Nature
PUBLISHED
The animal kingdom is home to all manner of weird and wonderful species, but some of them are a lot weirder than others. With a total of 1.5 million described, but as many as 7 million more out there, we take a look at some of Earth’s unsung weirdos that you’ve possibly never heard of.
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Our first and arguably hardest category is mammals. Though the class Mammalia is home to some of the cutest (red pandas anyone) and most sought-after species, we’re trying to go obscure and unusual. That’s why our weird winner this time is the nilgai.
The nilgai (Boselaphus tragocamelus) is the largest antelope in Asia. Having said that, it has also been introduced into the US and Mexico in ranches.
The Hindi name nilgai translates to "blue cow", though the species resembles something of a mix between a horse, a deer, and a cow with a blue-gray coat. Only the male nilgais have horns.
An honorable mention has to go to the saiga antelope. These funky creatures look like they escaped from the set of the latest Star Wars movie but are actually found on the steppes of Mongolia.
Those large bulbous noses and funky twisted horns have given them the nickname of “Asia’s weirdest antelope”. Saigas have a pretty dramatic backstory of population crashes and recovery, but with a face like that, few could fail to be impressed.
Birds
Now we move onto the bird section. Again, there was plenty to choose from, but there was really only one weirdo that we could give this to. Meet the potoos.
There are seven species of these unique nocturnal birds, each one looking just as comical as the next. That is if you can spot them – potoos are masters of camouflage, but at night they emit distinctive whistling songs.
Essentially a flying mouth and eyes (see main image for a prime example!), potoos have become popular in meme culture. Have you seen these birds before?
The group's honorable mention goes to the bald parrot (Pyrilia aurantiocephala).
Previously thought to be immature vulture parrots, these birds – with their distinctive bright orange heads – were only recognized as a new species on 2002.
Its almost as if they got 90 percent through the feature-growing process and decided to call it a day. Quite why they have bald heads is not known, though the leading theory suggests it's something to do with all the sticky fruits they eat.
Sea beasties
Now we move to the underwater world, where frankly we’re completely spoilt for choice. Would it be the funky disco worm, a rare species of squid, or even something like a giant underwater woodlouse?
Not so: we give this category to the absolutely metal volcano snail.
Chrysomallon squamiferum lives in fiery toxic hydrothermal vents in the deep sea, growing its metal-plated armor. It only measures around 5 centimeters (2 inches) long.
First discovered in 2001 in a hydrothermal vent in the Indian Ocean, while the snails appear black because of the iron sulfide coating their bodies, they are actually pearly white underneath.
Now, the honorable mention in the group is the death ball sponge, a new-to-science species that was discovered last year.
The sponge was discovered at 3,601 meters (11,814 feet) deep at the Trench North dive site, east of Montagu Island, and is covered in small, clear ping-pong-like balls complete with tiny hooks to trap prey. When we said carnivorous “death-ball” sponge, we weren’t kidding.
Best of the rest
We can’t include all the weird species in just one article but here’s a shout out to the best of the rest. Have you heard of these weird and wonderful creatures?
- The velvet worm, frankly the most adorable worm in existence, with Spider-Man-like capabilities.
- The Tibetan fox always looks like it's judging your decisions.
- Oh, and don’t forget these enormous gelatinous blobs, will you.
