• From hand-faced moles to amphibians shaped like genitalia, we count 15 of the weirdest
and bizarre animals ever to roam in the depths of Planet Earth
15 - Snakefish • It's exactly what it sounds like - a carnivorous
ocean death-machine known for consuming all other fish in a lake or pond, including its
own children.
Yeah.
• It can hop out of the water and slither around for days at a time to find new ponds
to massacre, eating small land animals along the way - and they've even been known to attack
people • It's not indestructible though, they're
consumed by crocs and alligators quite often, though luckily they've been prohibited from
getting introduced to a number of states and countries, including Australia
14 - Komondor Dog • This one is bizarre because of its long,
thick corded coat resembling dreadlocks or a giant walking mop
• It's actually a danger to itself since the cords get tangled so easily, and they
grow in length as they get older so human help is needed to ensure the dog doesn't turn
into one impossibly tangled mat of fur • They usually grow to around 30 inches
in height, and they're a lot more agile than you might think
13 - Blue Bird-of-paradise • This is the Slenderman of the animal kingdom
- a bird with a peculiar courtship display of 2 blue dots above a long strip in a wide
black oval • It was discovered in 1884 and since then
habitat loss and hunting has turned it into a vulnerable species, but not endangered
• You'll find them in Papua New Guinea, standing behind trees watching small children
12 - Angora Rabbit • This along with the Angora cat and Angora
goat were breeds domesticated in Ankara, Turkey • They were popular pets for French Royalty
in the mid 1700s and by present day they've spread all over the world
• Nowadays people breed them for their long, long wool that can be removed via shearing
or plucking
11 - Penis Snake • Or known by its scientific name Atretochoana,
it's a large aquatic amphibian with a broad flat head and a fleshy dorsal fin
• Only two preserved specimens were found until 2011, when live samples were discovered
in Brazil • This beast shaped like a wang is the largest
tetrapod to lack lungs, but it's theoretical vaginal counterpart has yet to be discovered
10 - Pink Fairy Armadillo • These are the smallest species of armadillo
found in central Argentina, usually around dry grasslands and sandly plains - thorn bushes
and cacti • It's hard to find them though since they
bury underground within seconds if they get frightened and won't come back up until all
is clear • Not to mention its nocturnal and so long
as it can bury itself near an ant colony, it can happily sit there for quite a while
feeding on ants, worms, snails and anything else that might come near
9 - Star-nosed Mole • This is like something from another world
- a mole with what looks like two fleshy hands for a face
• Over the years researchers hypothesized whether they actually WERE used as hands for
grasping prey or picking things up, or if it were an exposed organ used like a bats
sonar • It turns out though that it's a collection
of 25,000 sensory receptors used by the mole to feel its way around environments
8 - Proboscis Monkey • One of the more popular species of monkey
from the south-east Asian island of Borneo, easily recognisable because of its outrageous
nose • It's believed the nose may be selected
as a sexual trait since female monkeys generally prefer the males who have a bigger nose
• Unfortunately it's assessed as an endangered species with a population decrease of 50%
in the last half a century 7 - Cassowary
• Also known as the Australian velociraptor, it's known worldwide as the deadliest bird
on Earth and only one of two birds known to cause death to humans by physical assault
• They're more deadly than a crocodile and their giant claws can tear the organs from
your body in a matter of seconds • The reason they attack is because they
have a large territory to protect, miles in diameter, and they perceive a lot of creatures
as threats - and given the track record of human beings in terms of animal extinction,
it's well a warranted response 6 - Ground Sloth
• This one is technically cheating since they went extinct between 12 and 6 thousand
years ago, but they're interesting nonetheless and their relatives the tree sloth are still
around today • The megatherium sloth was known as one
of the biggest land mammals, near the size of an elephant or mammoth and up to 4 tons
in weight • While the ground sloth was a herbivore
that stripped away trees with its massive claws, it's been suggested that perhaps it
indulged in carnivorous activities from time to time, but it's never been proven
• Getting chased by one of these would've been like getting attacked by the world's
biggest bear 5 - Axoltl
• These ones are odd, a type of salamander that never undergo metamorphosis, so they
remain aquatic and gilled for their whole lives
• They're also of interest because of their ability to regenerate most body parts, how
easy it is for them to breed and how large their embryos are
• Because of their appearance, they're usually kept as pets all over the world: the United
States, UK, Australia and Japan to name a few
4 - Goblin Shark • A type of deep-sea shark that, despite
its ferocious & ungodly appearance, lies too far down in the ocean to pose any danger to
humans • Only a few have ever been seen, and those
that were rescued alive died very shortly after captivity
• In 2003 there was a massive earthquake in north-western Taiwan and hundreds were
caught - though captures since then have remained scant
3 - Aye-aye • This little creature is known to the Malagasy
people as a harbinger of misfortune, a plague upon villages and therefore must be killed
on sight to prevent bad luck • In reality though, the aye-ayes are nocturnal
primates about 16 inches in diameter with large beady eyes and spoon-like ears - as
well as the traditional 5 fingered monkey claw
2 - Yeti Crab • A crustacean first discovered in 2005
along the South Pacific Ocean with a silky blond fur-like material covering its legs,
all the way up to the claws • It was found deep in the ocean hanging
around hydrothermal vents, and because of this its eyes have developed a lack of pigment
- a possibility it might be blind • The pincers themselves contain a bacteria
that can detoxify poisonous materials emitted by the vents, and it eats algae and shrimp
1 - Saiga Antelope • Once thought to be extinct before it was
rediscovered, this is a living fossil from the days of the sabre-toothed tiger and woolly
mammoth 250,000 years ago • Over the years poaching have reduced their
numbers by 95% in 15 years and it's only in the last 5 years or so that we've started
trying to save their species - which has been largely successful, but they're still considered
critically endangered