Some Animals that most People have never seen before
The Panda Ant
The Mutillidae are a family of more than 3,000 species of wasps (despite the names) whose wingless females resemble large, hairy ants. Found in Chile, they are known for their extremely painful stings, hence the common name cow killer or cow ant. Black and white specimens are sometimes known as panda ants due to their hair coloration resembling that of the Chinese giant panda. (Image credits: Chris Lukhaup)
The Southern Right Whale Dolphin
This dolphin-whale hybrid makes it home throughout cool waters of the southern hemisphere. They don't have any visible teeth either. Their diet consists of other fish and squid. Adult whale dolphins Adults grow as large as 2.9 meters or 9.5 feet, and weigh around 100 kg (220 lb).
Sea Pig
Scotoplanes live on deep ocean bottoms, specifically on the abyssal plain in the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian Ocean, typically at depths of over 1000 meters. They are deposit feeders, and obtain food by extracting organic particles from deep-sea mud.
The Markhor
The markhor is a wild goat that can be found throughout Northeastern Afghanistan and Northern Pakistan. The origin of the name stems from its abilities kill snakes, and from the shape of their coiled horns. The locals believe that the dripping foam coming from their mouths can cure snake bites. They are also an endangered species, with only 2,500 in existence today.
The Pink Fairy Armadillo
This tiny little critter measures in at only 3.5 inches (8.9cm) to 4.5 inches (11.4cm) long. The pink fairy armadillo can be found in central Argentina. Their sharp claws allow it to swim effortlessly through the sands. The bony shell acts as a defensive armor against large prey.
The Bush Viper
Spiny bush viper is venomous snake native to Africa. These snakes live in Congo, Uganda and Kenya. There are three subspecies of spiny bush viper that differ in color, size and type of habitat where they can be found. Spiny bush vipers prefer rainforests that offer plenty of flowering bushes. These snakes are rarely seen in the wild because they inhabit regions that are distant from the human settlements. For the same reason, exact number of remaining spiny bush vipers in the wild is unknown.
The Celestial Eye Goldfish
The eerie eyes of the Celestial Eye Goldfish are mounted on the top sides of its head and constantly gaze upward. This makes it perhaps one of the most unusual of all the goldfish varieties. The Telescope Goldfish, with its extended eye stalks, and Bubble Eye Goldfish, which sports watery eyebags, are a close second and third.
Celestial Eye Goldfish are also called StargazersStargazers! Always looking upwards The Chinese called this fish the Stargazer. They are believed to have developed it in the later part of the nineteenth century, somewhere around 1870. During this time, its eyes were at least partially mobile. The Japanese further developed it in the early 1900s. Through selective breeding, the resulting goldfish had eyes that were permanently locked in an upward position. To the Japanese, this goldfish is known as the Deme-Ranchu.
Glaucus Atlanticus
Meet The Blue Dragon, The World’s Most Beautiful And Deadly Slug. Recently, miniature blue dragons washed up on Australia’s shores. The dragons drew in beachgoers, as they always do, with their strange, singular beauty. But no matter how beautiful or small these creatures are, if you ever see one, you should back far away.
Satanic Leaf-Tailed Gecko
With its piercing red eyes, tiny horns, and sinister smile, the satanic leaf-tailed gecko probably wouldn’t be a good mascot for anything but brimstone … except perhaps mimicry. The smallest member of the Uroplatus, or leaf-tailed gecko family, Uroplatus phantasticus blends in seamlessly in its Madagascar forest habitat.
That didn’t stop it from getting discovered and becoming wildly popular as a pet. In 2011 National Geographic reported that all Uroplatus species made the World Wildlife Fund‘s 2004 list of “ten species most threatened by the illegal wildlife trade.” Currently, though, the International Union for Conservation of Nature lists the geckos as a species of least concern.Also in 2011, a satanic leaf-tailed gecko had the honor of being the first baby born at the San Diego Zoo that year. It was assigned a number. That number was not 666.
Read more to Satanic gecko: (7 Demonic Creatures: Thorny Devil, Satanic Gecko, More – National Geographic Blog)
Umbonia Spinosa
The thorn bug is an occasional pest of ornamentals and fruit trees in southern Florida. During heavy infestations, nymphs and adults form dense clusters around the twigs, branches and even small tree trunks. Some hosts that have been severely damaged include woman's tongue tree.
Cassowary – The Most Dangerous Bird on Earth
Flightless like the largest bird that ever lived on earth, there is a bird which looks like a turkey-ostrich crossbreed and is significantly smaller than the former. Yet it is one of the largest birds still alive. Unpredictable and aggressive are the two words that describe it. Zoo keepers find it extremely hard to deal with it, as handling it without getting injured in the process is difficult.
How does it kill? – 3 ways
1. It will chase you down: Cassowary can run at speeds up to 50 kph.
2. 12 cm long claws will rip you:
“The inner or second of the three toes is fitted with a long, straight, murderous nail which can sever an arm or eviscerate an abdomen with ease. There are many records of natives being killed by this bird.” – Wikipedia
3. High Jump: A Cassowary can jump up to a height 1 meter. Remember, at this point, its 12 cm claws can reach a very vulnerable point.
In case of an encounter, turn your back and It could kill you. But there is a great chance it won’t if you keep facing it. they are the only birds known to have definitely killed humans.Bits of children have been discovered beneath the nests of African crowned eagles Stephanoaetus coronatus, but we’re not totally sure that the eagles did the killing.
Cassowaries will also kick or peck at doors and windows, sometimes breaking panes of glass or screen panels. In these cases they are presumably attacking a reflection which they perceive as another cassowary. They will also kick or chase cars, again because they appear to associate the human occupants with food. Cassowaries dislike dogs and will attack them without provocation, presumably because feral dogs and dingos often prey on cassowaries. Between June 1996 and February 1997, six cassowaries were killed by dogs in the Cairns area. Most incidents involving dogs concern a dog approaching or pursuing a cassowary; the cassowary, when possible, then faces at least one of the dogs, kicks it, and the dog is either lacerated or bodily punctured by the cassowary's foot claws. The more severe of these injuries have resulted in swift death Source:Cassowary
Read more about this: How Dangerous Are Cassowaries, Really? - Scientific American Blog Network
Lowland Streaked Tenrec
Found in Madagascar, Africa, this small tenrec is the only mammal known to use stridulation for generating sound – something that’s usually associated with snakes and insects.
Armadillo girdled lizard
This heavily armoured reptile is named after the armadillo for its ability to roll itself into an almost impregnable ball when threatened. In this position, the spiny scales covering the neck, body and tail are presented to any potential predator, protecting the soft belly. The stocky, flattened body of the armadillo girdled lizard is a dirty yellowish-brown to straw colour, with a yellow throat, blotched with dark brown . It has a broad, triangular head with a dark brown upper lip. The tail, which is ringed with large spines, can be shed in periods of danger and regenerated, although slowly and poorly
Narwhal
This toothed whale, found in the arctic, has been valued for over 1000 years by the Inuit people for its meat and ivory. The narwhal, however, is especially sensitive to the climate change. Often dubbed the unicorns of the sea, narwhals are strange and beautiful creatures with long tusks protruding from their heads. Members of the population of more than 80,000 can weigh up to 4,200 pounds and grow as long as 17 feet in length. Read on to learn more about these fascinating animals.
Basking Shark
Since you’re looking forward to those last summer beach trips, check out this ocean denizen, the basking shark—unquestionably one of the scariest-looking creatures alive. At 32 feet (10 meters) long, the basking shark is the second-largest living fish after the whale shark. It has distinctive gill slits that go almost all the way around the head and a cavernous mouth that’s just about always open.
That’s because the basking shark is a filter-feeder in search of plankton. Unlike other filter-feeding sharks that move water through suction, the basking shark “relies solely on the passive flow of water through its pharynx by swimming,” according to the Florida Natural History Museum.Found in coastal waters in many areas of the world, the basking shark gets its name because it likes to hover around the surface, evidently soaking up the sun. Fortunately for us, basking sharks aren’t considered dangerous.
Giant freshwater stingray
At half the length of a bus, the gargantuan freshwater stingray may be the largest fish swimming in freshwater on Earth today. At more than half a ton in size, large stingrays have been known to pull boats up and down rivers and even underwater. The disk of this fish measured 202cm and 413cm from the tip of its nose to the end of its tail. Himantura chaophraya may be the largest species of freshwater fish in the world. More species of giant fish occur in the Mekong River than in any other river on earth. Populations of the giant stingray and other large-bodied Mekong fish are in decline.
The Pacu Fish
You probably don’t need much explanation as to why the residents of Papua New Guinea call this fish a “ball cutter.” The local fishermen were really worried about the safety of their testicles when they had to get in the water!
Giant Isopod
This one is the largest of the existing isopods. “The enormous size of the giant isopod is a result of a phenomenon known as deep sea gigantism. This is the tendency of deep sea crustaceans and other animals to grow to a much larger size than similar species in shallower waters.”
Shoebill
This large stork-like bird gets its name because of the shape of its beak. Even though it was already known to ancient Egyptians and Arabs, the bird was only classified in 19th century.
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