Nature got weird: 10 strange animals that look unreal
There are an estimated 7.7 million animal species on Earth, and some of them are pretty unbelievable. Did you know about the pink salamander that looks like a Pokémon and can regrow its limbs? The bird with a shoe-shaped bill that looks like it belongs with the dinosaurs ? Or a mole that has 22 tentacles on its face ? Nature can get stranger than you might imagine. Let’s meet these 10 animals that seem almost too weird to be real.
1 Axolotl
One look at this pink salamander and you’d think it came straight out of a sci-fi movie. The axolotl has a wide face, tiny eyes, and feathery external gills. But the most fascinating thing about it is that it can regenerate its limbs , parts of its spinal cord, its eyes, and even portions of its brain.
The axolotl is native to the lake and canal system of Xochimilco in Mexico City, and its name comes from Xolotl, an Aztec god associated with the animal. Unfortunately, the species is critically endangered.
2 Shoebill
It’s easy to think that this huge African bird comes from prehistoric times, but it actually roams the earth with us. Shoebills get their name from their unique shoe-shaped bill , which, along with their 3.5 to 5 feet length, gives the birds an ancient appearance.
In East and Central Africa, shoebills commonly live in swamps, marshes, and wetlands, and they eat snakes, frogs, lizards, and even young crocodiles. Although these tall birds inspire fear, they are actually pretty calm and patient animals .
3 Mantis shrimp
Imagine an animal that looks like a cross between a crab and a lobster , with shiny colors ranging from green and blue to orange and red. This fascinating animal is called the mantis shrimp and is found in shallow, tropical, and subtropical marine waters around the world, including regions in Africa and Hawaii.
As if its wild colors weren’t enough, the mantis shrimp’s visual system is actually one of the most complex in the animal kingdom. Scientists believe they can see more colors than many other animals, and they are still studying how its brain can process all that visual information.
4 Goblin shark
The goblin shark is one of the scariest-looking marine animals . This deep-sea shark has a long flattened snout and a retractable mouth that can shoot forward to catch prey and then snap back into place.
Because of its strange appearance, the goblin shark has gained a reputation as a "living fossil." It’s very unlikely to find one, as they live deep in the Pacific, Atlantic, and Indian Oceans, so they don’t really pose a threat to humans.
5 Naked mole-rat
In certain parts of East Africa, you can come across a very odd-looking, wrinkled rodent called a naked mole-rat. They have tiny eyes and poor eyesight; thus, they live in large tunnels where they spend most of their lives.
Like ants, naked mole-rats live in colonies where there is one reproductive queen and many workers, very unusual for mammals. This species is also highly resistant to cancer compared to other animals, and scientists are still studying the reasons.
6 Saiga antelope
The first thing that strikes you when you see a saiga antelope is its huge, flexible nose. This species relies heavily on its nose in order to survive the extreme temperature swings of the steppes and semi-deserts of Central Asia where it lives.
Its bulbous nose filters dust in the summer and warms cold air in the winter before it reaches the lungs, and also helps regulate its breathing. The saiga antelope became endangered after the collapse of the Soviet Union because of poaching; though thanks to conservation efforts, they recovered, the species is still considered vulnerable.
7 Aye-aye
With enormous eyes, huge ears, long fingers, and teeth that never stop growing during its lifespan, the aye-aye is indeed an eye-catching creature. This bizarre-looking lemur is native to Madagascar and belongs to the primate family, which means it is often seen in trees, sticking its thin fingers into bark to pick up insects.
The aye-aye is also endangered, largely because of human persecution.
8 Leafy sea dragon
At first glance, the leafy sea dragon looks like moving underwater vegetation, almost like a fairy-tale animal. The leafy sea dragon is neither a seahorse nor a dragon, but a fish, and it lives in southern Australia.
What seem to be leaves attached to its body are actually appendages that help it hide in plain sight. Its camouflage is so good it’s actually very hard to spot, which allows it to protect itself from predators.
9 Star-nosed mole
The star-nosed mole looks like an animal from Star Wars . These subterranean, subaquatic mammals have 22 tentacles surrounding their nose and live in eastern North America. Because it's a nearly blind creature, its tentacles have more than 25,000 sensory receptors that help the star-nosed mole identify its prey through touch.
Despite its lack of vision, it’s one of the fastest-feeding mammals in the animal kingdom, as it can consume its prey in a fraction of a second.
10 Dumbo octopus
Probably the cutest animal on this list, the dumbo octopus gets its name from its big fins that stick out from the sides and resemble the ears of the famous Disney elephant. These octopuses live in the deep ocean at depths of more than 13,000 feet and can be found in waters around the world, from tropical to polar regions.
They flap their fins so gently to move underwater that it gives the impression they are flying, rather than darting around like most octopuses.
