Bizarre Animals That You Won’t Believe Actually Exist

There are many species in the animal kingdom, but the most interesting ones are actually unknown to almost everyone.
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In this list, we feature some of the most bizarre, unique, interesting, and even funny-looking animals that you probably have never heard of!

Ctenophora

Despite looking like a combination between a jellyfish and an alien, the ctenophora, which is also known as a comb jelly, is a distant cousin of the jellyfish.

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It has no brain or central nervous system, but can still use its nerve ends to find and capture prey.

Tarsier

The tarsier can mostly be found in Southeast Asia, particularly in the Philippines, Malaysia, Indonesia, and Brunei.

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Many people compare the tarsier to Gollum from “The Lord of the Rings” series, an association with which we strongly agree with.

Casper Octopus

The ghost octopus was found near the Hawaiian Island deep in the pacific ocean, and has gripped the internet to the point of being called “Casper”.

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This little guy likes to lay up to 30 eggs on a bed of dead sea sponges and then proceeds to nest on these eggs for years.

Saiga Antelope

This four-legged beast hails from the foothills of the Carpathian Mountains and Mongolia.

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They are currently on the brink of extinction, and the odds of recovery depend on strong preservation efforts.

Achatina Fulica

Achatina Fulica, also known as the African giant snail, is often considered the largest and most invasive type of snail on earth.

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These snails are hermaphrodites, meaning that they have both male and female reproductive body parts.

Ankole-Watusi Bull

This large-horned bull is actually an American creation and is the result of breeding the cattle with the largest horns until they reached this monstrous size.

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Despite being a relatively calm animal, this is one creature that you don’t want to get on the bad side of.

Mata mata Turtle

The mata mata turtle is often referred to as the weirdest turtle on earth. These turtles are quite big and can reach up to two feet in length.

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When a small sea creature gets close enough to the mata mata turtle, it simply opens its mouth, sucks it in, and bites down on it quickly, ensuring a fantastic meal.

Proboscis Monkey

Let’s face it, the only reason anyone knows what a Proboscis monkey is can be easily traced to its incredibly large and funny-looking nose.

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These monkeys can mostly be found in Indonesia, and belong to the subfamily Colobinae of the Old World monkeys. They are one of the largest monkey species in Asia and can weigh up to 50 pounds.

Marabou Stork

When parents tell their children how babies are delivered by storks, we have a hard time believing they have the marabou stork in mind.

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These storks can be found in the areas of Africa south of the Sahara. Their name is derived from the Arabic word ‘murabit’, which signifies quiet and hermit-like behavior.

Silkie Chicken

Silkie chickens are like the ultimate combination of chickens and dogs. They are fluffy, furry, and friendly birds that could easily work as pets.

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These beautiful birds originate from Asia, particularly China, and were referenced by the iconic Marco Polo sometime during the 13th century.

Indian Gharial

The Indian gharial is a unique crocodile that looks a lot more like a duck than an alligator. It reaches up to 20 feet in length and is mostly recognized by its unique snout.

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You can find these carnivores mostly around the northern Indian subcontinent. Humans are rushing to fix this before it goes fully extinct.

Spike-nosed Tree Frog

The spike-nosed tree frog, also unofficially known as the Pinocchio frog, often looks like a frog with the face of a mosquito.

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These frogs were discovered back in 2008, but there is still much we don’t know about them. Their unusually long noses can inflate and deflate when calling.

Eastern Long-Necked Turtle

The eastern long-necked turtle almost looks like something straight out of a mythological story. It’s able to bend its neck in various angles and is speculated as being able to bend and look 180 degrees backward.

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They are able to emit a foul-smelling fluid from their musk glands when threatened, which gave them the nickname of “stinkers”.

Wrinkle-Faced Bat

One of the most bizarre-looking species of bats that can be found in Central America is the wrinkle-faced bat.

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They secrete a weird odor from their chin to attract their female mates, which is just another quirk that makes them so unique and bizarre at the same time.

Greater Sage-Grouse

The greater sage-grouse is a unique bird found in western North America. It got its name from its large, beard-like feathers and a general appearance of wisdom.

 


The bird uses its two large air sacs to attract females, by inflating them and making weird popping sounds.

Pink Fairy Armadillo

The pink fairy armadillo is probably one of the cuter versions of the species, and only grows up to 5 inches long. It lives underground and uses a little biological trick to keep itself warm.

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The pink fairy armadillo pumps blood into its armor, which is one of the reasons why it looks strangely skin-colored.

Stargazer Fish

The stargazer fish can be instantly recognized for having one of the most dissatisfied expressions ever seen on a living creature.

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This grumpy sea creature has often been cited as “The Meanest Thing In Creation”, which is evidently clear when you stare at it for even one second.

Heikegani Crab

This crab is known for its shell, which tends to resemble a human face, often being compared to that of an angry samurai. The Japanese believe that they are the reincarnated Heike warriors

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Heikegani crabs are a popular example of how people tend to find meaning and resemblances to humans when they look at various shapes in nature.

Ocean Sunfish

Few fish look as surprised as the ocean sunfish. This massive sea-dweller weighs up to 5,000 pounds and can reach a size of up to 14 feet long and 10 feet high.

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Smaller fish tend to gather around them and eat parasites off their skin, which is a great win-win situation for the ocean sunfish and its guests.

Aye-aye

Despite looking like chipmunks on Ritalin, these creatures are actually quite intelligent and can use their human-like opposable thumbs to hang from tree branches.

 


They are the world’s largest nocturnal primate and are unfortunately considered endangered at the moment.

Mexican Mole Lizard

This long, bizarre, and legless lizard has small T-Rex arms and is one of the only four amphisbaenians in the world that actually has legs.

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It can be found in Baja California and tends to be out in the open during midsummers. They might be a creepy sight to behold, but they aren’t dangerous.

Sri Lanka Frogmouth

Te Sri Lankan frogmouth tends to resemble an owl more than a frog, but often appears to be smiling due to the curvature of its beak.

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It’s one of the more captivating birds to look at, and we highly recommend looking out for them if you ever find yourself in an Indian forest.

Axolotl

If you’ve ever wondered what this creature is, it is a salamander, otherwise known as The Mexican Walking Fish. Despite its name, it is an amphibian rather than a fish.

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The Axolotl has a unique ability to regenerate limbs, which makes them primary targets for research by scientists who want to develop the same ability in humans.

Vogelkop Superb Bird-of-Paradise

The Vogelkop superb bird-of-paradise also does his best to impress the ladies, by turning into a weird alien creature with mesmerizing blue eyes.

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This bird is equipped with black and blue feathers which he extends in order to create an arch shape when he wants to attract a mate.

Hoatzin

One of the weirder birds on our list and managed to accumulate a respectable list of nicknames, including the reptile bird, the skunk bird, and even the stinkbird.

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This bird reaches up to 26 inches in length and has a unique feather structure on its head that makes it look like a teenager on a first date.

African Clawed Frog

The African clawed frog is a unique species of frogs, mostly due to the three smooth, short claws it has on each hindfoot. It uses these claws to tear apart its food.

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It’s believed that the African clawed frogs have no tongues, no teeth, and no ears. Despite the lack of these sensory organs, they have fantastic senses.

Blue Dragon (Glaucus Atlanticus)

Glaucus Atlanticus, also known as The Blue Angel or The Blue Dragon, is a small sea slug with an incredibly exotic look.

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The Glaucus Atlanticus tends to feed on small open sea creatures, and hunts them using his venomous sting.

Japanese Spider Crab

For the first nightmare-fueling creature on this list, we present to you the Japanese spider crab. This massive creature’s legs can reach up to 12 feet and can weigh up to 42 pounds as an adult.

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You can find them in the deep, dark depths of the ocean, usually from 500 feet below the surface.

Star-Nosed Mole

The star-nosed mole is another addition to the nightmarish animals found on this list, and might as well originate from the 1982 horror film, “The Thing.”

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Despite being completely blind, the star-nosed mole has very adapted sense abilities, thanks to its star-shaped nose.

Red-Lipped Batfish

This hilarious sea creature can be found mostly around the Galapagos Islands off Peru and tends to stay in depths of up to 250 feet.

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It’s mostly known for the obvious bright red lips on its face, and also for being a terrible swimmer.

Lowland Streaked Tenrec

Many people claim that the lowland streaked tenrec is the horrible result of what Pikachu from Pokemon would look like in real life.

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This unique rodent can be found in Madagascar and is mostly known for having long and sharp hair-like bristles that resemble that of a hedgehog.

Helmeted Hornbill

Don’t worry, this bird didn’t get a big boom-boom on his head, it’s actually just one of its unique features.

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Unfortunately, the Helmeted Hornbill’s special casque also makes it a target for hunters and poachers, who managed to turn it into a critically endangered species.

Bigfin Squid

This creature is genuinely one of the most terrifying things that lurk in the ocean and resembles something straight out of an H. P. Lovecraft novel.

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Due to its rarity, it’s not yet known if the bigfin squid is just a mutated creature or a full-blown category of species.

Guianan Cock-of-the-rock

If you manage to get past its incredibly confusing look, you’ll find that the Guianan cock-of-the-rock is one of the most pristine and beautiful birds to be found in nature.

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The male Guianan cock-of-the-rock uses its incredible colors and crest to attract female birds and tends to breed early in the year.

Purple Frog

The purple frog, also known as the pig-nosed frog, is definitely one of the weirder frog species out there. It lives mostly in the Western Ghats in India.

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Unlike most frogs, their massive bodies prevent them from jumping or moving around quickly.

Hammer-Headed Bat

The hammer-headed bat is both weirder and more normal than it looks in the picture below. It’s basically a bat with the head of a moose.

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Believe it or not, but the purpose of the hammer-headed bat’s large jaw is actually to attract females. It uses its enormous head to produce loud mating calls.

Portuguese Man O’ War

The Portuguese man o’ war is one of the weirdest marine creatures to have ever been discovered. It has long, venomous tentacles that are capable of killing not just large fish, but also humans.

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If you’re ever swimming around the shores of Florida, make sure to watch out for any sea life resembling the alien from the movie “Life”.

Remora

The remora fish can be most easily recognized by its head, which looks like a tractor went over it and left a flat tread.

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The remora’s ability to piggyback and ride on fellow sea dwellers is what gave it the nickname “The Suckerfish”.

Hairy Frog

These incredibly bizarre frogs mostly come from Central Africa and are also known as Horror frogs and Wolverine frogs.

 


If that’s not weird enough, Wolverine frogs also have sharp claws in their back feet, which they create by breaking their bones.

Amazon Giant Fishing Spider

This harsh and moist environment has led to some extreme mutations, but almost none of them compare to the giant fishing spider.

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The Amazon giant fishing spider loves to camp on the water’s surface before taking a swing through the underwater sea life and having his dinner.

Venezuelan Poodle Moth

This fluffy little insect was discovered in Venezuela only as recently in 2009, this new species has still not been properly studied, so there is not much we know about them. They tend to grow to about 1 inch or around 2,5 cm in size.

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This alien-looking moth has big bulging eyes, spiky antennas, and poofy-like fur covering its head, thorax, abdomen, and even wings.

Dumbo Octopus

Their name comes from Disney’s “Dumbo” because of the creature’s ears bearing similarities to the movies’ title character.

 


These creatures swim by flapping their “ears” or propelling water through their funnel, somewhat like a squid.

Macropinna Microstoma

This species of fish lives at a depth of about 600 meters to 800 meters, and can often be found hanging almost motionless in the water.

 


It is quite unique with a transparent, fluid-filled cover on its head, through which the lenses of its eyes can be seen.

Irrawaddy Dolphin

Irrawaddy Dolphin is an aquatic dolphin found in the Bay of Bengal and Southeast Asia. They are mostly found in the 118-mile stretch of the river between Cambodia and Laos.

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They feed principally on fish, which they find with sonar since they are nearly blind. Their most notable feature is a round head with no distinct beak.

Sunda Colugo

This adorable lemur is a Sunda Colugo or Sunda flying lemur is a species of colugo, native to Indonesia, Thailand, Malaysia, and Singapore.

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They actually don’t fly but glide instead. Sunda Colugos are active at night and they feed on soft plant parts like young leaves, shoots, flowers, and fruits.

Blue Parrotfish

This glowing-blue fish can be found in shallow waters of the tropical and subtropical parts of the Caribbean Sea and the Atlantic Ocean.

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These Parrotfish are anemonefish: they can live for a while as male or female – but sometimes hormones kick in and cause it to change gender, now isn’t that neat?

Glass Frog

This fascinating frog can be found in Southern America and is a family of amphibians that exhibit an unusual peculiarity — transparent abdomens.

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Glass frogs have incredible appetites, as such, they have a need to eat and are constantly in search of small insects.

Fossa

This is quite an interesting cat-like creature, or is it more like a squirrel? The fossa resides in Madagascar. Their classification has been controversial because physically it resembles a cat.

 


What is even more interesting, is that genetic study has shown that they are actually their own separate species.

Panda Ant

This looks like an ant designed by Tim Burton! But despite looking like an ant and being referred to as such, it is in fact a form of wingless wasp.

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These fierce little creatures have earned a reputation as “cow killers” and they should not be underestimated.

Tufted Deer

These little deers are found in central China, the tufted deer is a small species of deer characterized by a raised tuft of black hair on its forehead, and like most kinds of deer, fang-like canines for the males.

 


It is a timid, mainly solitary creature, and they sometimes live in pairs and enjoy living in areas with sheltered forests where they can find good cover.

Honduran White Bat

The Honduran white bat has characteristic white fur, with tips of their individual hairs being gray as well as a peculiar leaf-shaped nose.

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They dwell in leaf ‘tents’ that they create by cutting the side veins extending out from the midrib of large leaves.

Spiny Bush Viper

Atheris hispida is a venomous viper from Congo, Uganda, and Kenya. Spiny bush vipers favor rainforests that offer plenty of flowering shrubs and bushes.

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Spiny bush viper has strong venom which causes severe bleeding from internal organs. The amount and strength of the venom depend on each individual snake.

Leafy Seadragon

This charismatic species can be found along the southern and western coasts of Australia, this leafy seadragon has long leaflet protrusions coming from all over their body.

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They don’t have a specialized pouch characteristic of male seahorses. Instead, they carry their eggs under the tail.

Dik-Dik

Meet the miniature antelope that’s so adorable, they named it twice! They are found in the bushlands of southern and eastern Africa.

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Their name comes from the unique alarm call that the females commonly make, which sounds like a wheezing and whistling “dik-dik.”

Lilac-Breasted Roller

This colorful bird is widely spread within sub-Saharan Africa and the southern Arabian Peninsula. They prefer more open areas, and for the most part, they stay away from treeless places.

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Their bright feathers are conspicuous with deep lilac breast feathers.

Satanic Leaf-Tailed Gecko

The Satanic leaf-tailed gecko is a type of gecko that is found on the island of Madagascar. This little gecko got his name from the Belgian biologist George Boulenger back in 1888.

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Their flattened tail appears to look like a leaf, helping the animal blend in within the environment.

Okapi

This incredibly rare mammal is native to Central Africa, mainly residing in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Despite their zebra-like stripes, they are actually more closely related to giraffes.

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The Okapi’s chocolate coat is a reddish-brown shade, much in contrast with the white horizontal stripes and rings on the legs and white ankles.

Blobfish

The blobfish inhabits the deep waters off the coasts of Oceania. It is primarily a gelatinous mass with a density slightly less than water, which allows it to float above the seafloor without using much energy on swimming.

 


They only appear so droopy once they are taken out of the sea when pressure changes drastically.

Golden Tortoise Beetle

This lovely little fellow is native to the Americas. This species of beetle ranges in color from reddish-brown with little black spots to gold, and sometimes even metallic, earning them the nickname “gold bug”.

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They tend to change color in different conditions, such as during times of disturbance, like when it is touched by a researcher.

Australian Peacock Spider

Australia has lots and lots of weird animals. Many of them are dangerous, too, though this colorful guy here doesn’t seem to be very dangerous, since it’s only five millimeters across. They’re also just so fabulous.

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The males of these colorful spiders not only have a big, beautiful body to attract the ladies but they also coyly lift a leg off the ground to signal to the gals that they’re ready to woo.

Maned Wolf

It resembles a fox, it has ‘wolf’ in its name, but this canine creature is actually neither. It is, so far, the only species in the “Chrysocyon” genus.

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The name means “Golden Dog.” It’s the largest canine in South America, standing thirty-five inches at the withers (which is the shoulder blades of an animal that walks on four legs).

Patagonian Mara

Also known as the Patagonian cavy, Patagonian hare, or dillaby, the Patagonian mara is a herbivorous rodent from the mara species, which also includes capybaras, beavers, and porcupines.

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Only found in Argentina, these rodents resemble the American folklore of the jackrabbit, a spry creature with distinct long limbs and ears.

Naked Mole-Rat

If you’re a fan of the classic Disney cartoon “Kim Possible,” then you’re already plenty familiar with this one. For the rest of you: Introducing the naked mole-rat, which manages to be both cute and incredibly disturbing.

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Its unusual physical traits (hairless, pain insensitivity, and strange method of regulating heat) make it singularly suited for the harsh East African environment.

The Gerenuk

This lean beast is called a Gerenuk, and it hails from the Horn of Africa, in the east. Also known as the giraffe gazelle, this mostly-proportional animal got its first description from naturalist Victor Brooke in 1879.

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The species is sexually dimorphic, meaning the males and females look different, like peacocks and peahens.

Dugong

This marine mammal is where the designers of Pokemon got the inspiration for the first-gen creature Dewgong.

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The snout turns down sharply, which helps it feed on its favorite benthic seagrass. Unlike manatees, their molar teeth are simple and peg-like.

Babirusa

Babirusa, also known as deer pigs, hail from the Indonesian islands of Sulawesi, Togian, Sula, and Buru. The most noticeable feature of this group of swine is their long, curved tusks.

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Not only do they develop from the sides of the mouth, like normal teeth, but the tusks from the upper mandible actually pierce the flesh, making them look like horns.

Lamprey

Lampreys are horrible, horrible monsters that aren’t direct from your nightmares, but they’ll be there soon.

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They are an ancient lineage of jawless fish of the order “Petromyzontiformes.” The name lamprey comes from the Latin word lampetra, meaning more-or-less “stone licker.”

Zebra Duiker

This little guy, found primarily in Liberia (along with the Ivory Coast, Sierra Leone, and occasionally Guinea), is a small antelope.

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These duikers are quite small compared to other members of the antelope family, usually only growing to about three feet in length, weighing less than fifty pounds.

Yeti Crab

Also known as yeti lobsters, yeti crabs are named after the legendary Yeti, a mythical creature thought to exist in the Himalayas. They exist in their own family, Kiwaidae, in the superfamily Chirostyloidea.

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While it looks like they exist in cold climates, they’re normally found around deep-sea hydrothermal vents and cold seeps — ocean floor areas where hydrogen sulfide, methane, and other fluids collect into pools.

Cantor’s Giant Soft Shelled Turtle

Ask any third-grader the first thing that comes to their mind about turtles, and you’re going to hear their big shells.

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This turtle spends ninety-five percent of its life buried and motionless. Same, my dude.

Gobi Jerboa

The Gobi Jerboa, as the name suggests, comes to us from the Gobi desert in China and Mongolia. This species was only discovered a hundred years ago by Glover Morrill Allen.

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With long ears and spindly, jumping legs, the movement of this creature is quick and light. The tail (usually much longer than the body of the animal) often drags on the ground.

Goblin Shark

Sometimes called a “living fossil,” the goblin shark is the only extant representative of the family Mitsukurinidae, which goes back some 125 million years.

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While the goblin shark poses no danger to humans, going swimming at night and having this thing brush past you is going to warm up the water around you pretty quickly.

Umbonia Spinosa

It’s a little hard to tell what this animal actually is, but look close enough and you’ll see a bug down there. These creatures are also called thorn bugs and are closely related to cicadas.

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The indigenous people of South America consider the juvenile form of this bug edible since their spines are still soft after molting.

Hummingbird Hawk-Moth

What happens when you jam three flying animals together into one body? You get the hummingbird hawk-moth. We’re unsure why they decided to add “hawk” to the name. Those scientists are a kooky bunch.

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The hummingbird hawk-moth can be found in a great swathe of the northern hemisphere aside from the Americas, from Portugal to Japan.

Mantis Shrimp

The mantis shrimp is one of the most unique creatures you’re going to see on this list. They’re known as sea locusts, prawn killers, and “thumb splitters.” But why, you might ask.

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Here’s one of the most interesting animal facts you could learn: the mantis shrimp is a predator in tropical and subtropical waters, hunting with only its fists.

Pacu Fish

In most ways, the pacu fish is just like most other fishes. In most ways. As you can see from the picture, the pacu fish has a healthy set of chompers that look uncannily like human teeth.

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While the piranha has pointed, razor-sharp teeth, the pacu feed mainly on plant material, meaning their teeth are made more for grinding and chewing, not tearing.

Giant Isopod

Isopods, for the most part, don’t grow to be so large. Something that, as you look at the picture, you’re probably happy to hear. Giant isopods are one of the almost twenty species of large isopods in the genus Bathynomus.

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Found mostly in the cold, deep waters of the Atlantic, Pacific, and Indian Oceans, their large size is due to something called deep-sea gigantism.

Raccoon Dog

Don’t let this cute exterior fool you. While both dogs and raccoons are pretty used to living around humans, this creature is 100% a wild animal.

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These raccoon-looking wild dogs aren’t usually seen outside of their lairs during the daytime. Nocturnal by nature, they prefer to wander around and hunt after the sun goes down.

Shoebill

This large stork-like bird gets its name from the shape of its beak. It sort of looks like a shoe. While it was known to ancient communities in Egypt and Arabia, the bird wasn’t actually classified until the nineteenth century, by John Gould.

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The bird’s best-known feature is its distinctive bill, which they use to catch and hold on to large, slippery fish that they enjoy eating.

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