Weird Animals – A List Of The World’s Strangest Species Part 3
4/4/2023
activewild.com
Okapi
Scientific name: Okapia johnstoni
Type of animal: Mammal
Family: Giraffidae
Where found: Africa
Conservation status: Endangered
The okapi is a type of ungulate (hoofed mammal) found in forests in Central Africa. The species has a unique appearance, with zebra-like 🦓 stripes on its legs & a long, prehensile tongue that can reach up to 18 in. / 46 cm in length.
The animal’s weird markings provide camouflage against predators in the forest habitat in which it is found. The species’ main predator is the leopard.
The okapi’s closest relative is the giraffe🦒; the 2 animals are the only members of the giraffe family, Giraffidae.
The okapi is primarily herbivorous, feeding on leaves, fruits, & other vegetation. A rare & endangered animal, the okapi is seldom seen in the wild.
Pangolin
Type of animal: Mammal
Family: Manidae
Where found: Africa, Asia
Pangolins are a group of small to mid-sized mammals with unique, scaly skins. The scales are made of keratin – the same natural substance out of which our fingernails are made.
Pangolins are primarily insectivorous, feeding on ants 🐜, termites, & other small insects. Their tongues are sticky & extremely long – those of larger pangolin species can reach up to 16 inches / 40.6 cm in length.
The pangolins’ scaly skin & insect-based diet give them the alternative name of scaly anteaters.
Pangolins are known for their ability to curl up into a tight ball when threatened, with their scaly exterior providing protection from predators.
There are 8 different pangolin species. Together, they make up the family Manidae, the only family in the order Pholidota.
Pink Fairy Armadillo
Type of animal: Mammal
Family: Chlamyphoridae
Where found: South America (Argentina)
Conservation status: Data Deficient
The pink fairy armadillo is a type of armadillo found only Argentina. With a maximum length of around 11.5 cm / 4.5 in, is it the world’s smallest armadillo species. it has a pink, armored shell & a long, pointed snout. It lives in dry, grassy plains & dunes.
Pink fairy armadillos are primarily nocturnal, burrowing underground during the day to escape the heat.
Platypus
Type of animal: Mammal
Family: Ornithorhynchidae
Where found: Australia
Conservation status: Near Threatened
No list of weird animals would be complete without the platypus, an animal so strange that early scientists didn’t believe that it was real. (When presented with a preserved platypus sent to them from Australia, scientists at a British museum thought that the specimen was several different animals that had been sewn-together.)
The platypus is found only in eastern Australia. It has a bizarre appearance, with a bill like a duck 🦆, webbed feet like an otter 🦦, & a beaver-like tail.
Platypuses are primarily carnivorous, feeding on insects, crustaceans, & small fish 🐠 They are able to detect electrical fields produced by their prey, using electroreceptors in the bill.
As if that wasn’t enough, the platypus is a monotreme – an egg-laying mammal, one of only 5 such animals alive. (The 4 other monotremes are all echidnas, covered elsewhere in this list of weird animals.)
The male 🚹 platypus has venomous spines on its rear ankles. A sting from a platypus is excruciatingly painful, but not fatal.
Red-Lipped Batfish
Scientific name: Ogcocephalus darwini
Type of animal: Fish
Family: Ogcocephalidae
Where found: Pacific Ocean
Conservation status: Least Concern
The red-lipped batfish is a type of fish 🐟 found in the Pacific Ocean surrounding the Galapagos Islands & off the coast of South America.
There are a lot of weird-looking fish, so it takes a lot for a species to stand out. The red-lipped batfish does so easily, with its bright red lips, eye stalks, & leg-like fins that allow it to walk along the ocean floor.
The red-lipped batfish is primarily carnivorous, feeding on small fish 🐠 & crustaceans 🦀. It attracts its prey with the use of a glowing ball mounted at the tip of a fin that emerges from its head. Weird.
Saiga Antelope
Scientific name: Saiga tatarica
Type of animal: Mammal
Family: Bovidae
Where found: Asia
Conservation status: Critically Endangered
One of the world’s weirdest-looking land mammals is the saiga antelope, a species found in the grasslands of Central Asia.
The saiga antelope is unmistakable with its long, bulbous nose. This unique feature is an adaption for living in dry grasslands; during the winter, air is heated up in the nose before entering the lungs. During the summer, the nose cools the animal & filters dust from the air.
Saiga antelopes are primarily herbivorous, feeding on grasses & other vegetation. They are also known for their migratory behavior, with herds traveling long distances each year to find food & water.
Shoebill
Scientific name: Balaeniceps rex
Type of animal: Bird
Family: Balaenicipitidae
Where found: Africa
Conservation status: Vulnerable
The shoebill is a large wading bird 🦤 found in freshwater swamps in East Africa. The species has a unique appearance, with a large, shoe-like bill & a tall, flat crest on its head.
Shoebills are primarily piscivorous, feeding on fish, eels, & other aquatic animals. They are known for their slow movements & patient hunting behavior, standing still for long periods before striking at their prey.
If you’re not quite sold on the whole birds-are-dinosaurs evolutionary theory, then take a look at the shoebill; this weird, prehistoric-looking species might just change your mind!
Star-Nosed Mole
Scientific name: Condylura cristata
Type of animal: Mammal
Family: Talpidae
Where found: North America
Conservation status: Least Concern
When you live in the pitch darkness of underground tunnels & are virtually blind, good looks aren’t high in your list of evolutionary priorities. Which explains the bizarre appearance of the star-nosed mole.
This strange burrowing mammal has a star-shaped nose made up of 22 fleshy, pink tentacles. This extremely sensitive organ helps the mole to navigate & find prey in its underground world.
The species is primarily insectivorous, feeding on earthworms 🪱, insects 🐜, & other small invertebrates.
Tasmanian Devil
Scientific name: Sarcophilus harrisii
Type of animal: Mammal
Family: Dasyuridae
Where found: Australia
Conservation status: Endangered
The Tasmanian devil is an endangered species of carnivorous marsupial found in Australia. It inhabits the island state of Tasmania. Recently, a small number of devils were released into a sanctuary on mainland Australia.
The Tasmanian devil has a stocky build, powerful jaws, & sharp teeth, & is known for its aggressive behavior when threatened or feeding.
Tasmanian devils are primarily scavengers, feeding on carrion & small prey such as insects, reptiles, & small mammals. They are known for their distinctive vocalizations, including growling, screeching, & screaming.
The Tasmanian devil is an endangered species due to an illness that, over the last 2 decades, has swept through much of the population.
Thorny Devil
Scientific name: Moloch horridus
Type of animal: Reptile
Family: Agamidae
Where found: Australia
Conservation status: Least Concern
The thorny devil is one of many weird animals found in Australia. This little lizard looks like a miniature dinosaur, with a horned face, spikes on its body, & a false head situated behind its real one. It grows to around 20.3 cm / 8 inches in length.
Thorny devils are primarily insectivorous, feeding on ants 🐜 & other small insects. The reptile’s ridged skin is an adaption for living in a desert habitat. Using capillary action, dew that has condensed on the animal’s body is transported to its mouth.
Cute Critter Pics: 
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