The most unusual animals in the world: photos and names

2024 Author: Henry Conors | [email protected]. Last modified: 2024-02-12 02:54

The question of counting the number of animals has been of concern to more than one generation of scientists. According to the latest data, 6.6 million species live on land, and 2.2 million live underwater. Although a large percentage of the fauna is not only not studied, but not even discovered and described. Given the environmental problems throughout the Earth, it is impossible to speak with confidence about the reliability of these data. The population of all living and plant organisms is rapidly declining, and sometimes scientists do not even have time to study the type of vertebrate or marine animal, as it has already disappeared. And yet our planet is inhabited by many unusual, amazing creatures, about which scientists can tell a lot. With photos and names of the most unusual animals in the world, we will introduce you further.

Palm Thief

This is one of the most unusual animals on the planet, it is also called the coconut crab. And although he is not such, he is very similar to his arthropod namesake. A land hermit crab from the species of ten-legged crayfish spends half of its life on land, and half in the depths of the sea. Small crustaceans appear in the water, hide in empty shells, and once on land, they use the shells of terrestrial animals for shelter. In time the palm thiefis covered with a shell, and no longer needs any additional shelters.

This creature has lungs and gills. The last respiratory organ loses its functions over time, and the animal stops immersing in water.

You can meet this "unique" on the tropical islands of the Indian Ocean. Animals are nocturnal, have frightening sizes for representatives of arthropods and have great strength. The front claws of the crayfish can easily split a coconut nut. Body length can reach 40 centimeters, and body weight - 4 kilograms.

The palm thief got his name because of his great passion to steal absolutely everything that is bad, even if this item cannot be eaten. Crab meat is considered not only a delicacy, but also an aphrodisiac, so animals require protection from uncontrolled hunting.

Hungarian Shepherd Komondor

This is one of the most unusual animals on the planet. The dog has a unique coat that can grow up to 1 meter in length, and outwardly the animal is very similar to a huge mop. It is impossible to comb such a creature, since it does not have wool, as we understand it, but laces that form on their own as the hair grows. The color of shepherd dogs is white or cream, they live on average up to 10 years.

By nature, the shepherd dog is very active and sociable. The animal loves to run, it needs physical activity, it has good he alth. But above all, the Komondor is a guard breed. The dog will zealously protect his master and his property.

Pacu fish

Amazing, scary pacu fish has common roots with piranhas. But unlike the latter, it is omnivorous and prefers plant foods, mainly fruits that fall into the water. Pacu is unique in that it has teeth very similar to those of a human.

This type of fish is sold in stores in America and other countries, so they can be purchased for breeding at home. But you should know that these creatures can grow up to 1 meter in length. Therefore, one should not be surprised that these fish have recently appeared in reservoirs in which pacu have never been found before. After the pets reach a large size, the owners simply throw them into natural reservoirs.

Angora rabbit

The top 10 most unusual animals almost always mention the angora rabbit. This is a truly amazing animal with a very spectacular appearance. In some individuals, the length of the coat, which is very much appreciated, can reach 80 centimeters. Socks and scarves are woven from it, sweaters and underwear are knitted. The Angora rabbit is considered the most fluffy animal on the planet.

This is one of the oldest breeds of rabbits, it began to be bred in Turkey. And the name was given to her in honor of the city of Ankara (formerly Angora). Several species belong to the Angora rabbit branch: satin, German, giant and others.

The weight of these animals can be truly impressive, some individuals reach 6 kilograms. By the way, this rabbit lives longer in captivity.

Blobfish

The top of the most unusual animals includes this fish. She lives at a depth of 800 meters. There is no swim bladder in her body, since she does not need it: at such a depth it simply will not work. The body length is about 70 centimeters, there are no scales on the skin, there are also no fins. In weight, an individual can reach 10 kilograms.

The fish seems to have a very "dull" look, so it has become a kind of meme. Has no enemies in the natural environment. The question of how it appeared is still a mystery. A drop fish has no muscles, it just goes with the flow. It feeds on plankton, small crustaceans and everything that comes into its mouth along the way. Recognized as the ugliest creature on the planet.

These fish live in the waters of Australia and Tasmania. To date, scientists are sounding the alarm: the drop fish often began to fall into the nets of fishermen and is already on the verge of extinction.

Satanic Gecko

One of the most unusual animals on the planet is also called the fantastic leaf-tailed gecko. It lives in Madagascar, in the thicket of the forest, where it is almost impossible to notice the animal. The body shape of the gecko resembles dry foliage. The animal received the prefix "fantastic" for the red color of the eyes, which many individuals possess.

The body length of a gecko can reach 14 centimeters, most of it falls on the tail. Body color varies from gray and yellow to brown. All representatives of this species prefer a nocturnal lifestyle, they have excellent eyesight, better than humanabout 350 times.

Gecko can be kept in captivity, at home, but in this case, offspring can not wait. Today, the animal is on the verge of extinction.

Starship

They also call it a starfish, and it belongs to the genus of moles. However, when looking at the photo of the most unusual animal world, it becomes clear that this is an unusual mole. A distinctive feature of the mammal is the presence of a “star” on the nose, on which there are 22 growths. While digging the soil, they actively move, as if probing all the objects they come across for edibility. In the middle of the "star" is a small stigma.

The mole lives in North America. The animal is adapted to life on land and in water, swims well. In winter, it does not hibernate, but looks for food in the thickness of the snow. It feeds on molluscs, worms, small crustaceans and larvae. In the natural environment, it has enemies - these are martens, birds of prey and skunks.

Ragged Seahorse

This is a representative of the needle family. The body of one of the most unusual animals in length can reach 35 centimeters. The main difference between the rag-picker and the representatives of the genus is the presence of translucent processes that are very similar to algae. Nature "gave" these processes to the fish to disguise themselves from enemies.

The skate has small transparent fins on its chest and back, with which it swims. The fins make about 10 movements in one second, and it seems that this is not a fish swimming, butseaweed. Lives in the Indian Ocean.

Madagascar little arm

One of the most unusual animals in the world has another, and quite interesting, name - ah-ah. The animal has very long and thin fingers and "squirrel" teeth, thanks to which it extracts food from tree trunks.

This primate lives in Madagascar. Arms breed very slowly, the female brings one cub at 2 or even 3 years. The image of this animal is found in the animated films "Madagascar" and "Penguins of Madagascar".

Cassowary

This is the only large cassowary bird in the world that cannot fly. The description of this feathered one can complete the list of the 10 most unusual animals in the world.

Birds can reach 1.8 meters in height and weigh up to 60 kilograms. Therefore, they are second in the list of the largest birds in the world after the ostrich. All individuals have a so-called "helmet" of horny substance, a spongy structure. Presumably, this "helmet" is the second sexual characteristic. Both females and males have very strong legs. Females are usually larger than males.

The most unusual animals of Russia

On the territory of our state, there are about 1300 species of animals. The fauna of the country is richest in the direction from north to south. Naturally, the most important role in the conservation of species and increase in population is played by forests, which Russia is so rich in. To one of the most unusual animals that live onterritory of the Russian Federation, the following representatives of the fauna can be attributed.

Black stork

Most often found on the territory of the Leningrad and Kaliningrad regions. This is a relatively small bird, weighing no more than 3 kilograms. Wingspan up to 2 meters. Feeds on insects, snakes, frogs and lizards.

Himalayan bear

Although this is not the most unusual animal in Russia, but it is unique and interesting in its own way. Representatives of the species can be found in the Khabarovsk Territory, in the Amur Region. The bear eats not only protein food (insects and birds), but also the fruits of trees, leaves and even honey. insects and birds. In their natural environment, they are quite difficult to follow, as they are very cautious. Females can bring offspring several times throughout the year. However, even this fertility does not allow for an increase in the population, and the number of animals in the wild is constantly declining.

Alkinoy

The most beautiful butterfly living near the reservoirs of Primorsky Krai. Alkinoy flies very slowly, males mostly live in trees, and females are almost all the time in the grass, rarely rising up.

Fish owl

You can see this unique bird in the Far East. It lives on old trees, where there are hollows. These owls are known for making a unique sound when calling a female to mate. Birds mate for the rest of their lives.

Heavenly barbel

This beetle lives in the south of Primorsky Krai. He has an unusually beautiful blue color. It feeds on nectar, pollen and tree sap, mainly maple. Due to the massive felling of this tree, the number of barbel is declining.

Giant party

The bat lives in the territories of the Nizhny Novgorod, Moscow and Orenburg regions. Vespers is a very large bat. An interesting feature: females gather in groups to raise offspring.

Bison

Today, one of the most unusual animals on the planet lives only in the Caucasus and Belovezhskaya Pushcha. An adult individual reaches a height of 2 meters with a weight of 1 ton. Animals gather in small herds of up to 10 individuals. To date, a whole program has been developed to increase the bison population around the world.

Japanese green dove

This is a beautiful bird that often appears in Southeast Asia and the Sakhalin region. The bird has a compact size, no more than 30 centimeters in length, with an average weight of 250 grams. It feeds on fruits and fruits of trees, builds nests in the crowns of trees.

Amur leopard

A small wild cat lives in the Primorsky Territory and in the Chinese provinces. It has great strength, it can drag its prey up a tree, even if it exceeds the body weight of the leopard itself. Today, the biggest threat to animals is a decrease in the amount of food due to constant deforestation and, as a result, a decrease in habitat areas. There are no more than 40 animals left in both countries.

Musk deer

When looking at the photo of this most unusual animal, it seems that this is an ordinary,but a hornless deer, only with very long upper fangs. Their length reaches 7 centimeters. In females, fangs are somewhat shorter. Animals need them to fight with their own kind. Musk deer feed on the same as deer: moss and lichens. But the most interesting thing is that in the tail of the animal there is a gland that secretes a liquid with a pungent smell of musk, which is used in the perfume industry and for medical purposes. For this reason, the animal is being exterminated uncontrollably.

Australia

Australia is the largest island in Oceania, so large that it even received the status of a continent. Due to being cut off from the lands of other countries, the fauna of this island is truly unique. There are about 200 thousand different species of animals, many of which are endemic. Below are the most unusual animals in the world that live only in Australia.

Kangaroo

This animal can be called the most Australian, it is depicted even on the coat of arms of the country. The kangaroo is the only large mammal in the world that hops. Young individuals are very aggressive, often fighting among themselves. There are 55 species on the continent. They live not only in the territories of national parks, but also on coastlines, in deserts, savannahs and on beaches. Therefore, anyone can see this miracle of nature, even without entering the reserve.

Kookaburra

A bird from the kingfisher family. It lives not only in Australia, but also in New Guinea, tropical forests. The bird is famous for its singing, whichvery reminiscent of human hysteria. Such singing sounds especially terrifying at night. The bird is a predator, lives mainly in rural areas.

Koala

This is Australia's most unusual animal, found nowhere else. The mammal is also called a bear, because of the great similarity with the large namesake. Koalas are very lazy animals, awake for only 2 hours a day. They feed on eucalyptus leaves, which are very difficult to digest.

Platypus

This mammal is also a symbol of Australia, its image is present on the country's 20-cent coin. The uniqueness of the animal is that it lays eggs, feeds its young with milk, has a developed electroreception and is poisonous. The appearance of the endemic is also unusual. His nose is very similar to a duck, for which the animal received the corresponding name. However, it is very mobile and flexible, unlike the beak of a duck. The platypus is an excellent swimmer and diver, can submerge and hold its breath for up to 15 minutes.

Dingo

This wild dog lives not only in Australia. It has a compact size and a bushy tail. The color is predominantly yellow or red. Dogs are distinguished by a high degree of sociality, they always gather in packs, whose members are constantly in it.

Wallaby

Animals are related to kangaroos, but are smaller. You can find this mammal throughout the country, including the district of Sydney. The smallest individuals are known as philanders and live in forests. Wallabies were introduced to New Zealand andThe British Isles, where they even managed to take root.

Lyrebird

A bird with a chic and fluffy tail. Males open their tail during the mating season. But that's not the most interesting thing - she can imitate any sounds, from the siren of a fire truck to the sobs of a child.

Possum

These are the inhabitants of Australia, New Guinea and Tasmania. Possum is a small marsupial primate with a gray or brown coat. There are 69 species of this animal in Australia. The smallest are winged, they are no larger than a finger. They lead a nocturnal lifestyle. The indigenous people of the continent use possum nests when playing Marn Grook. And the natives use the skin of the animal for sewing raincoats and other things.

Emu

This is a rather large bird, which also cannot fly. It grows up to 2 meters in height, has strong and long paws. Runs great and can reach speeds of up to 50 kilometers per hour. The bird is featured on the Australian 50 cent coin.

Tasmanian Devil

Description of this animal can complete the Top 10 most unusual animals living in Australia. Although today they do not live on the mainland, only in Tasmania. The animal has black fur, a wide head and a thick tail. It looks very much like a dog. It makes almost demonic sounds, upon hearing which, the first European settlers were very frightened. Hence the name - the devil. It is believed that endemics disappeared from the mainland more than 600 years ago. Today there is another problem: animals are affected by an unknown disease. Muzzlecovered with tumors, and after some time the sick individual dies.

Our world is beautiful. The biodiversity of flora and fauna is of great importance for the normal functioning of the entire ecosystem. But the animal and plant world of the planet needs protection, because most of its representatives are already on the verge of extinction. This must be remembered.