From glowing reptiles to armored anteaters, here are the 8 most unique animals in
the world: Number 8 Hawksbill Sea Turtle
The hawksbill sea turtle has several features that distinguish it from other sea turtles
and one that makes it unique among all other reptile species.
Adults weigh about 180 pounds, on average, and measure around 3 feet in length.
Its shell features an irregular pattern of dark and light streaks, on an amber background.
One of this creature’s most distinguishable features is the thick bony plates, called
‘scutes’, which make up its sturdy shell.
The way in which the scutes overlap gives the rear margin of the shell a serrated look,
similar to the edges of a steak knife.
The turtle gets its common name from its beak-like mouth, which is more hooked and pronounced
than in other species.
Their forelimbs also have two claws on each flipper.
So far, the hawksbill sea turtle is the only known reptile to exhibit biofluorescence.
The feature was discovered by marine biologist David Gruber, on a turtle he filmed in the
Solomon Islands.
Filmed under a blue light, the turtle was glowing in stunning patterns of neon red and
green.
Scientists aren’t sure how this is happening but the main theory is the presence of biofluorescent
organisms in hawksbill sea turtle’s diet.
Number 7 Tarsier Tarsiers are the only primates in the Tarsiidae
family.
Found in the islands of Southeast Asia, these creatures are often difficult to spot because
they’re rarely over 16-inches tall.
They draw their name from the elongated tarsus bones of their feet.
Tarsiers also have elongated fingers, with the third one being roughly the same length
as their upper arm.
This bone structure makes them perfectly adapted for vertical leaping and climbing, which are
necessary activities in their largely arboreal life.
Despite being one of the smallest primates, tarsiers have enormous eyes, with an average
diameter of 0.63 inches.
In some cases, tarsiers’ eyes are larger than their entire brain.
Aside from their strange appearance, tarsiers also have a unique dental formula and they’re
the only known primate species that’s entirely carnivorous.
As ambush predators, they mainly feed on insects but are also known to prey on snakes, birds,
bats and lizards.
Number 6 Portuguese Man o’ War Named after an 18th century armed sailing
ship, the Portuguese man o’ war is a truly fascinating creature.
It might look like a jellyfish but it’s actually a siphonophore, a type of marine
animal composed of other individuals.
Whereas a true jellyfish is a single multicellular organism, the man o’ war is a colonial organism.
It’s made up of several individuals from the same species, called polyps or zooids.
Their physiology is so integrated that it has developed into a symbiotic relationship.
The polyps can’t survive on their own and need to work together to function like a single
animal to take care of defense, reproduction and feeding.
The man o’ war is translucent and tinged pink, purple, blue or mauve.
Its namesake sail is a structure that’s filled with gas, which rises several inches
above water.
Its venomous tentacles are extremely long, and may reach up to 100 feet.
In humans, the man o’ war’s sting can cause swelling of the larynx, cardiac distress,
airway blockage and, in rare cases, even death.
Number 5 Wallace’s Flying Frog Gliding flight has been observed independently
in several species of frogs, as an evolutionary adaptation to life in trees.
One of the first in which this feature was recorded is Rhacophorus nigropalmatus, the
largest and best known flying frog.
It’s commonly referred to as Wallace’s flying frog, after Alfred Russel Wallace,
the naturalist who first reported on it.
This brightly-colored frog has long limbs with enlarged feet and toes, which are webbed
up to the tips.
This feature, coupled with a fringe of skin stretching between its limbs, enable it to
parachute between tree branches and even to the forest floor.
As they leap from a tree, the membranes from its limbs, toes and feet begin to catch air,
enabling them to glide for up to 50 feet or more.
Their oversized toe pads help them to land softly and stick to tree trunks.
Number 4 Icefish First discovered in 1927, the icefish, also
known as the white-blooded fish, is found in the Southern Ocean around Antarctica.
Its ghostly appearance is the result of a rather unique trait.
Icefish are the only known vertebrates without hemoglobin in their blood as adults, which
is why their bodies are transparent.
Hemoglobin is a vital protein as it carries oxygen through the bloodstream.
Adult icefish also lack myoglobin, the oxygen-binding protein used in muscles.
For decades since its discovery, scientists have been puzzled by how these fish are able
to survive without it.
They initially believed they got most of the oxygen needed through its scaleless skin.
However, recent research indicates that the amount absorbed through the gills is much
larger than that absorbed by the skin.
To compensate for the lack of hemoglobin, icefish have grater blood volumes, larger
blood vessels and greater cardiac outputs than other fish.
Their hearts, which are also bigger, lack coronary arteries and their spongy ventricle
muscles enable them to absorb oxygen directly from the blood they pump.
Number 3 Axolotl The axolotl, commonly known as the Mexican
walking fish, has become critically endangered in its native habitat due to water pollution
and the introduction of invasive species.
Despite its common name, this creature is actually a salamander, unique among amphibians
because it doesn’t undergo metamorphosis to reach adulthood.
Instead of growing lungs and adapting to life on land, it remains aquatic and gilled.
The axolotl, named after an Aztec god, owns several god-like characteristics, particularly
when it comes to regeneration.
It heals itself without scarring and is capable of regenerating entire lost appendages, including
some less-vital parts of its brain.
This process usually takes a few months.
The axolotl can also readily accept transplants from other individuals, which include parts
of the brain and the eyes.
Their incredible healing ability has made them a model for the development of limbs
in vertebrates and the main focus of scientific research into regeneration.
Published in 2018, the axolotl genome is the largest animal genome to be completed so far.
The main objective of this research is to find out if and how its ability can be used
to better human life.
There may be some hope as, even though their genome is 10 times larger than that of humans,
the number of encoded proteins is similar.
Number 2 Platypus In the entire animal kingdom, there’s no
animal quite like Australia’s duckbilled platypus.
Because of its unusual appearance, some 19th century European naturalists thought the creature
to be an elaborate hoax when they first saw sketches of it.
The platypus is a carnivore with a beaver tail, otter feet and a duck’s bill, which
lays eggs and walks like a reptile.
Its body is covered in dense, brown, waterproof fur the texture of which resembles mole’s
fur.
It features a layer that traps insulating air and keeps its body warm.
The platypus is a semiaquatic animal and an excellent swimmer, thanks to its webbed feet.
Unlike most other mammals, the platypus has eyes with double cones, which are similar
to those of Pacific hagfish.
Both genders have a spur on their hind limbs but only the males can deliver venom through
it.
The venom is produced by the animal’s immune system and three protein components of it
are unique to the platypus.
The venom doesn’t seem to have a life threatening effect on humans but it may impair the victim
and it’s known to cause severe pain.
The platypus is among the few species of monotremes, mammals that lay eggs instead of giving birth
to live young.
Even though it has mammary glands, females lack teats and release milk through pores
in the skin.
Monotremes are the only mammals, apart from dolphins, known to have sense of electroreception.
Out of all the monotremes, the platypus has the best sense electroreception and its electroreceptors
are located in the bill.
When it dives to look for food, the platypus closes its ears, nose and eyes.
It can locate prey by detecting the electric field caused by muscle contractions.
When considering that all these outstanding traits are part of the same animal, it’s
fairly clear that the platypus is among nature’s most unique animals.
Number 1 Pangolin Pangolins are unique among mammals due to
the outstanding suit of armor that covers their bodies.
They are anteaters, part of the Pholidota order, which is Greek for ‘horny scale’.
Their physical appearance consists of plate-like scales which are made out of keratin, the
same material as our fingernails.
The pine cone is one of the closest things in nature to the appearance of a pangolin.
Whenever it feels threatened, the pangolin will curl up in a ball and protect its face
by tucking it into its tail.
The sharp scales act as armor, protecting it from predators.
These creatures can be arboreal and inhabit hollow trees, or ground-dwelling species,
which dig tunnels underground to depths of up to 11ft.
They use their strong front claws to dig into trees, soil and vegetation to find prey, mainly
insects, which they consume with their exceptionally long tongues.
Pangolins are remarkable creatures but, unfortunately, they’re currently threatened with extinction.
An estimated one million pangolins have been traded in the past decade to Vietnam and China.
In many parts of Africa they’re one of the most popular types of bush meat.
Although there’s an international ban on trade, illegal trafficking is still rampant,
mainly due to the unfounded belief in folk medicine that their ground-up scales can cure
cancer or asthma.
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