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The most unusual mammals in the world. The most unusual animals in the world

In this post there will be scary, nasty, cute, kind, beautiful, incomprehensible animals.
Plus a short comment about each. They all really exist
Watch and be surprised


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 of 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 species 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 gave rise to the 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 spot 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 of 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.

Nature has never repeated her creations twice. It only moves forward, creating more and more new species, among which there are amazing creatures that can amaze even a person experienced in zoology.

We have compiled a list that includes some of the most unusual animals in the world, but if you are also interested in reading about animals with the most unusual behavior, you can get acquainted with them in this article.

The most unusual birds

Red-crested turaco

A bird whose plumage contains true green and red colors is the red-crested turaco, the only bird with this coloration. Water that gets on the red feathers of a turaco turns red due to the high copper content in the plumage pigment.


hatchet bird

Is it possible to fly underwater? It turns out that it is possible - and the hatchet bird proves it. While getting food underwater, it literally flies using its wings. Waterfowl can function comfortably at depths of up to 100 meters.


Blue-footed booby

Blue-footed boobies, inhabitants of the Galapagos Islands and the Pacific coast of America, look comical. The gannet is easy to recognize – its webbed feet are blue. During the mating season, males show off their blue legs by dancing in front of females.


The most unusual mammals

Tarsier

The tarsier has a large head, disproportionate to the size of the body. The mammal can rotate it almost 360 o. Another characteristic feature of the tarsier is the ability to communicate with relatives using ultrasonic waves.


Echidna

The echidna, endemic to Australia and New Guinea, is a unique animal, unlike any other creature on the planet. It is a mammal, but the echida's offspring hatch from eggs. The echidna's mouth is so small that it is unable to grab anything with it, but it pulls out a long tongue from its mouth, and food sticks to it.


Despite their size, the animals swim well even over long distances. Keen vision allows the echidna to instantly identify danger even at night and hide in crevices, and if there are none nearby, powerful front paws come to the rescue, digging a hole in the ground in no time. If the soil is hard, the echidna curls up into a ball, exposing its entire arsenal of needles.

Malaysian bear or biruang

The mammal from the bear family lives in India, China, Thailand, Indonesia, and the Indochina Peninsula. Biruang is a stocky, strong animal with a wide and short muzzle. At the same time, it has high limbs with disproportionately large paws, which, in turn, are distinguished by large curved nails.


The Malaysian bear is black in color, except for a yellow-roan face and a red or white horseshoe-shaped spot on the chest. The animal is nocturnal; During the day, the biruang sleeps or basks in the sun on tree branches, where it has something like a nest. It is considered practically the rarest species of bear.


Komondor

An interesting breed of dog is the Hungarian Komondor Shepherd. Representatives of this breed resemble either a giant mop on four legs or a dreadlocked Rastafarian - this is due to the unique structure of the coat, the length of which can reach one meter. The owners of such a dog are spared from daily manipulations with a brush - its fur is simply impossible to comb - but they still need to visit the groomer, because as the strands grow, they need to be separated to avoid matting. The long white hair is curled into peculiar laces, which make the Komondor's appearance even more impressive.


Star-nosed mole

An insectivorous mammal from the mole family. It can only be found in the Northeastern United States or Southeastern Canada. Externally, the animal is very different from other representatives of moles. Only it has a peculiar stigma structure, which resembles a star of 22 fleshy, soft, moving and bare rays. When a mammal is looking for food, all the rays on the stigma, except the two middle and upper ones, move. During the absorption of food, the rays are pulled together.


Angora rabbit

This rodent looks very impressive. Among them there are individuals with a coat length of up to 80 centimeters. The wool of the Angora rabbit is very valuable - many useful things can be made from it, from scarves and socks to underwear and fabric. Wool is sold by the kilogram and sells out instantly.


From one rabbit you can get up to 0.5 kilograms of wool per year. Most often, women own this funny animal, which is why it is sometimes called “ladies’.” Representatives of the breed grow up to 61 centimeters in length and reach a weight of up to 5 kilograms. Rabbits need to be brushed weekly, otherwise they start to look downright ugly.


Lesser (red) panda

This animal belongs to the raccoon family and lives in China, Bhutan, Northeast India, Northern Burma, and Nepal. It can be found in bamboo forests that grow at 2000-4000 meters above sea level. The animal has nut or red fur on top, black or dark reddish-brown underneath. And on the back, the ends of the hair are colored yellow. The tail is red, the paws are black, the head is light, and the muzzle and tips of the ears are white. Along the eyes there is a pattern resembling a mask. The red panda is active at night, at dusk, and sleeps in a hollow during the day.


Sloth

The partially toothed mammal lives in South and Central America. Almost all the time, sloths hang on trees with their backs down, spending 15 hours a day sleeping. The behavior and physiology of sloths are aimed at saving energy, so the animals’ diet consists of only leaves, and this is quite enough for them.

Life of sloths


Nature gave sloths a long neck so that they could reach leaves without unnecessary movements. As a result, the animals practically do not leave the top of the tree, leaving their homes about once a week to fulfill their natural needs. Sometimes sloths gather in groups and also lazily mate.

Imperial tamarin

The prehensile-tailed monkey lives in the rain forests near the Amazon River. You can distinguish it from other monkeys by its long white mustache, which hangs down to the shoulders, giving the tamarin a resemblance to some ancient Chinese philosopher.


Emperor tamarins live in isolated groups of up to 10 individuals, climbing trees where access to larger primates is denied. The pack maintains an extremely strict hierarchy; each member of the family has a specific role. The highest rank is that of the oldest female. She does not care for the cubs, paying attention to them only during feeding with milk, and the babies spend most of the time in the company of adult males.

White-faced saki

This bizarre primate lives in South America, among dense rain forests. It is extremely easy to determine whether a monkey belongs to this species; it is enough to notice the characteristic cream color of the head, contrasting with the dark fur on the body. Unlike most South American primates, the white-faced saki does not use its tail to cling to tree branches. It uses a long, bushy appendage for balance during long leaps from branch to branch.


Tapir

A herbivorous equid animal that lives in warm places in South America, Central America, and Southeast Asia. Newborn tapirs resemble a hybrid of a wild boar and an anteater; adult individuals resemble the fruits of the union, again, of an anteater and a panda.


The tapir's hind legs are three-toed, and its front legs are four-toed. Small hooves on the fingers help animals walk on muddy and soft ground.


Tapirs are afraid of humans and run away at the sight of bipeds - many years of experience suggest that they will not hesitate to kill for meat and skin.

Unusual fish

Clown fish

The males of this fish, popular among aquarists, can change their sex. An undeniable hierarchy reigns in a school of clown fish: a dominant pair is selected from among the entire population. The remaining members of the family are male individuals who not only do not receive privileges in the form of the opportunity to mate, but are also forced to control their growth in order to avoid jealousy on the part of the alpha male. If the leader female dies, then her partner changes sex and becomes a female himself, and one of the “reserve players” takes on the role of the dominant male.


Crocodile fish

The crocodile fish, or scientifically the spotted flathead, actually looks like a green predator. For the sake of camouflage, it uses a spotted color, becoming gray or green depending on the color of the bottom. Sabertooth fish: young and adult

Hagfish

Unusual jawless animals that can be found in the seas of temperate latitudes at depths of up to 400 meters. The second name for hagfish is witch fish. The life support system of these creatures is salt water. If the percentage of salt content in the water drops to 29%, then hagfish stop feeding, and at 25% and below they simply die.


Hagfish - witch fish

Leafy Sea Dragon

The official emblem and symbol of South Australia. This fish, a member of the needlefish family and a relative of the seahorse, is found exclusively in the southern and western seas of Australia. The processes of the body and head of the fish are similar to leaves - they serve for camouflage in shallow water. Predators confuse the bizarre creature with algae and do not even try to attack it.

Leafy sea dragon on video


The leafy sea dragon swims with the help of an absolutely transparent pectoral fin, which is located on the crest of the neck, and also a colorless dorsal fin in the tail area.

There are other unusual creatures that appeared on our planet thanks to human intervention. For example, a pizzle bear or a liger. Read about the most unusual hybrids on the website.
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Today I decided to write about the most unusual animals on our planet. As it turned out, there are quite a few of them; I didn’t even know about many of them before. I'll start my post with Star-nosed:

An unusual mole that feeds on insects. What makes it unique is its fleshy nose with 22 pink tentacles.

Fainting goats

In the state of Tennessee, through the efforts of breeders, a breed of goats was developed that, in emergency situations, fall into a stupor. This is due to a rare genetic disease - in stressful situations, animals experience complete muscle paralysis, since it is impossible to stand in this state, they fall on their side or on their back. At the same time, the goats are fully conscious. Situations in which a fainting goat may lose its “feelings”: a threat to life, a large amount of its favorite grain and a charming representative of the opposite sex.

Angora rabbit

One of the most ancient breeds of rabbits, and the fluffiest.

Aye-aye or Little Hand

Lives in Madagascar. Despite the fact that it resembles a rodent, it belongs to the suborder of prosimians.

Pacu fish

A relative of the piranha. Gained fame thanks to human teeth. The fish's diet is based on plants and nuts, however, there are legends about biting off male testicles.

Giant isopod

It looks like a huge woodlice and lives underwater at a depth of 170-2000 meters. It can reach up to 37 cm in length and weigh 1.7 kg.

Snakehead

The fish is distinguished not only by its appearance, but by its bad character. She eats all the fish in the pond, not excluding her offspring. But that’s not all - when everything in the reservoir is eaten, the fish moves to land - in search of a suitable victim, the fish can remain on the ground for up to three days. There are known cases of attacks on people.

Saigas have lived on earth since the time of mammoths and saber-toothed tigers; they are one of the most ancient mammals.

Grimpoteuthys or Dumbo the Octopus

The deepest sea octopus. Can live at a depth of 4900 meters. Personally, it looks like Pikachu to me

Red-lipped damselfish

The inhabitants of the Galapagos Islands mostly move along the bottom instead of swimming. They became widely known thanks to such provocative “makeup”.

Maned wolf

It can be found in South America. Unusual long legs have developed as a result of evolution, so the animal can better overcome the tall grass that grows on the plains.

Hell Vampire

The only cephalopod that can live at a depth of a thousand meters.

Japanese giant salamander

The largest amphibian. It can grow up to 160 cm in length and reach a weight of up to 180 kg. Life expectancy is up to 150 years.

bearded pig

There are three types of bearded pig: the curly bearded pig, the Bornean bearded pig and the Palawan bearded pig.

Sumatran rhinoceroses

Even-toed ungulates are animals from the rhinoceros family. The smallest representatives of their family.

Forest giraffe or okapi

A bizarre animal that resembles a zebra horse. Found only in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The female carries the cubs for a whopping 450 days!

Palm thief

The decapod crayfish got its nickname due to its addiction to coconuts. They can grow up to 40 cm in length and weigh 4 kg.

Mudskipper

Leapers inhabit mangrove forests and tropical coasts. Not only do they feel great on the ground, but they can also climb trees. To attract partners they jump high.

Tibetan fox

One of the smallest representatives of its species, the fox's head appears square due to its thick fur.

Mouse Deer Kanchili

The smallest representative of artiodactyls. The size of an adult mouse deer is 44-45 cm. Life expectancy is 12 years.

Nature has created a huge number of animals living in all corners of our planet. Some of them look so fantastic that it is difficult to believe in their reality. Let's learn more about the most unusual creatures.

Unusual animals

It turns out that there are animals whose existence we don’t even know. For example, isn't it amazing to have a creature like a star-nosed creature? It is also called the starfish. The star-nosed mole is a close relative of the European mole, but in appearance it looks more like a monster from some horror movie. This animal lives in the forests of North America. Its dimensions are small - only nine to fifteen centimeters. The most unusual thing about the star-nosed fish is its fleshy nose, on which there are twenty-two tentacles.

The bearded pig looks amazing. This miracle of nature lives in tropical forests on the islands of Sumatra, Borneo and Palawan, as well as on the Malay Peninsula - where it is constantly warm. Scientists have not yet come to a conclusion why these pigs have a beard.

The fainting goat is similar in appearance to a regular domestic goat. What makes her unusual is that she falls into a stupor at the slightest danger or excitement. She experiences complete muscle paralysis, while the animal itself remains conscious. Since a goat cannot stand when paralyzed, it falls. According to scientists, this is due to a genetic disease in animals.

The Angora rabbit appears to be a white fluffy ball with a pink nose. This is an animal whose fur sometimes reaches eighty centimeters. Its fur is considered valuable and requires constant care. Since the amazing rabbit is a domestic animal, caring owners brush them at least once a week.


The little bat that lives in Madagascar looks ominous. Its scientific name is aye-aye. The animal looks like a rodent, although it belongs to the order of monkeys and is a direct relative of the lemur.

Unusual fish

Thanks to the invention of scuba gear and bathyscaphe, people got the opportunity to see sea creatures that live at the very bottom of the underwater world. The ugliest known fish is the blob fish. It lives at a depth of three hundred to three thousand meters in tropical latitudes and moves on fins, resembling terrestrial quadrupeds.


A fish with human teeth in its mouth is hard to imagine. Nevertheless, it exists - it is a paku. It can be seen in freshwater rivers of South America. Pacu is a relative of the piranha, although unlike its relative, it is omnivorous. The pacu's favorite food is fruits and nuts, which it crushes with its sinister teeth.


The most interesting fish is the snakehead. It lives in swampy areas and shallow warm rivers of our country. Her head resembles a snake's. In addition to its frightening appearance, this fish has a nasty character. She is capable of gobbling up not only all the fish living in the reservoir, but is ready to deal even with her own offspring. It can also look for suitable prey on land, staying there for up to five days and breathing atmospheric air. In search of food, the fish crawls to another body of water on land.

Unusual birds

Birds can surprise you too. There are those that very accurately imitate human voices, others can run faster than fly, and there are birds whose appearance is striking in its unusualness.

The bird with a helmet-like head lives in Borneo, Sumatra and the Malay Peninsula. Its name is helmet-billed kalao. She has a shiny neck and a massive beak. She is so unusual that she seems like the hero of a foreign action movie.


The feared bird is the gigantic nightjar, which lives in the forests of Central and South America. This scary beauty hunts at night, sitting with his mouth wide open, looking out for insects with his frightening eyes.

The giant bearded vulture is a bird with a wingspan of up to three meters. The surprising thing is that it feeds on bone marrow. When getting food, the bearded vulture throws turtles down from a height so that their shells break. There were cases when a huge bird drove sheep to the edge of a cliff, the sheep fell, and the lamb feasted on his favorite delicacy. The shoebill lives only in Africa - it is a very rare bird with an unusual appearance. Its relatives are marabou, storks and herons. Shoebill resembles a prehistoric creature with a disproportionately huge head and an impressive wide beak. The height reaches one and a half meters, and the weight is fifteen kilograms.

The most unusual creature on Earth

To say which of the living creatures on Earth is the most unusual is not an easy task. Perhaps the most unusual is the tardigrade, which is also the most tenacious on the planet. It can withstand extremely low and very high temperatures; even after drying out, the creature remains viable for two years.

Almost all children adore encyclopedias about animals; they easily remember information about the habits of exotic animals, and can show the point on the map where unusual animals live. This is how they enrich their horizons with truly broad biological knowledge. Over time, this interest subsides, but the natural world is still amazing and diverse. This means that at any age you can get carried away by the story called “in the animal world.” You can bet that you have not only never seen some of the heroes of this article, but you didn’t even suspect that such specimens were found in nature. And these are not just birds of strange colors or scary insects, the sight of which alone can make you lose consciousness; among the unique animals of our planet are the cutest primates, dolphins with long “noses” and simply gothic crocodiles. And if you organize a hunt for these animals, then only with the prefix “photo”.

So, a selection - The most interesting animals in the world

Proboscis

Photo: The most interesting animals in the world. Proboscis

This animal is not entirely inglorious: it is very photogenic because it has a really significant advantage - its remarkable nose. Such a huge nose does not spoil the monkey: the cute creature makes everyone smile. Proboscis monkeys live on the island of Barneo, which belongs to the Malay archipelago. The potato nose decorates not only males, but also females.

Primates live in forest areas. Their favorite time is the afternoon and evening, during this period they organize a real “movement”, but in the dark and early in the morning they prefer to rest.

Proboscis monkeys do not grow higher than 75 cm; adult individuals weigh about 22 kg. The monkeys' fur is yellowish-brown, sometimes turning white. There is no hair on the reddish-brown muzzle.

Proboscis monkeys, by the way, are excellent swimmers. Not every monkey, to put it mildly, can boast that it can swim 20 m underwater. Moreover, these are the best swimmers among primates. They can also walk vertically: only people, gibbons and, in fact, proboscis monkeys do this. Scientists have not yet understood why they have such a big nose; they agreed that it is simply a symbol of attractiveness. Unfortunately, such charming monkeys are in danger: this is due to active deforestation.

Tarsier

They say about such people: “Haven’t you acted in cartoons?” Indeed, the appearance of this animal literally begs to be shown on the screen. This is also a primate, but very small and completely different from its relatives. The eyeball's body weight is about 160 g. Females are slightly larger than females, their height reaches a maximum of 16 cm (and these are giants). The tarsier fits perfectly in the hand.

What is very big about the tarsier is its long tail - about 30 cm. The animal also has long paws, with which it pushes off. The animal has long fingers on all its paws; they help it quickly and deftly climb branches and trunks.

The tarsier can also turn its head virtually 360 degrees. The animal has large ears compared to its head, which are capable of detecting sounds with a frequency of up to 90 kHz. There are special facial muscles on the tarsier’s face, thanks to which it changes its “facial” expression. This is the oldest animal in the Philippine Islands; they used to be seen in Europe and North America, but the tarsier population is rapidly declining.

Star-nosed

Photo: The most interesting animals in the world. Star-nosed

The name is quite cute, but the beast itself certainly cannot be called handsome. This is a mole that often comes to the surface of the earth. But, of course, this is not its main difference. His pride is his outstanding nose. Actually, it’s not even a nose, but tentacles that grow around a bare oval stigma. This is all shaped like an asterisk.

Only two out of twenty-two rays are motionless, the rest are constantly exploring the world around them. By the way, thanks to these tentacles, the starfish immediately determines whether the food is fit for consumption.

His life is a constant digging of underground passages, some of them lead to the so-called “rest chambers”, some to a reservoir. In general, one can call the starfish an excellent logistician.

Tasmanian devil

Photo: The most interesting animals in the world. Tasmanian devil

Sometimes it is also called the marsupial devil. The mammal received such an outrageous nickname for the heartbreaking screams it makes at night. The Tasmanian devil also has a mouth with large teeth; it loves to tear meat with its sharp fangs, which also does not add to its cuteness.

The marsupial devil itself is like a dog or a small bear: if you don’t open your mouth, then there’s nothing terrible, in general. Males are larger than females, the former weighing about 12 kg. In reality, the Tasmanian devil is scary. Its appearance is deceptive for the time being: one bite and the victim’s skull and spine are bitten.

The marsupial devil lives in Tasmania. Tasmanian devils used to live in Australia, but it seems that dingoes exterminated these animals. In front it has a fold of skin where the animal can carry its young. It is interesting that the female has only 4 nipples, and the offspring is huge - 30 babies, so nature itself adjusts the number of scavenger animals.

Red panda

Photo: The most interesting animals in the world. Red panda

Otherwise known as a fire cat or a bear cat. Actually, the rare animal doesn’t look much like a cat: it is larger, the head is large, the tail is wide, the paws are strong and powerful. What the red panda can rightfully boast of is its unusual color. The coat is unevenly colored, darker underneath, red or hazel on top. The paws are black, the head is light with a white border along the edges.

It is also interesting that absolutely every panda has its own muzzle color. It is impossible to find two identical pandas - and in this they are undoubtedly unique beauties.

In the photo, these are absolute cuties whose fluffy fur just makes you want to stroke them. In life they are quite peaceful, however, if they need to fight for their place in the sun, pandas can behave aggressively. Animals are nocturnal: during the day they prefer to relax and soak up the sun. They like to sleep in a hollow, curled up into a ball, covered with a gorgeous tail. These are very interesting animals: they even have their own language, somewhat reminiscent of the chirping of birds.

Sloth

Photo: The most interesting animals in the world. Sloth

If there was a competition on planet Earth for the cutest animal, the sloth would definitely be on the list of finalists. This charming animal from the order of incomplete teeth will probably make even the most serious person in the world smile.

A distinctive feature of the sloth, in addition to its attractive face, is two (or three, depending on who you choose) hook-shaped fingers. The animal reaches half a meter and weighs very little - 4-6 kg. The fur is brown-gray. The sloth's limbs are long, but its head is simply tiny. Thanks to his tenacious fingers, he attaches himself anywhere, hangs, swings, crawls, jumps.

Animals are truly unique: for example, their teeth do not have roots or enamel, but are so smooth that it is surprising where nature gets such precise patterns. True, two-toed sloths have two separate fangs. Its organs are arranged in a mirror image, and all because the sloth often hangs with its back down. They are very clean, mobile, active, tenacious. Sloths also have the strongest immunity.

Aardvark

Photo: The most interesting animals in the world. Aardvark

From a cute sloth to a not so cute aardvark. This beast is very strange, if you have read the Moomin saga by Tove Janson, you probably remember the character Sniff. So the aardvark is the spitting image of Sniff. Just absolutely smooth.

Nature played a joke on the poor fellow: the aardvark does not look very cute, but by nature it is a peace-loving, calm animal. His head looks like a gas mask with a pig snout, his ears are very large, reminiscent of a donkey. In some ways, the aardvark is similar to the anteater, but they are not related at all. He has 20 teeth, without enamel and roots, they grow throughout his life. In Africa, the animal was nicknamed the earth pig.

The aardvark is timid: when it sees a large animal or person, it immediately buries itself in the ground. During the day they are passive - they simply bask in the sun or sleep in their burrows. They get their food at night, they have a good sense of smell, and aardvarks are capable of moving over long distances.

Leafy Sea Dragon

Photo: The most interesting animals in the world. Leafy Sea Dragon

It is also more poetically called the sea pegasus. This animal has truly fantastic plumage. Greenish transparent fins cover its body and sway under the influence of water. Its amazing structure is only a practical necessity, as the animal disguises itself as algae in order to survive.

For all its apparent defenselessness, the sea dragon is a true predator. He loves to eat shrimp and small fish. The dragon has no teeth, and therefore simply sucks its prey. At the same time, in a literal sense without fish, a dragon can suck in garbage and even algae.

It is also a very “advanced” animal. The cubs are carried by males in a special pouch. That is, the female simply lays eggs in this bag, and everything else is the responsibility of the father. Fair distribution of family responsibilities, to say the least.

Rhinopithecus

Photo: The most interesting animals in the world. Rhinopithecus

It is a prominent member of the marmoset family. And prominent is a word that vividly defines the animal. This is a large monkey, females of which can reach 35 kg. Otherwise, the animal is called the Chinese snub-nosed monkey.

For a naturalist, this primate is simply beautiful. The eyes are huge, the nose is upturned, the fur is light and bright. In fact, they have practically no nose, which is why the muzzle looks flat. But since rhinopithecus live in a harsh climate, the lack of a long nose is justified, otherwise they would still freeze it.

Rhinopithecus spends most of its life in trees. The cubs are raised by both parents. Handsome people live in Chinese forests. Looking at them, it seems that the monkeys have bright masks on their faces - blue, bluish, yellowish. It even looks like their lips and eyebrows are painted. But no, this is the natural “face” of a monkey - this is how nature created it. But looking at this imitation of makeup, there is less and less doubt that man descended from a monkey.

Giant salamander

Photo: The most interesting animals in the world. Giant salamander

The Japanese (giant) salamander is, as some joke, a cousin of the chupacabra. An adult reaches 27 kg, which is a huge weight for an amphibian. Its body is covered with mucus, its head is flattened on top. The salamander has warty skin with fringes on the sides. The length of this monster (how else can I say it?) can reach 175 cm. It lives in Japan, in mountain rivers and streams with cool, clean water.

The salamander is nocturnal. Hunts insects, fish, amphibians and crayfish. Their vision is terrible, but their sense of smell is simply phenomenal. The salamander molts several times a year, and it can eat small particles of its own skin.

By the way, salamander meat is a real delicacy. Animals are also used to make medicines, and these drugs treat consumption, diseases of the digestive system, etc. Today, the giant salamander is on the verge of extinction.

Galago

Photo: The most interesting animals in the world. Galago

This is an African primate, which can also be called a cutie. Big eyes, round ears - the nocturnal animal is also quite emotional. His ears can curl into a tube: so if, after your stories, your friend’s ears curl up into a tube, as he himself says, check if he is a galago. In fact, such a rare skill helps the animal keep its ears intact: by making its way through foliage and thorny branches, there is no other way to save them.

Galago has become domesticated today. Yes, although this animal will be expensive, some people would not mind having such a pet. It leaves no fur, no dirt, no noise, and is not aggressive. But, for example, if you accidentally get crushed by the refrigerator door. And if you frighten a galago, it can scratch the weight. But this is not from aggression, but from the desire to protect oneself.

Tibetan fox

Photo: The most interesting animals in the world. Tibetan fox

And this is the smallest fox. It does not grow higher than 70 cm, while the fox’s tail is long – almost half a meter. The animal weighs almost 5 kg. The fox is very small, and only its fluffiness makes it, one might say, more or less like a fox.

Her fur coat is luxurious, warm, even with down. Clothes help her endure both the fierce cold and the unbearable heat.

What you will definitely remember about the Tibetan fox is its unusual head. The fur on it grows so that it seems as if the animal has a square head. And this strange head has very narrow eyes. This portrait is complemented by sharp ears. The fox has an imperturbable, calm appearance, in a word, a true inhabitant of Tibet.

An unusual fox lives for 10 years. But even this age is not allowed to reach her by a person. Foxes are killed mainly for their fur, although it is not particularly valuable. It turns out that, due to the will of the human factor, the fox lives two times shorter than expected: about 5 years.

Amazonian dolphin

Photo: The most interesting animals in the world. Amazonian dolphin

A rare collection that describes interesting facts about animals does without this character - the Amazonian dolphin. By the way, this animal has a brain 40% larger than a human brain. He moves his head 180 degrees perfectly.

What makes it unique? Outwardly, it differs from its brothers. He is even called the big-nosed miracle. The dolphin's muzzle and tail are narrow. The beak is even slightly curved. These nose-nosed whales live only in Latin America.

They are excellent at maneuvering while swimming, and would be offended if you called them slow. There is a stereotype that is unfair for Amazonian dolphins. They are not slow, they just don’t have the need to swim quickly.

Let us remember that dolphins are mammals - the female feeds the dolphin cubs with milk for up to a year (almost like in humans). Nosalises can get used to people, but they cannot be trained. In captivity, these animals are aggressive, so they cannot live in aquariums.

Gavial

Photo: The most interesting animals in the world. Gavial

Another miracle of nature - there’s no other way to say it. They also call him a guest from the past. This is a venerable crocodile that looks like a mythological animal. Gharials live in fast rivers with deep currents. It is difficult for them to move on land - they are not adapted for this.

The gharial's jaw is three times as long as it is wide. There are almost a hundred teeth in the crocodile's mouth. Long-snouts feed mainly on fish, but they do not disdain carrion. They don't attack living people.

The gharial has a soft tissue appendage on its snout. This is a resonator, thanks to which it can make a loud buzzing sound.

purple frog

Photo: The most interesting animals in the world. purple frog

This “beauty” lives in India, and certainly bears little resemblance to her more common relatives. And it's not just about color. It is very round, the head is small compared to the body of the purple frog. She lives only underground. They need a humid environment, so the purple frog solves the housing problem this way - it digs itself a deep hole and goes underground one and a half to three meters or even more.

The frog feeds mainly on termites - it simply cannot swallow other insects. But it can be easily reached: its small, sharp muzzle can fit anywhere. The frog's vision is poor, but its sense of touch is amazing: it easily gets its food.

Okapi (forest giraffe)

Photo: The most interesting animals in the world. Okapi

No one can say how many okapi live in the wild. They live in lowland tropical forests. At the same time, okapi resemble both a giraffe and a zebra. The stripes on their legs make them invisible in the forest. The animal leads a diurnal lifestyle.

Forest giraffes feed on leaves, shoots, and buds. Some plants found in the forest are toxic. Therefore, there is an opinion that okapi eat coal from burned forest trees: they say it serves as an antidote for them. Okapi will also not refuse to feast on mushrooms, fruits and ferns.

They do not like to live in groups; even females and males meet together only during the mating season. Forest giraffes live up to 33 years.

Sifaka

Photo: The most interesting animals in the world. Sifaka

A resident of Madagascar, who would be correctly called a prosimian, lives in rain forests, is awake during the day, and lives in family groups. Unlike the forest giraffe, which is not a big supporter of family values, the sifaka can be called an excellent family man.

There is an opinion that if you are walking around Madagascar and a sifaka appears on your way, then this is a good sign. You are going the right way - that’s what the sifaka wants to say. But this is only a belief, but what is known for sure is that this animal is very cute and touching. Local residents also claim that sifaka is an excellent healer. He alone knows how to find unique leaves that miraculously heal wounds.

Cream, white, black, orange - these animals can be different in color. The length of a sifaka's tail is equal to the length of its body. They are also simply outstanding jumpers: he will not even falter from the risky flight, which will impress any spectator. They are surprisingly flexible and photogenic: if you admire the animals in the photo, an association with ballet steps or even beautiful martial arts will clearly come to mind. That's right, what interesting animals!

Herbivore Dracula

Photo: The most interesting animals in the world. Herbivore Dracula

From the adorable sifaka to the not-so-cute herbivore Dracula. This is a South American relative of bats. To be honest, he no longer looks like a mouse, but like an angry monkey. The animal has a leathery growth on its muzzle, which does not at all give it any charm. But this seems like a deformity to us, but in the world of relatives, such a growth is assessed as a factor of sexual attractiveness.

During the day they visit dark places, gorges, and hide in ficus trees. They eat berries, seeds, fruits. In principle, nothing so terrible as their appearance suggests can be said about the herbivorous Dracula. But those huge bulging eyes and smiling mouth make the animal look terrifying.

Water deer

Photo: The most interesting animals in the world. Water deer

At first glance, this is an ordinary deer - nothing remarkable, nothing unique. Small tail, short hair, sparse undercoat. But this is only at first glance! Sharp saber-shaped fangs of about 6 cm protrude from the animal's mouth. A deer is like a deer, but with such fangs a quite cute animal becomes like a vampire.

Water deer live along the banks of swamps and rivers, feeding on grass, leaves and shoots. In the fight for the female, they organize real duels, and then they literally tear apart the opponent with their fangs. They live in Korea and China, but you can easily see water deer in zoos around the world. Looking at an animal, you wonder how nature manages to combine seemingly incompatible things. But there is nothing accidental about it.

Belttail

Photo: The most interesting animals in the world. Belttail

Another animal that seems to have come straight out of an illustration for fairy tales and myths. The reptile is distinguished by the fact that its entire body is covered with large scales, and on its back it is especially hard, like a shell. But on the belly the scales are thin, so this place on the belt-tail is really vulnerable. Towards the end of the tail, the scales run in circles along the rim of the body, thus creating peculiar belts with spikes.

Yes, the belt-tail is very reminiscent of a fairy-tale dragon. Animals live in groups, with two or three females for each male. They protect themselves from predators in a very unique way: small belt-tailed fish can curl up into a ring and bite their tail with such force that it is impossible to unhook it. The predator is simply unable to cope with this spiked ring.

sun bear

Photo: The most interesting animals in the world. sun bear

Otherwise, this bear is also called a honey bear. This animal does not hibernate, and therefore reproduces at any time of the year. They live for 30 years; a female can give birth to two babies per year. But this is not even what makes the sun bear interesting: it is not fluffy, not shaggy, but smooth. The dark bear with a yellow muzzle in the photo is just charming, unless it growls.

This is a real bear: in the sense that it loves honey very much. He has the most powerful jaws - with them the bear can even break coconuts. The animal has long and powerful claws, thanks to which it climbs trees well. And to extract honey and termites, the bear uses a long, agile tongue. The sun bear cannot boast of good eyesight, but his keen sense of smell does not let him down.

Mandarin duck

Photo: The most interesting animals in the world. Mandarin duck

Interesting animals of Russia are a special chapter of the world encyclopedia of animals. And how can one not remember the picturesque Mandarin duck? Green, red, orange, beige feathers – this duck is just so beautiful. It can be seen on the Amur, on Sakhalin, in the Khabarovsk Territory. True, these beauties fly to warmer climes for the winter.

This duck is a great teacher in the animal world. Her cubs become independent very early. No matter how high the nest is, they will jump out of there themselves. In this case there are no injuries. But what, or rather, from whom they suffer, is from wild animals. Because of the latter, the population of mandarin ducks is declining.

Amur leopard

Photo: The most interesting animals in the world. Amur leopard

If you think that leopards are only an African heritage, you are mistaken. A beautiful Amur leopard lives in the Russian Far East. It is also often called the Amur leopard.

This is a solitary animal that prefers a nocturnal lifestyle. In summer, his coat is bright, juicy, rich, and lighter in winter. In summer, the leopard's fur is no more than 2.5 cm, and in winter the fur coat becomes thicker - 7 cm. In captivity, the Amur leopard's belly is about 20 years old, in the wild - about 5 years less.

The animal is constantly hunted illegally. It is destroyed for the sake of valuable, beautiful fur. The leopard also feeds on deer. And since humans exterminate deer, this also affects the quality of the leopard’s diet and its survival. The animal is also on the verge of extinction.

Panda Ant

Photo: The most interesting animals in the world. Panda Ant

I would like to finish the list of unique inhabitants of the planet that are truly worthy of perpetuation in the animated genre of the panda-ant. This insect is distinguished by its black and white color, which is why they resemble a panda. The insect is also called the velvet ant, since its body is covered with hairs.

But the cute ant is not so pleasant to deal with: it has a powerful toxin in its arsenal, which can kill even a cow in a few bites. They can resist their enemies; over the course of their evolution, panda ants have learned to defend themselves.

And this is only a small part of the amazing creatures that inhabit the planet. Studying them, examining them, getting to know them is a fascinating activity that can become a hobby for both children and adults.



 


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