Review of the best according to the editorial board. On the selection criteria. This material is subjective, does not constitute advertising and does not serve as a purchase guide. Before buying, you need to consult with a specialist.
In addition to humanity, our planet is inhabited by an unimaginable variety of different types of creatures. From the northern ice to Antarctica, from the Western Hemisphere to the Eastern – you can find life everywhere in its most diverse manifestations. Among all this wealth of terrestrial fauna, unique animals stand out, which in the course of tens of thousands of years of adaptation to environmental conditions have acquired a strange, one might even say fantastic appearance. In this collection, we will introduce you to ten living creatures that claim to be the most unusual in the world. Meeting with any of them can make an indelible impression on even the most experienced and experienced traveler.
The most unusual animals in the world: photos, top 10 amazing creatures of our planet Earth
| Nomination | a place | name | rating |
| Overview of the most unusual animals in the world | 1 | Angora rabbit | 4.1 |
| 2 | Glass frogs | 4.2 | |
| 3 | Platypus | 4.3 | |
| 4 | Panda ant | 4.4 | |
| 5 | Star-nose | 4.5 | |
| 6 | Drop fish | 4.6 | |
| 7 | Seahorse rag-picker | 4.7 | |
| 8 | Octopus Dumbo | 4.8 | |
| 9 | Madagascar aye aye | 4.9 | |
| 10 | Tarsier | 5.0 |
Angora rabbit
Rating: 4.1
The Angora rabbit in its natural unshorn form resembles a white fluffy cloud, from which only the ears and the edge of the muzzle stick out. These spectacular animals began to be bred in Turkey hundreds of years ago, making them one of the oldest artificially bred rabbit breeds. In the 18th century, French sailors, having visited the capital of Turkey, which at that time was called Angora, brought several individuals to their homeland. Angora rabbits soon became popular among the nobility and were kept as pets. A century later, rabbits have spread throughout Europe. Currently, handsome eared men are bred mainly for their valuable fur, from which a wide variety of woolen products are produced.
Adult angora rabbits reach about 60 centimeters in length and weigh between two and five kilograms. It should be noted that this species is subdivided into several breeds with their own characteristic features. The most “productive” are German rabbits, which bring the greatest amount of fluff per year, and for decorative purposes the best are English rabbits. Angora rabbits are most often white in color, but rarely are representatives of the species with gray, black or blue hair.
Glass frogs
Rating: 4.2
These frogs were nicknamed glass frogs for their transparent skin, through which you can see almost all the internal organs of the animal: heart, liver, digestive system, and in the case of females, sometimes even eggs. In most representatives of this species, only the belly is transparent, but sometimes subspecies with translucent skin of the upper body are found. For the first time glass frogs were discovered in Ecuador at the end of the 19th century. Besides Ecuador, they are also found in several other parts of South America. Trees of tropical or mountain forests are preferred as habitats.
In total, there are more than one and a half hundred varieties of glass frogs. All of them are relatively small – from three to eight centimeters in length. Like other amphibians, they feed on small insects and soft-bodied arthropods. During the breeding season, frogs move closer to a river or stream, where they lay eggs, choosing for this trees or bushes growing directly above the water. Thus, frogs protect eggs from predatory fish, and at the same time ensure that the hatched cubs get into the most comfortable aquatic habitat for them.
Platypus
Rating: 4.3
Platypuses are extremely unusual and even slightly paradoxical mammals belonging to the order of monotremes. When, at the end of the 18th century, English scientists first saw the skin of this animal sent from Australia, it was initially mistaken for a fake, executed by some joker taxidermist. When it turned out that the amazing creatures that combine the skin of a beaver, a flattened duck beak, the limbs of reptiles and much more completely incompatible are in fact real, this caused a huge stir in the scientific community. The habitat of platypuses is limited to the eastern part of the Australian continent, they live near rivers or reservoirs with fresh water.
These animals spend most of their time in the water, seeking food for themselves. During the day, the platypus needs to eat an amount of food equivalent to a quarter of its own weight. It feeds mainly on small creatures such as larvae and tadpoles, as well as some types of algae. Although platypuses are mammals, their females lay eggs like reptiles. After hatching, females raise babies and feed them with milk flowing through special pores. The beak of a platypus is very different from that of a duck, it is soft and covered with skin. Its purpose is far from decorative – the beak is used for electrolocation, allowing the detection of prey, since the platypus does not use sight and smell under water. On the hind legs of the platypus there are poisonous thorns, the secreted toxin can kill a small animal. For a person, “acquaintance” with such a thorn will result in painful and extensive swelling at the site of injury. Fortunately, platypuses rarely show aggression towards humans.
Panda ant
Rating: 4.4
Oddly enough, an insect called the panda ant actually belongs to the Hymenoptera, being a species of wingless German wasps. For the first time these animals were described in 1938, it is known that in nature there are more than 200 genera and thousands of varieties. German Os are also called velvet ants, because their body and limbs are similar to ant's and are densely covered with fluffy hairs. You can see panda ants in Chile, Argentina, Mexico. They prefer to settle in regions with dry and hot climates.
Panda ants are distinguished by an even pronounced sexual dimorphism: females are much larger, have wings and antennae-antennae. Also, females have a stridulation organ that emits a special chirping to attract the attention of males. The insect, like other wasps, feeds on flower nectar and plant sap. With regard to offspring, female panda ants use parasitism – instead of building their own nests, they lay eggs in the nests of other bees or wasps. The hatched predators immediately begin to ravage the new territory, eating other larvae. And since panda ants are armed with a sharp, long and poisonous sting, the host wasps are unable to repel the impudent invaders. The poison of this type of wasp is not dangerous to humans, but it is capable of killing even a large animal in a few bites.
Star-nose
Rating: 4.5
The star-nosed nose stands out for its unusual star-shaped nose, which consists of 22 leather bumps. This unsightly organ is the most sensitive touch system in the world, containing about a hundred thousand nerve fibers. Star-nosed processes move with incredible speed, which can only be captured by a modern video camera. In just one second, the animal can touch and analyze up to thirteen small objects for edibility. Representatives of the species live in the eastern part of the North American continent, in areas with moist soil.
If we take into account the prominent muzzle, in all other respects the structure of the star-nosed nose is practically similar to other moles. The only significant difference can be considered a long tail, which serves to accumulate fat in the winter. Star-nosed people construct branched systems of underground passages, which allows them to easily get their food in the form of worms and insect larvae. In addition, they swim well and often hunt small fish.
Drop fish
Rating: 4.6
The drop fish has an extremely unusual shape in the front of the head, due to its “sad” eyes and drooping nose, it quickly became famous as one of the most bizarre creatures in the world. This deep-sea fish lives mainly near Australia and Tasmania at a depth of about 800-1000 meters. Its body is soft and gelatinous, which allows the fish to survive under tremendous pressure and move around with almost no energy consumption. For the first time, this species was discovered only at the beginning of the 20th century, and was studied by scientists half a century later.
The drop fish has very poorly developed muscles, so it feeds passively – it just swims, opening its mouth and swallowing any shallow inhabitants of the water depths. Apart from the body, it is distinguished from other fish by the absence of a swim bladder, which simply would not perform its functions in the deep-sea space where it lives. It is interesting that the animal is an exemplary parent: not only incubates eggs, but also takes care of the fry after hatching. Thanks to its fantastic appearance, the drop fish quickly became an Internet meme and even appeared in the movie “Men in Black” as one of the alien creatures.
Seahorse rag-picker
Rating: 4.7
These striking representatives of the underwater world can be found in the Indian Ocean, usually off the coast of Australia, near coral reefs. They feel most comfortable in warm water, so they live at a depth of 20 meters. The unique appearance of the rag-ridge is given by the numerous flat processes similar to algae. Thus, the fish is camouflaged from numerous predators swimming in shallow water. Although the shoots continuously sway at a speed of 10 times per second, they do not take part in movement. In order to swim, the skate uses the dorsal and pectoral fins.
The rag-horse belongs to a type of ray-finned fish from the needle family. Plankton, algae and small crustaceans serve as a food source. Like other species of seahorse, males carry fertilized eggs, and hatchlings take care of themselves.
Octopus Dumbo
Rating: 4.8
The octopus Dumbo, or scientifically grimpoteutis, is one of the most incredible representatives of the cephalopod class. The animal received this name due to the similarity with the popular Disney hero, Dumbo the elephant. Its upper fins really strongly resemble elephant ears, moreover, with their help, it can also soar, of course not in the air, but over the seabed. Grimpoteutis live at great depths, about three to four thousand meters. In size, these octopuses, as a rule, do not exceed 20 centimeters in length, although a six-kilogram individual with a body length of 180 centimeters was once found.
Being a predator, the Dumbo octopus actively hunts, swimming in search of prey, and upon finding it, it swallows it whole. It feeds on a variety of worms and molluscs. For movement, the octopus uses not only its “ears”, but also tentacles connected by membranes and small funnels in the body, through which it abruptly releases water, creating a jet thrust.
Madagascar aye aye
Rating: 4.9
Inhabitant of the tropical forests of the island of Madagascar, the Aye-aye aye has an eerie and at the same time funny appearance. Strange protruding hair, bald head, awkward limbs and “crazy” yellow eyes – this type of primate is difficult to confuse with another animal. When scientists first became aware of its existence in 1780, they initially classified the creature as a rodent, but later concluded that the aye belonged to a special group of lemurs.
The Madagascar aye prefers a nocturnal lifestyle. During the day, she sleeps on a tree in a nest she built with her own hands, and after sunset she searches for food. As such, most often the larvae living under the tree bark serve. In catching them, a long and thin middle finger helps a lot, with which she taps the bark and extracts the prey. Also, animals eat fruits, nuts, mushrooms.
Tarsier
Rating: 5.0
These cute and a bit fantastic animals belong to primates living in the territory of Southeast Asia. They have a disproportionately large head that can rotate almost 360 degrees and, of course, huge eyes. For comparison, with the parameters of a body equal to a human, the eyes of a tarsier would be the size of an apple. They also have long, tenacious fingers that allow them to effortlessly move through trees.
Animals live in tropical rain forests, and they can also be found in bamboo thickets. They are active only at night, during the day they try to hide in hollows of trees or other secluded places. Tarsiers feed on lizards, insects and arthropods, thanks to their large, keen eyes and keen hearing, they are excellent hunters. Most often, individuals live separately, sometimes in pairs, while occupying their own part of the territory, into which other representatives of their species are not allowed. They communicate with each other at ultrasonic frequencies. Due to their unusual appearance, local residents have long considered tarsiers as supernatural beings, spirits of the forest.
Attention! This rating is subjective and does not constitute an advertisement and does not serve as a purchase guide. Before buying, you need to consult with a specialist.
