There are over a million species of animals in this world, and chances are you have not heard about a majority of them. In fact, even scientists claim that they have not been able to discover all of the animal species on this planet so far. They discover new ones every year! Some animals are cute and cuddly while others are downright weird. In this article, we will list top seven weirdest animals that you probably never heard about.
Number Seven: The Mexican Axolotl Salamander
The Mexican axolotl salamander looks weirdly cute at the first glance. It has ghostly features which also remind you of the Pokemon characters, thanks to their funny-looking faces and limbs. They are found only in the lake complex of Xochimilco which is near Mexico City and unlike other salamanders, they live permanently in water. Very rarely would you find an axolotl outside of water and that too, at a mature stage of their life. Although they are typically black or brown, the albino variety is more common, which is also quite weird. They can be quite large, and can grow up to a foot! It is neotenic, meaning that even when it grows into an adult, it retains its juvenile traits. Those include its dorsal fin which runs along the length of its body and its feather-like external gills which protrude from the back of its head.
Number Six: The Tapir
The Tapir is a large pig-like mammal which is black in color and has a prehensile snout. They are found in South America, Central America and South-east Asia. It has four species and all of them are either endangered or vulnerable.
Number Five: The Aye-aye
The aye-aye is a strepsirrhine found in Madagascar. It has an uncanny resemblance to how one would picture Doby from the Harry Potter series. It has rodent-like teeth and long middle finger. It looks for food by tapping on trees. Once it finds its food, it gnaws on the wood and then uses its middle finger to scoop out the food.
Number Four: Dumbo Octopus
They are named so because of the weird ear-like fins that protrude from their heads. They are very rare and are found in the deepest pits of the ocean. As far as the world’s weirdest animals go, the dumbo octopus is up there.
Number Three: One of the World’s Weirdest Animals – The Blobfish
This weird fish is found in the deepest waters of Australia and Tasmania. Its body has a density slightly lesser than water and therefore, it swims without using any energy and feeds on floating matter.
Number Two: The Star-Nosed Mole
This mole is found in eastern Canada and the northeastern United States. Its most distinguished feature is the circular ring of 22 fleshy tentacles found at the end of its snout.
Number One: Leafy Sea Dragons
These sea dragons resemble a piece of drifting seaweed in the ocean. They are well camouflaged with the leaf-like appendages on their bodies. You can spot them only through their fluttering fins or the independently swiveling eye. Thanks for reading!