We know about a large number of different types of animals on earth, but not everyone knows how diverse they are. You will be surprised to know that of the 7.7 million species of animals on our earth, only 953,437 have been described, and the rest are still unknown or little studied. Scientists themselves continue to discover new species every month, even modern science does not know everyone.
We are surrounded by millions of strange animals. They seem dangerous and sweet to us, strange and ugly, but so unique. Let's look at the TOP 20 species of animals that you could not even imagine.
1
Zebra Duiker
Zebra Duiker is a small antelope with a height of about 45 cm and a weight of 20 kg, a reddish-brown color with a tail about 15 cm long. This species was recently discovered in south-eastern Guinea (Africa). They are considered endangered species, as there is an active deforestation and uncontrolled hunting. They live in tropical forests, and their number in the wild is 15,000 individuals.
2
Lamprey
Lamprey is known for sticking to the bodies of other fish to feed on their blood. These are toothless and blind creatures that can be found in cold and temperate water. Some lampreys parasitize and live both in fresh waters and in the oceans. Their length is from 12 to 100 cm, and weight up to 1 kg. Lampreys, as a rule, do not attack people, unless they are starving.
Below is a video with amazing frames of lampreys, where you will also learn a lot of interesting things about these strange animals.
3
Flying Lemur Sunda
Sund's flying lemur is a species of woolly-winged. They are protected by national law. The height of the animal is only 35 cm, weight 1.3 - 1.5 kg. They climb perfectly and climb trees, but on the ground they are almost helpless. Sund's lemurs cannot survive without trees. They literally soar between the trees, spreading their legs like a parachute, overcoming the distance in flight of up to 100 meters. They feed on leaves that contain a small amount of potassium and nitrogen.
Be sure to look at the most-beauty.ru material about the most beautiful bats in the world.
4
Axolotl
Axolotl or Ambystoma mexicanum is a small amphibian creature belonging to the neotenic larvae, the genus ambistoma. What is interesting in them is that they do not develop into an adult and remain in a larval state, even during the breeding season. This phenomenon in the animal kingdom is called neotenia. And they can also restore lost limbs, so scientists are actively studying them. They can often be seen as pets in the USA, Japan and Australia.
5
Komondor
Komondor Sheepdog is a Hungarian breed of dog with a very interesting look. She is also called the Hungarian shepherd. Weight 50-60 kg. Comondoro's coat is strikingly long and curly. Thick coat visually increases the size of the dog. She perfectly helps to graze sheep, as it can easily get lost in the herd and be invisible.
6
Molestargator
Mole Zvezdoryl is a small mole species found in eastern Canada and the northeastern United States. Their appearance is practically no different from ordinary moles, only on the stigma there are 22 skin processes resembling the shape of a star. The skin is thick and strong, the weight is small - up to 60 g, length is 15-20 cm. The processes on the nose are very sensitive. They can simultaneously feel and feel up to 40 objects, they also perfectly smell, even under water.
By the way on most-beauty.ru there is another fascinating article about very unusual animals "with weirdness."
7
Alpaca
Alpaca is a species of South American camels that are somewhat similar to sheep, but larger and have a long and straight neck. Can be of different colors. The growth of an adult alpaca can reach 80-100 cm. They look like llamas, but nothing connects them with them. They belong to the Vicuna family. They can spit like camels, but they don’t spit on people. Very cute and curious, often even suffer from excessive curiosity. Their main value is wool. It is long, soft and thick, lighter than that of sheep.
8
Ai ai
This mammal has a scary and frightening appearance and is found in Madagascar. Ai-Ai is the largest primate leading a nocturnal lifestyle. They feed on proteins, fruits, insects, mushrooms, nectar. The muzzle is silver, a strip on the back and bulging eyes. Who ever saw this animal, then note its resemblance to the gollum from The Lord of the Rings.
9
Japanese crab spider
The Japanese spider crab has the largest leg span among crab - almost 4 m. As a rule, they can be found on the Japanese island of Honshu, Tokyo Bay at a depth of 500-600 m. Indeed, due to the interesting structure of the legs, this crab can be confused with the spider. The spider crab population has declined sharply in recent years. The average size of the Japanese spider crab is 1.2 to 1.5 m.
10
Imperial bird of paradise
This is a bird of strange beauty 26 cm high and weighing 60-100 g. Their main feature is their unusual color and amazing plumage. They are listed in the Red Book, but are considered a moderate species for survival. Their population eventually bounces back. It is especially interesting to watch the imperial birds of paradise during courtship. The male beautifully raises the plumage, it is important to nursing in front of the female.
We love to think that we already know everything about the animal kingdom - fish swim, birds fly, prey runs away, and predators try to catch it. But there are such animals that simply shock by their behavior, and some by their appearance. They are like white crows in a regular and harmonious animal world.
The following animals stand out for their amazing qualities and unusual behavior. Sometimes we don’t even need to go looking for them, because some of these unusual creatures live among us. We just don’t notice it.
11
The fish that walks, not swim
In the photo: Ogcocephalus darwini
By all laws of nature, all fish swim. Surprisingly, in the waters of the Galapagos Islands there is such a fish that absolutely can not swim - this is Darwin's Bat (Latin Ogcocephalus darwini). This fish, instead of swimming, crawls along the seabed. And look at her painted lips! By the way, at most-beauty.ru there is interesting material about the most beautiful lips in the world!
Scientists cannot explain such an unusual way of moving this fish, but, apparently, not quite suitable body shape prevents gliding in the water.
The bat uses its lateral and anal fins to move and find food. But you should not too sympathize with this fish, because it is not the ability to swim only in her hand. There are not many predators in the deep bottom, respectively, more likely to survive. The average life span of a bat is 12 years, even despite the rather modest size and the absence of any protection.
And here is the video with this amazing fish!
12
Snake, more like an earthworm
If a person met a Brahmin molester (Latin Indotyphlops braminus), then he hardly suspected it. It's all about a very small size and similarities to a simple earthworm. This snake is one of the smallest snakes in the world. A blind mole lives in almost all corners of the world, but its homeland is Southeast Asia. He likes to hide under snags, old logs or in rotten foliage, so it is likely to meet him in his garden or on a flower bed.
Indeed, this snake is easily confused with a worm. She has shiny gray scales, tiny eyes and a tongue, which he pulls out upon contact. But with the worm, the Brahmin blind man has only an outward resemblance. The body does not consist of rings, and it cannot stretch it, and vice versa, as the worm does. The blindman eats ants, their eggs and other small bugs. In length, it grows from 6 to 17 centimeters.
But about the longest snakes on Earth, read our article by clicking on the link!
13
Barking dog
It is natural for us that dogs growl and bark. But, you guessed it, there is an exception to the rule. Such an exception is the rare Basenji breed dogs that do not bark. In another way, this breed is called either an African non-barking dog or a Zande dog, named after an African tribe.
It can make different sounds such as screeching, howling or even coughing, but there are problems with barking. This breed was bred in ancient Egypt, and then it appeared in the Congo. Local tribes used it on the hunt.
In the old world, an unusual dog was introduced from the second attempt only in 1930. After several dogs, Besenji was sent to the United States, and from there the breed spread throughout the world. In the 80s, Besenji dogs were again brought from Africa to the United States to cross with their local brethren. This was necessary since the local Besenji gene pool was scarce and the breed began to suffer from genetic diseases. Fresh blood led to the appearance of spotted puppies, which was not previously observed.
And although there are other dogs that do not bark, the status of the most not barking was fixed for bezengi!
Fans of these four-legged animals are advised to see an interesting article about the most beautiful breeds of dogs.
14
Land fish
Another amazing fish is the Pacific Jumping Dog (lat. Alticus arnoldorum). Agree, the name is not a fish at all, but believe me - it is a fish. The peculiarity of a jumping dog is that it does not tolerate water at all. There are species of fish that hunt on land, on land, that come out of the water, but they cannot live on land.
A jumping dog, like all fish, has gills, but she does not use them. With evolution, they ceased to bear their function. The respiratory organ is the skin. But the connection with water in this fish has not been completely lost. In order for the skin to breathe, you need to keep it moist. Therefore, a bouncing dog must hold on to water from time to time to wet its body. There is an amazing fish on the island of Guam.
On our site most-beauty.ru you can find an article about the most beautiful fish in the world. There you will see many pictures of fish.
15
A mammal that lays eggs
The platypus (Ornithorhynchus anatinus) is one of the most famous phenomena in the animal kingdom. When scientists saw him for the first time, they decided that before them skillfully assembled a scarecrow from several species of animals. It looks like something like a duck, an otter and a beaver. The body of the platypus is covered with dark, thick hair. There is a flat tail similar to a beaver. On the paws of the membrane and beak like a duck. Most surprisingly, it is a mammal that lays eggs. In the world there are only two of them - the echidna and the platypus.
The oddities of the platypus do not end there. Males can produce poison, which concentrates on the hind legs of the animal. Platypus DNA strikes with a cross between different genes from birds, mammals and reptiles. The platypus lives in Australia - a continent that is famous for different types of outlandish creatures.
16
Warm-blooded fish
We also know from biology lessons that fish and reptiles are cold-blooded creatures. Imagine how scientists were amazed when they met with warm-blooded fish. This species is called the smell of redfin or, in other words, moon fish (lat. Lampris guttatus).
In other inhabitants of the seas and oceans, body temperature is regulated by the environment. What a degree of water, so about a degree of the body. You know that, for example, crocodiles go out on stones in hot weather to heat their body and recharge with energy. The red-feathered fan uses its pectoral fins, which it often moves to maintain the desired body temperature. Also, inside the body of the odor, its own heat transfer occurs. This allows the ruddy feather to plunge to depths that are not available to other relatives. He has more energy, which makes him faster and faster than other fish of his size.
17
Lizard that is devoid of paws
We all know the appearance of ordinary lizards. At least 4 paws we saw at each. But there are such representatives of this species who have no paws. They are called so - legless lizards or scales (lat. Pygopodidae). They also once walked on their feet, but with evolution they lost their limbs.
There are undeniable signs of resemblance to snakes. These include scaly skin and a peculiar tongue. They also love to feast on small rodents and eggs, but are not able to swallow larger animals, since their jaw is not so stretched and opens, like a snake.
Signs of a lizard include ear holes on the head, transparent eyelids, and a long tail. If the snake uses the belly to move, then the scales use side scales. That is why they cannot cling so well to a slippery surface. We also all know the focus of lizards with a discarded tail, which then grows back. The scalefish also have excellent command of this art.
18
Animal with DNA of fungi, bacteria and plants.
Tardigrades is a microscopic creature that can tolerate the harshest habitats. It is also called a water bear because of the peculiar appearance of the silhouette. Scorching heat is not afraid of scorching heat, polar cold and even cosmic radiation. This organism can sleep for decades and come to life after contact with water.
DNA analysis showed that almost 18% of the genome is of fungal, plant and bacterial origin. It is precisely this, according to scientists, that makes it possible to endure the harshest conditions of tardigrades. There are other organisms, such as rotifers, which also have a diverse genome from plants and fungi, but only a “water bear” has such a percentage.
19
Flying kite
“Flying” is most likely a too loud name for this snake, it is better to say “soaring” or “planning,” but the fact is on the face. Golden tree snakes surprise with the ability to easily move from tree to tree through the air.
Naturally, they live in trees. When you need to climb onto another tree, they do not descend to the ground, but shorten the path through the air. They can "fly" up to 24 meters. For a snake without wings, this is amazing. Before jumping, these tree snakes pull their body into the air, holding only at the tip of their tail. Fold the body with a spring and jump. In the air they wave their tail and move their bodies. They also flatten their torso, creating a soaring effect.
Be sure to look at these amazing snake flight footage. You can’t immediately believe in their reality!
20
An animal that can carry out photosynthesis as a plant
We are familiar with plant photosynthesis when light and carbon dioxide are absorbed and oxygen is given off. For some animals, photosynthesis is also possible, for example, the gastropod Elysia Chlorotica (Elysia chlorotica). In appearance, it is a green clam that has the characteristics of a plant and marine invertebrates, such as jellyfish. Elysia's back resembles a leaf. Elysia owes such an appearance to the algae she eats. She takes chloroplasts from them and reproduces the process of photosynthesis. Elysia can live a very long time, even if there is no food around.
Scientists at the University of Florida have been monitoring elizias for twenty years. These organisms could survive for months without nutrition, receiving only daylight for photosynthesis. It was also established that this ability is transmitted to the offspring, but the offspring cannot carry out photosynthesis until they eat algae from which they receive chloroplasts.
By the way, about other no less amazing and charming aquatic creatures, we recently wrote an article that turned out to be quite popular among readers of our site.
Summarize
Of course, the list of the most unusual inhabitants of planet Earth cannot be limited to only ten representatives. There are thousands of unique species in the world that can surprise each of us, and we have shown only the smallest share of this variety.
And what strange and unusual animals do you know? Share them in the comments.