12 Real Animals That Fell Right Out Of A Children's Storybook
#1 Japanese Spider Crab.
While this guy looks a little scarier than the other animals on this list, he's just as amazing. These crabs can grow up to 12 feet in length, and have the largest leg span of any arthropod on the planet.
#2 Streaked Tenrec.
It's like a yellow and black version of Sonic the Hedgehog. However, the tenrec's body is covered in quills. These guys actually communicate with each other by rubbing their quills together.
#3 Red uakari.
These monkeys are social creatures who gather in packs of 100 or more for activities. Their bright red faces are what sets them apart from other primates.
#4 Thorny Devil.
These pointy Australian lizards will leave you with more than a few scratches if you try to handle them. Their thorns protect them when they're feeding on ants, their primary food source.
#5 Superb Bird Of Paradise.
There are a lot of birds of paradise, but the superb is the most magical. The bright blue breast shield sometimes doubles as a sort of cape for the bird. Male superb birds use it for a unique mating display.
#6 Okapi
The okapi is not quite a zebra, not quite a horse, and not quite a giraffe. It's something special in between all three. Its specialized skill set is perfectly adapted for the environment of the Democratic Republic of Congo.
#7 Glaucus atlanticus.
Glaucus atlanticus is a beautiful sea slug that feeds itself in an inventive way. Its main prey is the deadly Portuguese man-of-war. After it eats one, the atlanticus stores the man-of-war's stingers on its own appendages and uses them for defense.
#8 Colossal squid.
These rare sea beasts look more like the mythical "Kraken" than something you'd expect to come across in the ocean. Since their discovery, only a few specimens have been examined by scientists, but they are massive and can grow up to 46 feet long.
#9 Saiga Antelope.
These animals look like a kind of anteater from a distance, thanks to their proboscis-like nose. Despite their reproductive prowess, these creatures have experienced a dramatic population drop in recent years due to hunting.
#10 Narwhal
Narwhals are more closely related to dolphins than whales. With their large, single ivory tusk growing out of their head, you might call them the unicorns of the sea.
#11 Musk Deer.
At a glance, these furry critters look more like vampires than deer. However, their sharp fangs are only used for mating. For most of the last century, scientists believed musk deer to be extinct. Late last year, though, one was spotted in the wild for the first time in 60 years.
#12 Oarfish
Oarfish are rarely seen near the surface, but when they are, it's easy to mistake them for some sort of mythical serpent. Adult oarfish have been known to grow up to 36 feet long.
