#10. NAKED MOLE RAT The naked mole-rat is not
that type of animal you see often. The animal has pale skin wrinkled all over and looked like
excess weight. Their feet are larger than other rodents and do not bear the same wrinkles.
In fact, they have perfectly bright pink feet that carry them around on
their overweight bodies. The rodent also has a mouth like a walrus. Tiny tusks are coming
out of their face and down to their chins. Furthermore, with a lifespan of 32 years,
this rodent lives five times more than other rodent cousins. Their wrinkly skin prevents
cancer, the most commonly known cause of death for mammals their size. The adverse conditions that
make mammals ill have no place with them, as they are highly resistant to all conditions. Moreover,
they do not suffer any neurodegeneration. If we paid attention, we might find out
a lot about our biology and anatomy as larger-sized mammals, similar to the rats
that look like they are wearing a teabag as skin. If a rodent living past 32-years is news to you,
you would be shocked to learn that Mantis shrimps are older than the dinosaurs. The aggressive
creatures have a strong strike and speed incomparable to their family. We will give you
more insight on the mantis shrimp shortly. #9. SEA PIG
A sea pig is a sea cucumber named after its pink and round body. Are you confused yet? The
water-filled sausage can grow up to 15cm, and it is found in every ocean in the world. They
eat everything as pigs do. For instance, when the carcass of an animal sinks down,
they will gather around it and feast with their little rigs of feeding tentacles.
Despite their tiny bodies, they are not preyed upon because they have
toxic chemicals in their skin. Now, imagine having this underwater bacon but not being
able to eat it. Tragic! #8. MANTIS SHRIMP
If you get into a fight with this weird creature, better believe that you are losing.
It strikes with the force of a speeding bullet and punches at 23m per second. For the features, we
can only classify them as unique. Dr. Martin How of the School of Biological Sciences, University
of Bristol, calls it a complex subject to study? When he worked as an advisor on Life in Color, he
spoke about the animal, which is neither a shrimp nor a mantis. He said, "They have probably the
most complex vision of any animal we've looked at so far. It's just astonishing and mind-blowingly
complex.' He added, "they can see many colors with their independently-moving eyes. Plus,
they have ultraviolet sensors and polarization vision.” The shrimp has 12 color receptacles,
and when they strike, the water illuminates, blinding the opponent. As mentioned earlier,
the Mantis shrimp is not a shrimp or mantis. It is, in fact, a stomatopod. They are a different
group who have existed for over 400 million years. Their engineering is so incredible due
to their different evolution. #7. RED-LIPPED BATFISH
The red-lipped batfish can be found on the Galapagos Islands, walking the seafloor with
its fins as legs. It lives about 75 meters below sea level. The batfish is not a talented swimmer,
so it relies on its legs made of fins. The swimming bit might be due to their closeness to
bats on land. It thrusts the pelvic fins forward and sues its tail to propel it through the water
for swimming purposes. The wide-mouth species like to flaunt a fabulous pout, which it uses to
attract mates in reproduction. In addition, it has a chemical-emanating lure stored in an illicium on
top of its head. It uses that to attract the small fishes it feeds on. Meanwhile, the red-lipped
batfish does not have any known predators. Occasionally, it would have to face off with
their species over mating calls and territories. Aside from that, it is liberated at the bottom
of the ocean. Hence, we will continue to hear of it but not see much of it for a long time.
#6. TARSIER The Tarsier has each eye as big as
its brain. When comparing the eyes to the overall size of the mammal, this is the most inconsistent
among all mammals. To illustrate, if the average human had eyes as wide as Tarsiers, they would be
the size of grapefruits. Due to the size of their eyes, they are unable to swivel like humans and
other mammals. Instead, they have to make a turn of their entire body to a full 180 degrees if they
need to look around. This technique helps when they have to find prey because they do not seem
to be looking in any direction—just turning in the opposite direction of wherever the prey might
be standing. It is worth noting that the Tarsier is the only mammal entirely carnivorous primate.
They do not accept any form of plants in their diet. Their dietary choices include reptiles,
birds, and insects. As well, Tarsiers have lived almost 55 million years in trees with
their 15cm bodies. They hand onto trees with their springy feet and fingers protected by
swollen pads. The creatures are found around Malaysia, the Philippines, Brunei, and Indonesia.
#5. STAR NOSED-MOLE Think of a nose that is as wide as a palm.
The star-shaped nose also has over 25,000 sensory receptors on the nose. These receptors can detect
seismic waves and electrical signals from aquatic prey. The nose itself is typical; the tentacle
around it gives it a massive representation. This nose looks like a spider created it,
or it would like to live in it when things get rough. The star-nosed mole is the only mole to
reside in swamps and marshlands. It does not struggle to breathe or smell when the mole
is underwater. It needs to blow air bubbles and suck them back into its nostrils. Another quirky
fact about this creature is that its balls swell up to over 10% of its total body mass.
To compare, an average human being is walking around with a bowling ball in their pants. Lastly,
the star-nosed-mole does not eat slowly. It sizes up prey pretty quickly and decides if it is edible
or not in a short time. It eats up a prey's body in a single gulp under a quarter of a second.
#4. GREAT POTOO And the Oscar goes to,
Potoo! We should be grateful that we even know what these animals are. The Great Potoo has
never felt the need to be authentic, always in a scripted motion. Its camouflage is to mimic tree
stomps while waiting for its prey. It can also pretend to be a tree branch so that unfortunate
prey would perch on them. Great Potoo stands at about 60cm and spreads its wings around 70cm wide.
A point worthy of mention is that the Great Potoo is entirely carnivorous, so it eats everything,
including other birds. Even when it camouflages, it does not open an eye to giving its trick away.
The bird has a tiny opening below its eyelids that act as another set of eyes when they close
their original eyes. Indeed, the nocturnal camouflage notices every movement possible.
It can sense movement even in its sleep with the unusual slits in the eyelid. The eyes are also
large enough to cover a big part of the skull. To conclude, they are known as top vocalists in
the bird universe. Their oversized mouths make the sound of angry foxes, and it can be quite pleasing
if you have never heard it. #3. PACIFIC BARRELEYE FISH
Please take a good look at this fish and tell me what you see. Well, you do not have to say
to me because we all thought it was a submarine at first. This fish was first discovered alive
in 2004 during a Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute deployed ROV filming. We only saw the
Spookfish dead and washed ashore until this live footage. The Spookfish's name is derived
from his googly eyes that look like an exaggerated costume. Due to their rarity, scientists had never
discovered the transparent hood that marine biologists described as a clear bubble-like
an astronaut's helmet. The fish does not have eyes on its face but instead upward on its head.
The ultra-sensitive eyes keep it protected from predators that tower over it from the top.
The telescopic eyes can swivel forward, down, or up. Being in the ocean with countless prey and
predators, one must have a 3D vision to survive, and this submarine of a fish has just that.
Another fish that was discovered late is the Ghost shark. It shares a name with sharks, but that is
only because they have the same birth styles. This frail animal has cartilage for a skeleton,
and it breaks under intense pressure. We will share more on it with you shortly.
#2. FLOPPY SNAKE This amphibian has a phallic posture,
although it is not what you are all thinking. If you googled it, you would find that its other
name is the part of the male anatomy that is too sexually suggestive for a channel about biology.
Wait; is it weird to say the P-word on a channel that keeps talking about male and
female animals and their reproduction? You tell us in the comments. Anyway, this creature is
not a snake, but one cannot tell much about it. It was first discovered in the 1800s and
rediscovered in 2011 with two known specimens so far. The floppy snake grows up to 81cm in length.
It does not have good eyesight, although it makes up for it with smell. Their habitat,
in Amazonian rivers, requires more than seeing to navigate since the visibility is already poor.
Therefore, it is worth the combination. Despite it being amphibian, it tends to be more aquatic.
#1. GHOST SHARK Ghost sharks have only been a part
of aquatic vocabulary since 2002. As of 2022, we still do not know much about them. The creatures
live in the freezing part of the ocean, between 400 and 6,600 feet down the ocean floor. The name
originates from their fins that look like fins and their dead eyes. When people see these creatures,
they react as if they have seen a ghost – hence the name. Ghost sharks are not a type of shark.
They are fish made of cartilage skeleton for bones. The only similarity between them and actual
sharks is that they lay mermaid purses, their egg capsules, on the seafloor as sharks do. In the egg
capsule, there is a yolk to feed the offspring until the embryo is fully developed and hatched.
Newly hatched ghost sharks have a belly full of yolk at birth. There is so much more than marine
biologists could learn about these species, and soon they would. But for now, look at the ghost
shark as if you have seen the ghost of a shark. Which animal did you find the most weird?