Hi, it’s Katrina!
Some earthly creatures are so unique in appearance, they resemble something straight out of a
sci-fi movie.
From cute critters with fangs to frilly deep sea creatures, here are eight of some of the
most bizarre animals ever discovered.
8.
Antarctic Icefish
The Antarctic icefish was first caught off the coast of Bouvet Island in 1927 by a biologist
named Ditlef Rustad.
He named it the crocodile fish due to its long, toothed snout and protruding jaw.
The large-eyed species, which was white in some parts and transparent in others, had
no scales.
Rustad cut the pale fish open and discovered that it also had colorless blood.
Unlike other fish species, whose gills are crimson from being soaked in oxygenated blood,
the crocodile fish had white, milky gills.
Biochemist Johan Ruud confirmed in a 1954 Nature paper that the Antarctic icefish lacks
red blood cells and hemoglobin, an iron-rich protein that gives blood its red color and
transports oxygen throughout the body.
It’s the only species without both hemoglobin and red blood cells, out of roughly 50,000
known vertebrates.
In lieu of hemoglobin and red blood cells, the Antarctic icefish instead relies on oxygen
dissolved in plasma.
This method can only transport ten percent of the hemoglobin-filled blood of most fish,
which the icefish compensates for with a larger heart and blood vessels, denser capillary
beds, and a higher volume of blood.
The adaptation to these evolutionary features was hard, and the species likely only survived
the initial loss of hemoglobin thanks to the high oxygen content of the Antarctic Ocean.
Having few competitors and predators also probably helped.
7.
Thorny Devil
Like many other unique and dramatic species, the thorny devil is endemic to Australia.
It lives mostly in the arid shrubland and desert of the central region of the country.
It’s also known as the mountain devil, thorny lizard, thorny dragon, and moloch.
It has all kinds of nicknames because it makes an impression on people!
Most thorny devils are brown and tan in color.
Their hue is a camouflaging feature that helps them survive by blending into the desert because
they are not very aggressive.
These colors change, ranging from lighter during the warm weather to darker during the
cold weather.
Survival in the desert is made even easier by the lizard’s ability to collect water
by touching it with any body part, thanks to its ridged scales.
What’s unique about the thorny devil is that it’s covered in densely-packed, mostly
uncalcified conical spikes.
It’s like a baby dinosaur!
The animal’s entire upper side is adorned with these spikes, each one being no bigger
than a rose thorn.
In case you haven’t guessed, these spikes are a defense mechanism, and are thought to
dissuade predators from trying to swallow the animal.
In addition to being known for its spikes, the thorny devil has a reputation for its
distinctive gait, which involves taking a few slow steps, stopping, and wobbling back-and-forth.
This species also possesses a false head on its back, which is made of soft tissue.
When threatened, the thorny devil presents its false head by lowering its head between
its front legs.
While they are super cute, well, I think they are cute, since they are native to Australia,
it is illegal to keep them as pets or export them out of the country without a special
license in order to protect them.
6.
Hagfish
The next time you’re having a bad day, be glad you’re not a hagfish.
They’re reputed for being the ugliest creatures in the sea.
(Although it might be a tie between the hagfish and the blobfish, what do you think?
Let me know in the comments!!
The hagfish’s strange appearance isn’t the only mysterious thing about it.
Scientists aren’t quite sure whether to classify it as its own group of animals, as
a sort of link between vertebrates and invertebrates, or if it’s more closely related to vertebrates.
There are around 76 species of the homely hagfish, and they are a member of the Agnatha
class, which is dedicated to fish without jaws.
They dwell primarily in cold waters, and their habitat ranges from shallow to as deep as
5,500 feet (1,700 meters) below the surface.
Hagfish absorb nutrients through their skin and can go months without eating.
They have two rows of tooth-like structures made out of keratin, which are used for biting
into carcasses.
When scientists observed 300-million-year old hagfish fossils, they noticed that it’s
changed very little since then.
Tom Munroe, a fish zoologist at the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History, explained:
“It’s an indication, not that they’ve stalemated and are not evolving, but that
they have arrived at a body plan that is still very successful today.”
Despite being widely considered repulsive, the hagfish has its own holiday.
Hagfish Day occurs on the third Wednesday of October and is meant to remind people that
even the ugliest creatures on earth should be protected and respected.
5.
Florida Softshell Turtle
This is a mid-sized species native to the southeastern United States.
It dwells in freshwater habitats, including ponds, lakes, swamps, marshes, and even drainage
ditches.
This mostly aquatic species is known for its efficient digging and tunneling skills, as
well as its ability to move swiftly on land - for a turtle, that is.
Unlike the hard, plated shell of most turtle species, the Florida softshell turtle possesses
a leathery, oblong, bumpy shell, ranging in color from dark brown to olive green.
Reaching up to 29.9 inches (76 cm) in length, it’s the largest New World softshell turtle
species.
In captivity, the lifespan of this species can exceed 20 years.
One specimen, which was housed at the National Zoological Park in Washington, DC, reportedly
lived to be 36 years and eight months old.
It’s unknown how long the Florida softshell turtle lives on average in the wild.
4.
Chevrotain
The chevrotain, also called the mouse deer, resembles a strange mix of a deer, mouse,
and pig- with super creepy fangs!!.
However, it is technically none of the three.
While the chevrotain shares a suborder with deer, it is not a “true deer,” and is
classified as its own family, known as Tragulidae.
The Tragulidae family is separated into 2 with the true chevrotains on one side and
mouse deer on the other.
Scientists have placed one species, the spotted mouse deer, into its own subgenus, due to
its mysteriousness.
There are several species of chevrotain, ranging in size from four to 33 pounds.
(1.8 kg- 15 kg).
I don’t know about you, but 33 pounds seems kind of big, that’s the weight of a small
dog!
Creepy right??
This animal’s Dracula-like fangs stand in stark contrast to its otherwise adorable appearance.
These fangs are especially elongated in males, who use them to bite each other.
Told you, creepy!
Luckily, the chevrotain’s thick coat and strong neck and rump muscles protect it from
bites.
The chevrotain is known as an excellent diver that plunges into the water and swims toward
the bottom to evade predators.
It avoids being picked up by the current by scrunching along the waterbed and grabbing
onto reeds if they’re available, and can even hold its breath for up to four minutes.
The chevrotain is considered a rather primitive species and hasn’t evolved much throughout
its existence.
That’s actually pretty impressive because that means it hasn’t needed to to!
3.
Ocean Sunfish
Mola mola, known more commonly as the ocean sunfish, is the largest of all bony fish.
Its appearance has been described as a “big, floating blob” that “seems like only half
a fish.”
It developed this bullet-like shape because its back fin never grows after birth, but
folds into itself creating a rudder.
The silvery, rough-textured fish can’t fully close its mouth, due to its teeth fusing into
a beak-like structure.
In case you haven’t noticed these things can get huge!!
While the average is between 247 and 1,000 kg (545–2,205 lb), some large specimens
have been found that weigh up to 2,268 kg (5,000 lb).
They love to eat jellyfish, but will also eat other small fish and zooplankton.
The sad thing is they are considered vulnerable because they get caught in nets and will eat
a lot of plastic since in the ocean, it resembles jellyfish.
This clumsy swimmer is known for becoming overwhelmingly infested with skin parasites.
They will invite small fish and sometimes birds to help them get rid of the parasites
by eating them off.
The ocean sunfish will breach up to ten feet (3 m) out of the water and land with a splash
in an effort to shake them from its body.
They’re considered very curious fish and are known for coming up to divers to check
them out.
The ocean sunfish can be found in temperate and tropical waters throughout the globe.
Have any of you ever seen them in real life?
Let me know in the comments below!
2.
Gharial
The gharial, also called the gavial, is related to crocodiles and alligators.
It spends most of its time underwater and is only found in the rivers of northern India,
and Nepal.
This huge crocodilian grows between 12 and 15 feet long (3.6 m- 4.5 m) and weighs up
to 2,000 pounds (907 kg).
What sets it apart from its relatives is the ghara, a large growth on the snout possessed
by males.
This body part is used during mating displays and for communication.
They use it to make all kinds of noises and to blow bubbles!
Unlike other crocodilians, the gharial does not stalk or lunge at its prey.
It can detect vibrations in the water, thanks to sensory cells on its snout.
The gharial zeroes in on its prey, usually fish, by whipping its head from side-to-side.
Then, using its jaw, which contains more than 100 teeth, the gharial snatches its dinner.
The International Union for Conservation of Nature, or IUCN, lists the gharial as critically
endangered.
Its numbers have decreased as much as 98 percent since the mid-1990’s due to changes in its
freshwater habitat and being hunted for traditional medicine.
In other words, human activities are the number one threat to this species.
1.
Leafy Sea Dragon
The leafy sea dragon can easily be mistaken for an aquatic plant, but it’s actually
a fish.
With leaf-like appendages that enable it to blend perfectly among the seaweed and kelp
of its natural habitat, the leafy sea dragon is considered one of the most ornately camouflaged
creatures on the planet.
It’s closely related to the seahorse and pipefish and is endemic to the waters off
southern and eastern Australia.
This unique dragon can grow up to 1 foot long (30cm) and ranges in color from brown to yellow,
with olive-hued appendages.
The leafy sea dragon’s leaves, for lack of a better term, are not used for swimming,
as useful as they may seem for the task.
This creature has very thin pectoral and dorsal fins, which are almost transparent that it
uses to flutter around.
Its leaf-shaped appendages aren’t the only feature that makes the leafy sea dragon unique.
Like its relative, the seahorse, males are responsible for giving birth.
They possess a patch on the underside of their tail, which is where females deposit eggs
during breeding.
After four to six weeks of incubation and being carried by the male, the next generation
of leafy babies are born.
According to National Geographic, they are listed as near threatened since so many divers
were capturing them to keep in aquariums.
In the 1990’s the Australian government placed a complete protection on the species.
Thanks for watching!
Which one was your favorite?
Have you seen any of these in real life??
Let us know any stories you have and also let me know if you would like a part 2 because
there is plenty more where that came from.
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