The most unusual animals in the world. The most amazing animal in the world. The most unusual and rare animals in the world Interesting animal world

Today I decided to write about the most unusual animals on our planet. As it turned out, there are quite a few of them; I didn’t even know about many of them before. I'll start my post with Star-nosed:

An unusual mole that feeds on insects. Gives it originality fleshy nose with 22 pink tentacles.

Fainting goats

In the state of Tennessee, through the efforts of breeders, a breed of goats was developed that, in emergency situations, fall into a stupor. This is due to a rare genetic disease - in stressful situations The animals experience complete muscular paralysis, since it is impossible to stand in this state; they fall onto their sides or onto their backs. At the same time, the goats are fully conscious. Situations in which a fainting goat may lose its “feelings”: a threat to life, a large amount of its favorite grain and a charming representative of the opposite sex.

Angora rabbit

One of the most ancient breeds of rabbits, and the fluffiest.

Aye-aye or Little Hand

Lives in Madagascar. Despite the fact that it resembles a rodent, it belongs to the suborder of prosimians.

Pacu fish

A relative of the piranha. Gained fame thanks to human teeth. The basis of the fish’s diet is plants and nuts, however, there are legends about biting male testicles.

Giant isopod

It looks like a huge woodlice and lives underwater at a depth of 170-2000 meters. It can reach up to 37 cm in length and weigh 1.7 kg.

Snakehead

The fish differs not only in appearance, but also bad character. She eats all the fish in the pond, not excluding her offspring. But that’s not all - when everything in the reservoir is eaten, the fish moves to land - in search of a suitable victim, the fish can remain on the ground for up to three days. There are known cases of attacks on people.

Saigas have lived on earth since the time of mammoths and saber-toothed tigers; they are one of the most ancient mammals.

Grimpoteuthys or Dumbo the Octopus

The deepest sea octopus. Can live at a depth of 4900 meters. Personally, it looks like Pikachu to me

Red-lipped damselfish

Inhabitants Galapagos Islands, mostly move along the bottom instead of swimming. They became widely known thanks to such provocative “makeup”.

Maned wolf

It can be found in South America. Unusual long legs have developed as a result of evolution, so the animal can overcome better tall grass, growing on the plains.

Hell Vampire

The only cephalopod that can live at a depth of a thousand meters.

Japanese giant salamander

The largest amphibian. It can grow up to 160 cm in length and reach a weight of up to 180 kg. Life expectancy is up to 150 years.

bearded pig

There are three types of bearded pig: the curly bearded pig, the Bornean bearded pig and the Palawan bearded pig.

Sumatran rhinoceroses

Even-toed ungulates are animals from the rhinoceros family. The smallest representatives of their family.

Forest giraffe or okapi

A bizarre animal that resembles a zebra horse. Found only in the area Democratic Republic Congo. The female carries the cubs for a whopping 450 days!

Palm thief

The decapod crayfish got its nickname due to its addiction to coconuts. They can grow up to 40 cm in length and weigh 4 kg.

Mudskipper

Jumpers inhabit mangrove forests and tropical coasts. Not only do they feel great on the ground, but they can also climb trees. To attract partners they jump high.

Tibetan fox

One of the smallest representatives of its species, the fox's head appears square due to its thick fur.

Mouse Deer Kanchili

The smallest representative of artiodactyls. Adult size mouse deer is 44-45 cm. Life expectancy is 12 years.

However, not all representatives of the fauna are known a large number of people. This is due to the fact that many animals live in habitats that are difficult for humanity to reach, or are endangered and their numbers are very limited.

This article presents a list of the 15 most amazing and unusual animals on Earth.

Frilled armadillo

This animal is endemic to central Argentina. Top part The body is covered with a shell (however, it is much softer than the others), and the lower part is covered with fur. These amazing frilled armadillos have massive claws on their front legs that allow them to dig holes in compacted soil.

Fossa

Fossa is an animal similar to a puma big size and is considered the largest of Madagascar. For a long time The species belonged to, but now Fossa belongs to the family of Madagascar civets. Their semi-retractable claws allow the animals to climb up trees and descend just as easily.

Tufted deer

This small species of deer is common in central China and is known for its tuft of dark fur on its forehead. The males of this species also have long fangs that protrude from the mouth of this unusual animal.

Gerenuk

This long-necked antelope species, also called the giraffe gazelle, is found in eastern Africa. This slightly strange animal has long legs and a neck, thanks to which it is able to feed on branches and leaves. tall trees. The characteristics of gerenuks also make them incredibly cute and a little awkward.

Naked mole rat

And although they look ugly, naked mole rats pretty amazing animals. They live up to 28 years, which has no analogues among other similar creatures, and retain their fertility for almost their entire life. They are often used in cancer and aging research. All these cool things can make up for the fact that this creature is not the most beautiful on our planet.

Irrawaddy dolphin

By appearance The Irrawaddy dolphin is similar to, although most closely related to, the killer whale. The main features of this animal are: the absence of a beak (like other dolphins) and the presence of a flexible neck. This species is common in the waters South-East Asia and Bay of Bengal.

Southern right whale dolphin

These fast and active swimmers Southern Hemisphere there are no teeth or dorsal fin, unlike other dolphins. Their body color is black and white. Adults grow up to 3 m long and weigh up to 100 kg, with females being larger than males.

Malayan woolwing

This unusual animal is also known as the flying lemur, however, it does not fly, but jumps and glides. Despite its name, it is not related to lemurs. The Malayan woolly wing lives in trees in Southeast Asia and is a nocturnal animal. The main features of these woolly wings are: a membrane of skin that connects all limbs, neck and tail; the presence of suction discs on the soles; as well as binocular vision.

Zebra duiker

These extraordinary antelopes live in the tropical forests of Ivory Coast and other African countries. They primarily feed on leaves and fruits. The main difference between these animals is their “zebra” stripes.

Star-nosed

These members of the mole family live in the humid, low-lying areas of eastern Canada and the northeastern United States. Starfish use their pink, fleshy tentacles (which contain about 25,000 receptors) as sensory organs. They also use them for digging.

Raccoon dog

These East Asian dogs, also known as tanukis, are similar in coat color to raccoons, but are not related by blood. Raccoon dogs are characterized by their small body size, omnivorous diet, and nocturnal lifestyle. Main feature these animals are hibernation, which is not common among other canids.

Horned goat

The critically endangered marking goat is found in northeastern Afghanistan and Pakistan and is also the national animal of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan. When they chew the cud, foam falls from their mouth and dries on the ground, which is then collected local residents, and is used as a snake antidote. The name of the animal comes from the shape of its horns, which resemble a screw or a corkscrew.

Hairy crab (Yeti crab)

These unusual ones were discovered on seabed Pacific Ocean, where hydrothermal springs rich in minerals are located. They belong to the family Kiwaidae and their body is covered with a huge number of feathery bristles that look like fur.

Roxellanov's rhinopithecus

These monkeys live in Asia and are found in small groups of 5 to 10 individuals, or in large groups of up to 600 rhinopithecus. They are known for their impressive vocal repertoire as well as their unique and colorful appearance.

Maned wolf

This species is considered the largest South American representative of the canid family. It has an unusual appearance and resembles a long-legged fox more than a wolf, although it is not closely related to either foxes or wolves. It is likely that the animal's long legs are an adaptation for life in the vast expanses of high meadows. The mane is capable of rising, and is usually used to increase the size of the animal when the animal feels threatened or aggressive.

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Some are sad that dragons exist only in fairy tales, and there are no unusual animals left on earth. However, here is a list of the most unusual animals on the planet that debunk this statement.

Foliar sea ​​Dragon. This sea ​​fish is a relative seahorse and lives in the waters of western and southern Australia. Usually the sea dragon can be found in shallow waters, where the water warms up quite well. A distinctive feature of the animal is the processes on the body and head, which resemble leaves and serve for camouflage. In the water, the dragon moves with the help of a fin, which is located on the crest of the neck, and the dorsal fin near the tip of the tail is also used. The animal's fins are completely transparent. The dragon is not so small - it can grow up to 45 cm. Interestingly, the leafy sea dragon is the official emblem of the state of South Australia.

Biruang or Malayan bear. This mammal belongs to the bear family. The biruang lives in Indochina and Indonesia. This bear has a stocky figure with a short but wide muzzle. The biruang's ears are short and round in shape. On the high limbs there are huge paws with large curved claws. The bear's feet are bare and its fangs are small. The fur of the biruang is smooth, hard and short, the color is black, turning into roan yellow. On the chest of the animal there is usually a spot resembling the rising sun. Biruang leads night look life, during the day he sleeps or sunbathes in the trees, where he arranges a home for himself, similar to a nest. This animal is noteworthy in that it is the smallest representative of the bear family, and is also very rare. The length of the biruang does not exceed one and a half meters, the height is no more than 70 cm, and the weight is from 27 to 65 kg.

Komondor. This breed of dog is also called the Hungarian Shepherd. It lives everywhere, as it is a domestic animal. When keeping a dog you cannot do without special care for the fur, because its length can reach almost a meter. The wool should not be combed, but as it grows, the strands simply need to be separated, otherwise the hair will become matted. This Hungarian Shepherd has an impressive size, being one of the largest dogs in the world. The height at the withers of males can exceed 80 cm, and the length White wool, folded into laces, further increases the visual size of the animal. Feeding a Komondor is not as difficult as it might seem. Like any other herding dogs, they are completely unpretentious and require about 1 kg of food per day.

Angora rabbit. This is a mammal from the rodent breed. This rabbit is distributed everywhere as this animal is also a domestic animal. The Angora rabbit looks truly impressive; in some specimens, the fur reaches 80 cm in length. It is very valuable, many useful things are made from it, including scarves, stockings, gloves, and just fabrics. Women like to breed Angora rabbits, which is why the animal is also called “ladies' rabbit”. Its average weight is 5 kg, its body length is up to 60 cm, and its chest circumference is 38 cm. Rabbits should be brushed every week; if the fur is not taken care of, it will quickly lose its appearance, becoming simply disgusting.

Little panda. This animal of the raccoon family lives in China, Nepal, Burma and India. This panda cannot be found west of Nepal. The animal lives in mountain forests with bamboo at an altitude of 2 to 4 kilometers above sea level with temperate climate. The fur of the red panda is red or hazel on top, and dark or reddish-brown, even black, below. The hair on the back has yellow tips. The panda's paws are glossy black and its tail is red. The head of the animal is light, while the muzzle is almost white, near the eyes there is a pattern similar to a mask. The red panda's lifestyle is predominantly nocturnal. During the day, covered with her tail, she sleeps in her hollow. If the animal senses danger, it quickly climbs the tree. Their movement on the ground is awkward and slow, but in the trees they move quickly. But pandas still feed on the ground, choosing young leaves and bamboo shoots. The length of the red panda is 51-64 cm, and it is worth adding a long (28-48 cm) tail. Its weight is from 3 to 4.5 kilograms. These animals prefer a solitary lifestyle. The female allocates herself a territory of 2.5 square kilometers, and the male - twice as much.

Sloth. This partial-toothed mammal lives in the South and Central America. The sloth is known to everyone for its habit of living - almost all the time it hangs on a branch with its back down, while spending 15 hours every day sleeping. All behavior of animals and their physiology are designed for the most severe energy savings, since their diet includes exclusively low-calorie leaves, the digestion of which takes up to a month. A well-fed sloth can concentrate 2/3 of its weight on food in its stomach. In order to remain motionless and remove leaves from large territory, animals have long neck. In an active state, their body temperature is 30-34 degrees, but in a resting state it is even lower. Since animals are absolutely helpless on the ground, they do not like to get down from the trees; this process is also energy-consuming. Sloths still sometimes find themselves on the ground in order to fulfill rare natural needs (this happens several times a week thanks to the huge bladder), as well as to move to other trees. You can often see these animals gathering in forks huge trees in groups, this allows them to save energy, and it is also possible that the animals also mate lazily. The body weight of sloths ranges from 4 to 9 kg, and their length is about 60 centimeters. Interestingly, the animals are so slow that fire butterfly settlements are often found in their fur.

Imperial tamarin. This prehensile-tailed monkey lives in the rain forests of the Amazon basin, as well as in Peru, Bolivia and northwestern Brazil. The special feature of the tamarin is immediately visible - it is a special white mustache that hangs in two strands to the shoulders and chest. There are nails only on the big toes of the hind legs, while the rest have claws. These monkeys spend the main part of their lives in trees, where they cannot reach others. large species primates. Tamarins do not live alone, but in groups of 2-8 individuals. Moreover, each member has its own rank, and at the top of the hierarchy there is always an old female. It is not surprising that with such a “matriarchy” the males carry the cubs. The body length of monkeys is only about 25 cm, while their tail can reach 35 cm. Adults weigh no more than 250 grams.

White-faced saki. This broad-nosed monkey lives in rainforests, arid forests, and savannas of the Amazon, Suriname, Venezuela and Brazil. The animal has a black coat color, and the front of the heads, throat and forehead of males are almost white. Sometimes the head may have a reddish tint. The tail of monkeys is fluffy and long, but does not have grasping functions, and the fur is soft and thick. Females have the standard uniform brown color for all. Around their mouth and nose there is light stripes. Males can weigh up to 2 kg, females slightly less. The body length of monkeys is about 30 cm, and the tail is up to half a meter. White-faced sakis spend their entire lives in trees. IN lower tiers tropical forest they rarely descend, only in search of food. Monkeys are active both at night and during the day. If they are in danger, animals escape with the help of long jumps, with the tail acting as a balancer.

Tapir. This large equid eats grass and lives in Central America, as well as warm places South America and southeast Asia. Tapirs are remarkable because these mammals are quite ancient - tapir-like animals lived 55 million years ago. The closest modern relatives These animals are other equids - rhinoceroses and animals. The front legs of animals are four-toed, and the hind legs are three-toed. The toes have small hooves that help them move on wet and soft ground. The size of tapirs depends on their species, usually their length is about two meters, the height at the withers does not exceed a meter. The weight of the animals ranges from 150 to 300 kg. Tapirs living in forests are extremely fond of water. Their main food is berries, leaves and fruits. Natural enemies the tapir has little, but the main danger comes from humans who hunt these harmless animals for their meat and skin.

Hagfish. This animal of the jawless class lives in the seas temperate latitudes while sticking to the bottom. Hagfish can be found even at a depth of 400 meters, and its length reaches 80 cm. If the water salinity is less than 29%, then the animals stop feeding, and salinity below 25% is fatal to them. Interestingly, the hagfish's mouth does not contain a suction disc, but is surrounded by only two antennae. These animals bite into the skin of the victim with horny teeth, and enzymes are injected that dissolve proteins. The prey of hagfishes are weakened invertebrate and vertebrate animals and carrion. You can often find fish skeletons covered with skin, inside of which lives a hagfish that has eaten all the insides. In Japan and some other countries, hagfish are successfully used as food.

Star-nosed. This mole-family mammal feeds on insects and is found in the United States and Canada. Externally, the starfish differs from its fellow members of the family only in its characteristic stigma in the form of a rosette or star of 22 fleshy and mobile bare rays. The size of this mole also differs little from the usual European one; the animal’s tail is relatively long, reaching 8 cm, and is covered with sparse hair and scales. When the starfish is busy searching for food, the rays of its stigma are in constant motion, with the exception of the two middle-upper ones, which always look forward and do not bend. But when a mole eats, its rays are pulled together into a small group, and while eating, the animal holds the food with its front paws. In order to drink, the star-nosed fish has to immerse both its whiskers and the entire stigma in water for 5-6 seconds.

Nosach. This monkey of the marmoset family can only be found on the island of Borneo, where it has chosen coastal areas. Most distinctive feature The animal, of course, is a large nose, similar to a cucumber. However, this trait is inherent only in males. The upper part of the proboscis monkey is colored yellowish-brown, and the lower part is white. The hairless face is red, the arms, legs and tail are gray. The size of these monkeys is usually from 66 to 75 cm, the length of the tail is approximately equal to the length of the body. Males weigh from 16 to 22 kg, while females weigh half as much. Proboscis monkeys love and know how to swim; they jump into the water directly from trees; monkeys can swim up to 20 meters under water. They are considered the best swimmers among primates.

Small cape-bearer. Many people have heard about armadillos, but do you know about caped bats? This mammal of the edentate family has chosen the steppes and savannas of Central and South America. The uniqueness of the frilled bears is that they are the only modern mammals today whose body is covered on top with a shell formed by dermal ossifications. The shell includes shoulder, pelvic and head shields, as well as a number of hoop-like stripes that encircle the body both from above and from the sides. The parts of the shell are connected to each other by flexible connective tissue, which allows the entire shell to remain mobile. Frilled armadillos can be only 12 cm long, but the giant armadillos belonging to this family reach a length of a meter. The length of the tail of these animals varies from 2.5 cm to 50 cm. Frilled bats can hold their breath for up to 6 minutes, as they have voluminous respiratory tracts and serve as a reservoir for air. Thanks to this, animals easily cross bodies of water; often they simply walk along the bottom. The weight of the heavy shell can be compensated for by the collected air, so the armadillo also has the ability to swim.

Axolotl. This larval form of an amphibian plant of the Ambystomaceae family lives in the mountain ponds of Mexico. A special feature of the axolotl is 6 shaggy and long branches, 3 growing on each side of the head. In fact, these are not decorations, but gills. Periodically, the larva, pressing them to the body, shakes them, thereby freeing itself from organic residues. The axolotl's swimming is facilitated by its wide and a long tail. This amazing animal can breathe with both gills and lungs. If there is a sufficient amount of oxygen in the water, the axolotl uses the lungs, in which case the gills partially atrophy over time. The total length of the amphibian reaches 30 cm, their lifestyle is measured, and they try not to expend a lot of energy on their actions. This predator prefers to lie quietly in ambush at the bottom, waiting for prey and occasionally making raids to the surface for air.

Aye-aye or Madagascar little hand. This largest animal of all nocturnal primates lives in Madagascar. The aye-aye occupies the same ecological niche as woodpeckers. This species was discovered quite recently; it numbers only a few dozen individuals, and is therefore extremely rare. Especially aye-ayes are brown in color with white speckles, have a fluffy large tail, and, as already noted, like woodpeckers, feed on larvae and worms. Initially, because of the large teeth of these primates, it was assumed that they fed like rodents. Aye-ayes weigh about 2.5 kg, their body length is 30-37 cm, and their tail can reach 16 cm.

Alpaca. In Peru, Bolivia or Chile, at an altitude of 3.5-5 kilometers you can see this unusual animal of the camel family. The main thing in alpaca is wool, which has as many as 24 shades. It is much lighter in weight than sheep, and is not inferior in quality. Up to 5 kg of wool is sheared from one individual once a year. The alpaca does not have front teeth, so the animal is forced to collect food with its lips and chew it with its side teeth. Alpaca is very inquisitive, good-natured and intelligent. The animal's height reaches 86 cm, and its weight ranges from 45 to 77 kg. Once upon a time, the Indians believed that in order to bless an alpaca's wool, it was necessary to tear out its heart. Despite the barbaric roots of this custom, there are still cases of killing these gentle animals in this way.

Tarsier. These animals live in Southeast Asia, mainly on the islands, and they belong to the primates. Their feature is their long hind legs and large head, which can turn almost 360 degrees. Tarsiers have good hearing, their fingers are very long, and are bare and round. Primates have gray or brown soft fur. But most of all they stand out for their eyes, which have a diameter of up to 16 mm. If you project them onto a person’s height, it will be the size of an apple. The animals themselves are quite small, their height is from 9 to 16 cm. But the tail can significantly exceed the length of the body, reaching up to 28 cm. The weight of a tarsier ranges from 80 to 160 grams. Once upon a time these animals played important role in the superstitions and mythology of the peoples of Indonesia. Due to the peculiarities of the rotation of the animal’s head, people for a long time believed that it was not attached to the body at all, therefore, a collision with them was dangerous, since the same fate could await a person.

Dumbo Octopus. This peculiar octopus is cephalopods. He lives in the depths of the Tasman Sea, and his size is small, about half the palm of a man. The octopus' nickname comes from the name of the baby elephant Dumbo, a famous cartoon character. Everyone mocked him because of the large size of his ears, but the octopus has a pair of long and oar-like fins that resemble ears. The individual tentacles of the animal are connected by a flexible and thin membrane called the umbrella. It is this, together with the fins, that serves as the octopus’s main engine. Thus, Dumbo Octopus moves in a similar manner to jellyfish, pushing water out from under the umbrella.

Frilled lizard. This animal lives in the dry steppes and forest-steppes of Australia and New Guinea. The lizard can have different colors - from yellow-brown to black-brown. She has a very long tail, which makes up 2/3 of the entire length of her body. The most noticeable feature of the animal is skin fold around the head, similar to a collar and adjacent to the body. This formation contains many blood vessels. The frilled lizard itself has strong limbs and sharp claws. The length of the lizard reaches 801-00 cm, while females have significantly modest sizes. Sensing danger, the animal opens its mouth and protrudes its bright collar, which can be 30 cm from the body. The lizard stands on its hind legs, begins to hiss and beat its tail on the ground. However, such a terrifying appearance does not at all characterize the character of the animal.

Narwhal. This unusual unicorn mammal lives in the waters of the Arctic Ocean and the North Atlantic. It is not known exactly why the narwhal needs its tusk, because it does not seem to pierce the ice crust with it. The fact is that the narwhal’s tusk is a very sensitive organ; with its help, the animal measures temperature, pressure and the relative concentration of suspended particles in the water. By crossing their tusks, narwhals most likely clear them of growths, thus helping each other. The animals stand out for their size - their length is from 3.5 to 4.5 meters, the height of only newborns is about 1.5 meters. Males can weigh up to one and a half tons, and females can weigh about 900 kg. At the same time, fat makes up about a third of the weight of animals. Narwhals have pectoral fins and their suckers are dark in color, making the animals similar to beluga whales. But in adult individuals, gray and brown spots appear on a light background of the body, which can merge. Narwhals only have two upper teeth. The left one develops in males into a tusk, which weighs up to 10 kg, is 203 meters long and twists in a left-hand spiral, while the right tooth usually does not erupt. In rare cases (0.2%), males may also develop a right tusk, or females may develop a tooth hidden in the gums.

Madagascar suckerfoot. This chiropteran mammal, as the name suggests, is found only in Madagascar. The animal is only 6 cm in length and weighs 8-10 grams, while the tail can reach 5 cm. Interestingly, the ecology and biology of the suckerfoot is poorly understood. Scientists suggest that rolled palm leaves serve as a refuge for them, to which they stick with their suction cups. They are the special characteristics of animals. Rosette suckers are located directly on the skin at the base of the big toes, as well as on the soles of the hind limbs. All caught suckers lived near water. These animals are protected by law, as their species is very vulnerable.

Dwarf marmoset. This primate is one of the smallest, it belongs to broad-nosed monkeys. The marmoset lives in South American countries - Ecuador, Peru, Brazil. An adult weighs no more than 120 grams. The primate's nostrils are directed forward, which is unusual, but the nose is quite large and wide. In captivity, the marmoset feels great; to keep it, you just need to keep it constant temperature at 25-29 degrees and high humidity at 60%.

Drop fish. Scientific name for her is Psychrolutes marcidus. The fish lives in the Pacific, Indian and Atlantic Ocean, preferring greater depth (about 2800 meters). In such places, the pressure is usually several ten times higher, so the gel-like composition of the body with a density lower than that of water helps the fish maintain viability and swim with little energy consumption. The body length of the drop fish can reach 65 cm, although it does not have muscles, it is quite content with the prey that swims around it.

Platypus. This waterfowl can only be found in Australia. Instead of an ordinary mouth, this animal is equipped with a beak, thanks to which it can, however, feed like birds in the mud. The body of the platypus is usually 30-40 cm in length, while the tail is 10-15 cm in size. The weight of the animal is no more than 2 kg, with females being about 30% smaller. Few people know that the platypus is one of the few poisonous mammals. Although the poison is not fatal to humans, it can cause a severe headache, and swelling forms at the site of the bite, which will gradually grow. As a result, the pain may persist for many days or even several months.

Shoebill or royal heron. This bird of the order locusts can only be found in Africa. Although the shoebill's neck is not very thick and long, the bird's head is quite large with a small crest at the back. The heron's beak is wide, it seems to be swollen. At the very tip of the beak there is a hanging hook. Typically, the shoebill's plumage is dark gray; on the back, unlike the chest, there is powdery down. The bird's legs are black and long, its tongue is short. The glandular stomach is quite large, but there is no muscular stomach at all. The size of the bird is quite large - in a standing position its height reaches 90 cm, while the wing length is 65-69 cm. The Shoebill leads an advantageous sedentary lifestyle - it usually stands motionless, with its beak pressed to its chest. Food for the bird is various animals that live in the water - fish, frogs, turtles and small crocodiles.

The extraordinary world of animals is very diverse and rich. Nature never repeats its creations twice; it moves forward, creating more and more new species of animals that never cease to amaze the human eye with their unusualness and the smallest details that help them adapt to life on earth, underground, in water or in the air. Sometimes you can only wonder how unusual creatures exist on our planet. Our selection of the most unusual creatures in all respects is dedicated to these animals.

• Axolotl

The larval form of an amphibian from the Ambystomaceae family. Lives in mountain ponds in Mexico. On the sides of the axolotl's head grow long, shaggy branches, three on each side. These are gills. Periodically, the larva presses them to the body and shakes them to clean them of organic residues. The axolotl's tail is long and wide, which helps it when swimming. It is interesting that the axolotl breathes with both gills and lungs - if the water is poorly saturated with oxygen, then the axolotl switches to pulmonary breathing, and over time its gills partially atrophy. : Total length - up to 30 cm. Axolotls lead a very calm, measured lifestyle, without bothering themselves with unnecessary energy expenditure. They lie calmly on the bottom, sometimes, wagging their tail, they rise to the surface of the water “for a breath of air.” But this is a predator attacking its prey from an ambush.

• Aye-aye

This is the largest animal among the nocturnal primates. Lives in eastern and northern parts Madagascar, in the same ecological niche as woodpeckers.
Special features: It has a brown color with white speckles and a large fluffy tail; like woodpeckers, it feeds mainly on worms and larvae, although it was initially believed - because of their teeth - that they feed like rodents. Weight – about 2.5 kg. Length – 30-37 cm without tail and 44-53 cm with tail. One of the rarest animals on the planet - several dozen individuals, which is why it was discovered relatively recently. The animal looks very unusual, which is why it ranks high on our list of the most unusual animals.

• Narwhal

This unicorn is a mammal from the unicorn family. The narwhal is found in high latitudes - in the waters of the Northern Arctic Ocean and in the North Atlantic. The size and shape of the body, pectoral fins and the dark coloration of their suckers, narwhals are similar to beluga whales, but adult individuals are distinguished by their spotting - grayish-brown spots on a light background, which sometimes merge - and the presence of only two upper teeth. Of these, the left one grows in males into an unusual tusk up to 2-3 meters long and weighing up to 10 kg, twisted in a spiral, while the right one often does not even erupt. The right tusk in males and both tusks in females are hidden in the gums and grow rarely, usually in one case out of 500. The body length of an adult narwhal is 3.5-4.5 m, newborns are about 1.5 meters. The weight of males reaches 1.5 tons, of which approximately a third of the weight is fat; females weigh about 900 kg. Why the narwhal has a tusk is not precisely determined, but it is definitely not for breaking through the ice crust, as many researchers believe. This tusk is a sensitive organ and most likely helps the mammal sense changes in pressure, temperature and concentration of suspended particles in the water. By crossing their tusks, narwhals probably clean them of growths.

It was a selection called The Most Unusual Animals, here I included animals that in one way or another stand out among other species. I hope you found it interesting!

Unfortunately, over the past decade, the number of this mysterious bird in countries such as India, Nepal and Pakistan has decreased by 95%. Environmentalists are panicking! Scientists claim that the reason for this disaster lies in the fact that the feathered carrion admirers are poisoned by their own delicacy.

Another reason for the sharp decline in the vulture population is the actions of poachers who deliberately shoot birds because they interfere with illegal fishing. Then the question arises! What is the reason for the concern of environmentalists? Few people will give the correct answer to this question. We will help you deal with this. You will learn something that has been hidden from many of us.

Voracity

Many people are mistaken that animals are African continent They are eaten only by predators such as lions, leopards, wild dogs and other toothed animals. However, the results of research on the territory of one of national parks Africa showed that all these predators account for only a little more than 30% of the dead animals. Other fallen representatives wild world fall on vultures. Thus, the role of these ugly hairless birds in the ecosystem is obvious: they not only prevent the spread of disease, but also regulate the numbers of other scavengers. Agree that they are somewhat reminiscent of our orderlies - woodpeckers.

Natural antiseptic

For many years, it remained a mystery why these unusual birds took to peeing on their feet. However, Turkish scientists who have studied vultures suggest that this is nothing more than a way to protect themselves from various kinds of ailments. After all, the legs of vultures are in active contact with the flesh of dead animals, and the acid present in the urine acts as an antiseptic, sterilizing the limbs of these birds.

Record

These birds are capable of climbing to incredible heights. Using updrafts air masses these birds are able to rise as high as possible to monitor large areas in search of prey. At one time, the record for flight altitude was set by Rüppel's vulture. In 73 of the last century, this bird conquered a height of more than 11 kilometers, which exceeds the height of Everest!

There are no boundaries for them

The uniqueness of vultures also lies in the fact that they can travel vast distances in order to search for food. For example, one of Rüppel's vultures recently surprised researchers when they studied his route. The nest of this bird was in Tanzania, and flew to Kenya, Ethiopia and Sudan for food. This border crossing almost caused an international scandal, since the “violator” had a GPS transmitter (attached by university employees). This incident happened four years ago.

Assortment of dishes

It is believed that the remains of dead animals are the only food that can attract vultures. We assure you that not all vultures prefer meat. For example, the palm tree gives preference to nuts, figs, and can feast on fish and even birds. But in animal carcasses he is interested not even in the meat itself, but in the larvae and insects.

Very strong stomach

But the bearded vulture, in turn, is the only representative of the fauna whose diet is 80% bones. Surprisingly, it just so happens that the stomach of this bird can cope with such food. In addition, the vulture's gastric juice is capable of destroying bacteria that are fatal to many, such as the causative agents of cholera and anthrax.