20 Weird Animals On Earth Which Will Shock You
#1 Angora Rabbit
Coming from Ankara, Turkey these hairy rabbits were popular pets among French royalty in the 1700s and they are often bread for their immense wool coats.
#2 Axolotl
The axolotl is a species of mexican mole salamander whose larvae fail to undergo metamorphosis and thus the adults remained gilled and aquatic. They originated from the lake that underlies Mexico City and are often used in research due to their curious ability to regenerate themselves.
#3 Aye-Aye
Found in Madagascar the aye-aye is the world's largest nocturnal primate. Often noted for it's unique foraging techniques, it taps on trees until it finds larvae, gnaws a hole in the wood, and inserts its middle finger to pull them out.
#4 Star Nosed Mole
Inhabiting the north-eastern United States and Canada, the star-nosed mole has 22 miniature tentacles at the tip of its snout that it uses to forage for food.
#5 Blobfish
Inhabiting the deep waters off of Australia these fish are adapted to living at extreme pressures and although they lack a significant amount of muscle it is not really necessary for them as they feed on anything edible that floats past.
#6 Hagfish
Having been called the nastiest and most disgusting creature in the sea, the hagfish lives deep below the surface of the waves. When it gets hungry it attaches itself to a passing fish, bores its way through the skin, and then consumes the fish from the inside out.
#7 Sea Pigs
These deep sea creatures are closely related to sea cucumbers and can easily be found living in groups of over 1,000 or more on the ocean floor.
#8 Sun Bear
Also known as the "dog bear" due to its small stature and extremely long tongue, it is found in the tropical rainforests of Southeast Asia.
#9 Dumbo Octopus
Due to the ear-like fins protruding from their "heads" they have been likened to Disney's famous elephant after which they were named. Living at extreme depths these creatures are a rare sight.
#10 Hairy Frogfish
Also known as an anglerfish, this hairy hunter's dorsal spine is topped with a fleshy lure that it moves back and forth through the water to mimic the behavior of a marine worm.
#11 Gharial
Usually found in northern India, this large species of crocodile spends most of its life in the water. The bulbous growth on the nose of males is used during mating to produce gurgling and bubbling sounds.
#12 Kangaroo Rat
With cheeks that extend all the way back to its shoulders it's easy to see where this rodent gets its name. After filling them with food it empties them back at its burrow by turning them inside out with its paws.
#13 Sphynx Cat
This curious breed is known for its lack of hair and highly extroverted behavior. Care must be taken to ensure that they do not stay outdoors for too long because they are susceptible to both sunburn and hypothermia.
#14 Komondor
One of the larger breeds of dog, it is covered with white curly hair resembling dreadlocks. Contrary to what you may think, komondors do not actually shed very much and these hairy puppies are agile.
#15 Naked Neck Chicken
An uncommon sight on any continent except for Europe, it goes without saying but this breed of chicken has feathers everywhere except for its neck.
#16 Saiga
A very unique looking antelope, the Saiga is known for its distinctive nose that protrudes down over its mouth. It has been known for its efficiency at reproducing in spite of human encroachment upon its habitat, although in recent years it has become more endangered.
#17 Tarsier
Deriving their name from the extremely long tarsus bones in their feet, and along with their humongous eyes these creatures are not only extremely strange looking but have also been known to perform ninja like feats of athleticism as they catch birds in mid flight while leaping from tree to tree.
#18 Chinese Goose
As strange as it looks this is an extremely productive breed of goose as the female can lay over 60 eggs during the season.
#19 Shoebill
Related to storks and also known as a Whalehead, it should be obvious where this east African bird gets its name from. It is one of the largest birds in the world and can grow to be over 1 meter tall.
#20 Hispaniolan Solenodon
This is one of the few species of mammal capable of producing toxic saliva but because it was the dominant predator on the island of Hispaniola prior to colonization it has not developed any effective defenses to ward off predators like dogs and cats that were introduced by human settlers.
