1. Leafy Sea Dragon
What kind of animal: Sea fish, a relative of the seahorse.
Habitat: In the waters surrounding southern and western Australia, usually in shallow, moderately warm water.
Special features: Branches of the head and body, similar to leaves, serve only for camouflage. It moves using the pectoral fin located on the crest of the neck, as well as the dorsal fin near the tip of the tail. These fins are completely transparent.
Dimensions: grows up to 45 cm.
By the way: the leafy sea dragon is the official emblem of the state of South Australia.
2. Malayan bear or biruang
What kind of animal: Mammal of the bear family.
Habitat: From northeast India and southern China through Myanmar, Thailand, the Indochina and Malacca peninsulas to Indonesia.
Special features: Stocky, strong animal with a short and wide muzzle. The ears are short and rounded. The limbs are high with disproportionately large paws; the claws are very large, curved. Feet are bare. The fangs are small. The biruang's fur is short, stiff and smooth. The color is black, on the face it turns into roan-yellow. On the chest there is usually a large whitish or red spot in the shape of a horseshoe, reminiscent in shape and color of the rising sun. A nocturnal animal, it often sleeps all day or sunbathes in the branches of trees, where it builds a kind of nest for itself.
Dimensions: The smallest representative of the bear family: it does not exceed 1.5 m in length (plus a 3-7 cm tail), height at the withers is only 50-70 cm; weight 27-65 kg.
By the way: Biruangs are one of the rarest species of bears.
3. Komondor
What kind of animal: The Hungarian Shepherd is a breed of dog.
Special features: When keeping a Komondor, special care is required for its coat, the length of which can reach almost a meter. It cannot be combed, but as it grows, the formed strands must be separated so that the hair does not fall off.
Dimensions: This “king of the Hungarian Shepherds” is one of the largest dogs in the world, the height at the withers in males is more than 80 cm, and the long white hair, curled into original laces, makes the dog even more massive and impressive.
By the way: Feeding this huge dog is not particularly difficult. Like any herding dog, they are very unpretentious and eat very little, a little more than 1 kg of food per day.
4. Angora rabbit
What kind of animal: A rodent-type mammal.
Habitat: Where its home is, since it is a pet. More precisely - everywhere.
Special features: This animal is indeed extremely impressive; there are specimens whose fur reaches a length of up to 80 cm. This wool is very valued, and a wide variety of useful things are prepared from it, even underwear, stockings, gloves, scarves and, finally, just fabrics. A kilogram of Angora rabbit wool is usually valued at 10 - 12 rubles. One rabbit can produce up to 0.5 kg of such wool per year, but usually produces less. The Angora rabbit is most often bred by ladies, which is why it is sometimes called “ladies’ rabbit”.
Dimensions: Average weight 5 kg, body length 61 cm, chest circumference 38 cm, but variations are possible.
By the way: These rabbits should be combed every week, because if you don’t take care of their fur, they get a disgusting appearance.
5. Little panda
What kind of animal: an animal of the raccoon family.
Habitat: China, northern Burma, Bhutan, Nepal and northeastern India. Not found west of Nepal. Lives in mountain bamboo forests at an altitude of 2000-4000 m above sea level in a temperate climate.
Special features: The fur of the red panda is red or nutty on top, dark, reddish-brown or black below. The hair on the back has yellow tips. The paws are glossy black, the tail is red, with inconspicuous lighter narrow rings, the head is light, and the edges of the ears and muzzle are almost white, and there is a mask-like pattern near the eyes. The red panda leads a predominantly nocturnal (or rather, twilight) lifestyle; during the day it sleeps in a hollow, curled up and covering its head with its tail. In case of danger, it also climbs trees. On the ground, pandas move slowly and awkwardly, but they climb trees very well, but, nevertheless, they feed mainly on the ground - mainly on young leaves and bamboo shoots.
Dimensions: Body length 51-64 cm, tail 28-48 cm, weighs 3-4.5 kg
By the way: Little pandas live alone. The female’s “personal” territory occupies an area of about 2.5 square meters. km, the male is twice as large.
6. Sloth
What kind of animal: A partially toothed mammal belonging to the Bradypodidae family.
Habitat: found in Central and South America.
Special features: Sloths spend almost all their time hanging on a tree branch with their backs down; sloths sleep 15 hours a day. The physiology and behavior of sloths is focused on strict energy savings, because... They feed on low-calorie leaves. Digestion takes about a month. In a well-fed sloth, ⅔ of its body weight may be food in its stomach. Sloths have long necks to reach leaves over a large area without moving. The body temperature of an active sloth is 30-34 °C, and at rest it is even lower. Sloths really don’t like to get out of trees, because on the ground they are completely helpless. In addition, it requires energy. They climb down to relieve natural needs, which they do only once a week (therefore bladder they have a huge one) and sometimes to move to another tree, where, in order to further save energy, they often gather in groups in the forks of branches. There is an assumption that at the same time they mate lazily.
Dimensions: The body weight of different species of sloths varies from 4 to 9 kg, and the body length is about 60 centimeters.
By the way: Sloths are so slow that the moth often lives in their fur.
7. Imperial Tamarina
What kind of animal: Primate, prehensile-tailed monkey.
Habitat: In the Amazon rain forests in areas of southeastern Peru, northwestern Bolivia and northwestern Brazil.
Special features: A distinctive feature of the species is a particularly long white mustache, hanging down to the chest and shoulders in two strands. The toes have claws, not nails, only the big toes of the hind legs have nails. They spend most of their lives in trees, where larger species of monkeys cannot climb due to their weight.
Dimensions: Body length is 9.2-10.4 inches, tail length is 14-16.6 inches. The weight of adults is 180-250 g.
By the way: Tamarins live in groups of 2-8 individuals. All members of the group have their own rank, and at the highest level is the old female. Therefore, males carry the cubs.
8. White-faced saki
What kind of animal: Primate, broad-nosed monkey.
Habitat: Found in rain forests, drier forests and even savannas of the Amazon, Brazil, French Guiana, Guyana, Suriname and Venezuela.
Special features: The coat color is black, the front of the head, forehead and throat of males are light, almost white. Sometimes the head is reddish in color. The fur is thick and soft, the tail is long and fluffy. The tail is not prehensile. Females have a general coloration of brown and uniform. There are lighter stripes around the nose and mouth.
Dimensions: Males weigh 1.5-2 kg and are slightly heavier than females. Body length 15 inches, tail 20 inches.
By the way: White-faced sakis spend their entire lives in trees. Sometimes they descend into the lower tier of the tropical forest (on the lower branches of trees and shrubs) in search of food. In case of danger, they make long jumps, while the tail serves as a balancer. Active during the day and night.
9. Tapir
What kind of animal: A large herbivore from the order of equids.
Habitat: In Central America, in warm places of South America and in southeast Asia.
Special features: Tapirs are relatively ancient mammals: even among the remains of animals 55 million years old, you can find many tapir-like animals. The closest animals to tapirs are other odd-toed ungulates: equines and rhinoceroses. Their front legs are four-toed, and their hind legs are three-toed; their toes have small hooves that help them move on muddy and soft ground.
Dimensions: The sizes of tapirs differ from species to species, but, as a rule, the length of a tapir is about two meters, the height at the withers is about a meter, and the weight is from 150 to 300 kg.
By the way: Tapirs are forest animals that love water. In forests, tapirs feed on fruits, leaves and berries. Their main enemy is man, who hunts tapirs for their meat and skin.
10. Hagfish
What kind of animal: an animal from the jawless class.
Habitat: They inhabit the seas of temperate latitudes, staying near the bottom at a depth of up to 400 m. At salinity below 29% they stop feeding, and at 25% and below they die.
Special features: The hagfish's mouth opening lacks a suction disc and is surrounded by only two pairs of antennae. By gnawing into the skin of the victim with strong horny teeth, they inject enzymes that dissolve proteins. Hagfishes most often prey on weakened vertebrate and invertebrate animals, as well as carrion. Often they find skeletons of fish covered with skin, and inside there are hagfish that have eaten all their entrails and muscles.
Dimensions: Body length up to 80 cm.
By the way: In Japan and some other countries, hagfish are eaten.
11. Star-nosed
What kind of animal: Insectivorous mammal of the mole family.
Habitat: Found only in southeastern Canada and the northeastern United States.
Special features: Externally, the star-nosed snake differs from other members of the family and from other small animals only in its characteristic stigma structure in the form of a rosette or star of 22 soft, fleshy, mobile bare rays.
Dimensions: The star-nosed mole is similar in size to the European mole. The tail is relatively long (about 8 cm), covered with scales and sparse hair
By the way: When the starfish is looking for food, the fleshy rays on the stigma are in constant motion, with the exception of the two middle-upper ones, which are directed forward and do not bend. When he eats, the rays are pulled together into a compact pile; While eating, the animal holds the food with its front paws. When the starfish drinks, it immerses both the stigma and the entire mustache in water for 5-6 seconds.
12. Proboscis
What kind of animal: A species of primate from the subfamily of slender-bodied monkeys in the family Ape.
Habitat: Distributed exclusively on the island of Borneo, where it inhabits coastal regions and valleys.
Special features: The most striking feature of the proboscis monkey is its large nose, similar to a cucumber, which, however, is only found in males. The fur of proboscis dogs is yellowish-brown on the upper side, and colored brown on the underside. White color. The arms, legs and tail are gray, and the hairless face is red.
Dimensions: The size of proboscis monkeys reaches from 66 to 75 cm, the tail is approximately as long as the body. The weight of males ranges from 16 to 22 kg, twice the weight of females.
By the way: Proboscis whales are excellent swimmers, jumping into the water directly from trees and able to overcome up to 20 meters while diving underwater. Of all primates, they are perhaps the best swimmers.
13. Lesser frill
What kind of animal: Family of mammals of the order edentates.
Habitat: Armadillos inhabit steppes, deserts, savannas and forest edges of Central and South America.
Special features: These are the only modern mammals whose body is covered on top with a shell formed by skin ossifications. The shell consists of the head, shoulder and pelvic shields and a number of hoop-like stripes encircling the body from above and from the sides. The parts of the shell are interconnected by elastic connective tissue, which gives mobility to the entire shell.
Dimensions: Body length from 12.5 (frilled armadillos) to 100 cm (giant armadillo); weight from 90 g to 60 kg. Tail length from 2.5 to 50 cm.
By the way: The respiratory tract of armadillos is voluminous and serves as a reservoir of air, so these animals can hold their breath for 6 minutes. This helps them cross bodies of water (often armadillos simply cross them along the bottom). The air taken into the lungs compensates for the weight of the heavy shell, allowing the armadillo to swim.
14. Axolotl
What kind of animal: The larval form of an amphibian from the Ambystomaceae family.
Habitat: In mountain ponds of Mexico.
Special features: Long, shaggy branches grow on the sides of the axolotl’s head, three on each side. These are gills. Periodically, the larva presses them to the body and shakes them to clean them of organic residues. The axolotl's tail is long and wide, which helps it when swimming. It is interesting that the axolotl breathes with both gills and lungs - if the water is poorly saturated with oxygen, then the axolotl switches to pulmonary breathing, and over time its gills partially atrophy.
Dimensions: Total length - up to 30 cm.
By the way: Axolotls lead a very calm, measured lifestyle, without bothering themselves with unnecessary expenditure of energy. They lie calmly on the bottom, sometimes, wagging their tail, they rise to the surface of the water “for a breath of air.” But this is a predator that attacks its prey from ambush.
15. Aye-aye
What kind of animal: the largest animal of their nocturnal primates.
Habitat: Eastern and northern Madagascar. Lives in the same ecological niche as woodpeckers.
Special features: It has a brown color with white speckles and a large fluffy tail; like woodpeckers, it feeds mainly on worms and larvae, although it was initially believed - because of their teeth - that they eat like rodents.
Dimensions: Weight - about 2.5 kg. Length - 30-37 cm without tail and 44-53 cm with tail.
By the way: One of the rarest animals on the planet - several dozen individuals, which is why it was discovered relatively recently.
16. Alpaca
What kind of animal: an animal of the camel family.
Habitat: Peru, Bolivia, Chile, at an altitude of over 3500-5000 meters.
Special features: Valued primarily for its wool (24 natural shades), which has all the properties of sheep, but is much lighter in weight. 5 kg of wool is sheared from one individual; they are sheared once a year. The absence of front teeth forces alpacas to pick up food with their lips and chew with their lateral teeth. A very good-natured, intelligent, inquisitive animal.
Dimensions: Alpaca height is 61-86 cm, and weight is 45-77 kg.
By the way: The Indians believed that in order for an alpaca's wool to be blessed, it was necessary to kill it by tearing its heart out of its chest. Nowadays this is considered barbaric, but cases when several men hold an alpaca while someone cuts out a heart from its chest still occur.
17. Tarsier
What kind of animal: a mammal from the genus of primates.
Habitat: Tarsiers live in Southeast Asia, primarily on the islands.
Special features: Tarsiers are particularly distinguished by their long hind limbs, large head that can rotate almost 360°, and good hearing. The fingers are extremely long, the ears are round and bare. The soft wool has a brown or grayish tint. However, the most noticeable feature is the large eyes, up to 16 mm in diameter. When projected onto human height, tarsiers correspond to the size of an apple.
Dimensions: Tarsiers are small animals, their height ranges from 9 to 16 cm. In addition, they have a bare tail with a length of 13 to 28 cm. Weight varies from 80 to 160 grams.
By the way: In the past, tarsiers played a big role in the mythology and superstition of the peoples of Indonesia. The Indonesians thought that the heads of tarsiers were not attached to the body (since they could rotate almost 360°), and were afraid to encounter them, because they believed that the same fate could happen to people in this case.
18. Dumbo Octopus
What kind of animal: A small and peculiar deep-sea octopus, a representative of cephalopods.
Habitat: Found in the Tasman Sea.
Special features: Apparently he got his nickname in honor of the famous cartoon character - the baby elephant Dumbo, who was ridiculed for his large ears (in the middle of the body the octopus has a pair of rather long, paddle-shaped fins resembling ears). Its individual tentacles are literally connected to the ends by a thin elastic membrane called the umbrella. It, together with the fins, serves as the main mover of this animal, that is, the octopus moves like jellyfish, pushing water out from under the umbrella bell.
Dimensions: the found octopus is half the size of a human palm.
By the way: Little is known today about the varieties, habits and behavior of these octopuses.
19. frilled lizard
What kind of animal: A lizard from the agamidae family.
Habitat: Northwestern Australia and southern New Guinea. There it lives in dry forests and forest-steppes.
Special features: Coloration from yellow-brown to black-brown. Stands out for its long tail, constituting two-thirds of the body length of the frilled lizard. However, the most noticeable feature is the large collar-shaped fold of skin located around the head and adjacent to the body. The fold contains numerous blood vessels. The frilled lizard has strong limbs and sharp claws.
Dimensions: The length of the frilled lizard ranges from 80 to 100 cm, females are significantly smaller than males.
By the way: In case of danger, it opens its mouth, protrudes its brightly colored collar (it can stand up to 30 cm from the body), stands on hind legs, makes hissing sounds and hits the ground with its tail - which makes it seem scarier and more dangerous than it is.
20. Narwhal
What kind of animal: a unicorn, a mammal of the unicorn family.
Habitat: The narwhal lives in high latitudes - in the Arctic Ocean and the North Atlantic.
Special features: In size and shape of the body, pectoral fins and dark coloration of the suckers, narwhals are similar to beluga whales, however, adult individuals are distinguished by spotting - grayish-brown spots on light background, which sometimes merge, - and the presence of only 2 upper teeth. Of these, the left one develops in males into a tusk up to 2-3 m long and weighing up to 10 kg, twisted in a left-hand spiral, while the right one usually does not erupt. The right tusk in males and both tusks in females are hidden in the gums and develop rarely, in about one case out of 500.
Dimensions: The body length of an adult narwhal is 3.5-4.5 m, newborns are about 1.5 m. The weight of males reaches 1.5 tons, of which about a third of the weight is fat; females weigh about 900 kg.
By the way: It’s not exactly clear why a narwhal needs a tusk, but not to break through a crust of ice. This tusk is a sensitive organ and presumably allows the narwhal to sense changes in pressure, temperature and relative concentration of suspended particles in the water. By crossing their tusks, narwhals apparently clear them of growths.
21. Madagascar suckerfoot
What kind of animal: Chiropteran mammal.
Habitat: Found only in Madagascar.
Special features: On the bases of the thumbs of the wings and on the soles of the hind limbs, sucker bats have complex rosette suckers, which are located directly on the skin (unlike the suckers on sucker-footed bats).
Dimensions: Small animal: body length 5.7 cm, tail 4.8 cm; weight 8-10 g.
By the way: The biology and ecology of suckerfoot has been practically unstudied. Most likely, it uses rolled up leathery palm leaves as shelters, to which it sticks with its suckers. All suckers were caught close to the water. Listed in the Red Book with the status “vulnerable”.
22. Pygmy marmoset
What kind of animal: One of the smallest primates, belongs to the broad-nosed monkeys.
Habitat: South America, Brazil, Peru, Ecuador.
Special features: The marmoset's nostrils are directed forward, and its nose is large and wide.
Dimensions: The weight of an adult does not exceed 120 g.
By the way: Lives well in captivity. When kept, it requires a constant temperature of 25-29 degrees, slightly higher humidity of 60%.
23. Blob fish
What kind of animal: fish, scientific name Psychrolutes marcidus.
Habitat: lives in the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian Oceans, found in deep waters (about 2800 m) of the coast of Australia and Tasmania.
Special features: Drop fish live at depths where the pressure is several tens of times higher than at sea level, and in order to maintain viability, the body of the drop fish consists of a gel-like mass with a density slightly less than water; this allows fish to swim above the seabed without expending energy to swim.
Dimensions: Maximum body length is about 65 cm.
By the way: Lack of muscles is not a disadvantage, since the blob fish feeds on prey that swims around it.
24. Platypus
What kind of animal: A waterfowl mammal of the order Monotreme.
Habitat: Australia.
Special Features: Its most curious quality is that it has a duck's beak instead of an ordinary mouth, allowing it to feed in the mud like birds."
Dimensions: The body length of the platypus is 30-40 cm, the tail is 10-15 cm, it weighs up to 2 kg. Males are about a third larger than females.
By the way: The platypus is one of the few poisonous mammals; it is generally not fatal to humans, but it causes very severe pain, and swelling develops at the injection site, which gradually spreads to the entire limb, painful sensations may last for many days or even months.
25. Shoebill or royal heron
What kind of animal: A bird of the wavy order.
Habitat: Africa.
Special features: The shoebill’s neck is not very long and thick. The head is large, with a small and, one might say, sloppy crest at the back of the head. The beak is massive and very wide, somewhat swollen. There is a hanging hook at the end of the beak. The shoebill's plumage is generally dark gray, with powdery down on the back, but no such down on the chest. The legs are long and black. The shoebill has a short tongue; There is no muscular stomach, but the glandular one is very large.
Dimensions: Shoebill is a large bird, in a standing position it has a height of 75-90 cm; wing length 65-69 cm.
By the way: This lethargic bird often stands completely still, holding its large beak on its chest. The shoebill feeds on various aquatic animals - fish, crocodiles, frogs and small turtles.
In addition to the handsome animals listed in the Red Book (although ugly ones are also included in it, and beauty is a relative concept), there are such “eccentrics” that there is not enough amazement to reflect all the reactions to them.
Today we will talk about such interesting representatives of the fauna world.
So, the strangest, scary, funny, disgusting, creepy, cute animals, sea creatures(and this list is very stingy with the full diversity available in nature).
Imagine that there are animals in the world about which we still know nothing, and there are quite a lot of them, and when some inexperienced naturalist meets such an unstudied creature in a dark alley on the planet, then this creature can be called both a chupacabra and a ghost, both evil spirits and divine punishment.
And, looking at some of the representatives, you can’t say otherwise.
There are some that have been studied, but no less strange.
There is a lot of unknown in water (ocean, sea, reservoirs).
Holothurians
“Holothurians, or sea capsules, or sea cucumbers (lat. Holothuroidea) are a class of invertebrate animals such as echinoderms. Species eaten as food are commonly known as sea cucumbers.
The modern fauna is represented by 1,150 species; about 100 species are found in Russia.”
In the photo, this creature looks like either a huge black leech, or a worm-shaped multi-colored sponge, or a huge worm - this different types. Some are even eaten; the sizes of sea cucumbers are also varied: from 3 cm to 3 and even 5 meters!!! That is, like a big python.
Actually, sea cucumbers do not have any particular value in the animal chain; they feed on starfish, mollusks, fish, crayfish, they themselves feed on plankton; for pharmacology, the toxins produced by “sea cucumbers” are of interest.
Lampreys
“Lampreys (lat. Petromyzontiformes) are a detachment of jawless creatures from the monotypic class of lampreys (Petromyzontida) or, according to another classification, the class of odd-nosed fish (Cephalaspidomorphi). The length of lampreys ranges from 10 to 100 cm.
They are hunted and eaten. Some species have become rare."
In the photo there is a fish bitten by lampreys
You’ll find one like this in sea water and you’ll be afraid to swim for half your life... But there are places where they’re simply swarming and look like worm-like snakes. Although those who catch them with their bare hands are more loyal to the origin and type of lampreys, they do not consider them very disgusting.
Paku
Or: A fish with a human mouth, or rather, teeth.
“The largest fish of the characin family can be called the brown pacu (Colossoma macropomum), which can be found in river waters, the Orinoco and the Amazon. The weight of this fish is about 25 kg, and sometimes reaches 40 kilograms, 10% of which is fat mass.”
There are several types of Pacu fish, they are relatives of piranhas, and there have even been cases of these seemingly harmless creatures attacking humans; one jumped out of the aquarium and bit off the owner’s nose. Yes, they tried to humanize the fish and raise them at home. A photo of a fish with its mouth open gives a clear idea that their teeth resemble human teeth, sometimes in several rows. What doesn't float in nature!!
Giant leech (or Amazonian)
“Haementeria ghilianii is a species of proboscis leeches from the family Glossiphoniidae. Representatives are characterized by the largest sizes among leeches: up to 45 cm in length (usually up to 30 cm) and 10 cm in width.”
They attach themselves to anacondas, large fish representatives and even humans; they can insert their trunk into the victim 15 cm and drink blood from large arteries, thereby depriving the victim of life. However, this type of leeches is considered very useful among a number of scientists, since, thanks to the abundant content of the antithrombin substance in the salivary glands, it is capable of dissolving blood clots. Scientists do not yet know how to use this benefit, either to obtain a “medicine” by killing living creatures, or to control the suction process so that the leech does not killed a man. For now, there is an intermediate option: leeches are grown to small sizes (for their build) and used a couple of times for medicinal purposes until they are huge.
An adult is approximately the size of a newborn (slightly less) in length...
Axolotl
“The axolotl, as scientists have established, is the larva of the Mexican ambystoma. Ambystomatidae, family of tailed amphibians. Includes 28 species, including tiger ambystoma, marbled ambystoma, mole-shaped ambystoma, Pacific ambystoma, etc. Distributed in North and Central America.
In appearance, the axolotl is similar to a large big-headed newt with external gills sticking out to the sides. The total length of the amphibian is up to 30 cm. In captivity, axolotls live up to 10-12 years.”
Some of the individuals in the photo may well outshine cats and dogs in terms of cuteness, and looking at them, I think I understood where Luntik came from. True, there is a photo where the Axolotl is a nasty and brown lizard, at least similar to a lizard. The main feature of the Axolotl is that this amphibian larva can reproduce before reaching sexual maturity, that is, the larva can give birth to larvae - such a paradox. But there is a way to “grow” the larva: plant the Axolotl in a dry, cool environment - it develops into an adult ambystoma. There are different species, the cutest being the Mexican Axolotl.
Psychedelic frog fish(lat. Histiophryne psychedelica)
It's unlikely that you've heard of this one. The name of this creation speaks for itself; its essence can only be understood through psychedelics... (just kidding). It’s just that if you look at a frog for a long time, hallucinations may begin, why? Look at the photo below.
Discovered by American zoologists in 2009, the fish is about 15 cm in length. “The psychedelic fish is a representative of the order Anglerfish; zoologists consider it a “relative” monkfish" The fish has thick, flabby skin, no scales, covered with mucus to protect the delicate skin from injury... Each such fish has an individual color, a unique and bewitching pattern.
Blob fish
In the opinion of many ordinary people, the blob fish looks like a shapeless jelly-like mass, but it is not just a clot of gel with empty eyes, it is quite viable, lives in the ocean at great depths, is more often found on the coasts of Tasmania and Australia, and is currently on the verge of extinction .
The length of the fish is up to 30 cm, it does not have a swim bladder, which helps it more easily endure the pressure of great water depths and swim without expending energy.
Grimpoteuthys
This is a mini-octopus that lives at great, great depths. He has ears nose and funny eyes.
“Grimpoteuthis (lat. Grimpoteuthis) is a genus of deep-sea octopuses. They live in the depths of the ocean, and some species have been found as deep as 7,000 meters, although they usually live at depths of 100 to 5,000 meters."
Yeti crab
“Kiwa hirsuta (lat.) is a species of decapod crustaceans from the infraorder Anomura, previously allocated to the monotypic family Kiwaidae (in 2011, a second species, Kiwa puravida, was described). First discovered in 2005 at a depth of over 2000 meters in the area of hydrothermal vents in the South Pacific Ocean.”
It is about 15 cm in size, has fluffy legs, a chest, but in fact its body is covered with feathery bristles. The discovery of this type of cancer caused a strong reaction from Internet users; some attributed mystical significance to this event. This crab is included in both the lists of the cutest and ugliest creatures, but the fact is that it is one of the most unstudied, and it is not for us, mere mortals, to judge the beauty of the yeti crab...
Let's move on to earthly inhabitants.
Panda Ant
Either a wasp, or an ant... The first descriptions of German wasps were found in 1938, but little has been studied so far; it is known that the ancestors of these insects lived for many millions of years.
They live in hot countries, are considered poisonous insects, and can kill a cow with several dozen bites. Dangerous for humans too.
Angora rabbit
Decorative rabbit with long soft fur. If you give such an animal vitamins for fur growth and care for it, its fur can reach immense sizes...
Star-nosed
This is such a weirdo, and there’s no other way to call him, he looks like a mole, but with a star in his nose. “A species of mammal of the mole family (Talpidae), native to North America. It differs from other members of the family primarily in twenty-two skin growths on the muzzle, resembling a star.” The star-nosed fish is 10-13 cm long, the tail is 6-8 cm.
The most social representative of all the reclusive moles of the dark kingdoms, they unite in small groups with their own kind, build underground passages, and dig with their tenacious paws. The animal’s starry nose serves it not for the sake of beauty, but for the purpose of searching for prey; receptors located on the crests of the nose help in a split second to recognize the smell of “food” and react.
bearded pig
“The bearded pig (lat. Sus barbatus) is a species of mammal from the pig family (Suidae), common in Southeast Asia. Compared to other members of the pig family, the bearded pig's body type is relatively slender, with thin legs and an elongated head. The most noticeable feature, which gives the species its name, is the yellowish-white hair covering the snout.”
There is such an animal in the world as a bearded pig. It seems like an ordinary little animal, but it reminded me a little of Alf, the weirdo from the foreign series of the 90s, remember??
Herbivore Dracula
You see something like this on a dark night and it can feel bad, but we won’t see this in Russia, these animals live under the roofs of houses in South America.
These are relatives of bats. Both funny and scary at the same time. Despite the impressive photos - the mice are small, only 5-6 cm in length, the wingspan is 4-5 cm. They also live in the tropical forests of Venezuela and Bolivia, they live alone, scattered, uniting only to give birth to offspring, small mice are only 2.5 cm .
This is truly a masterpiece of nature, which came up with such a disguise for the beast. Lives in the forests of Madagascar, has different colors, but always with brown notes.
Marsupial wolf
This representative of the fauna was last seen alive in Tasmania in 1930, and the last such wolf died in the zoo in 1936. They were exterminated by people who considered them dangerous enemies who attacked sheep; a reward was announced on the head of each wolf.
It is now considered an extinct species.
“The marsupial or Tasmanian wolf, or thylacine (lat. Thylacinus cynocephalus) is an extinct marsupial mammal, the only representative of the family of marsupial wolves that survived into the historical era. The length of the marsupial wolf reached 100-130 cm, including the tail 150-180 cm; shoulder height - 60 cm, weight - 20-25 kg."
He resembled a dog, had the color of a tiger, and could jump like a kangaroo (though not so high).
Golden Tiger
This is a VERY beautiful albino tiger. Red and snow-white.
“The golden tiger is the rarest albino tiger. Just like white tigers, their color is caused by a recessive gene.” The appearance of an animal with this color is caused by a gene mutation after several generations. These tigers are larger than other types of tigers, they do not have black stripes, their fur is softer, and there are currently 30 individuals of these animals living in captivity.
Our planet is full of such unusual animals. It is always worth remembering that the extinction of all animal species is mainly due to human fault.
Frilled armadillo (Chlamyphorus truncatus)
This amazing animal lives on the dry plains of central Argentina, covered with thorny bushes and cacti.
Photo source: www.reddit.com/user/DonkeyGraves
Photo source: www.ru.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fried_Armadillo
Little hand (Daubentonia madagascariensis)
This mammal of the order of semi-monkeys of the family of bats can be found on the island of Madagascar. 
Photo source: www.animalsadda.com
Maned wolf (Chrysocyon brachyurus)
Any fashion model will envy the legs of this wolf. Thanks to such long limbs, the height at the withers of this wolf can reach 90 centimeters. This animal lives in the steppes of South America, and its long legs help the wolf to view the surrounding landscapes over the grass. 
Photo source: imgur.com
Tufted deer (Elaphodus cephalophus)
Native to southern China, this tufted deer is notable for its tusks.
Photo source: zoochat.com
A deep-sea octopus found at depths of up to 6 km. 
Patagonian mara (Dolichotis patagonum)
This "rabbit" is the Patagonian hare and the fourth largest rodent in the world (after the capybara, beaver and porcupine).
Photo source:
Naked mole rat (Heterocephalus glaber)
This rodent lives in the savannas of African countries: Kenya, Ethiopia and Somalia. Mole rats live in colonies, which sometimes reach 300 individuals. The social structure of colonies is similar to the structure of social insects (ants, termites). The colony is headed by a female and several fertile males. The remaining individuals are workers. Animals of this species have an unprecedented life expectancy for small rodents - 26 years.
Photo source: wikipedia.org
Irrawaddy dolphin (Orcaella brevirostris)
This unusual dolphin, without a beak and with a flexible neck, lives in the Indian Ocean. 
Photo source: imgur.com
Gerenuk (Litocranius walleri)
This African antelope has an exceptionally long neck and legs. 
Photo source: imgur.com
Dugong dugon
This aquatic mammal is the only representative of the dugong family of the sirenian order.
Photo source: wwf.org.au
Babyrousa babyrussa
An unusual feature of this animal of the pig family is its tusks. In males, the upper canines grow through the skin of the upper jaw, curving upward and backward. In old cleavers, their tips even grow into the skin of the forehead. 
Photo source: oregonzoo.org
Fossa (Cryptoprocta ferox)
The Fossa is a predatory mammal from the family of Madagascar predators. Previously, individuals of this species were mistakenly classified as members of the cat family due to their external resemblance to a puma. 
Starburst (Condylura cristata)
A North American mole with twenty-two star-shaped skin growths on its face. 
Photo source: synapsebristol.blogspot.com
Malayan woolwing (Galeopterus variegates)
A mammal of the woolly wing order, capable of flying from tree to tree over a distance of about 100 meters. 
Photo source: identi.info
Zebra duiker (Cephalophus zebra)
A small artiodactyl of the bovid family, the height at the withers of which does not exceed 50 cm. The animal lives in West Africa. 
Photo source: imgur.com
The Kiwa hirsuta crab lives in the thermal waters of the South Pacific Ocean. The limbs of this representative of decapods are covered with bristles resembling fur. 
Photo source: oceanleadership.org
Wonderful bird of paradise (lat. Lophorina superba)
A bird of the passerine family that has fantastically unreal plumage.
Photo source: nationalgeographic.com
The deep-sea fish Psychrolutes marcidus, found off the coast of Australia and Tasmania, is the most bizarre fish on the planet. 
Photo source: coloribus.com
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SNAP TOOTH- a mammal from the order of insectivores, divided into two main species: the Cuban slittooth and the Haitian. The animal is relatively large compared to other types of insectivores: its length is 32 centimeters, its tail is on average 25 cm, the weight of the animal is about 1 kilogram, and its body is dense.
MANED WOLF. Lives in South America. The long legs of the wolf are the result of evolution in matters of adaptation to the habitat; they help the animal to overcome obstacles in the form of tall grass growing on the plains.
AFRICAN CIVET- the only representative of the genus of the same name. These animals live in Africa in open spaces with high grass from Senegal to Somalia, southern Namibia and in the eastern regions South Africa. The size of the animal can visually increase quite significantly when the civet raises its fur when excited. And her fur is thick and long, especially on the back closer to the tail. The paws, muzzle and tail end are completely black, most of the body is spotted.
MUSKRAT. The animal is quite famous due to its sonorous name. It's just a good photo.
PROCHIDNA. This miracle of nature usually weighs up to 10 kg, although larger specimens have also been observed. By the way, the length of the echidna’s body reaches 77 cm, and this is not counting their cute five to seven centimeter tail. Any description of this animal is based on comparison with the echidna: the legs of the echidna are higher, the claws are more powerful. Another feature of the echidna’s appearance is the spurs on the hind legs of males and the five-fingered hind limbs and three-fingered forelimbs.
CAPIBARA. Semi-aquatic mammal, the largest of modern rodents. It is the only representative of the capybara family (Hydrochoeridae). There is a dwarf variety, Hydrochoerus isthmius, which is sometimes considered as a separate species (lesser capybara).
SEA CUCUMBER. HOLOTHURIA. Sea capsules, sea cucumbers (Holothuroidea), a class of invertebrate animals such as echinoderms. Species eaten as food are commonly known as sea cucumbers.
PANGOLIN. This post simply could not do without him.
HELL VAMPIRE. Mollusk. Despite its obvious similarity with octopus and squid, scientists have identified this mollusk as a separate order Vampyromorphida (lat.), because it is characterized by retractable sensitive whip-shaped filaments.
AARDVARK. In Africa, these mammals are called aardvark, which translated into Russian means “earthen pig.” In fact, the aardvark is very similar in appearance to a pig, only with an elongated snout. The structure of the ears of this amazing animal is very similar to that of a hare. There is also a muscular tail, which is very similar to the tail of an animal such as a kangaroo.
JAPANESE GIANT SALAMANDER. Today it is the largest amphibian, which can reach 160 cm in length, weigh up to 180 kg and can live up to 150 years, although the officially recorded maximum age of the giant salamander is 55 years.
BEARDED PIG. IN different sources The bearded pig is divided into two or three subspecies. These are the curly bearded pig (Sus barbatus oi), which lives on the Malay Peninsula and the island of Sumatra, the Bornean bearded pig (Sus barbatus barbatus) and the Palawan bearded pig, which live, as the name suggests, on the islands of Borneo and Palawan, as well as on Java , Kalimantan and small islands of the Indonesian archipelago in Southeast Asia.
SUMATRAN RHINO. They belong to the odd-toed ungulates of the rhinoceros family. This type of rhinoceros is the smallest of the entire family. The body length of an adult Sumatran rhinoceros can reach 200–280 cm, and the height at the withers can vary from 100 to 150 cm. Such rhinoceroses can weigh up to 1000 kg.
SULAWESI BEAR COUSCUS. An arboreal marsupial living in the upper layer of lowland tropical forests. The fur of the bear cuscus consists of a soft undercoat and coarse guard hairs. Coloration ranges from gray to brown, with a lighter belly and limbs, and varies depending on the geographic subspecies and age of the animal. The prehensile, non-haired tail is approximately half the length of the animal and serves as a fifth limb, making it easier to move through the dense tropical forest. The bear cuscus is the most primitive of all cuscus, retaining primitive tooth growth and structural features of the skull.
GALAGO. Its large fluffy tail is clearly comparable to that of a squirrel. And his charming face and graceful movements, flexibility and insinuation, clearly reflect his cat-like traits. The amazing jumping ability, mobility, strength and incredible dexterity of this animal clearly show its nature as a funny cat and an elusive squirrel. Of course, there would be a place to use your talents, because a cramped cage is very poorly suited for this. But, if you give this animal a little freedom and sometimes allow him to walk around the apartment, then all his quirks and talents will come true. Many even compare it to a kangaroo.
WOMBAT. Without a photograph of a wombat, it is generally impossible to talk about strange and rare animals.
AMAZONIAN DOLPHIN. It is the largest river dolphin. Inia geoffrensis, as scientists call it, reaches 2.5 meters in length and weighs 2 quintals. Light gray juveniles become lighter with age. The Amazonian dolphin has a full body, with a thin tail and a narrow muzzle. A round forehead, a slightly curved beak and small eyes are the characteristics of this species of dolphin. The Amazonian dolphin is found in the rivers and lakes of Latin America.
MOONFISH or MOLA-MOLA. This fish can be more than three meters long and weigh about one and a half tons. The largest specimen of the sunfish was caught in New Hampshire, USA. Its length was five and a half meters, there is no data on weight. The shape of the fish’s body resembles a disk; it was this feature that served as the reason for Latin name. The moon fish has thick skin. It is elastic, and its surface is covered with small bony projections. The larvae of fish of this species and young individuals swim in the usual way. Adult large fish swim on their sides, quietly moving their fins. They seem to lie on the surface of the water, where they are very easy to notice and catch. However, many experts believe that only sick fish swim this way. As an argument, they cite the fact that the stomach of fish caught on the surface is usually empty.
TASMANIAN DEVIL. Being the largest of modern predatory marsupials, this black animal with white spots on the chest and rump, with a huge mouth and sharp teeth has a dense physique and a stern disposition, for which, in fact, it was called the devil. Emitting ominous screams at night, the massive and clumsy Tasmanian devil looks like a small bear: the front legs are slightly longer than the hind legs, the head is large, and the muzzle is blunt.
LORI. A characteristic feature of the loris is its large eyes, which can be bordered by dark circles; there is a white dividing stripe between the eyes. The face of a loris can be compared to a clown mask. This most likely explains the animal's name: Loeris means "clown".
GAVIAL. Of course, one of the representatives of the crocodile order. With age, the gharial's muzzle becomes even narrower and longer. Due to the fact that the gharial feeds on fish, its teeth are long and sharp, located at a slight angle for ease of eating.
OKAPI. FOREST GIRAFFE. Traveling through Central Africa, journalist and African explorer Henry Morton Stanley (1841-1904) more than once encountered local aborigines. Having once met an expedition equipped with horses, the natives of the Congo told the famous traveler that in their jungle there were wild animals very similar to his horses. The Englishman, who had seen a lot, was somewhat puzzled by this fact. After some negotiations in 1900, the British were finally able to purchase parts of the skin of the mysterious animal from the local population and send them to the Royal Zoological Society in London, where the unknown animal was given the name “Johnston's Horse” (Equus johnstoni), that is, it was assigned to the equine family . But imagine their surprise when a year later they managed to get a whole skin and two skulls of an unknown animal, and discovered that It looked more like a dwarf giraffe from the Ice Age. Only in 1909 was it possible to catch a living specimen of Okapi.
WALABI. TREE KANGAROO. The genus of Tree kangaroos - wallabies (Dendrolagus) includes 6 species. Of these, D. Inustus or the bear wallaby, D. Matschiei or Matchisha's wallaby, which has a subspecies D. Goodfellowi (Goodfellow's wallaby), D. Dorianus - the Doria wallaby, live in New Guinea. In Australian Queensland, there are D. Lumholtzi - Lumholtz's wallaby (bungari), D. Bennettianus - Bennett's wallaby, or tharibin. Their original habitat was New Guinea, but now wallabies are also found in Australia. Tree kangaroos live in tropical forests mountainous regions, at altitudes from 450 to 3000m. above sea level. The body size of the animal is 52-81 cm, the tail is from 42 to 93 cm long. Wallabies weigh, depending on the species, from 7.7 to 10 kg for males and from 6.7 to 8.9 kg. females.
WOLVERINE. Moves quickly and deftly. The animal has an elongated muzzle, a large head, with rounded ears. The jaws are powerful, the teeth are sharp. Wolverine is a “big-footed” animal; its feet are disproportionate to the body, but their size allows them to move freely through deep snow cover. Each paw has huge and curved claws. Wolverine is an excellent tree climber and has keen eyesight. The voice is like a fox.
FOSSA. The island of Madagascar has preserved animals that are not found not only in Africa itself, but also in the rest of the world. One of the rarest animals is the Fossa - the only representative of the genus Cryptoprocta and the largest predatory mammal living on the island of Madagascar. The appearance of the Fossa is a little unusual: it is a cross between a civet and a small puma. Sometimes the fossa is also called the Madagascar lion, since the ancestors of this animal were much larger and reached the size of a lion. Fossa has a squat, massive and slightly elongated body, the length of which can reach up to 80 cm (on average it is 65-70 cm). The fossa's paws are long, but quite thick, with the hind paws being higher than the front paws. The tail is often equal to the length of the body and reaches up to 65 cm.
MANUL approves of this post and is here only because he has to be. Everyone already knows him.
PHENEC. STEPPE FOX. He assents to the manula and is present here insofar as. After all, everyone saw him.
NAKED MORAVARY gives the Pallas's cat and fennec cat pluses in their karma and invites them to organize a club of the most fearful animals in RuNet.
PALM THIEF. Representative of decapod crustaceans. Its habitat is the western Pacific Ocean and the tropical islands of the Indian Ocean. This animal from the family of land crayfish is quite large for its species. The body of an adult reaches a size of up to 32 cm and a weight of up to 3-4 kg. For a long time it was mistakenly believed that with its claws it could even crack coconuts, which it then eats. To date, scientists have proven that crayfish can only feed on already split coconuts. They, being its main source of nutrition, gave the name palm thief. Although he is not averse to eating other types of food - the fruits of Pandanus plants, organic substances from the soil, and even his own kind.
The name of this fish in Latin sounds too boring, so it’s easier to call it FISH WITH A TRANSPARENT HEAD. She has a transparent head through which she can see with her tubular eyes. The head, through which the fish watches for prey, helps protect the eyes. First opened in 1939. It lives at a much greater depth, so it has not been fully studied. In particular, the principle of fish vision was not entirely clear. She was supposed to have great difficulty due to the fact that she could only look up. Only in 2009 was the structure of the eye of this fish fully studied. Apparently, when trying to study it earlier, the fish simply could not tolerate the change in pressure.
ECHIDNA. Well, that's all.
LESS RED PANDA. Today, the red panda in its natural habitat can only be found in the mountain bamboo forests of the Chinese provinces of Yunnan and Sichuan, in northern Burma, Bhutan, Nepal and northeast India.
SIFACA. Monkey of the Indriidae family. A relatively new genus of primates, discovered only in 2004. Silky sifakas live in the eastern part of the island of Madagascar. The area is approximately 2.2 thousand square meters. km. The distribution area is limited in the north of the island to the Marojejy Massif region, and in the south it reaches Anjanahari. Adult individuals have a body length with a head from 45 to 55 cm, a tail 45-51 cm long. Weight is 5-6.5 kg.
SLOTH. Very interesting view mammals, having a number distinctive features that make it unlike any other existing look. It lives mainly in Central and South America.
PLATYPUS. In principle, everyone knows it. But this photo deserves attention...
ANT-EATER. It won't surprise anyone either. But the shot is great...
TARSIER. A small mammal from the order of primates, the very specific appearance of which created a somewhat ominous aura around this small animal weighing up to one hundred and sixty grams. Thus, the indigenous population of Indonesia and the Philippine Islands associated the absurd appearance of the tarsier with the tricks of evil spirits. However, many of our contemporaries, who see the tarsier for the first time in its native habitat, remain amazed by its non-standard appearance.
MARGAY. These wild cats are distinguished from their “relatives” by their body size and proportions, as well as their lifestyle. For example, the margay is very similar to its closest relative, the ocelot, which, moreover, is quite often found in the same place where the margay lives. It is not difficult to distinguish these cats - the ocelot is noticeably larger, since it prefers to hunt on the ground, and the margay has longer legs and tail, due to life mainly in trees.
MUDJOPPER. Found in intertidal areas and in areas such as tropical swamps formed by mangrove trees. Mudskippers especially love to settle in places where fresh water meets sea water. And although from a scientific point of view they are fish, many perceive them as amphibians. Well, in a way it is.
HERBIVORE DRACULA. Bats (“Sphaeronycteris toxophyllum” lat.) This species lives in the north of South America (Amazon River basin and mountains). These bats, oddly enough, are herbivores.
BELT-TAIL. The habitat of belted tails extends to the rocky regions of Africa, which have an arid climate, mainly on the southern side of the Sahara Desert. In addition, belted tails live in certain numbers on the island of Madagascar. There are more than forty species of belttails in the world. The sizes of belt-tails vary quite widely and range from 12 to 70 centimeters in length. The entire body of the belt-tail is covered with rectangular plates - scales, which cover the bony base of the reptile.
In my opinion, a modest fellow.
PURPLE FROG. Some animals have managed to adapt to these, at first glance, very difficult conditions and have even learned to benefit from the changing seasons. So the indigenous Indian purple frog (Nasikabatrachus sahyadrensis), which as a species was discovered quite recently - in 2003, uses the monsoon time to its advantage - to continue its kind.
ISOPOD. Giant isopod woodlice, approximately 30 cm long, live at sea depths of about 1.6 km.
SUN BEAR. The Malayan biruang bear, or, as it is also called due to its characteristic color, the sun or honey bear, lives in India, Myanmar, as well as on the islands of Borneo, Java and Sumatra. It is of quite great interest to both zoologists and amateurs. wildlife, since this species is one of the smallest, most aggressive and smallest representatives of the entire bear family. By the way, it was precisely the threatening small number of this genus that became the reason for the inclusion of biruangs in the Red Book.
An adult sun bear has a very difficult character. However, quite a lot of interest in his person is caused not at all by his habitat, and not by his character, but by his amazing appearance, which immediately catches the eye from any photograph.
TIBETAN FOX. Found in Tibet, northwest India and northern Nepal at high altitudes.
JELLYFISH. Just a giant jellyfish.
GOLDEN TIGER. This is what tigers with a similar color are called. The reason for the unusual color is that one of the genes did not work. Count like an albino...
AY-AY. ARM POD. Madagascar monkey or aye-aye, a mammal of the suborder of prosimians; the only representative of the family of arms. Body length 40 cm, tail 60 cm. The head is large, the muzzle is short; The ears are large and leathery. The tail is fluffy. The coat color ranges from dark brown to black.
GUYDAK. A large gastropod weighing up to one and a half kilograms. Found off the west coast of the USA. From under the thin fragile shell of the guidac (about 20 cm in length) protrudes a “leg” that is three times larger than the shell. English name This mollusk (geoduck, gweduck) appeared at the end of the 19th century, is derived from the name of these mollusks in the language of the Nisqual Indians (which is why it is pronounced “guiduck”) and means “deep-digging” - these mollusks really bury themselves quite deeply in the sand.
MARSPAL WOLF. It is an extinct marsupial mammal and the only representative of the thylacine family. This animal is also known as the “marsupial tiger” and “Tasmanian wolf”. At the beginning of the Holocene and the end of the Pleistocene, the marsupial wolf was found on the Australian mainland and the island of New Guinea. About 3,000 years ago, Aboriginal settlers brought the wild dog dingo to the island, as a result of which the marsupial wolf disappeared from the area. In the XVIII-XIX centuries. Tasmania was considered the main habitat of the marsupial wolf, but in the thirties of the 19th century, mass extermination of the animal began, which was mistakenly considered a destroyer of domestic sheep. In addition, the thylacine was credited with hunting poultry and exterminating game caught in traps. Most of these legends turned out to be untrue.
STARBEARER. An insectivorous mammal of the mole family. Externally, the starfish differs from other members of the family and from other small animals only in its characteristic stigma structure in the form of a rosette or star of 22 soft, fleshy, mobile bare rays. In size, spade-shaped forelimbs, thick velvety fur (black or dark brown) it is similar to the European mole.
