Hoatzin

The hoatzin is a tropical bird, also called the stinkbirds, skunk bird, Canje pheasant, or reptile bird.They are endemic to South American mangroves, swamps, and riparian forests.Their chicks notably have claws located on their wing digits.

They are quite the noisy species, often producing hoarse calls like grunts, groans, and croaks.The hoatzin makes noises when spreading their wings or amid other body movements.The hoatzins feed on leaves and occasionally flowers and fruits.Their digestion system is also unique when compared to other birds.They use a bacterial fermentation method to break down the food they consume.

Remora

The remoras or suckerfish are ray-finned, which can grow to 12 to 43-inch lengths depending on the particular species.

Their first dorsal fins are modified, and they function as suction-like organs, which is quite handy when hunting their prey.They can increase the suction power by sliding backward.When they swim forward, they release the suction hold.

Some cultures use the remoras as lures to catch turtles.The practice happens mostly in eastern Africa countries like Mozambique and Zanzibar.They tie a rope on the remora’s tail, and when a turtle is in sight, they toss the fish in its direction.

The remora then clutches the turtle, and both are hauled back into the boat.

Sri Lanka Frogmouth

The Sri Lanka frogmouth is a nocturnal bird found in the Sahyadri (Western Ghats) mountain range.It’s rare to see them during the day because they can easily blend in with their surroundings with their plumage coloration appearing like dried leaves.

They are quiet birds by nature and will identify branches to roost, which become their favorite spots.These birds will return to the roost sites severally until the habitat is disturbed.They have distinctive calls which they typically produce at dusk and dawn.The birds grow up to 9.1 inches in length, and they have hooked bills like most frogmouths.

Vogelkop Superb Bird-Of-Paradise

In 2018, the crescent-caped lophorina became a full species after being treated like a superb bird-of-paradise species for years.The term lophorina refers to the bird’s crest-nose/tuft.

At a glance, the bird looks somewhat ordinary except for when it lifts its cape-like feathers behind its head, transforming into a strange-looking animal with blue accents.

Like most animal species, it’s the males that possess this unique trait, and it’s all a show they put on to attract the females.Once they assume the visage, they dance around a female in a ritual that aims at courting them to choose a worthwhile mate.

Marabou Stork

The marabou stork is perhaps one of the well-known animals on our list because it’s been part of folklore for years.

Parents use the wading bird as part of a fib when they don’t necessarily want to tell children about the birth process.

The stork is found in African countries, and its habitat is often in arid and wet areas near where humans live landfills particularly.They are massive birds towering about 60 inches above the ground and weighing an estimated 20lbs.These scavengers, mostly eat scraps and decaying flesh.Marabou down is also used as a trimming for clothing items and as fishing lures.

Umbonia Spinosa

If you like picking up twigs or thorns out in the wild one day, you might end up disturbing this chap.

The Umbonia Spinosa belongs to the Membracidae species found in South America, also referred to as treehoppers.However, there are an estimated 3,200 treehopper species distributed in all continents except for Antarctica.

Their dorsal fin is the most prominent feature they possess, which also earned them the nickname thorn bug.When it’s raining, several of these insects, collect together, and they might make an ordinary bush seem like it’s suddenly thorny.They have a relatively short lifespan living for just a couple of months.

Blue Dragon (Glaucus Atlanticus)

The blue dragon is a small sea slug species that belongs to the Glaucidae family.They are also known as blue sea slugs, blue angel, blue glaucus, or blue ocean slugs.The pelagic slugs are known to float upside down, working with the water’s surface tension to stay up.

Their stomach also stores an air bubble, which helps it stay afloat.The slug is quite small, measuring just about 3 centimeters in length.They primarily feed on the marine hydrozoan, the Portuguese man o’ war as well as other pelagic creatures.

They also steal appendages from the man-of-wars’ adding them to their own as a protection mechanism to scare off predators.

Guianan Cock-Of-The-Rock

The Guianan cock-of-the-rock is a perching bird belonging to the cotinga species from South America.This bird has a bizarre appearance with its feathery crest covering its beak, which makes it look like the bird is mouthless.Males have bright orange feathers while the females have dark smokey grey colored feathers.

The males use a lek system like the sage-grouse to mate.

They engage in a competitive display showing off their plumage to attract females who visit their courts.

The birds primarily eat fruits, but they also occasionally feed on lizards and small snakes.

Ctenophore

The ctenophore is commonly referred to as a comb jelly, and they live in the world’s marine waters.The comb jellies are famous for their multiple cilia (protrusions) that they use to swim.Unlike jellyfish, ctenophores swim towards the direction where the mouth is feeding.Their bodies comprise of a jelly mass with two thick outer layers and an inner lining encasing the internal cavity.

Most ctenophores are predators going after prey like rotifers, microscopic larvae, and small crustaceans.

Two ctenophore species are parasitic with their juveniles living on the salps that feed adult members of their species.

Silkie Chicken

We have seen people keep the strangest animals as pets, and chickens are popular choices for poultry lovers.The Silkie chicken makes for a great choice because of its fluffy plumage, which gives it a unique look.Its fluffy plumage is said to feel like satin and silk, and it isn’t the exceptional quality about this chicken.

The silkies have black bones and skin, five claws on each foot, and blue earlobes.They are favorites at poultry exhibitions, and their feathers are a variety of colors from white to all black.

Their temperament is calm and friendly, making them ideal pet choices for children.

Wrinkle-Faced Bat

Centurio senex is the binomial name of the wrinkle-faced bat found mostly in Central America and other surrounding countries.They get their name from their hairless faces, which have convoluted skin outgrowths.The skin folds are significantly pronounced in males who also have a skin mask that they can pull over their faces.

These bats feature an unusual skull allowing them to enjoy a diverse range of foods compared to other bats.They are, however, exclusively fruit-eaters, and despite not having leaf-noses, they fall under that classification.

The bats also have storage pouches that allow them to stash fruit inside their mouths.

Stargazer Fish

The stargazers fall under the perciform family of fish that have their eyes on their heads.Fifty-one species of fish fall under the family, and they are distributed worldwide in deep and shallow salty waters.The stargazers also have upward-facing mouths on their rather large faces.

Stargazers typically stay buried in sand, waiting to ambush their prey.When one comes along, they leap upwards for the kill.

A few have worm-shaped lures protruding from their mouths, which act as lures to attract prey.They are also poisonous with two large spines, one above the pectoral fin and the other behind the opercles, containing the venom.

Eastern Long-Necked Turtle

The eastern long-necked turtle is a snake-necked turtle endemic to eastern Australia.It inhabits diverse water bodies.As an opportunistic carnivorous feeder, its diet varies based on its environment.

The turtle feeds on mollusks, insects, tadpoles, crustaceans, and frogs.

One of the other noteworthy things about the turtle relates to its defensive mechanism.When it feels threatened, it emits a fluid that has an offensive smell from its musk glands.It’s because of this that it’s also referred to as a “stinker.” The females reproduce in summer, laying two to ten eggs at the banks of their aquatic habitats.

Clawed Frog

The African clawed frog is an aquatic amphibian belonging to the Pipidae family.It gets its name from the three short claws it has on each of its hind feet.The frog uses its claws to tear food apart.

It inhabits several countries in Sub-Saharan Africa, as well as Sudan, Nigeria, and South Africa.The frog’s also endemic in isolated introduced populations in Europe, North America, and South America.Like other frog species belonging to the Pipidae family, the clawed frog is toothless and tongueless.

They also don’t have actual ears and use lateral lines running underneath the length of their bodies to sense movements.

Pinocchio Frog

It’s visibly apparent why this frog is called Pinocchio because of its markedly long nose.The chap was discovered in the Foja Mountains in Indonesia.Its lengthy appendage points upwards in males when they crock and deflates when they are less active.

Herpetologist Paul Oliver accidentally discovered the frog resting on a bag of rice at their campsite in 2008.

He was on an expedition with the National Geographic Society .For the longest time, it was referred to as the Pinocchio frog or long-nosed tree frog.

In 2019 it was finally dubbed Litoria Pinocchio.

Portuguese Man o’ War

Physalia Physalis is also called Portuguese man o’ war or man-of-war.It is a hydrozoan (sea serpent) found in the Pacific and Indian oceans.Biologists describe it as several creatures packed in one with several smaller organisms collectively forming it.

Besides its biological makeup, the sea serpent is deadly and stings much like a jellyfish.It also causes severe dermatitis, or in some isolated cases, their sting can even lead to death.

They can often be washed ashore by strong winds.When one is on a beach, it can lead to the closure of the grounds because of the danger they pose.

Indian Gharial

The Gharial or gavial is a fish-eating crocodile native to the freshwater rivers of the Indian subcontinent.Its wild population has critically declined since the ‘30s due to the loss of habitats and depletion of food sources.The gharial is the longest of all crocodilians, with the males growing up to 20 feet lengths.

Its lengthy snout houses more than 100 interdigitated needle-sharp teeth adapted for catching fish, which is the crocodile’s staple diet.

Juvenile gharials feed on small fish, insects, frogs, and tadpoles.Gharials are also thermoconformers, and they seek warmth when it’s cold and cool down when the weather is hot.

Ocean Sunfish

Commonly known as Mola mola, the Ocean sunfish is amongst the most massive bony fishes in existence.

The adult fish tips the scales at about 545 lbs to 2,505 lbs.Their physical makeup looks like a fish head with a small tail attached.

The species inhabits the temperate and tropical waters of our planet.

It derives its name from its habit of sunbathing near the water surface.They attract smaller birds and fish, which feast on the parasites on their massive bodies.The fish often leap into the air sometimes so that they can shake off parasites as they splash back down into the water.

Aye-Aye

The aye-ayes are strange-looking long-fingered lemur primates that are native to Madagascar.They are the largest nocturnal primates in the world known to tap on trees and gnaw holes in them to search for grubs.

The aye-aye also interestingly have opposable big toes, much like the way we have opposable thumbs.

Many believe these primates bring bad luck, and for years they were hunted, which reduced their populations significantly.The reality is that the aye-ayes are quite harmless and are often only consumed with finding bugs and feeding on coconuts.Fortunately, the law now protects them from hunting in a move to preserve the species.

Amazon Giant Fishing Spider

The Ancylometes is a genus of wandering spiders found in South America.They live near freshwater habitats like ponds, lakes, and rivers.The spiders can also traverse these water bodies, much like water striders, thanks to the hairs on their legs that trap fine air.

These spiders can also dive into water staying beneath the surface for as long as an hour.They feed on just about anything, including small lizards, and insects.On occasion, they are also known to feast on small fish.

The largest of the spider species can reach 20 inches in length with a 4.7-inch leg span.Females are even larger than the males.

Axolotl

The axolotl is a neotenic salamander, also called the Mexican walking fish.However, it is an amphibian and not a fish.Initially, the amphibian was in lakes around Mexico City, like Lake Xochimilco.

They possess similar features like salamander larvae, including a caudal fin and external gills.

Their heads are broad, with lidless eyes, long, thin digits, and underdeveloped limbs.The females have noticeably more full bodies while the males spot swollen cloacae (posterior opening) lined with papillae.When injected with salamander hormones, the axolotl resembles a typical salamander.

Scientists also like the amphibian because of its regenerative abilities.The ability to grow back its limbs hasn’t prevented the population from becoming gravely endangered.

Star-Nosed Mole

The star-nosed mole inhabits low and moist areas around North America.

It has a weird nose made up of over 25K minute sensory receptors.As implied, the hamster-sized mole uses the sensory receptors called the Eimer’s organs to feel its surroundings because it’s virtually blind.

The sensory touch receptors also help the mole to pick up on seismic vibrations.

It can also use its sensory receptors underwater by blowing out bubbles and sucking them back in to perceive its surroundings.The mole also has a reputation for being a fast eater, and it can hunt and devour a bug in under a second.

Ankole-Watusi Bull

The Ankole-Watusi bull is a domestic American cattle breed that originated from central Africa.It has exceptionally massive horns, which help them disperse body heat based on their environment.

The bulls spot a wide range of colors, but most are usually red with white spots.In the twentieth century, they were imported to European and American zoos as specimens.

Preservation efforts led to cross-breeding of the species in America and setting up a registry to keep track of their population.As of 2016, there are approximately 1,500 heads of the cattle in existence, with 80% of them residing in the U.S.

Giant African Land Snail

Achatina Fulica is better known as the giant African land snail, and it’s often linked with pest issues globally.

The invasive snails breed at a fast pace, given that they are hermaphroditic having both female and male reproductive organs.

They are also vectors for pathogens that cause severe damages to native plants and crops.Also, they’re known to feed on the concrete on houses around Miami for calcium, which they need to maintain their shells.Even with all that in mind, they are popular pets with YouTubers like Emzotic being proud owners of these giant snails.

Mata Mata Turtle

The mata mata is another turtle to make it on this list because of its peculiar appearance.It is a freshwater inhabitant endemic to South America and mostly found in the Orinoco and Amazon basins.

The sedentary turtle features a large triangular-shaped flattened head that has tubercles.

It also has a tubular snout with a horn on it and spikes that protect it from predators.The turtle’s appearance also helps it camouflage and blend in with its environment.Its shell resembles the bark of a tree, and its head looks like fallen leaves.With its motionlessness, it can easily prey on fish that come nearby.

Greater Sage-Grouse

The greater sage-grouse is a weird-looking bird that is native to North America.Its male has large air sacs adorning its chest, which produces a popping sound to attract females.They often congregate in groups known as “leks” and proceed with the ritual to call out to females.

These peculiar birds are becoming extinct, with one species at the brink of completely being wiped out of existence.The other is near-threatened, with only 1,700 birds left.

Encroachment of residential buildings as well as other human developments is the reason behind the diminishing number of these birds.

Japanese Spider Crab

The Japanese spider crab, also known as the long-legged crab, is a delicacy.

This arthropod has the gigantic legs seen on a creature of its kind.Two fossils of the same species found in Japan have been traced back to the Miocene era.

The crustaceans can grow to about 12 feet stretching from limb to limb across their spindly legs.They are also masters of disguise and will often put other animals or sponges on their shells so that they can blend in with the seafloor as a defensive mechanism.Their reproduction is in spring, and the laws in Japan prohibit fishing for them during this period.

Lowland Streaked Tenrec

The Lowland Streaked Tenrec belongs to the tenrec mammal species which are endemic to Madagascar.They are named after their habitat, which is often the tropical lowland forests found in the eastern and northern parts of Madagascar.

Often, they’re digging underground or splashing around water that is shallow.

Their appearance includes yellow/chestnut stripes with black spiny pelage throughout their bodies.They are active both at night and during the day, primarily feeding on earthworms and sometimes eating other invertebrates.The mid-dorsal spines function as sounding devices, helping them communicate with each other and send warning signals when predators approach.

Pink Fairy Armadillo

The smallest armadillo species is the pichiciego, also known as the pink fairy armadillo.

It’s often found in central Argentina inhabiting scrubby grasslands, sandy plains, and dunes.The animal stretches out to only about 5inches in length and spends the majority of times burrowing underground.

This armadillo has silky white/yellow fur with a thin membrane attaching a dorsal shell to its body.

The armadillo gets its pink color from the blood coursing through the layer.They are extremely sensitive to changes in their habitats, and that is why they choose to inhabit undisturbed places with compact sand and sufficient hiding places.

Hammer-Headed Bat

The hammer-headed bat also goes by the names big-lipped bat and the hammed-headed fruit bat.These megabats are around equatorial Africa inhabiting palm forests, riverine forests, swamps, and mangroves.The bat is the largest in Africa but isn’t as big as the photo above makes it appear.

Most measure just about 10 inches long and 3 feet wide from wing to wing.Scientists believe that the bats are carriers of the Ebola virus, but they don’t exhibit any symptoms of it.

They also aren’t sure whether or not the bat can transmit the virus to humans.

Purple Frog

The purple frog has an awkward appearance with a tiny face and a sucker-like mouth, which has earned it the name pig-nosed frog.

It’s native to India.The frog lays tadpoles on rocks that have algae covering them.

Adults often inhabit underground spaces, and locals are known to use the tadpoles for medicinal purposes.Some believe that the tadpoles can also help children who fear storms, and they create amulets out of them.These are some of the reasons why the purple frog has become endangered as well as deforestation.

Helmeted Hornbill

On the list of critically endangered birds is the peculiar-looking helmeted hornbill.

The bird inhabits the island of Borneo, the Malay Peninsula, and Sumatra.Its helmet-like structure is called a casque, and it’s mostly the bird’s ivory.The casque is also the reason why poachers hunt the hornbills.They carve out the casque into jewelry and art.

The hornbills use their casques as a shield when fighting each other over territory or against other predators.

These casques account for about 11% of the bird’s estimated 3kg weight, and it’s an almost solid structure.

Heikegani Crab

The Heikegani is a crab species native to Japan, and it’s most peculiar and prominent feature is the pattern that looks like a human face.The shellfish is also known as the Samurai crab, and folklore has it that they are Heike warriors reincarnated.

Past Japanese tales suggest that the crab originates from an emperor’s soul who lost his life during a battle dating back in 1185 AD.Scientists suggest that the crab’s facial features that resemble an angry samurai might have just been triggered by evolutionary shifts or pareidolia, which is our instinct to perceive human faces where they don’t exist.

Saiga Antelope

The saiga antelope is now critically endangered, and they originally inhabited the Eurasian steppe.They were in Beringian (the bounded by the Lena River, Mackenzie River, the Chucki Sea, and the Kamchatka Peninsula) during the Pleistocene era.

Their population drastically reduced after they were hunted extensively in Moldova and Romania to the point of extinction.The remaining population is also at the brink of extinction after a bacterial infection experienced in 2015 wiped 60% of saiga.In early 2017 goat plague was identified as the etiology that caused a significant loss of the saiga population in Mongolia.

Hairy Frog

It’s not every day that you’ll hear the word hair and frog mentioned in one breath, but the hairy frog exists.The frog is also called the wolverine or horror frog.This amphibian is native to central Africa.

It derives its name from the hair-like structures covering its thighs and the sides of its body.

Only the males spot the hair-like structures, and disturbingly, they break their skin and bones to create the Wolverine-like claws.The frogs are terrestrial, but they breed in water, and the females lay masses of eggs on the rocks around streams.Their tadpoles are carnivorous, and the adults feed on critters like spiders, grasshoppers, and slugs.

Mexican Mole Lizard

The Mexican mole is the subject of some hair-raising myths, which fortunately are untrue.People believed that it could enter the body of an unsuspecting person who makes the mistake of relieving themselves out in the wild.The five-toed worm lizard spends its time burrowing underground, and it resides in the Baja California Peninsula.

It doesn’t have any melanin on its skin, has only two front legs, and unlike other lizards, its tail doesn’t regenerate.They are known to emerge from the ground late in the evening.When above the ground, it has difficulties moving around.

Proboscis Monkey

The proboscis monkeys are also known as long-nosed monkeys.They usually have long tails with reddish-brown skin.

However, they acquire their long noses as adults, and the younger proboscis monkeys have smaller noses.The monkeys are endemic to the mangrove forests of the island of Borneo in Southeast Asia.

They also have bulging stomachs resembling pot bellies.The infants have blue-colored faces when they are born, which gradually darkens to a grey color as they grow and finally a cream color when they become adults.Several of the proboscis monkey species also have webbed toes.

Tarsier

The tarsiers belong to the Tarsiidae family, and they are odd-looking primates because of their giant eyes.Their eyes gigantic nature isn’t the only unusual thing about it, but tarsiers can’t move them.They have to rotate their heads, much like owls, to see things around them.

However, they have excellent night vision compared to other primates, and they use it to their advantage to hunt in the dark.The group was widespread at some point, but these days, they are mostly residing in Southeast Asia islands like Brunei, the Philippines, and Malaysia.

Casper Octopus

The ghostly octopus dubbed Casper looks cute.It was pictured resting at a depth of 4,000 meters below the ocean by a submarine robot belonging to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

Researchers did publish details about the octopus, citing that they were observing Casper in several places around the Pacific, including off Ecuador.

The octopus’ reproduction process is quite sad.Females attach their clutch of around 30 eggs on a dead sponge.They then wrap their bodies around the sponger and stay rooted in the position for years until the eggs hatch.That means that it doesn’t eat, and once the eggs hatch, the female dies.

Red-Lipped Batfish

It’s clear to see where the Galapagos batfish gets its name from, and it’s all thanks to its large, red lips.The fish has a pair of waxy, almost fluorescent red lips that are affixed to its face in a permanent frown.It’s related to the Ogcocephalus porrects, the rosy-lipped batfish.The red-lipped batfish is endemic to the Galapagos Islands.

Batfish, in general, aren’t the best swimmers.

They instead use their adopted pelvic and pectoral fins to “walk.” When fully mature, their dorsal fins become a spine-like projection which they use to lure prey..