely would not want to
encounter whilst having a fun day out at the beach...
#4
The Panda Ant
Ants can be pretty annoying, but add some fur and panda print, and
you've got yourself an adorable insect! But did you know that, despite
the name, this is actually a species of wasp, not ant? Crazy! Found in
Chile, the wingless females resemble large, hairy ants - hence the name.
These insects might look cute, but they've got one nasty sting.
#5
The Narwhal
The Narwhal is a toothed whale found in the Arctic, however we think it
resembles a cross species between a whale and a unicorn! Imagine
spotting one of these mythical-looking creatures . . . We wouldn't want to come in contact with that extremely large horn though, so perhaps this species is best observed from afar.
#6
Red-Lipped Batfish
This fish looks hilarious! The Red-Lipped Batfish is found on the
Galapagos Islands, however you probably won't spot it swimming by any
time soon! This fish uses its pectoral fins to walk on the bottom of the
ocean. Perhaps it's embarrassed by its permanent bright shade of red lipstick?
#7
Blind Snake
This snake has a few different names, all of which refer to it's unusual
likeness to the male member. This animal has no eyes and it is actually
called an Atretochoana Eiselti. It is presumed to be an aquatic, almost
eel-like animal due to its fleshy dorsal fin on the body. Found in the
Amazon River, this species was only rediscovered in 2011!
#8
The Umbonia Spinosa
What exactly is this alienesque creature? Scientists are still quite
confused about this species, although it is believed that they are
related to cicadas. The Umbonia Spinosa use their beaks to pierce plant
stems to feed upon their sap. We're fascinated by the creature's large and colorful body!
#9
Lowland Streaked Tenrec
This here is a Lowland Streaked Tenrec, and although it may have a cute
face, just take a look at those sharp spikes on its body! This creature
is found in Madagascar, Africa, and it is reportedly the only mammal
known to use stridulation for generating sound – something that’s
usually associated with snakes and insects.
#10
The Hummingbird Hawk-Moth
Judging from this creature's name, it appears to be a combination of
three different animals - a hummingbird, a hawk, and a moth! This insect
feeds on flowers, and even makes a noise very similar to that of a
hummingbird. Its wings and face, however, resemble a moth. What a strange creature indeed!
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#11
The Blue Dragon
Also knows as the Glaucus Atlanticus, this crazy-looking creature is a
species of blue sea slug. Much more elaborate than a sea slug, however,
the Blue Dragon is able to float on the water's surface because of a
gas-filled sac in its stomach. This species can be found in the warm ocean waters, and we think they look magnificent!
#12
The Mantis Shrimp
The Mantis Shrimp also has a few other nicknames, such as “sea locusts“,
“prawn killers” and “thumb splitters”. But did you know that this is
one of the most common predators in tropical and sub-tropical waters? We thought this creature was just some kind of rare, psychedelic crustacean!
#13
The Venezuelan Poodle Moth
The Venezuelan Poodle Moth was only discovered fairly recently in 2009.
Found in Venezuela, this strange looking creature has even become the
subject of a popular meme! We think this species is probably the most
adorable moth we've ever seen, and we can definitely see the resemblance
to a poodle...
#14
The Giant Isopod
What is this gigantic creature, you ask? This is one the largest
species of the existing isopods, and there is a reason behind its
abnormal size. Apparently crustaceans living in the deeper parts of the
sea can experience 'deep sea gigantism'. This is where the crustacean will grow much larger than its shallow sea dwelling counterparts.
#15
The Saiga Antelope
The Saiga Antelope is known for its extremely unusual, over-sized,
flexible nose structure - a strange sight indeed! We think they're still
incredibly cute though. The sad news is that these creatures are
critically endangered and it is already completely extinct in China and
southwestern Mongolia.
#16
The Bush Viper
The Bush Viper lives in the trees of the tropical forests in Africa, and
it does most of its hunting at night. As if snakes weren't already
scary enough, this one looks as though it's covered in hundreds of spiky
leaves! The slightly better news though is that they are a smaller species of snake, with the maximum length being 78cm!
#17
The Blue Parrotfish
Smile for the camera! This comical looking fish is known as a Blue
Parrotfish and they average 30-75 cm in length. Some can grow up to 1.2m
though - crazy! There is no other species of fish that contains such a
stunning uniform blue color across the whole species. The Blue
Parrotfish spends a whopping 80% of its time looking for food.
#18
The Indian Purple Frog
Yep, this is an actual animal! This species of frog commonly found in
India is much more bloated and round than its other frog counterparts.
The Indian Purple Frog also has a small head and an unusual snout. Did
you know this frog only spends about two weeks above ground each year?
This is when the species is looking for a mating partner.
#19
The Thorny Dragon
The Thorny Dragon is an Australian lizard that resides mostly in the
desert. They are also known as the mountain devil, the thorny lizard, or
the moloch. This lizard is covered in sharp spikes, and it uses these
to frighten away predators. The crazy thing about these lizards is that
they can live for up to 20 years - that's a lot more than most lizards!
#20
The Sea Pig
The sea pig has no relation to a pig - they are actually closely related
to sea cucumbers! They have enlarged tube feet and live on deep ocean
bottoms - that's a depth of over 1000 meters! We find these animals incredibly unreal, especially because they really do have an uncanny likeness to pigs...
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