7 World's Most Unusual Animals ...

From rude jokes to strange comments, when somebody in your surroundings has a weird sense of humor, the number of strange, puzzling and even very unpleasant situations you can find yourself in is certainly vast. But what happens when the person with the weird sense of humor is nobody else but our dear Mother Nature? Well, check out this list of 7 weird animals and tell me what you think:

1 Pink Fairy Armadillo

Image source: JasonCross

LOL! I totally understand the armadillo part although I don’t see anything fairy-like to justify the pretty name this utterly strange looking animal bears. This interesting combination of a regular armadillo, any bird of prey and a fluffy cushion you’d normally expect sitting on the couch rather than running around lives in dry areas of Argentina and feeds on ants and ant larvae. Ahem, now isn’t that a quality every fairy should possess? I sincerely doubt that…

2 Long-eared Jerboa

Image source: fun-gallery.com

Awww, now this furry creature is something I’d love to have as a pet! My wish will never come true, though, because Jerboas are on the list of endangered species. These inhabitants of Chinese and Mongolian deserts are often called “ the Mickey Mouse of the desert” because of their long ears, however, the thing I like about them the most are their adorable puppy dog eyes. I know puppy dog eyes and rodents don’t really go together but just look at it! It’s so adorable!

3 Axolotl

Image source: margemtropical

Axolotl, Ajolote or Wooper Rooper – all these names refer to this strange aquatic animal that’s not like anything you’ve seen before. It’s colorful, cute, has arms and legs as well as the ability to regenerate most body parts so, if you are considering a pet that’s more interesting than a fish and doesn’t need to be taken out for a walk at least twice a day, Axolotl is an ideal choice. It’s actually a mutated salamander or salamander sub-specie at least and, although the term “mutation” doesn’t sound very nice, I’d say the end result turned out completely fine. I mean, what can be so wrong with an animal that always looks like it’s smiling?

4 Dumbo Octopus

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I doubt you’ll ever get a chance to actually see one because this type of octopus is not only very rare but lives a very peaceful life, very, very, very deep under the sea. Science knows this octopus under a less interesting and I daresay much more difficult to pronounce name of Grimpoteuthis, although, I prefer the first one – not just because it’s funny and easier to remember but because it totally goes with this sea creature’s appearance. Yup, it really has those Dumbo ears!

5 Yeti Crab

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Or Kiwa hirsuta, if you to know this crustacean’s fancy scientific name. Don’t get fooled by these fuzzy claws because they aren’t as harmless as they seem! This special crab inhabits the South Pacific Ocean and feeds mostly on shrimps although its claws contain a bacterium which is believed to be their alternative source of food. Interesting, huh? I’m starting to get chills!

6 Star-nosed Mole

Image source: gordonramsaysubmissions

Yikes! Just seeing a picture of this wacky animal makes me want to run and hide! Now, in case you’re wondering what the hell is that coming from its snout, let me be as quick and less detail oriented as possible – those are tentacles! Twenty two of them, to be precise! For this specific mole, streams and ponds are a definition of a free buffet so it’s mostly found in wet lowland areas of east Canada and north-eastern US. And a “charming” pinkish accessory is nothing less than a super sensitive snout able to, not only smell the food but feel it too!

7 Aye-aye

Image source: cenz

You see, this is what happens when you decide to feed and bathe your Gizmo after midnight! Seriously, Mrs. Nature, is this what you call a sense of humor? Don’t worry, though, this isn’t a real Gremlin although it sure fits the profile. It’s… well, actually, I haven’t got a clue! It’s a rodent with feeding habits of a woodpecker – it taps on wood to find insects, drills holes and uses its long middle finger to pull them out. Maybe there aren’t any real woodpeckers in Madagascar?

Weird looking bunch indeed and we have merely scraped the surface! Yup, our little planet is, apparently, full of these strange and yet quite interesting creatures. Have you ever seen anyone of these animals from close? I haven’t, although Axolotls seem interesting.

Top Photo Credit: francismckee