The most incredible creatures on the planet. The most amazing animal in the world
1. leafy sea dragon
What kind of animal: Sea fish, a relative of the seahorse.
Habitat: In the waters surrounding southern and western Australia, often in shallow, warm temperate waters.
Distinguishing Marks: The leaf-like appendages of the head and body serve only as a camouflage. Moves with the help of the pectoral fin located on the crest of the neck, as well as the dorsal fin in the region of 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: A mammal of the bear family.
Habitat: From the northeast of India and the southern part of China through Myanmar, Thailand, peninsulas of Indochina and Malacca to Indonesia.
Distinguishing Features: Stocky, strong animal with a short and broad muzzle. Ears are short and rounded. The limbs are high with disproportionately large paws; claws very large, curved. Feet are bare. The fangs are small. The fur of the biruang is short, hard and smooth. The color is black, on the muzzle it turns to roan-yellow. On the chest there is usually a large whitish or reddish spot in the form of a horseshoe, reminiscent of the shape and color of the rising sun. A nocturnal animal, often sleeping or sunbathing in the branches of trees for days on end, 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 3-7 cm tail), the height at the withers is only 50-70 cm; weight 27-65 kg.
By the way: Biruangs are one of the rarest types of bears.
3. Komondor
What kind of animal: The Hungarian Shepherd is a breed of dog.
Special signs: When keeping a Komondor, special care is needed for its coat, the length of which can reach almost a meter. It is not subject to combing, but, as it grows, the formed strands must be separated so that the wool does not fall off.
Dimensions: This "King of the Hungarian Shepherd Dogs" is one of the largest dogs in the world, males are more than 80 cm tall at the withers, and the long white coat, folded into original shoelaces, makes the dog even more massive and impressive.
By the way: Feeding this huge dog is not difficult. Like any shepherd dogs, 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 mammal from the breed of rodents.
Habitat: Where his home is, as this is a pet. More precisely - everywhere.
Special signs: This animal is really extremely impressive, there are instances in which wool reaches a length of up to 80 cm. This wool is very much appreciated, and a wide variety of useful things are prepared from it, even linen, stockings, gloves, scarves and, finally, just fabrics. A kilogram of Angora rabbit wool is usually valued at 10 - 12 rubles. One rabbit can deliver up to 0.5 kg of such wool per year, but usually delivers less. The Angora rabbit is bred most often by ladies, which is why it is sometimes called "ladies".
Dimensions: Average weight 5 kg, body length 61 cm, chest girth 38 cm, but options are possible.
By the way: Every week these rabbits should be combed, because if you do not take care of their hair, 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.
Distinguishing Features: Red or hazel on top, dark, reddish-brown or black underneath. 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 the muzzle are almost white, and a pattern in the form of a mask near the eyes. The small 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, it feeds mainly on the ground - mainly young leaves and bamboo shoots.
Dimensions: Body length 51-64 cm, tail 28-48 cm, weight 3-4.5 kg
By the way: Red pandas live alone. The "personal" territory of the female occupies an area of about 2.5 square meters. km, the male - twice as much.
6. Sloth
What kind of animal: A toothless mammal belonging to the Bradypodidae family.
Habitat: found in Central and South America.
Special signs: Sloths spend almost all the time hanging on a tree branch with their backs down, sloths sleep 15 hours a day. The physiology and behavior of sloths is oriented towards energy austerity, as they feed on low-calorie leaves. Digestion takes about a month. In a well-fed sloth, ⅔ of its body weight can be food in the stomach. Sloths have a long neck to get leaves from a large area without moving. The body temperature of an active sloth is 30-34 ° C, and even lower at rest. Sloths really do not like to get down from trees, because on the ground they are completely helpless. In addition, it requires energy costs. They climb down to perform natural needs, which they do only once a week (therefore, their bladder is huge) and sometimes to move to another tree, where, in order to save energy, they often gather in groups in the forks of branches. There is an assumption that at the same time they lazily mate.
Dimensions: The body weight of sloths of different species varies from 4 to 9 kg, and the body length is about 60 centimeters.
By the way: Sloths are so slow that a moth often lives in their fur.
7. Imperial Tamarina
What kind of animal: Primate, chain-tailed monkey.
Habitat: In the rainforests of the Amazon Basin in areas of southeast Peru, northwest Bolivia and northwest Brazil.
Distinguishing features: A distinctive feature of the species is a particularly long white mustache hanging down to the chest and shoulders in two strands. The fingers 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 because of their weight.
Dimensions: Body length is 9.2-10.4 inches, tail length is 14-16.6 inches. The mass 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 the old female is at the highest level. Therefore, the cubs are carried by males.
8. white-faced saki
What kind of animal: Primate, broad-nosed monkey.
Habitat: They live in rain forests, more arid forests and even in the savannas of the Amazon, in Brazil, French Guiana, Guyana, Suriname and Venezuela.
Distinguishing Features: The color of the coat is black, the front of the head, forehead and throat in males are light, almost white. Sometimes the head is reddish. The coat is thick and soft, the tail is long and fluffy. The tail is not grasping. In females, the general color is brown and solid. There are lighter stripes around the nose and mouth.
Dimensions: Males have a mass of 1.5-2 kg and are somewhat heavier than females. Body length 15 inches, tail 20 inches.
By the way: White-faced saki spend their whole lives on 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 at 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. Closest to tapirs are other odd-toed ungulates: horses and rhinos. Their front legs are four-toed, and their hind legs are three-toed, with small hooves on their fingers, helping to move along the dirty and soft ground.
Sizes: 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 the forests, tapirs feed on fruits, leaves, and berries. Their main enemy is a man who hunts tapirs for their meat and skin.
10. Mixins
What kind of animal: an animal from the jawless class.
Habitat: They inhabit the seas of temperate latitudes, keeping near the bottom at a depth of up to 400 m. At a salinity below 29%, they stop feeding, and at 25% and below they die.
Distinguishing features: The mouth opening of the hagfish is devoid of a suction disk and is surrounded by only two pairs of antennae. Biting into the skin of the victim with strong horny teeth, they inject enzymes that dissolve proteins. The prey of hagfish are most often weakened vertebrates and invertebrates, as well as carrion. Fish skeletons covered with skin are often found, and inside there are hagfish that have eaten away all the entrails and muscles.
Dimensions: Body length up to 80 cm.
By the way: In Japan and some other countries, hagfish is eaten.
11. starship
What kind of animal: Insectivorous mammal of the mole family.
Habitat: Found only in southeastern Canada and the northeastern United States.
Special signs: Outwardly, the star-nosed star differs from the rest of the family and from other small animals only by its characteristic structure of the stigma in the form of a rosette or a star of 22 soft, fleshy, moving bare rays.
Dimensions: In size, the star-nosed is similar to the European mole. The tail is relatively long (about 8 cm), covered with scales and sparse hair.
By the way: When the stellate 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 drawn together in a compact pile; while eating, the animal holds food with its front paws. When the star-bearer drinks, it immerses both the stigma and all the whiskers for 5-6 seconds in water.
12. nosach
What kind of animal: A species of primates from the subfamily of thin-bodied monkeys as part of the marmoset family.
Habitat: Distributed exclusively on the island of Borneo, where it inhabits coastal regions and valleys.
Distinguishing features: The most conspicuous feature of the proboscis is its large nose, similar to a cucumber, which, however, is only found in males. The coat of the proboscis is yellowish-brown on the upper side, it is colored white on the underside. The arms, legs and tail are grey, and the hairless face is red.
Dimensions: The size of the proboscis reaches from 66 to 75 cm, the tail is about as long as the body. The weight of males ranges from 16 to 22 kg - twice as much as the weight of females.
By the way: Nosachi are excellent swimmers, jumping into the water directly from trees and able to overcome up to 20 meters diving underwater. Of all the primates, they are perhaps the best swimmers.
13. Small frillbearer
What kind of animal: A family of mammals of the edentulous order.
Habitat: Armadillos inhabit the 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 ossification. The carapace consists of head, shoulder and pelvic shields and a number of hoop-shaped bands encircling the body from above and from the sides. 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 airways of armadillos are voluminous and serve as a reservoir of air, so these animals can hold their breath for 6 minutes. This helps them to move through the reservoirs (often armadillos simply cross them along the bottom). The air drawn 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 ambistom family.
Habitat: In mountain ponds of Mexico.
Distinguishing 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, shakes them to clear them of organic residues. The tail of the axolotl is long and wide, which helps it well 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 an extra expenditure of energy. They lie quietly at the bottom, sometimes, wagging their tail, rise to the surface of the water "for a breath of air." But this is a predator attacking the victim from an ambush.
15. Ay-ay
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 signs: It has a brown color with white specks and a large fluffy tail, it feeds, like woodpeckers, mainly on worms and larvae, although it was originally believed that they eat like rodents because of their teeth.
Dimensions: Weight - about 2.5 kg. Length - 30-37 cm without a tail and 44-53 cm with a tail.
By the way: One of the rarest animals on the planet - several dozen individuals, and therefore 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.
Distinguishing features : Valued primarily for its wool (24 natural shades), which has all the properties of sheep, but is much lighter in weight. From one individual, 5 kg of wool is sheared, they are sheared once a year. The absence of front teeth forces alpacas to pick up food with their lips and chew with their side teeth. Very good-natured, intelligent, inquisitive animal.
Dimensions: Alpaca height - 61-86 cm, and weight - 45-77 kg.
By the way: The Indians believed that in order for the alpaca wool to be blessed, it was necessary to kill it by tearing its heart out of the chest. Now this is considered barbaric, but there are still cases when several men hold an alpaca, and someone cuts a heart out of its chest.
17. Tarsier
What kind of animal: a mammal from the genus of primates.
Habitat: Tarsiers live in Southeast Asia, primarily on the islands.
Distinguishing features: Tarsiers are distinguished by long hind limbs, a large head that can turn almost 360 °, and good hearing. The fingers are extremely long, the ears are round and bare. Soft wool has a brown or grayish tint. However, the most noticeable feature is the large eyes, up to 16 mm in diameter. In projection to human height, tarsiers correspond to the size of an apple.
Dimensions: Tarsiers are small animals, their height is from 9 to 16 cm. In addition, they have a bare tail 13 to 28 cm long. 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 collide with 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 signs: He got his nickname, apparently, in honor of the famous cartoon character, Dumbo the elephant, who was ridiculed for his large ears (in the middle of the body, the octopus has a pair of rather long, paddle-like fins resembling ears). Its individual tentacles are literally connected to the ends by a thin elastic membrane called an umbrella. She, along 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: found octopus - 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 Agam family.
Habitat: North-west of Australia and south of New Guinea. There she lives in dry forests and forest-steppes.
Distinguishing Characteristics: Yellow-brown to black-brown. It is distinguished by its long tail, which is two thirds of the body length of the frilled lizard. However, the most noticeable feature is a large collar-like skin fold 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 is from 80 to 100 cm, females are much smaller than males.
By the way: In case of 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 beats its tail on the ground - which makes it seem scarier and more dangerous than it is.
20. Narwhal
What kind of animal: unicorn, a mammal of the unicorn family.
Habitat: Narwhal lives in high latitudes - in the waters of the Arctic Ocean and in the North Atlantic.
Special features: The size and shape of the body, pectoral fins and dark color of suckers are similar to beluga whales, however, adults are spotted - 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 spiral, and the right one usually does not cut through. The right tusk in males and both tusks in females are hidden in the gums and rarely develop, in about one in 500 cases.
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: Why the tusk of a narwhal is not exactly clear, but just not in order to break through a crust of ice. This tusk is a sensitive organ and supposedly allows the narwhal to sense changes in pressure, temperature, and the relative concentration of suspended particles in the water. Crossing tusks, narwhals, apparently, clear them of growths.
21. Madagascar Suckerfoot
What kind of animal: Chiropteran mammal.
Habitat: Found only in Madagascar.
Special signs: At the bases of the thumbs of the wings and on the soles of the hind limbs, the suckers have complex rosette suckers, which are located directly on the skin (unlike suckers in 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 sucker-foot is practically not studied. Most likely, it uses folded leathery palm leaves as shelters, to which it clings with its suckers. All suckers were caught near the water. Included in the Red Book with the status of "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 signs: The nostrils of the marmoset are directed forward, and the nose is large and wide.
Dimensions: The weight of an adult does not exceed 120 g.
By the way: It lives great in captivity. When kept, it requires a constant temperature of 25-29 degrees, a slightly higher humidity of 60%.
23. drop 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) on the coasts of Australia and Tasmania.
Special signs: 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 a drop fish consists of a gel-like mass with a density slightly less than water; this allows the fish to swim above the seafloor without expending energy in swimming.
Dimensions: The maximum body length is about 65 cm.
By the way: The lack of muscles is not a disadvantage, since the blob fish feeds on the prey that swims around it.
24. Platypus
What kind of animal: A waterfowl mammal of the monotreme detachment.
Habitat: Australia.
Distinguishing Characteristics: Its most curious quality is that it has a duck's beak instead of a normal 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 for humans, but it causes very severe pain, and edema develops at the injection site, which gradually spreads to the entire limb, pain can last for many days or even months.
25. Kitoglav or royal heron
What kind of animal: Ankle-legged bird.
Habitat: Africa.
Special features: The neck of the shoebill is not very long and thick. The head is large, with a small and, one might say, sloppy crest on 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 plumage of the shoebill is generally dark gray, and there is powder down on the back, but there is no such down on the chest. Legs are long and black. The tongue of the shoebill is short; there is no muscular stomach, and the glandular one is very large.
Dimensions: Kitoglav is a large bird, in a standing position it is 75-90 cm tall; wing length 65-69 cm.
By the way: This sluggish bird often stands completely still, holding its large beak on its chest. The kitoglav feeds on various aquatic animals - fish, crocodiles, frogs and small turtles.
Unusual animals live everywhere. They hide from people underground and in the depths of the sea, in the hot sands of deserts and impassable jungles, in mountain caves and in swampy swamps. Of course, all representatives of the animal world are amazing in their own way, but on our planet there are many truly mysterious and strange animals that most people know almost nothing about. Some creatures have such a strange appearance that one involuntarily wonders if the aliens who tried to get lost in the diversity of our fauna? Do you want to know more about them? Then we present to your attention the rating of the most amazing and unusual animals of our planet.
The naked mole rat (Heterocephalus glaber) is an unusually interesting rodent that lives in Africa.
A naked mole rat lives (also called a desert rat) in underground tunnels and rarely gets out to the surface. A creature resembling a sausage is remarkable not only for its specific appearance, although naked, covered with sparse hair, wrinkled pale skin, and especially protruding teeth, you will agree, make an indelible impression. They say that with its teeth, sharp and hard as a diamond, the beast is able to gnaw through even concrete!
These animals are also unusual in that they have an exceptionally high life expectancy for rodents (up to 30 years). Naked mole rats do not have strokes, heart attacks, cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, fatal liver and kidney diseases, and organs and tissues do not wither at all over time. This is the only creature that practically does not feel pain. Another unique feature of the animal is that it can do without oxygen for up to 20 minutes! This ability is related to plants!
Naked digger has recently been under the scrutiny of scientists. Perhaps someday, thanks to this very creature, gerontologists will be able to answer the question: How to slow down aging?
herbivore dracula
The herbivorous dracula (Sphaeronycteris toxophyllum) is an unusual bat, a very rare and little-studied species. Found in northern South America. Despite the frightening name and specific appearance, these creatures are harmless. They feed exclusively on plant foods - ripe fruits and berries.
Gymnur
Hymnurs (lat. Galericinae) are the closest relatives of the prickly hedgehogs familiar to us, but their appearance is not at all a hedgehog. These strange creatures are more like possums, shrews or rats, but of enormous size - up to 45 centimeters in length, and a few tens of centimeters fall on a bare, like a rat's tail. The gymnur even has a second name - the moon rat. But most importantly, they do not have thorns at all!
Moon rats live in the tropical rainforests of Malaysia, the Philippines and Indonesia. If ordinary hedgehogs are protected from enemies by thorns, then the gymnur is more original here: near the base of the tail of the moon rat there are glands that secrete a liquid with a strong unpleasant odor. They say that the animal smells very strongly of onions!
Madagascar bat
In the dry forests of Madagascar, a very unusual one lives, not at all like its relatives. Arm, or ah-ay (aye-aye) (Daubentonia madagascariensis) is a mammal from the order of semi-monkeys, the only representative of the family of bats. This is truly an amazing creature! Expressive orange-yellow or greenish eyes, huge leathery ears and a fluffy tail about 60 long are the main decoration of the arm. The body of the animal, about 40 cm long, is covered with stiff straight dark hair. A distinctive feature of the animal is elongated thin fingers with long and slightly bent nails.
There have been heated debates between zoologists for a long time: to what species should this amazing creature be attributed - to rodents or lemurs? In the end, they still came to the conclusion that this is a lemur, only slightly deviated in the course of evolution from the general trunk of the group. You can read more about the Madagascar arm.
Cuban flint tooth
The Cuban flint tooth (Solenodon cubanus) is an extremely interesting relic animal. Scientists thought it disappeared over a hundred years ago, but it has reappeared! Compared to other insectivores, this animal is quite large - body length 28-35 cm plus a long bare tail, weight - no more than 1 kilogram. Outwardly, the sand tooth looks like a rat, a shrew, and a hedgehog. This unusual animal lives in the mountain forests of Cuba. The muzzle of the animal is extended into a proboscis. The front paws are equipped with long, thick and hard claws that help it dig holes.
The animal was called a slittooth because it has a groove-slit in one of the lower front teeth, and poison passes through this groove! The animal will seem dangerous to few people, but its bite is poisonous! For humans, the poison is not fatal, but the poisoning of the body is guaranteed.
Poisonous mammals are extremely rare in nature - these are platypuses, some types of shrews and insectivorous slit-tooths living in Cuba and Haiti. The venom of the open-toothed teeth is not inferior in toxicity to that of a snake, but nature, having provided these cute animals with such a formidable weapon, has played a truly cruel joke on them. The fact is that sloth teeth are very temperamental, but at the same time they are not immune to their own poison and die en masse even from light bites received during mating fights.
When the sandtooth is angry, the fur on its back stands on end, and the animal begins to squeal and grunt loudly, just like a pig. But in general, this animal is a coward, and even an ordinary domestic cat can easily cope with it. That is why there are very few flint teeth left in nature, they hide well, and it is not so easy to find them.
Muskrat
The muskrat (Desmana moschata) can rightfully be referred to as a rare and unusual animal. This animal of the mole family lives on Earth for more than 30 million years! Today it is found only in the basins of the Volga, Don, Dnieper and Ural rivers. More about desman.
Binturong
This mammal from the viverrid family can be found in the rainforests of India, Nepal and Burma. It is also called "bear cat" or "raccoon bear" because of its appearance. Indeed, disheveled and massive, the binturong (Arctictis binturong) is very reminiscent of a round-headed bear cub, only with a long tail and squirrel-like tassels on the ears. The unusualness is enhanced by the clumsiness of the animal, as well as the grunting sounds it makes.
In its diet, which consists mainly of fruits, it also differs from other viverrids: it uses insects, birds, fish or carrion less often than relatives. All day the beast sleeps in the crowns of trees, and only when it gets dark does its active life begin. With a weight of more than 10 kg, it is completely inconvenient for the binturong to run and jump along the branches on its short legs, so it moves slowly from branch to branch. Powerful legs, sharp claws and a tail, reaching a length of 90 cm, help him in this. With his tail, he can hold on to a branch like a hand. Also, thanks to the tenacious tail, a massive beast can hang upside down on a branch. Such a prehensile tail is unique among Old World mammals.
Surprisingly, the bunturong smells like popcorn! Under the tail is an odor gland that secretes a secret with which the binturong marks trees, thus transmitting information to its fellow tribesmen.
Sirichta
Sirichta (Tarsius syrichta), or as it is also called, Philippine tarsier, is found in the Philippines - in rain forests or in bamboo thickets. This tiny animal whose body length is about 15 cm, 8 of which falls on the tail, and the weight does not exceed 100 grams, leads an arboreal lifestyle. A distinctive feature of the sirihita is that the eyes are simply huge for such a crumb, in addition, the eyes can glow in the dark! The head of the animal can turn on the neck almost 180 degrees. A wide mouth and large bare, very mobile ears give the appearance of this creature even more originality. Yes, it is difficult to call him handsome, the locals are even a little afraid of tarsiers, considering them to be ghosts.
Tarsiers are famous for their jumping ability - they jump very far compared to their own size - up to 1 meter.
The star-nosed mole (Condylura cristata) is found in the swampy areas and wet grasslands of North America. It is unique in that twenty-two skin growths (or tentacles) resembling a star are located on its muzzle. The star-carrier spends his whole life underground, where his eyes are completely useless, and his nose helps him find his way through the labyrinth of tunnels. The starfish feeds on worms, snails and insects, which it finds with its sensitive nose, using both smell and touch.
Platypus
The platypus (Ornithorhynchus anatinus) lives in streams, ponds and rivers in Australia. These animals usually reach a length of 30-40 centimeters and weigh about 2 kilograms.
The unusualness of the platypus is that it combines the features of mammals, birds, reptiles and even fish. Looking at it, you won’t immediately understand whether it’s a bird or such an animal ... In fact, these creatures are mammals, although they lay eggs. The platypus is a bit like a beaver, but with a soft beak covered with elastic skin that no other animal has. Under water, the platypus closes its eyes and uses its beak, with which it senses weak electrical impulses emanating from prey. With the help of its beak, the platypus digs in the mud in search of small fish, frogs and insects. Scientists are still arguing about the origin of this species, but only one thing is clear - this is a unique creation of mother nature, which differs from all other species that now live on planet Earth.
Male platypuses have poisonous spurs on their hind legs. Animal venom is unlikely to kill a person, but it causes severe pain at the injection site. But for small animals, this poison is often fatal.
Sloth
This unusual cat-sized mammal lives in South and Central America. The sloth (Bradypodidae) became famous for its extraordinary slowness. He sleeps for 15 hours a day, while he can do this, hanging on one paw, and long claws help the animal to stay on a branch. The rest of the time, he slowly moves from branch to branch, absorbing the leaves of tropical trees.
During the rainy season, the sloth can hang for weeks without moving, and blue-green algae multiply in its coat, giving the animal's skin a greenish color.
pygmy marmoset
The dwarf marmoset (Cebuella pygmaea) is the most amazing species of monkeys that live on planet Earth. The size of an adult animal is 11-15 cm plus a tail up to 22 cm long, the weight does not exceed 150 grams. The crumbs live in the forests of South America, settle on the edges of the forest, along the banks of rivers. They spend almost all their time on trees, feeding mainly on tree sap, sometimes insects and fruits. They rarely come down to the ground.
fenech
This unusually cute creature is a tiny fennec fox. It lives in the deserts of North Africa. The fennec fox differs from its relatives in its miniature body size and disproportionately large ears. These huge ears, up to 15 cm long, are not only a unique tool to catch the slightest rustle, but also to cool the body, because the desert fox has no sweat glands, and the vast surface of the ears is a kind of thermoregulation tool. The sensitive ears of the animal cannot endure sharp sounds.
The fox cub is also famous for its jumping ability - the baby can easily jump 70 cm up and 120 cm forward. You can learn more about fenech from the article.
Okapi
Okapi (Ornithorhynchus anatinus), or forest giraffe, lives in the forests of the Congo. This animal is very rare, and the story of its discovery is one of the loudest zoological sensations of the 20th century.
A sad donkey in front, a zebra in the back, and a forest giraffe in general. The okapi has such a long (up to 35 cm) tongue that he can clean his ears with it. The coloration is also very unusual: the body is reddish-brown, the legs are white with dark transverse stripes on the thighs; the tail ends with a tassel.
Zebu
Zebu (Bos taurus indicus) is a humpback bull native to Southeast Asia. This is the most ancient and mysterious representative of bovids. Scientists around the world are puzzling over its origin. The unusual animal has a high relief hump on its back and short widely spaced horns.
The health of humpback bulls is excellent: they easily endure diseases that kill cattle of other breeds. Mostly domesticated zebu are used as draft and pack animals, and zebu racing is very popular in some places in Southeast Asia. Of course, a humpback bull is far from being as graceful as a thoroughbred horse, but it can compete with any horse.
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On my website, I regularly tell you about, for example, just a couple of days ago I published an article about. The rating of the article exceeded all my expectations and I decided to add more to this list 25 extraordinary animals.
1 Leafy Sea Dragon
What kind of animal: Sea fish, a relative of the sea horse.
Habitat: In the waters surrounding southern and western, more often in shallow water, in moderately warm water.
Distinguishing Features: The leaf-like appendages of the head and body serve only as a camouflage. Moves with the help of the pectoral fin located on the crest of the neck, as well as the dorsal fin in the region of 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: A mammal of the bear family.
Location: Northeast and the southern part through Myanmar, Thailand, the peninsulas of Indochina and Malacca to Indonesia.
Distinguishing Features: Stocky, strong animal with a short and broad muzzle. Ears are short and rounded. The limbs are high with disproportionately large paws; claws very large, curved. Feet are bare. The fangs are small. The fur of the biruang is short, hard and smooth. The color is black, on the muzzle it turns to roan-yellow. On the chest there is usually a large whitish or reddish spot in the form of a horseshoe, reminiscent of the shape and color of the rising sun. A nocturnal animal, often sleeping or sunbathing in the branches of trees for days on end, 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 3-7 cm tail), the height at the withers is only 50-70 cm; weight 27-65 kg.
By the way: Biruangs are one of the rarest types of bears.
3. Komondor
What kind of animal: The Hungarian Shepherd is a breed of dog.
Special signs: When keeping a Komondor, special care is required for its coat, the length of which can reach almost a meter. It is not subject to combing, but, as it grows, the formed strands must be separated so that the wool does not fall off.
Dimensions: This "King of the Hungarian Shepherd Dogs" is one of the largest dogs in the world, the growth at the withers of males is more than 80 cm, and the long white coat, folded into original shoelaces, makes the dog even more massive and impressive.
By the way: Feeding this huge dog is not difficult. Like any shepherd dogs, 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 mammal from the breed of rodents.
Habitat: Where his home is, since this is a pet. More precisely, everywhere.
Special signs: This animal is really extremely impressive, there are specimens in which wool reaches a length of up to 80 cm. This wool is very much appreciated, and a wide variety of useful things are prepared from it, even linen, stockings, gloves, scarves and, finally, just fabrics. A kilogram of Angora rabbit wool is usually valued at 10 - 12 rubles. One rabbit can deliver up to 0.5 kg of such wool per year, but usually delivers less. The Angora rabbit is bred most often by ladies, which is why it is sometimes called "ladies".
Dimensions: Average weight 5 kg, body length 61 cm, chest girth 38 cm, but options are possible.
By the way: These rabbits should be combed every week, because if you do not take care of their hair, they get a disgusting appearance.
5. Lesser panda
What kind of animal: an animal of the raccoon family.
Habitat: China, northern Burma, Bhutan, 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.
Distinguishing Features: Red or hazel on top, dark, reddish-brown or black underneath. 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 the muzzle are almost white, and a pattern in the form of a mask near the eyes. The small 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, it feeds mainly on the ground - mainly young leaves and bamboo shoots.
Dimensions: body length 51-64 cm, tail 28-48 cm, weight 3-4.5 kg
By the way: Red pandas live alone. The "personal" territory of the female occupies an area of about 2.5 square meters. km, the male - twice as much.
6. Sloth
What kind of animal: A toothless mammal belonging to the Bradypodidae family.
Habitat: found in Central and South America.
Distinctive Features: Sloths spend most of their time hanging on a tree branch with their backs down, 15 hours a day sloths sleep. The physiology and behavior of sloths is oriented towards energy austerity, as they feed on low-calorie leaves. Digestion takes about a month. In a well-fed sloth, ⅔ of its body weight can be food in the stomach. Sloths have a long neck to get leaves from a large area without moving. The body temperature of an active sloth is 30-34 ° C, and even lower at rest. Sloths really do not like to get down from trees, because on the ground they are completely helpless. In addition, it requires energy costs. They climb down to perform natural needs, which they do only once a week (therefore, their bladder is huge) and sometimes to move to another tree, where, in order to save energy, they often gather in groups in the forks of branches. There is an assumption that at the same time they lazily mate.
Dimensions: The body weight of sloths of different species varies from 4 to 9 kg, and the body length is about 60 centimeters.
By the way: Sloths are so slow that a moth often lives in their fur.
7. Imperial Tamarina
What kind of animal: Primate, chain-tailed monkey.
Habitat: In the rainforests of the Amazon Basin in areas of southeast Peru, northwest Bolivia and northwest Brazil.
Distinguishing Features: A distinctive feature of the species is a particularly long white mustache hanging down to the chest and shoulders in two strands. The fingers 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 because of their weight.
Dimensions: Body length is 9.2-10.4 inches, tail length is 14-16.6 inches. The mass 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 the old female is at the highest level. Therefore, the cubs are carried by males.
8. White-faced saki
What kind of animal: Primate, broad-nosed monkey.
Habitat: They live in rainforests, more arid forests, and even in the savannas of the Amazon, Brazil, French Guiana, Guyana, Suriname and Venezuela.
Distinguishing features: The color of the coat is black, the front of the head, forehead and throat in males are light, almost white. Sometimes the head is reddish. The coat is thick and soft, the tail is long and fluffy. The tail is not grasping. In females, the general color is brown and solid. There are lighter stripes around the nose and mouth.
Dimensions: Males have a mass of 1.5-2 kg and are somewhat heavier than females. Body length 15 inches, tail 20 inches.
By the way: White-faced saki spend their whole lives on 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 at 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. Closest to tapirs are other odd-toed ungulates: horses and rhinos. Their front legs are four-toed, and their hind legs are three-toed, with small hooves on their fingers, helping to move along the dirty and soft ground.
Sizes: 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 the forests, tapirs feed on fruits, leaves, and berries. Their main enemy is a man who hunts tapirs for their meat and skin.
10. Mixins
What kind of animal: an animal from the jawless class.
Habitat: Inhabit the seas of temperate latitudes, keeping 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.
Distinguishing Features: The mouth opening of the hagfish is devoid of a suction disk and is surrounded by only two pairs of antennae. Biting into the skin of the victim with strong horny teeth, they inject enzymes that dissolve proteins. The prey of hagfish are most often weakened vertebrates and invertebrates, as well as carrion. Often they find skeletons of fish covered with skin, and inside - hagfish that have eaten away all the insides and muscles.
Dimensions: Body length up to 80 cm.
By the way: In Japan and some other countries, hagfish is eaten.
11. Starship
What kind of animal: An insectivorous mammal of the mole family.
Habitat: Occurs only in Southeastern Canada and the Northeastern United States.
Special features: Outwardly, the star-nosed star differs from other members of the family and from other small animals only by its characteristic structure of the stigma in the form of a rosette or a star of 22 soft, fleshy, mobile bare rays.
Dimensions: The size of the starship is similar to the European mole. The tail is relatively long (about 8 cm), covered with scales and sparse hair.
By the way: When the stellate 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 drawn together in a compact pile; while eating, the animal holds food with its front paws. When the star-bearer drinks, it immerses both the stigma and all the whiskers for 5-6 seconds in water.
12. Nosach
What kind of animal: A species of primates from the subfamily of thin-bodied monkeys as part of the marmoset family.
Habitat: Distributed exclusively on the island of Borneo, where it inhabits coastal regions and valleys.
Distinguishing Features: The most conspicuous feature of the proboscis is its large, cucumber-like nose, which, however, is found only in males. The coat of the proboscis is yellowish-brown on the upper side, it is colored white on the underside. The arms, legs and tail are grey, and the hairless face is red.
Dimensions: The size of the proboscis reaches from 66 to 75 cm, the tail is about as long as the body. The weight of males ranges from 16 to 22 kg - twice as much as the weight of females.
By the way: Nosachi are excellent swimmers, jumping into the water directly from the trees and able to overcome up to 20 meters diving under water. Of all the primates, they are perhaps the best swimmers.
13. Small cloak-bearer
What kind of animal: A family of mammals of the edentulous order.
Habitat: Armadillos inhabit steppes, deserts, savannas and forest edges of Central and South America.
Distinguishing Features: These are the only modern mammals whose body is covered on top with a shell formed by dermal ossification. The carapace consists of head, shoulder and pelvic shields and a number of hoop-shaped bands encircling the body from above and from the sides. 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: Armadillo airways are voluminous and serve as a reservoir of air, so these animals can hold their breath for 6 minutes. This helps them to move through the reservoirs (often armadillos simply cross them along the bottom). The air drawn into the lungs compensates for the weight of the heavy shell, allowing the armadillo to swim.
14. Axolotl
What kind of animal: A larval form of an amphibian from the ambistom family.
Habitat: In mountain ponds of Mexico.
Distinguishing 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, shakes them to clear them of organic residues. The tail of the axolotl is long and wide, which helps it well 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, not bothering themselves with unnecessary expenditure of energy. They lie quietly at the bottom, sometimes, wagging their tail, rise to the surface of the water "for a breath of air." But this is a predator attacking the victim from an ambush.
15. Ay-ay
What kind of animal: the largest animal of their nocturnal primates.
Habitat: Eastern and northern Madagascar. Lives in the same ecological niche as woodpeckers.
Distinguishing features: It has a brown color with white specks and a large fluffy tail; it feeds, like woodpeckers, mainly on worms and larvae, although it was originally thought that they eat like rodents because of their teeth.
Dimensions: Weight - about 2.5 kg. Length - 30-37 cm without a tail and 44-53 cm with a tail.
By the way: One of the rarest animals on the planet - several dozen individuals, and therefore 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.
Distinctive features: Valued primarily for its wool (24 natural shades), which has all the properties of sheep, but is much lighter in weight. From one individual, 5 kg of wool is sheared, they are sheared once a year. The absence of front teeth forces alpacas to pick up food with their lips and chew with their side teeth. Very good-natured, intelligent, inquisitive animal.
Dimensions: Alpaca height - 61-86 cm, and weight - 45-77 kg.
By the way: The Indians believed that in order for the alpaca wool to be blessed, it was necessary to kill it by tearing the heart out of the chest. Now this is considered barbaric, but there are still cases when several men hold an alpaca, and someone cuts a heart out of its chest.
17. Tarsier
What kind of animal: a mammal from the genus of primates.
Habitat: Tarsiers live in Southeast Asia, primarily on the islands.
Distinguishing Features: Tarsiers have long hind limbs, a large head that can turn almost 360°, and good hearing. The fingers are extremely long, the ears are round and bare. Soft wool has a brown or grayish tint. However, the most noticeable feature is the large eyes, up to 16 mm in diameter. In projection to human height, tarsiers correspond to the size of an apple.
Dimensions: Tarsiers are small animals, their height is from 9 to 16 cm. In addition, they have a bare tail 13 to 28 cm long. 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 collide with 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.
Distinguishing marks: He got his nickname, apparently, in honor of the famous cartoon character, Dumbo the elephant, who was ridiculed for his large ears (in the middle of the body, the octopus has a pair of rather long, paddle-like fins resembling ears). Its individual tentacles are literally connected to the ends by a thin elastic membrane called an umbrella. She, along 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. Watch on YouTube.
19. Frilled Lizard
What kind of animal: A lizard from the Agam family.
Habitat: Northwest of Australia and south of New Guinea. There she lives in dry forests and forest-steppes.
Distinguishing Characteristics: Yellow-brown to black-brown. It is distinguished by its long tail, which is two thirds of the body length of the frilled lizard. However, the most noticeable feature is the large collar-like skin fold 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 is from 80 to 100 cm, females are much smaller than males.
By the way: In case of 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 beats its tail on the ground - 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: Narwhal lives in high latitudes - in the waters of the Arctic Ocean and in the North Atlantic.
Special features: The size and shape of the body, pectoral fins and dark color of suckers are similar to beluga whales, however, adults are spotted - grayish-brown spots on a light background, which sometimes merge - and have 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 spiral, and the right one usually does not cut through. The right tusk in males and both tusks in females are hidden in the gums and rarely develop, in about one in 500 cases.
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: Why the tusk of a narwhal is not exactly clear, but just not in order to break through a crust of ice. This tusk is a sensitive organ and supposedly allows the narwhal to sense changes in pressure, temperature, and the relative concentration of suspended particles in the water. Crossing tusks, narwhals, apparently, clear them of growths.
21. Madagascar Suckerfoot
What kind of animal: Chiropteran mammal.
Habitat: Found only in Madagascar.
Special Features: At the bases of the thumbs of the wings and on the soles of the hind limbs, the suckers have complex rosette suckers, which are located directly on the skin (unlike suckers in 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 sucker-foot is practically not studied. Most likely, it uses folded leathery palm leaves as shelters, to which it clings with its suckers. All suckers were caught near the water. Included in the Red Book with the status of "vulnerable".
22. Dwarf marmoset
What kind of animal: One of the smallest primates, belongs to the broad-nosed monkeys.
Habitat: South America, Brazil, Peru, Ecuador.
Distinctive Features: The nostrils of the marmoset are directed forward, and the nose is large and wide.
Dimensions: The weight of an adult does not exceed 120 g.
By the way: It lives great in captivity. When kept, it requires a constant temperature of 25-29 degrees, a slightly higher humidity of 60%.
23. Drop 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 coasts of Australia and Tasmania.
Special signs: 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 a drop fish consists of a gel-like mass with a density slightly less than water; this allows the fish to swim above the seafloor without expending energy in swimming.
Dimensions: The maximum body length is about 65 cm.
By the way: The lack of muscles is not a disadvantage, since the blob fish feeds on the prey that swims around it.
24. Platypus
What kind of animal: A waterfowl mammal of the monotreme order.
Habitat: Australia.
Distinguishing Characteristics: Its most curious quality is that instead of a normal mouth, it possesses a duck's beak, which allows 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 for humans, but it causes very severe pain, and edema develops at the injection site, which gradually spreads to the entire limb, pain can last for many days or even months.
25. Kitoglav or royal heron
What kind of animal: Ankle-legged bird.
Habitat: Africa.
Distinguishing features: The neck of the shoebill is not very long and thick. The head is large, with a small and, one might say, sloppy crest on 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 plumage of the shoebill is generally dark gray, and there is powder down on the back, but there is no such down on the chest. Legs are long and black. The tongue of the shoebill is short; there is no muscular stomach, and the glandular one is very large.
Dimensions: Kitoglav is a large bird, in a standing position it is 75-90 cm tall; wing length 65-69 cm.
By the way: This sluggish bird often stands completely still, holding its large beak on its chest. The whalehead is fed by various aquatic animals - fish, crocodiles, frogs and small turtles.
Incredible Facts
Looking at some representatives of the animal world, it is impossible not to be surprised at the imagination and ingenuity of Mother Nature.
Here are some examples of the most unusual and strange animals on our planet:
The most unusual animals
1. Angora rabbit
The Angora rabbit is one of the oldest breeds of rabbits, named after the capital of Turkey - the city of Ankara. These cute animals look like a real fluffy cloud with ears, and in the 18th century were popular pets in the royal families of France.
2. Starship
This unusual mole, native to North America, has a strange, fleshy nose. At the end of the muzzle, he has 22 moving pink tentacles, which are very sensitive and are used by him as a kind of antennae. Also, the mole flaunts scaly paws and a thick, fluffy, water-repellent tail, where reserves of fat are stored.
3. Ay-ay
Ai-ai is a rodent-like animal that lives in Madagascar. Thanks to squirrel-like teeth and a thin middle finger, aye-aye gets his food from trees.
4. Pink spadefish
Unlike most fish, this pink shovel fish uses its fins to literally walk on the bottom of the sea. A strange species was discovered in Tasmania, Australia, but scientists have found only four representatives.
5. Striped tenrec
If it were possible to cross a bumblebee and a hedgehog, they would probably have a striped tenrec. Found in Madagascar, this bristly animal is covered in bands of yellow and brown needles, which they use to attack their enemies.
6. Pacu fish
Pacu fish are relatives of piranhas and are distinguished by human teeth. Pacu feed mainly on plants and nuts, however, there have been cases when they have bitten off the testicles of men.
7. Gerenuk
The gerenuk, also known as the giraffe gazelle, is a species of long-necked antelope that lives in the deserts of eastern Africa. A thin and long neck helps her to reach the leaves, which other antelopes cannot reach. Moreover, they are able to stand on their hind legs and become even taller.
8. Cassowaries
These flightless birds are among the most dangerous creatures in the world. Cassowaries are very serious about defending their territory, and in case of danger they can brutally deal with you with their razor-sharp claws. They can reach 2 meters in height.
Unusual animals of the world
9 Giant Isopod
The giant isopod, which looks like a woodlice or Colorado potato beetle, grows up to 19-37 cm in length and reaches a weight of about 1.7 kg. These incredible creatures live underwater at a depth of 170 to 2000 meters. They lead a solitary life, are scavengers, feeding on dead whales, squid and fish. But they are also adapted to long periods of hunger, going without food for up to 8 weeks.
10. Snakehead
This frightening-looking fish is called the snakehead. She has an insatiable appetite, eating almost all the fish in a pond or lake, and even her young. In addition, the snakehead can crawl on the ground and stay on land for up to 3 days in search of new food sources. Once they are on the ground, they are able to eat any small animals in their path. There were even cases of snakehead attacks on people.
11. Saiga
Saiga or saiga is one of the oldest mammals in the world, living on Earth together with saber-toothed tigers and woolly mammoths 250,000 years ago. Although at one time they were considered extinct, now they are often referred to only as living fossils.
12. Australian snake-necked turtle
Looking at her, it seems that someone passed the snake through the turtle. This species of turtle has a neck so long that they cannot retract it back into their protective shell. However, they have a secret weapon, releasing a foul-smelling liquid when threatened.
13. Octopus Dumbo
Grimpoteutis, or as it is also called the Dumbo octopus, outwardly resembles the famous Disney hero - the flying Dumbo elephant and is distinguished by funny ears. It lives at a depth of 900 - 4900 meters below sea level and is considered the deepest octopus ever discovered. There were cases when representatives of Grimpoteuthis were found at a depth of 7000 meters.
14. Nosach
The proboscis is a medium-sized monkey found only in the rainforests of Borneo. Male proboscis are the largest monkeys in Asia, and thanks to their large, fleshy nose, they are probably the most unusual mammals.
15. Scorpion Flies
From a distance, these insects look like ordinary dragonflies, but if you look at them under a microscope, you will see a real scorpion tail. Fortunately, he does not sting and is presented to females as a gift.
Unusual animals (photo)
16. Water deer
This miniature deer resembles a vampire up close thanks to its large, curved, saber-shaped fangs that reach up to 8 cm in length. However, do not worry, these deer are quite harmless and there have been no cases of them attacking people.
17. Blue Parrotfish
This strange but amazing fish is considered a delicacy in many parts of the world. In Polynesia, it is served raw and was once considered "royal food". They are parrotfish that are able to wrap themselves in clear slime to protect themselves from predators. Males can grow up to 120 cm in length.
18. Red-lipped damselfish
It seems as if this fish decided to paint her lips with bright red lipstick. Red-lipped fish live at a depth of 30 meters in the Galapagos Islands. Interestingly, they are more adapted to walk on the seabed than to swim. When the fish reaches maturity, it begins to use its dorsal fin as a bait for prey.
19. Axolotl
Axolotl refers to the larvae of Mexican ambistomes or tiger ambistomes. The larvae of this species do not undergo metamorphosis, while adults remain aquatic and with gills. The axolotl is highly regarded by scientists for its ability to regrow new limbs and even body parts, including the spine and part of the brain if they are lost.
20. Cyclops shark
The cyclops shark is one of the strangest creatures discovered by scientists in 2011. A large eyeball is the result of a disorder called cyclopia, which also occurs in humans. Researchers have found Cyclops shark embryos several times, but the fact that they have not been found out of the womb suggests that Cyclops do not survive in the wild.
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 marine fish is a relative of the seahorse and lives in the waters of western and southern Australia. Usually, a sea dragon can be found in shallow water, where the water warms up well. A distinctive feature of the animal are the processes on the body and head, which resemble leaves and serve as a camouflage. In water, the dragon moves with the help of a fin located on the crest of the neck, and the dorsal fin near the tip of the tail is also used. The fins of the animal are completely transparent. The dragon is not so small - it can grow up to 45 cm. It is curious that 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. Biruang lives in Indochina and Indonesia. Such a bear has a stocky figure with a short but wide muzzle. The ears of the Biruang are short and round. On high limbs are huge paws with large curved claws. The feet of the bear are bare, and the fangs are small. The fur of the biruang is smooth, hard and short, the color is black, turning into chalo-yellow. On the chest of the animal is usually located a spot resembling the rising sun. Biruang is nocturnal, during the day he sleeps or sunbaths in the trees, where he equips himself with a nest-like dwelling. This animal is remarkable in that it is the smallest representative of the bear family, and it is also very rare. The length of the biruang does not exceed one and a half meters, the height is not more than 70 cm, and the weight is from 27 to 65 kg.
Komondor. This breed of dog is also called the Hungarian Shepherd Dog. It lives everywhere, as it is a pet. When keeping a dog, one cannot do without special care for the coat, because its length can reach almost a meter. Wool should not be combed, but as it grows, the strands simply need to be separated, otherwise the hair will fall off. This Hungarian Shepherd Dog has an impressive size, being one of the largest dogs in the world. The growth at the withers of males can exceed 80 cm, and the long white hair, folded into laces, further increases the visual size of the animal. Feeding a komondor is not as difficult as it might seem. Like any other shepherd dogs, they are quite unpretentious, they require about 1 kg of food per day.
angora rabbit. This is a rodent mammal. This rabbit is ubiquitous as it is also a domestic animal. The Angora rabbit looks really spectacular, in some specimens the wool reaches a length of 80 cm. It is very valuable, it makes many useful things, including scarves, stockings, gloves, and just fabrics. Women like to breed the Angora rabbit, which is why I also call the animal "ladies". Its average weight is 5 kg, the body length is up to 60 cm, and the chest circumference is 38 cm. Rabbits should be combed every week, if the hair is not looked after, it will quickly lose its appearance, becoming simply disgusting.
Little panda. This animal of the raccoon family lives in China, Nepal, Burma and India. West of Nepal, this panda cannot be found. The animal lives in mountain forests with bamboo at an altitude of 2 to 4 kilometers above sea level with a temperate climate. The coat of the red panda is red or nutty above, and dark or reddish-brown below, even black. The hair on the back has yellow tips. The paws of the panda are glossy black, and the 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 lifestyle of the red panda is predominantly nocturnal. During the day, she, hiding behind her tail, sleeps in her hollow. If the animal feels danger, then the tree quickly climbs. Their terrestrial movement is awkward and slow, but they move quickly through the trees. And pandas still feed on the ground, choosing young leaves and bamboo shoots. The length of the small panda is 51-64 cm, to which 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 a territory of 2.5 square kilometers for herself, and the male - twice as much.
Sloth. This toothless 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 a day in a dream. All the 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 the stomach. In order to remain motionless to get leaves from a large area, animals have a long neck. In the active state, their body temperature is 30-34 degrees, while at rest it is even lower. Since animals are absolutely helpless on the ground, they do not like to get off the trees, this process is also energy-consuming. Sloths do sometimes end up on the ground to fulfill their rare natural needs (this happens several times a week thanks to their huge bladder), as well as to move to other trees. Often you can see these animals gathering in the forks of huge trees in groups, this allows them to save energy, it is also possible that the animals also mate lazily. 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 moth moth settlements are often found in their fur.
Imperial tamarin. This chain-tailed monkey lives in the rainforests of the Amazon Basin, as well as in Peru, Bolivia and northwestern Brazil. A special sign of the tamarin is immediately visible - these are special white mustaches that hang in two strands to the shoulders and chest. Nails are only on the big toes of the hind legs, claws grow on the rest. These monkeys spend most of their lives in trees, where larger primate species cannot get. Tamarins do not live alone, but in groups of 2-8 individuals. At the same time, each member has its own rank, while at the top of the hierarchy there is always an old female, it is not surprising that with such a "matriarchy" the cubs are carried by males. The body length of the 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 the rain and arid forests, as well as the savannas of the Amazon, in 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 also have a reddish tint. The tail of the monkeys is fluffy and long, but does not carry grasping functions, and the coat is soft and thick. Females, on the other hand, have a uniform brown color that is standard for all. There are light stripes around their mouth and nose. Males can weigh up to 2 kg, while females are slightly smaller. The body length of the monkeys is about 30 cm, and the tail is up to half a meter. White-faced saki spend their entire lives in trees. They rarely descend into the lower tiers of the rainforest, only in search of food. Monkeys are active both at night and during the day. In the case when danger lies in wait for them, the animals are saved with the help of long jumps, while the tail acts as a balancer.
Tapir. This large, grass-eating equid is found in Central America, as well as warm places in South America and southeast Asia. Tapirs are notable for the fact that these mammals are quite ancient - tapir-like animals lived as far back as 55 million years ago. The closest modern relatives of these animals are other equids - rhinos and animals. The front legs of the animals are four-toed, and the hind legs are three-toed. The fingers have small hooves that help to move on wet and soft ground. The size of tapirs depends on their species, but usually their length is about two meters, the height at the withers does not exceed a meter. The weight of animals is from 150 to 300 kg. Tapirs living in the 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 a person who hunts these harmless animals for their meat and skin.
Mixin. This animal of the jawless class lives in the seas of temperate latitudes, while adhering to the bottom. Mixin can be found even at a depth of 400 meters, and its length reaches 80 cm. If the salinity of the water is less than 29%, then the animals stop eating, and salinity below 25% is fatal to them. Interestingly, the hagfish's mouth opening does not contain a suction disk, but is surrounded by only two antennae. These animals bite into the skin of the victim with horny teeth, while the injection of enzymes that dissolve proteins occurs. The prey of hagfishes are weakened invertebrates and vertebrates, carrion. Often you can find the skeletons of fish covered with skin, inside of which the hagfish lives, having eaten all the insides. In Japan and some other countries, hagfish are successfully used as food.
Starship. This mammal of the mole family eats insects and is found in the USA and Canada. Outwardly, the star-nosed star differs from its fellows in the family only by its characteristic stigma in the form of a rosette or a star of 22 fleshy and moving bare rays. The size of this mole also differs little from the usual European one, the tail of the animal is relatively long, reaches 8 cm, and is covered with sparse hair and scales. When the stellate 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 the mole eats, then its rays are pulled together into a collected pile, while while eating, the animal holds the food with its front paws. In order to drink, the star-bearer has to immerse both the mustache 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 a large nose, similar to a cucumber. However, this trait is unique to males. The upper part of the proboscis is colored yellowish-brown, and the lower part is white. The hairless face is red, the arms, legs and tail are gray in color. The sizes of these monkeys are usually from 66 to 75 cm, the length of the tail is approximately equal to the length of the body. The weight of males is from 16 to 22 kg, while females weigh half as much. Nosachi love and know how to swim, they jump into the water directly from the trees, monkeys can swim up to 20 meters underwater. They are considered the best swimmers among primates.
Plaque bearer small. Many have heard of armadillos, but do you know about frilleds? This mammal of the toothless family has chosen the steppes and savannas of Central and South America. The uniqueness of the frilled ones is that they are the only modern mammals today, whose body is covered on top with a shell formed by skin ossifications. The shell includes shoulder, pelvic and head shields, as well as a number of hoop-shaped bands that encircle the body both from above and from the sides. Between themselves, the parts of the shell are connected by a 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 meter in length. The length of the tail of these animals varies from 2.5 cm to 50 cm. Frillers can hold their breath for up to 6 minutes, as they have voluminous airways and serve as a reservoir for air. Thanks to this, animals easily cross water bodies, often they simply walk along the bottom. The weight of a 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 amphibious plant of the ambistom family lives in the mountain ponds of Mexico. A special sign of the axolotl are 6 shaggy and long branches, growing 3 on each side of the head. In fact, this is not an ornament, but gills. Periodically, the larva, pressing against the body, shakes them, thereby freeing itself from organic residues. Swimming of the axolotl is facilitated by a wide and long tail. This amazing animal can breathe with both gills and lungs. If there is enough 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, they try not to spend 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.
Ai-ay or Madagascar rukonokozhka. This largest animal of all nocturnal primates lives in Madagascar. Ai-ai occupies the same ecological niche as woodpeckers. This species was discovered quite recently, it has only a few dozen individuals, and therefore is extremely rare. Especially aye-ayes are colored brown with white specks, have a fluffy large tail, feed, as already noted, like woodpeckers - larvae, worms. Initially, because of the large teeth of these primates, it was assumed that they eat like rodents. Ai-ai weigh about 2.5 kg, their body length is 30-37 cm, the 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. By weight, it is much lighter than sheep, but in quality it is not inferior to it. Up to 5 kg of wool is sheared from one individual once a year. The alpaca has no front teeth, so the animal is forced to pick up food with its lips and chew it with its side teeth. Alpaca is very inquisitive, good-natured and intelligent. The growth of the animal reaches 86 cm, and the weight ranges from 45 to 77 kg. Once upon a time, the Indians believed that in order to bless the wool of an alpaca, it is necessary to tear out its heart. Despite the barbaric roots of this custom, there are still cases of killing these meek animals in this way.
Tarsier. These animals live in Southeast Asia, mainly on the islands, they belong to primates. Their feature is long hind legs and a large head, which can turn almost 360 degrees. Tarsiers have good hearing, their fingers are very long, and left naked and rounded. Primates have gray or brown soft fur. But most of all they stand out with their eyes, which have a diameter of up to 16 mm. If you project them on the height of a person, then this 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 body length, reaching up to 28 cm. The weight of the 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, with half the palm of a man. The nickname of the octopus comes from the name of the elephant Dumbo, a famous cartoon character. Everyone mocked him because of the large size of his ears, while the octopus has a pair of long and paddle-like fins that resemble ears. The individual tentacles of the animal are connected by a flexible and thin membrane called the umbrella. It is she, along with the fins, that serves as the main engine for the octopus. Thus, Dumbo Octopus moves in a manner similar 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 a different color - from yellow-brown to black-brown. She has a very long tail, which is 2/3 of the entire length of her body. The most noticeable feature of the animal is a fold of skin around the head, similar to a collar and adjacent to the body. In this formation, many blood vessels are concentrated. The frilled lizard itself has strong limbs and sharp claws. The length of the lizard reaches 801-00 cm, while the females have a significantly modest size. Sensing danger, the animal opens its mouth and sticks out its bright collar, which can stand up to 30 cm from the body. The lizard stands on its hind legs, begins to hiss and beat the ground with its tail. However, such a frightening appearance does not at all characterize the nature 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, as it may seem, it does not break through the ice crust. The fact is that the narwhal tusk is a very sensitive organ, with its help the animal measures temperature, pressure and the relative concentration of suspended particles in the water. Crossing tusks, narwhals, most likely, clear them of growths, thus helping each other. Animals stand out for their size - their length is from 3.5 to 4.5 meters, the growth of only newborns is about 1.5 meters. Males can weigh up to one and a half tons, and females - about 900 kg. At the same time, fat makes up about a third of the weight of animals. Narwhals have pectoral fins, their suckers are dark in color, thus the animals look like belugas. But in adults, gray and brown spots appear on a light background of the body, which may merge. Narwhals have only two upper teeth. The left of them develops in males into a tusk, which weighs up to 10 kg, and is 203 meters long and twists in a left spiral, while the right tooth usually does not erupt. In rare cases (0.2%), males may also develop a right tusk, or a female may develop a tooth hidden in the gums.
Madagascar sucker. This chiropteran mammal, as the name implies, is found only in Madagascar. The animal is only 6 cm long, and weighs 8-10 grams, while the tail can reach 5 cm. It is interesting that the ecology and biology of the sucker-foot is poorly understood. Scientists suggest that they are sheltered by rolled palm leaves, to which they stick with their suckers. It is they who are a special sign of animals. Rosette suckers are located directly on the skin at the bases of the thumbs, as well as on the soles of the hind limbs. All captured suckers lived near the water. These animals are protected by law, as their species is very vulnerable.
Dwarf marmoset. This primate is one of the smallest, it belongs to the broad-nosed monkeys. The marmoset lives in South American countries - Ecuador, Peru, Brazil. An adult individual weighs no more than 120 grams. The nostrils of the primate are directed forward, which is unusual, but the nose is quite large and wide. In captivity, the marmoset feels great, for its maintenance it is enough just to keep a constant temperature of 25-29 degrees and a 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 depth (about 2800 meters). In such places, the pressure usually exceeds several ten times, therefore, the gel-like composition of the body with a density lower than that of water helps the fish to remain viable and swim with little energy consumption. The body length of a 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 aquatic mammal can only be found in Australia. Instead of the usual mouth, this animal is equipped with a beak, thanks to which it, on the other hand, can eat like birds in the mud. The body of the platypus is usually 30-40 cm in length, while the tail has a size of 10-15 cm. The weight of the animal is no more than 2 kg, while the females are about 30% smaller. Few people know that the platypus is one of the few poisonous mammals. Although the poison is not fatal for a person, it can cause a severe headache, and edema forms at the site of the bite, which will gradually grow. As a result, the pain can persist for many days or even several months.
Kitoglav or royal heron. This bird of the ankle order can only be found in Africa. Although the neck of the shoebill is not very thick and long, the head of the bird 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 is a hanging hook. Usually the plumage of the shoebill is dark gray, on the back, in contrast to the chest, there is powder down. The legs of the bird are black and long, its tongue is short. The glandular stomach is quite large, but there is no muscular stomach at all. The dimensions of the bird are quite large - in a standing position, its height reaches 90 cm, while the wing length is 65-69 cm. Kitoglav leads an advantage in a sedentary lifestyle - he usually stands still, his beak pressed to his chest. Birds feed on various animals that live in the water - fish, frogs, turtles and small crocodiles.
