Woman of the Year voting. Full list of winners
The variety of shapes, colors and sizes of creatures inhabiting our planet surpasses even the richest imagination. We are pleased to present to you the most unusual animals in the world. Some of them look like characters from a science-fiction film about Mars, others seem to come from another dimension, but they all live on Earth and were created by Mother Nature.
Opens the hit parade amazing creatures funny octopus. It lives at great depths (from one hundred to five thousand meters) and is primarily engaged in searching for crustaceans and worm-like seabed. The octopus got its name, reminiscent of a baby elephant with large ears, thanks to its two unusually shaped fins.
24. Darwin's Bat
Creatures from the bat family are found in the waters around the Galapagos Islands. They are terrible swimmers and have instead learned to navigate the ocean floor on their fins.
23. Chinese water deer
This animal has earned the nickname "Vampire Deer" for its prominent tusks, which are used in battles for territory.
22. Star-nosed
The small North American mole gets its name from the circle of 22 pink, fleshy tentacles at the end of its snout. They are used to identify starfish food (worms, insects and crustaceans) by touch.
21. Aye-aye
This photo shows one of the most unusual animals in the world called “aye-aye” or “little arm”. This native of Madagascar is distinguished by its unique method of foraging; it knocks on trees to find larvae and then chews holes in the wood and inserts an elongated middle finger to pull out its prey.
20. "Living Stone"
Pyura Chilensis are living, breathing organisms found on Chilean beaches. Their appearance allows them to avoid predators. Interestingly, these creatures have both male and female organs and can reproduce without the help of a partner.
19. Pacu fish
Freshwater fish with human teeth found in rivers in the Amazon and Orinoco basins, as well as in Papua New Guinea. A nightmare for local fishermen who are afraid to swim in the water because pacu confuse male testicles with nuts falling from trees into the water.
18. Drop fish
One of the strangest animals in the world. From the appearance of this creature, one can say that it is despondency incarnate. Lives in deep waters off the coast of Australia and Tasmania.
The blobfish lives in the depths and its flesh is a gel-like mass with a density slightly less than that of water. This allows the “dull” creature to stay afloat.
17. Eastern long-necked turtle
These turtles can be found throughout Australia. Their remarkable necks can reach a length of up to 25 cm.
16. Surinamese pipa
Leaf-like appearance Surinamese pipa is a natural defense against predators. These toads have a unique method of reproduction: the female lays eggs and the male simultaneously releases sperm. The female dives down and the eggs fall onto her back, into the cells, where they remain until the time comes for the young peeps to be born.
15. Yeti Crab
The “hairy” claws of this crustacean, which lives in the depths of the southern part, contain many filamentous bacteria. They are needed to neutralize toxic minerals from water and, possibly, serve their host as food.
14. Bearded man
These beautiful birds live on Everest, the Himalayas and others mountainous areas in Europe and Asia. They were almost destroyed because people were afraid that bearded men would attack animals and children. Now there are only 10 thousand of them left on Earth.
13. Pike blenny
Found in the waters off the west coast of America, they can grow up to 30cm in length and have intimidatingly large mouths. Their pike blennies showing each other as if they were kissing. Whoever has the biggest mouth is more important.
12. Decorated Tree Serpent
Many people's nightmare comes to life: a snake that climbs trees and then jumps down. Before jumping, the reptile curls up into a spiral, and then sharply turns around and rushes into the air. In flight, it stretches out and lands smoothly on a lower branch or other tree. Fortunately, on people flying snakes don't pay attention, they're more interested the bats, frogs and rodents.
11. North American kakimitsli
This cute animal from the raccoon family is native to the arid regions of North America. Cacomitsli are so easy to tame that miners and settlers once kept them as companions and gave them the nickname "miner's cat."
10. Striped Tenrec
It lives only in the tropical forests of Madagascar. The tenrec is somewhat porcupine-like, and the quills on the central part of the back can vibrate. With their help, animals locate each other.
9. Pink sea cucumber
He looks like a character from a science fiction film, but in reality he is a harmless creature. And it looks more like a jellyfish than its fellow sea cucumbers. Around its red mouth are tentacles that dig up edible mud from the bottom of the sea. From there it enters the creature's intestines.
8. Rhinopithecus
Famous TV presenter and naturalist David Attenborough once remarked that these amazing monkeys with their stub noses and blue “mask” around their eyes look like “elves.” And you can look at them and say that “ plastic surgery gone too far." Rhinopithecus lives in Asia, at altitudes up to 4000 meters and is rarely seen by humans.
7. Mantis crab
The colorful stomatopod, or mantis, spends most of its life hiding in burrows. Capable of breaking through the walls of aquariums by moving at speeds of up to 80 km per hour. During mating displays, mantis crabs actively fluoresce, and the fluorescence wavelength corresponds to the wavelength that the pigments in their eyes can perceive.
6. Panda Ant
Among the most unusual animals on the planet is a furry creature with the coloring of a panda. In fact, this is not an ant, but a wingless wasp that lives in South America. It is very similar in appearance to an ant, but, unlike it, it has a powerful sting.
5. Leaf-tailed gecko
Master of disguise originally from Madagascar. Thanks to its leaf-shaped tail, it can fit into the “interior” of the local jungle.
4. Gerenuk
It's hard to believe that this long-necked cutie is not a mini-giraffe, but a real African gazelle. In order to reach high branches, the gerenuk lacks only the length of its neck. You still have to stand on your hind legs.
3. Chinese giant salamander
It can grow up to 180 cm long and weigh up to 70 kg. If you are in China and see such a creature in a local pond, then know that the water in this reservoir is very clean and cold.
2. Angora rabbit
Looks like the result of a crossbreeding experiment Bigfoot with a kitten. Angora rabbits were extremely popular in the 17th and 18th centuries among European nobility. They were not eaten, but kept as pets.
1. Goblin shark (aka goblin shark)
The first number in our top 25 strange creatures is rare shark, which is sometimes called a "living fossil". It is the only surviving member of the family Scapanorhynchidae, with a pedigree of about 125 million years. Goblin sharks live all over the world at depths of more than 100 m, so they are not dangerous to swimmers.
A selection of 30 of the most unusual creatures of our planet...
Based on materials from: wikipedia.org & animalworld.com.ua & unnatural.ru
Madagascar suckerfoot
Found only in Madagascar. On the grounds thumbs On the wings and on the soles of the hind limbs, sucker bats have complex rosette suckers, which are located directly on the skin (unlike the suckers in sucker-footed bats). The biology and ecology of the suckerfoot has been virtually unstudied. Most likely, it uses rolled up leathery palm leaves as shelters, to which it sticks with its suckers. All suckers were caught close to the water.
Angora rabbit (ladies)
These rabbits look quite impressive; there are specimens whose fur reaches up to 80 cm in length. Their wool is extremely valuable, and a wide variety of things are made from it: stockings, scarves, gloves, just fabrics and even linen. One kilogram of this rabbit's wool is valued at about 10 - 12 rubles. One rabbit produces about 0.5 kg of this wool per year, but usually much less. Most often, Angora rabbits are bred by women, which is why they are sometimes called “ladies’ rabbits.” The average weight of such a rabbit is 5 kg, body length 61 cm, chest girth 35-40 cm, but other options are possible.
Monkey marmoset
This is the most amazing species of monkeys living on Earth. The weight of an adult does not exceed 120 g. When you look at this tiny creature the size of a mouse (10-15 cm) with a long tail (20-21 cm) and large Mongoloid eyes with a conscious gaze, you feel some embarrassment.
Coconut crab
This is one of the representatives of decapod crustaceans. Habitat of this animal West Side Pacific Ocean and islands Indian Ocean. This animal of the land crayfish family is quite large for representatives of its species. An adult can reach 32 cm in length and weigh up to 3-4 kg. For quite a long time, it was mistakenly believed that the palm thief could split coconuts with its claws in order to then eat them, but now scientists have definitely proven that this cancer, despite the enormous strength of its claws, is not able to split coconut, but it could easily break your arm...
Coconuts that split when they fall constitute their main source of nutrition, which is why this crayfish was named the palm thief. However, he is not averse to enjoying other food - the fruits of plants, organic elements from the earth, and even God's creatures similar to themselves. His character, meanwhile, is timid and friendly.
The coconut crab is unique in its kind, its sense of smell is as developed as that of insects, and it also has olfactory organs that ordinary crabs lack. This feature developed after this species left the water and settled on land.
Unlike other crabs, they move forward rather than sideways. They don't stay in the water for long.
Sea cucumber. Holothuria
Sea cucumbers, egg capsules (Holothuroidea), class invertebrate type echinoderms. The modern fauna is represented by 1,150 species, divided into 6 orders, which differ from each other in the shape of the tentacles and calcareous ring, as well as the presence of some internal organs. There are about 100 species in Russia. The body of sea cucumbers is leathery to the touch, usually rough and wrinkled. The body wall is thick and elastic, with well-developed muscle bundles. Longitudinal muscles (5 ribbons) are attached to the calcareous ring around the esophagus. At one end of the body there is a mouth, at the other there is an anus. The mouth is surrounded by a corolla of 10-30 tentacles, which serve to capture food, and leads into a spirally twisted intestine.
They usually lie “on their side”, raising the front, oral end. Holothurians feed on plankton and organic debris extracted from bottom silt and sand, which is passed through the digestive canal. Other species filter food from bottom waters with tentacles covered with sticky mucus.
This animal is a mollusk. Despite its external similarity to an octopus or squid, scientists have separated this mollusk into a separate series, Vampyromorphida (lat.), because only it has retractable receptive whip-shaped filaments.
Almost the entire surface of the mollusk’s body is covered with luminescent organs - photophores. They appear as small white discs enlarging at the ends of the tentacles and at the base of the fins. Photophores are absent only on the inner side of the membraned tentacles. The hellish vampire has very good control over these organs and is capable of producing disorienting flashes of light lasting from hundredths of a second to several minutes. In addition, it can control the brightness and size of the color spots.
Amazonian dolphin
This is the world's largest river dolphin. Inia geoffrensis, as scientists have named it, can reach 2.5 meters in length and weigh up to 200 kg. Juveniles are light gray in color, but become lighter with age. Body Amazonian dolphin full, with a narrow muzzle and a thin tail. Round forehead, slightly curved nose and not big eyes. You can meet the Amazonian dolphin in the rivers and lakes of Latin America.
Star-nosed
Star-nosed - insectivorous mammal from the mole family. You can meet such an animal only in South-Eastern Canada and the north-eastern USA. Externally, the star-nosed snake differs from other animals of this family and from other small animals, only it is characterized by the structure of its snout in the form of a rosette or an asterisk made of 22 soft mobile fleshy naked rays. The size of the star-nosed ray similar to its European relative the mole. Its tail is relatively long (about 8 cm), covered with scales and sparse hair. When the starfish is looking for food, the rays on the stigma are constantly moving, with the exception of the two middle-upper ones, they are directed forward and do not bend. When he eats, the rays are pulled together into a compact lump; While eating, the animal holds the food with its front paws. When the starfish drinks, it immerses both the stigma and all the whiskers in the water for 5-6 seconds.
Fossa
These amazing animals live only on the island of Madagascar; there are nowhere else in the world, not even in Africa. Fossa is a rare animal and the only representative of the genus Cryptoprocta, while Fossa is the most large predator, living on the island of Madagascar. The appearance of the Fossa is a little unusual: it is something between a civet and a small puma. At times, fossa is also called Madagascar lion, the ancestors of this beast were much larger and reached the size of a lion. The fossa has a strong build, a massive and slightly elongated body, its length can reach up to 80 cm (on average the fossa body reaches 65-70 cm). Fossa's paws are high, but quite thick, and hind legs longer than the front ones. The tail of this animal is very long, often reaching the length of the body and reaching up to 65 cm.
Japanese giant salamander
The largest amphibian found in the world, this salamander can reach 160 cm in length and weigh up to 180 kg. In addition, such a salamander can live up to 150 years, although the most officially certified old age The huge salamander is 59 years old.
Madagascar crayfish (or Aye-Aye)
The Madagascar monkey (lat. Daubentonia madagascariensis) or aye-aye, is a mammal of the suborder of prosimians; the only representative of the family of arms. One of the rarest animals on the planet - there are only five dozen individuals, which is why it was discovered relatively recently. The largest animal of the nocturnal primates.
The body length of the arm is 30-37 cm without a tail, 44-53 cm with a tail. Weight - about 2.5 kg. The head is large, the muzzle is short; The ears are large and leathery. The tail is large and fluffy. The coat color ranges from dark brown to black. They live in the East and North of the island of Madagascar. They are nocturnal. They feed on the fruits of mango trees and coconut palms, the core of bamboo and sugar cane, tree beetles and larvae. They sleep in hollows or nests.
This animal is one of the most unique mammals on the planet; it has no similar features to any other animal. The little arm has a thick, wide head with large ears, which makes the head appear even wider. Small, protruding, motionless, and glowing eyes with smaller pupils than those of a nocturnal monkey. Its muzzle bears a close resemblance to the beak of a parrot, an elongated body and a long tail, which, like the whole body, is sparsely covered with long, stiff, bristle-like hair. And finally, unusual hands, and these are the hands, their middle finger has the appearance of a withered one - all these features connected together give the aye-aye such a unique appearance that you involuntarily rack your brains in a vain zeal to find a related creature similar to this animal,” he wrote in his book “Animal Life” by A. E. Bram.
Listed in the "Red Book", ah-ah is the most wonderful animal over which hung serious danger disappearance. Daubentonia madagascariensis is the only representative of not only the genus, but also the family that has survived to this day.
Guidak
The photo shows the longest-living and at the same time the largest (up to 1 meter in length) burrowing mollusk in the world (the age of the oldest found individual is 160 years). The concept of Guidak was taken from the Indians and is translated as “deep-digging” - these gastropods can actually bury themselves quite deep in the sand. A “leg” protrudes from under the thin, fragile shell of the hyodac, which is three times larger than the shell (there have been cases where specimens with a leg length of more than 1 meter were found). The clam meat is very tough and tastes like abalone (this is also a clam, terribly tasteless, but with a very beautiful shell), so Americans usually cut it into pieces, beat it and fry it in butter with onions.
Liger
The liger (English liger from the English lion - “lion” and English tiger - “tiger”) is a hybrid between a male lion and a female tigress, looking like a giant lion with blurred stripes. Similar in appearance and size to those extinct in the Pleistocene cave lion and his relative the American lion. Ligers are the largest big cats in the world today. The largest liger is Hercules from the interactive theme park Jungle Island.
Male ligers, with rare exceptions, have almost no mane, but unlike lions, ligers know how and love to swim. Another feature of ligers is that female ligers can give birth, which is unusual for feline hybrids. The extraordinary gigantism of ligers is due to the fact that ligers receive genes from their lion father that promote the growth of their offspring, while the tiger mother does not have genes that inhibit the growth of their offspring. While the tiger father does not have genes that promote growth, the lioness mother has genes that inhibit growth, which are passed on to her offspring. This explains the fact that liger is larger than a lion, and a tiger lion is smaller than a tiger.
Imperial tamarin
The species name (“imperial”) refers to the presence of bushy white “whiskers” on these monkeys and is given in honor of Kaiser Wilhelm II. Body length - about 25 cm, tail - about 35 cm. Weight of adult individuals - 250-500 grams. Tamarins feed on fruits and lead a diurnal lifestyle. live in small groups 8-15 individuals each.
Emperor tamarins are native to the Amazon rainforest and are found in northwestern Brazil, eastern Peru and northern Bolivia. In the east, the range is limited by the Gurupi River, in the upper reaches of the Amazon - by the Putumayo rivers in the north and Madeira in the south. Although the species lives in hard-to-reach places, its conservation status is assessed as vulnerable.
Cuban slittooth
Cuban slittooth, a strange creature similar to big hedgehog with a funny long-nosed muzzle, when it bites, it kills insects and small animals with poisonous saliva. The slit tooth is not dangerous for humans, quite the contrary. Until 2003, the animal was considered extinct until several specimens were caught in the forest. The slittooth has no immunity to its poison, so fights between males are usually fatal for all participants.
Kakapo parrot
The New Zealand kakapo parrot, also known as the owl parrot, is probably the most unusual parrot in the world. He never flies, weighs 4 kilograms, croaks in a nasty voice and is nocturnal. It is considered an extinct species in nature due to ecological imbalance caused by rats and cats. Experts hope to restore the kakapo population, but it is very reluctant to breed in zoos.
Cyclocosmia
This species of spider stands out from the representatives of its genus only by the very original shape of its abdomen. Cyclocosmia digs burrows 7-15 cm deep in the ground. Its abdomen, at the end, is as if chopped off and ends with a chitinized flat disc-shaped surface; it serves to close the entrance to the burrow when the spider is in danger. This method of defense is called Pragmosis (eng. Phragmosis) - a method of defense in which an animal, if threatened, hides in a hole and uses part of its body as a barrier, blocking the path of a predator.
Tapir
Tapirs (lat. Tapirus) are large herbivores from the order of equids, somewhat reminiscent of a pig in shape, but with a short trunk adapted for grasping.
The sizes of tapirs differ from species to species, but as a rule, the length of a tapir is about two meters, the height at the withers is about a meter, and the weight is from 150 to 300 kg. Life expectancy in the wild is about 30 years, the cub is always born alone, pregnancy lasts about 13 months. Newborn tapirs have protective coloring consisting of spots and stripes, and although this coloring appears to be the same, different types there are some differences. The front paws of tapirs are four-toed, and the hind paws are three-toed; the toes have small hooves that help them move on muddy and soft ground.
Mixin
The common hagfish (lat. Myxini) lives at depths of 100-500 meters, its primary habitat is near the coast of North America, Europe, Iceland, and East Greenland. Sometimes it can be found in the Adriatic Sea. IN winter time the hagfish sometimes descends to great depths- up to 1 km.
The size of this animal is small - 35-40 centimeters, although sometimes giant specimens are found - 79-80 centimeters. Naturalist Carl Linnaeus, who discovered this miracle in 1761, initially even included it in the class of worms because of its specific appearance. Although in fact hagfish belong to the class of cyclostomes, which are the historical predecessors of fish. The color of hagfish can vary, but the predominant colors are pinkish and gray-red.
Distinctive feature hagfish is the presence of a series of holes that secrete mucus, which are located along the lower edge of the animal’s body. It should be noted that mucus is a very important secretion of hagfish, which is used by the animal to penetrate into the cavity of the fish chosen as a victim. Slime has important role and in the animal's breath. The hagfish is a veritable mucus-creating plant, particularly when placed in a bucket, full of water, then after some time all the water is converted into mucus.
The fins of hagfishes are actually not developed; they are difficult to distinguish on the long body of the animal. Organ of vision - the eyes see poorly; they are masked by light areas of skin in this area. The round mouth has as many as 2 rows of teeth, and there is also one unpaired tooth in the palate area. Hagfish “breathe through their nose”, and water enters the hole at the end of the snout - the nostril. The respiratory organs of hagfish, like all fish, are gills. The area where they are located are special cavities-channels running along the animal’s body. The hagfish hunts only those fish that are sick, weakened (for example, after spawning) or caught in gear or nets installed by humans. The attack process itself occurs as follows: the hagfish eats through the wall of the fish’s body with its sharp teeth, after which it enters the body, consuming first the internal organs, and then muscle mass. If the unfortunate victim is still able to resist, then the hagfish passes into the gills and fills them with mucus, abundantly secreted by its glands. As a result, the fish dies from suffocation, leaving the hunter the opportunity to eat its body
Proboscis
The proboscis monkey, or Kahau (lat. Nasalis larvatus) is a monkey widespread in only one small area globe- valleys and coast of Borneo. The proboscis monkey belongs to the family of thin-bodied monkeys and received its name due to its huge nose, which is a distinctive feature of males.
It has not yet been possible to establish the exact purpose of such a large nose, but, obviously, its size plays a role in choosing a mating partner. The fur of these monkeys is yellowish-brown on the back and white on the belly, the limbs and tail are colored grey colour, and the face is not covered with hair at all and has a fairly bright reddish tint, and in the cubs it has a bluish tint.
The size of an adult proboscis monkey can reach 75 cm, excluding the tail, and twice that size from the nose to the tip of the tail. Average weight males weigh 18-20 kg, females weigh almost half as much. Almost never moving away from the water, proboscis whales were known as excellent swimmers who could travel more than 20 meters underwater. In open shallow water tropical forests proboscis monkeys move, like most primates, on four limbs, but in the wild thickets of mangroves (as they are also called rainforests islands of Borneo) they walk on two legs, almost vertically.
Axolotl
Representing the larval form of Ambystoma, the axolotl is considered one of the most interesting objects for study. Firstly, axolotls do not need to reach adult form and undergo metamorphosis to reproduce. Surprised? The secret lies in neoteny - a phenomenon in which the axolotl reaches sexual maturity while still in childhood. Note that the tissues of this larva react rather poorly to the hormone secreted by the thyroid gland.
Experiments have proven that lowering the water level during home breeding of these larvae promotes their transformation into adults. The same thing happens in cooler, drier climates. If an axolotl lives in your aquarium, and you want to turn it into an ambistoma, then be sure to add the hormone thyroidin to the larva’s food. A similar result can be achieved with an injection. As a rule, the transformation of an axolotl will take several weeks, after which the larva will change its body shape and color. In addition, the axolotl will permanently lose its external gills.
Literally translated from the Aztec language, axolotl is “ water toy", which is quite consistent with its appearance. Once you see an axolotl, you are unlikely to forget its unusual, bizarre appearance. At first glance, the axolotl resembles a newt, but has a rather large and wide head. The smiling “face” of the axolotl deserves special attention - tiny beady eyes and an excessively wide mouth.
As for the amphibian’s body length, it is about thirty centimeters, and axolotls are characterized by the regeneration of lost body parts. The axolotl's natural habitat is concentrated in Xochimailco and Cholco, mountain lakes in Mexico.
If you look closely at the amphibian's head, you will notice six long gills, symmetrically located on the sides of the head. The axolotl's gills externally resemble thin shaggy twigs, which the larva cleans from time to time of organic debris.
Thanks to their wide, long tail, axolotls are excellent swimmers, although they prefer to spend most of their lives at the bottom. Why bother with unnecessary movements if the food floats into your mouth by itself?
At first, biologists were quite surprised by the respiratory system of axolotls, which included both lungs and gills. For example, if water environment The axolotl's habitat is not sufficiently saturated with oxygen, the larva quickly adapts to such a change and begins to breathe with its lungs.
Naturally, the transition to pulmonary breathing negatively affects the gills, which gradually atrophy. And, of course, it is worth paying attention to the original coloring of the axolotl. Small black spots evenly cover the green body, although the axolotl's abdomen remains almost white.
Zoologists have made different assumptions as to what exactly attracts the candira to the human genitals. The most plausible assumption seems to be that the candiru are extremely sensitive to the smell of urine: it happened that the candiru attacked a person a few moments after he urinated in the water. It is believed that candiru are able to find the source of smell in water.
But the candiru does not always penetrate the victim. It happens that, having overtaken prey, the candiru bites through the skin of a person or the gill tissue of a fish with long teeth that grow in their upper jaw and begins to suck blood from the victim, causing the body of the candiru itself to swell and swell. Candiru hunt not only fish and mammals, but also reptiles.
Tarsier
Tarsier (Tarsier, lat. Tarsius) is a small mammal from the order of primates, the very specific appearance of which has created a somewhat ominous halo around this small animal weighing up to one hundred and sixty grams.
Particularly impressionable tourists say that the first time they see huge shining eyes looking at them without blinking, and the next moment the animal turns its head almost 360 degrees and you look straight at the back of its head, you feel, to put it mildly, uneasy. By the way, local aborigines still believe that the tarsier’s head exists separately from the body. Well, this is all speculation, of course, but the facts are obvious!
There are about 8 species of tarsier. The most common are the Bankan and Philippine tarsier, as well as a separate species - the ghost tarsier. These mammals live in the territory South-East Asia, the islands of Sumatra, Borneo, Sulawesi and the Philippines, as well as in surrounding areas.
Externally, tarsiers are small animals, the size of which does not exceed sixteen centimeters, with large ears, long thin fingers and long tail about thirty cm and at the same time with very little weight.
The animal's fur is brown or grayish, and its eyes are much larger compared to human proportions - about the size of an average apple.
In nature, tarsiers live in pairs or small groups of eight to ten individuals. They are nocturnal and feed exclusively on animal origin - insects and small vertebrates.
Their pregnancy lasts about six months and they are born small animal, which, just a couple of hours after birth, clinging to its mother’s fur, will make its first journey. The average lifespan of a tarsier is about ten to thirteen years.
Narwhal
Narwhals (lat. Monodon monoceros) are a protected rare species belonging to the unicorn family and are listed in the Red Book of Russia due to their small numbers. The habitat of this marine animal is the Arctic Ocean, as well as the North Atlantic. The size of an adult male often reaches 4.5 meters, weighing about one and a half tons. Females weigh slightly less. The head of an adult narwhal is round, with a large bumpy forehead, dorsal absent. Narwhals are somewhat reminiscent of beluga whales, although compared to the latter, the animals have several spotted skin and 2 upper teeth, one of which, growing, turns into a three-meter tusk weighing up to 10 kg.
The narwhal tusk, twisted to the left in the form of a spiral, is quite rigid, but at the same time it has a certain limit of flexibility and can bend up to thirty centimeters. Previously, it was often passed off as a unicorn horn, which had healing powers. It was believed that if you throw a piece of narwhal horn into a glass of poisoned wine, it will change its color.
At this time, there is a hypothesis that is very popular in scientific circles, proving that the narwhal’s horn, covered with sensitive endings, is needed by the animal to measure water temperature, pressure and other parameters of the aquatic environment that are no less important for life.
Narwhals most often live in small groups of up to ten animals. The basis of the diet of narwhals, which, by the way, can hunt at a depth of more than a kilometer, are cephalopods and bottom fish. The enemies of narwhals in nature can be called other inhabitants of these territories - polar bears and killer whales.
However, the greatest damage to the narwhal population was caused by people who hunted them for their tasty meat and horn, which is successfully used to make various crafts. At this time, animals are under state protection.
Octopus Jumbo
Dumbo is very small and unusual deep sea octopus, representative cephalopods. Lives only in the Tasman Sea.
Jumbo apparently got his name in honor of the famous cartoon character, the baby elephant Dumbo, who was ridiculed for his large ears (in the middle of the body, the octopus has a pair of rather long, paddle-shaped fins resembling ears). Its individual tentacles are literally connected to the ends by a thin elastic membrane called the umbrella. It, together with the fins, serves as the main mover of this animal, that is, the octopus moves like jellyfish, pushing water out from under the umbrella bell.
The largest Jumbo was discovered in the Tasman Sea - half the size of a human palm.
Medusa Cyanea
Medusa Cyanea - considered largest jellyfish in the world, living in the North-West Atlantic. The diameter of the bell of the cyanea jellyfish reaches 2 meters, and the length of the thread-like tentacles is 20-30 meters. One of these jellyfish, washed ashore in Massachusetts Bay, had a bell diameter of 2.28 m, and its tentacles extended 36.5 m.
Each such jellyfish eats about 15 thousand fish during its life.
Piglet squid
This is deep sea sea dweller, nicknamed “pig squid” due to its round body. Scientific name piglet squid - Helicocranchia pfefferi. Not much is known about him. It is found in the Atlantic and Pacific oceans at a depth of about 100 meters. Swims slowly. And under the eyes (like many deep-sea animals) it has luminous organs - photophores.
“Little Pig”, unlike other squids, swims upside down, so its tentacles look like a tuft.
Snake Carla
There are currently 3,100 known species of snakes on our planet. But the snake Carla from the island of Barbados is the smallest of them. Maximum length, which reaches in adulthood - 10 centimeters.
Leptotyphlops carlae was first officially described and identified as a new species in 2008. Blair Hedge, a biologist at Penn State, named the snake after his wife, herpentologist Carla Ann Hass, who was also part of the team that made the discovery.
It is believed that the Barbados thread, as this snake is also called, is close to the theoretically possible minimum size for snakes that evolution allows. If suddenly the snake happens to be even smaller, it simply will not be able to find food for itself and will die.
The snake Carla feeds on termites and ant larvae.
Due to its miniature size, the thread snake bears only one egg, but it is a large one. The size of the born snake at the moment of birth is half the mother’s body. However, this is normal for snakes. The smaller the snake, the proportionally larger its offspring - and vice versa.
Leptotyphlops carlae has so far been found only on the island of Barbados in the Caribbean Sea, and even then only in the east-central part of it. Most of Barbados' forests have been cleared. And since the thread snake lives only in the forest, it is assumed that the territory suitable for habitation of the strange creature is limited to just a few square kilometers. So the survival of the species is a concern.
Lamprey
Lampreys look like eels or huge worms, although they have nothing to do with either one. They have a naked body covered with mucus, which is why they are mistaken for worms. In fact, these are primitive vertebrates. Zoologists combine them into special class cyclostomes. You can’t say about cyclostomes that they have a tongue without bones. Their mouth is just equipped complex system cartilage that supports the mouth and tongue. There are no jaws, so food is sucked into the mouth like into a funnel. Along the edges of this funnel and on the tongue there are teeth. Lampreys have three eyes. Two on the sides and one on the forehead.
Lampreys are predators and attack mainly fish. The lamprey attaches itself to the victim, gnaws through the scales, drinks the blood and snacks on the meat (from the area it bit into). In our country, lamprey fishing is carried out in the Neva and other rivers flowing into the Baltic Sea, as well as in the Volga. In Russia, the lamprey is considered an exquisite delicacy. But in many countries, such as the USA, lampreys are not eaten.
Killer Clam
This curiosity lives on coral reefs at a depth of almost 25 meters. The mollusk weighs up to 210 kilograms with a body length of up to 1.7 meters. Life expectancy is up to 150 years. Due to its impressive size, it gave rise to many rumors and dark legends.
It is called Giant clam (from the English giant clam), Tridacninae, Tridacna. Giant clam is a delicacy in Japan, France, Southeast Asia and many Pacific Islands. Lives due to symbiosis with the algae that live on it. It also knows how to filter water passing through it and extract plankton from there.
It doesn’t actually eat people, but if a careless diver tries to touch the mollusk’s mantle with his hand, the shell flaps will reflexively close. And since the compression force of the tridacna muscles is enormous, a person risks dying from lack of oxygen. This is where the name “killer clam” comes from.
Amazing creatures live everywhere. They inhabit distant Siberian lands, godforsaken Pacific lands and numerous Finnish ones. These beautiful creatures live on land, in water, underground and even in the mountains of Tibet, which, in the literal sense of the word, touches the heavens.
We have compiled a rating of the most unusual in the world to show how beautiful and diverse the creatures living on our amazing planet are. After all, in noisy cities we sometimes forget that besides people there are other forms of life.
- Species: Birds
- Subspecies: Storks
- Average size: body length – 1-1.3 meters; wingspan – 2-2.5 meters
- Habitat: Wetlands
- Place of residence: Central Africa
This creature is a huge bird that lives in wetlands Central Africa. Shoebill leads a predominantly diurnal lifestyle and feeds on marsh algae. It should be noted that this creature is especially photogenic. Shoebill can stand in one position for a long time, which allows you to conduct an entire photo session with this beautiful creature.
- Type: Fish
- Subspecies: Psycholutes
- Average size: 30-60 centimeters
- Habitat: seabed
- Residence: Pacific Ocean
This blot - Living being! Who would have thought! In fact, the body shape of the blob fish has a very reasonable explanation. The habitat of this unusual creature is located at a depth of up to 3,000 meters, where the fish’s swim bladder cannot function. Therefore, evolution gave this fish such a bizarre body shape to move around the sea. By the way, the density of fish is less than the density of water.
Madagascar suckerfoot
- Species: Mammals
- Subspecies: Bat
- Average size: 5-6 centimeters
- Place of residence: Madagascar
Well, isn't he cute? The Madagascar suckerfoot is a cute flying creature that has suckers on its legs. These unusual animals are quite rare. It should be noted that the Madagascar suckerfoot is listed in. The main diet of this baby is small insects. The peculiarity of the Madagascar suckerfoot lies not only in the suckers on its legs, but also in the fact that this animal has practically not been studied by modern science.
Narwhal
- Species: Mammals
- Subspecies: Cetaceans
- Average size: 3.5-4.5 meters
- Habitat: water
- Place of residence: Arctic Ocean
It turns out that unicorns exist! And the narwhal is the only representative of this mythical animal. This is a fairly large mammal that can weigh up to 1.5 tons. The amazing narwhal eats almost any fish that it can find in the cold waters of the Arctic Ocean.
Dumbo Octopus
- Species: Octopus
- Subspecies: Mollusk
- Average size: 3-8 centimeters
- Habitat: deep sea
- Residence: Tasman Sea
It is not clear what this representative of the animal world looks like. About this creature modern science knows practically nothing. The most interesting and remarkable thing about Dumbo Octopus is the ears. In fact, these are tentacles that, during evolution, for some reason grew together.
Aye-aye (Madagascar bat)
- Species: Mammals
- Subspecies: Primate
- Average size: 30-50 centimeters
- Habitat: tropical forests
- Place of residence: Madagascar
This unusual creature is a direct relative of lemurs. Although it was previously believed that the little arm was a prosimian. The aye-aye is predominantly nocturnal. This nocturnal half-monster can weigh up to 3 kilograms. The animal is listed in the Red Book.
Axolotl
- Species: Amphibians
- Subspecies: Neotenic larva
- Average size: 20-35 centimeters
- Habitat: mountain rivers
- Place of residence: Mexico
Few people know about the existence of this amphibian. The animal looks a bit like a smiling fish with legs. This animal is very interesting, because the axolotl does not have to become an adult to reproduce. If threatened, the animal can turn into an ambist (lizard-like) creature. In addition, the axolotl's body has a unique ability to regenerate. If this animal loses any part of its body, it will grow back after some time.
Star-nosed (star-nosed)
- Species: Mammals
- Subspecies: Moles
- Average size: 9-15 centimeters
- Habitat: forest
- Place of residence: North America
After the axolotl, is it difficult for you to be surprised by anything? I doubt. This creature looks like a monster from or some kind of alien creature. In fact, this animal is related to the European mole. He is quite incapable of harming a person in any way.
Sloth
- Species: Mammals
- Subspecies: Incomplete edentates
- Average size: 50-60 centimeters
- Habitat: forest
- Residence: Central America, South America
Many people know this animal from the famous cartoon Ice Age. The sloth is a creature that sleeps 15 hours a day. He practically never leaves the trees. Sloths move extremely slowly, which is why they got their name.
Angora rabbit
152 29We present to your attention 10 rare and unusual inhabitants of our planet. Some of them are endangered, while other species of animals were discovered quite recently by scientists and we, most likely, have not even heard of them.
10. Angora rabbit
Angora rabbit of the “Giant” breed
The Angora rabbit is a breed of rabbit that began to be bred hundreds of years ago in Turkey to produce Angora wool. Distinguish the following breeds rabbits: “English” (English), “French” (French), “German” (German), “Giant”, “Atlas” (Satin). The weight of Angora rabbits is approximately 2-6 kg, life expectancy is 5-7 years.
9. Dumbo the Octopus
Octopus Dumbo - a representative of cephalopods
The Dumbo Octopus lives in the ocean at a depth of up to 7 thousand meters and is a cephalopod. The octopus received the nickname Dumbo for its large ears (like the baby elephant Dumbo in the cartoon), with which it swims. The length of the octopus is approximately 20 centimeters, but the longest recorded big octopus 180 cm long and weighing 6 kg.
8. Drop fish
The blob fish is considered one of the most bizarre on the planet.
The Blobfish is one of the strangest fish in the world and belongs to the deep sea. sea fish. It lives at a depth of 600-1200 meters off the coast of Australia and Tasmania. The length of the fish is approximately 30 cm, one of the features is the absence swim bladder, since it does not function at depth. The species is endangered, as the blobfish is increasingly caught in fishermen's nets along with crabs and lobsters.
7. Kakapo
Kakapo are very smart and good-natured parrots
The Kakapo, also called the owl parrot, is widespread in New Zealand. The parrot is a flightless bird, nocturnal, and barks like a dog. This type is listed in the Red Book and is on the verge of extinction due to human fault.
6. Human fish
Human fish or European proteus Maybe for a long time go without food.
The human fish (Olm) lives from Slovenia to Bosnia and Herzegovina in underground lakes and rivers. The body length of the fish is approximately 30 centimeters, weight no more than 20 grams. The name “human fish” was obtained due to the similarity of color to the color of the human body. All individuals of this species are blind; the fish has small legs with three toes on the front and two on the back. The human fish lives on average about 69 years, the species is under protection and it is prohibited to catch it.
5. Matamata turtle
The Matamata turtle has an extremely bizarre appearance.
The Matamata Turtle or Fringed Turtle lives in South America, shell length - 40 centimeters, weight - up to 15 kilograms. Turtles feed mainly on live fish, sometimes tadpoles and frogs. In some places, the species' numbers are declining due to habitat destruction.
4. Fish with transparent head
Fish with a transparent head (The Barreleye) – deep sea fish drifts, observing the situation above his head, thanks to his rotating eyes. The fish may look behind them for fear of predators; upward towards potential prey or forward towards food being eaten. It is quite difficult for scientists to study this species, since the fish with a transparent head lives only at depth.
3. Tarsiers
Philippine tarsier lives on trees in forests
Tarsiers (Tarsiers) belong to the primate order and live in Southeast Asia. Tarsier height ranges from 9 to 16 centimeters (plus tail length from 13 to 28 cm), weight – from 80 to 160 grams. A distinctive feature of the animals is their large rounded head, capable of rotating almost 360 degrees, and large eyes (up to 16 mm in diameter). These are the only primates that “communicate” using pure ultrasound.
2. Flying squid
The flying squid is a Pacific subspecies, one of the largest.
The Flying Squid, also known as Bartram's Squid (Ommastrephes bartrami), is distributed from the Southern Kuril Islands to the island of Taiwan. This is the largest squid weighing up to 1305 grams. Scientists have not yet established how they jump out of the water and why.
1. Darwin's Spider
Darwin's spider was discovered in Andasibe-Mantadia National Park.
Darwin's Bark Spider was discovered on the island of Madagascar in 2001, but was only described in detail by scientists in 2009. Males are no more than 6 mm in length, females reach 18 mm in size. A distinctive feature of spiders is their giant webs, the length of the “cable” of which can reach 25 meters. The impact strength of these webs is 10 times higher than that of Kevlar, which is used in the manufacture of body armor and helmets. Spiders feed on bees, dragonflies, and mayflies.
Hello, dear visitors of the page! The project section today is ready to plunge into an unusually rich and amazing animal world and tell us what the most unusual animals are that Mother Nature created for our admiring glances.
Lesson plan:
Visiting a fairy tale
Who said that dragons are exclusively fairy-tale heroes? Nothing like this! A real dragon can be seen in the sea.
And he is not scary at all and does not burst into flames from his three heads. This is an amazing-looking fish that lives in the waters washing the southern and western Australian coasts, with an advantage in warm shallow waters. The soulmate grows up to 45 centimeters and is correctly called the leafy sea dragon, or also sea pegasus.
Outwardly, he is extremely similar to his brother. Only it got its name thanks to the shoots in the form of long leaves coming from the head and body. Such foliage serves as camouflage for marine life. However, what helps it move in the water is not this fantastically beautiful greenish plumage, but ordinary fins - one on the neck, the other on the back near the tail. The dragon's are transparent.
Pegasus can change the color of its “leaves”, adapting to environment, like a chameleon. Its color depends not only on the seascapes, but even on the mood.
Such an elegant creature is actually a real predator, feeding small fish and shrimp. But the sea pegasus is not suitable for participation in the marathon - it can reach a speed of no more than 150 meters per hour!
By the way, the deciduous dragon is official representative- symbol of the state of South Australia.
Star Digger
IN North America lives a very complicated mole, which is rightfully one of the unusual living creatures of the planet. And all thanks to the fact that his nose is a star.
Not a real one, of course, a cosmic one, but consisting of 22 growths that are folded on the muzzle in the form of a celestial body.
Star-nosed, or star-nosed (that is the name of this animal), with its multi-pointed nose, is capable of catching the smell of prey almost at the speed of light. Moving pink tentacles work like antennas in search of food - worms and insects. In addition, his star also helps the mole to dig underground passages. It is interesting to watch this animal when it eats, holding food with its front paws: at these moments all the nasal rays are pulled together into a bunch.
The nose of the starfish is believed to be one of the most sensitive noses in the world.
This nose grew for two, but one got it
One of the most big-nosed representatives of the animal world can only be seen on the island of Borneo. The monkey named proboscis, or kahau, is distinguished by its large nose, which looks like a wilted cucumber.
In addition to the model face, this primate, which is quite rare in nature and listed in the Red Book, also has an interesting coloration. The monkeys are red on top and white on the belly below, the paws and tail are painted gray, and the muzzle is hairless and reddish in color.
Why nature endowed them with such noses, scientists have never guessed. Some say that respiratory organ Primates need it for scuba diving. By the way, among monkeys, proboscis monkeys are the best swimmers, capable of swimming up to 20 meters underwater. They love water immensely, jumping there straight from tall trees like the Olympians. Other naturalists suggest that the nose gives males loudness when calling, and also regulates body temperature.
What’s interesting is that only “boys” have such an impressive nose; ladies with noses have snub noses.
Rather than sticking out your fingers, it’s better to keep your ears alert
This expression is very suitable for a rare animal in the world - Madagascan handwort. This wonderful miracle with large ears and long fingers is also called aye-aye and belongs to the order of prosimians.
At first, scientists thought that this strange, bug-eyed animal was a rodent, but then they included it in a special deviant group of lemurs. House of the little hand in Madagascar.
This unusual nocturnal primate is no more than 30-40 centimeters long and weighs only 2.5 kilograms. With its thin and long middle finger, the aye-aye can extract food from trees - larvae and beetles. The animal's coat is brown or black with light speckles.
The little hand is a real long-liver. In conditions of human care, he lives up to 26 years.
Rare Potapych
The Biruang bear, or Malayan bear, is one of the rare species on the planet, being the smallest of all clubfooted animals - only 1.5 meters, weighing no more than 65 kilograms.
He lives in the forest tropics of Asia, climbs trees very well, sleeps all day, basking in the sun, and goes for walks at night. It is interesting that he makes a house for himself, like birds - in the form of a nest in the branches of trees. In winter, biruangs do not hibernate.
The Malayan bear is sometimes called the sun bear, and not because it likes to sunbathe during the day. He has a large red spot on his chest, the shape and color of which resembles a sunrise. Everything else about the clubfoot is black, and its muzzle is yellow.
The omnivorous sun bear can eat bees and ants, loves worms, but is not averse to eating rodents and birds.
This beast is small, but brave - it can stand up for itself even against a tiger. He is also a hooligan - he often destroys banana and coconut plantations.
Not a dog, not a frog, but an unknown animal
The amphibian axolotl is a larva that lives in Mexican mountain ponds.
Its name translates as water dog, but in appearance it looks more like a small newt. Just as in lizards the lost tail grows back, so in the axolotl the lost part of the body is restored.
The amphibian has a very large head, disproportionate to its 30-centimeter body. These animals also have a wide mouth and small eyes, so it seems that the axolotl is constantly happy and smiles with squinted eyes. On the sides of the larva’s head there are “wings” - gills in the form of shaggy branches.
Unlike other gill-bearing animals, the axolotl is also able to breathe through its lungs.
Cloud with ears
Among rodents, the most unusual is the Angora rabbit, whose arms and legs are sometimes difficult to find the first time. Outwardly, it resembles a huge woolen cloud with ears sticking out from above.
They began to be bred in Turkey because of their valuable fur, up to 80 centimeters long, which was used for the production of angora fabrics and products. It is quite difficult to care for such an eared one: his coat has to be combed at least twice a week, otherwise the fluffy beauty will turn into a matted slob.
Either toothy or horned
In the unicorn family, the only representative inhabitant of the Arctic Ocean and the North Atlantic is the narwhal. Outwardly, he looks like a beluga whale: he has dark color, pectoral fins. Only now, of the two existing upper teeth, the left one grows into unusual horn length up to three meters. Such a tusk, twisted into a spiral, weighs up to 10 kilograms.
One might assume that nature gave such a weapon to the narwhal to fight enemies, but this is not so. Males only rub their horns when they fight for the “lady of their heart.” There is another version of what the narwhal’s horn is for - this sensitive organ, like a barometer, measures the pressure and temperature of water.
Who said birds don't go to the hairdresser?
What kind of pigeons are we used to? To gray or white, isn't it? But in southeast Asia, as well as in Russia in the Sakhalin region, green pigeons live.
Painted in fashion trends, they are rare species, included in the Russian Red Book, and prefer forests where a lot of cherries and bird cherry grow. The berries of these trees are included in the diet of the green pigeon.
The sea is knee-deep for cows!
Once upon a time, in the 18th century, in sea waters near the Commander Islands she lived and ate seaweed Steller's cow. This seven-eight meter animal weighing up to ten tons, completely extinct due to the fault of man, became a source of tasty meat and valuable leather for boats, and therefore lived in nature for only 30 years.
The sea cow was lazy and sedentary, preferring not to swim far from the shore. According to scientists, she did not know how to dive, so she was content with food on the surface of the water, raising her head every 5 minutes for a portion of air and emitting a horse snorting. Unfortunately, it was not possible to save this animal.
This is our top ten unusual ones today. But this is far from the limit. Nature has prepared many more surprises!
- Take a look at what the dog commander looks like?
- What does he do in free time sloth?
- What kind of mustache does the imperial tamarin have?
- What is the armadillo's cape made of?
- What do drop fish and spade fish look like?
- Why do fainting goats go into a stupor?
- How does the tarsier manage to turn its head almost 360 degrees?
And I say to you: “Goodbye!” with hope to see you again.
I’m also looking forward to seeing you as a participant. our VKontakte group, join us, it will be interesting!
Yours, Evgenia Klimkovich.