Nature is magical. It is majestic, awe-inspiring, and humbling. Most of the time, anyway.
Other times, it’s just plain weird, as evidenced by the strange creatures you’ll see here. Yet even in their weirdness, these creatures are pretty amazing. Take a look for yourself.
1. The fringehead
Don’t make the fringehead mad, because it does this. Highly territorial, these fish are known to wrestle each other with their giant mouths, which has different connotations than when humans do it.
2. The Brazilian treehopper
This little bug is best known for its fancy hat, the purpose of which is currently unknown. The spheres on its head are hollow and made of chitin, and this bug also sports hair on its legs and head. The purpose of that is unknown, too.
3. The spotted handfish
The handfish gets its name from the handlike structures on the ends of its front fins, which allow it to walk along the sea floor. They’re also critically endangered, with only two reported in the wild in the 1990s.
4. The black dragonfish
Add this to your list of things you don’t want to meet, but the black dragonfish is actually pretty cool, if terrifying. It produces its own light via bioluminescence, and the females are about eight times larger than the males, growing to about 40 centimeters.
5. The tardigrade
Also known as the water bear, these tiny creatures are also one of the toughest. They can survive for about a decade without food or water, can withstand ten times the dose of radiation that would kill humans, and six times the pressure of the deepest parts of the ocean. They have even been found to survive the frozen vacuum of space. Also, they’re the size of a poppy seed (and weirdly cute).
6. The predatory tunicate
These hermaphroditic creatures are like the animal version of the Venus flytrap. They catch small, swimming animals in their hood-shaped mouths. They possess both male and female reproductive organs, so if there’s no one else around, they can still make babies.
7. The elephant seal
The elephant seal is so named for its blobby, trunk-like nose, and is the largest species of seal in the world, growing up to 13 feet long. They’re excellent swimmers, of course, but on land, they have to trudge forwards on their bellies to get anywhere. Also, check out how human their eyes look.
8. The red-lipped batfish
The red-lipped batfish is not amused. The bright red “lips” are thought to aid these creatures in recognizing one another for mating purposes. They’re bottom-dwellers, so their fins have evolved into leg-like appendages that allow them to walk along the ocean floor rather than swim.
9. The giant Japanese spider crab
Yes, that’s what you’d like to stumble across while snorkeling. These are the largest crabs in the world (that we know about, anyway — the ocean is mysterious) and can grow to be 15 feet long and live for over 100 years. They also pack a serious exoskeleton that protects them from predators.
10. The ghost shark
Also known as a Chimera, this shark is known for its long facial protuberance. It’s edible and is sold around the world as meat. Oil from its liver was once used to lubricate guns.
11. The pink fairy armadillo
This is the smallest species of armadillo, and it lives in central Argentina. They’re only about four-and-a-half inches long at their largest.
12. The gerenuk
This stretchy-looking antelope is found in the Horn of Africa in desert regions. Their legs are incredibly long and make them fast runners, but they’re so slender that they break easily. They also stand on their hind legs to eat leaves and fruits off trees.
13. The liger
Napoleon Dynamite fans, rejoice: the liger is real. A liger is a crossbreed, the result of a male lion mating with a female tiger. (A male tiger and female lion make a tigon. No, we’re not kidding.) These creatures are the result of human meddling, though, since lions and tigers don’t exist in the same habitats in the wild. Furthermore, ligers are sterile, and cannot reproduce.
14. The babirusa
Found in Indonesia, this boarlike creature is notable for its huge tusks, which actually grow through the skin of its snout. If the babirusa doesn’t grind them down, the tusks will keep growing and penetrate its skull. We’re not saying that’s a flawed design, but…
15. The axolotl
Known as a “walking fish,” this little dude is actually a salamander. They come in black, gray, gold, and white, like the one seen here. They’re native to Mexico, but sadly, none have been spotted in the wild since 2013, meaning they may only exist in captivity.
Sadly, many of these animals are facing threats from habitat destruction and environmental damage. We can only hope that they survive and continue to make the world a magical place.
