The strangest animals you didn't know

[Jeff2020]

Nature is wise and has done its job for millions of years, but we cannot help but be amazed at some of the many strange species that exist.

We all know about dogs and cats, but few people know about the many rare animals that exist. Here's a little list:

Asian giant softshell turtle | A strange turtle

We will start the list of rare animals with the giant Cantor soft-shell turtle (named after the doctor and zoologist Theodor Edward Cantor) or also called the Asian giant soft-shell turtle (Pelochelys cantorii) is a species of freshwater turtle. This unique turtle has a wide head and small eyes near the tip of its snout. Its carapace is smooth and olive-colored. Younger turtles may have darkly spotted shells and heads, with yellow around the shell.

This turtle is mainly carnivorous, and feeds on crustaceans, molluscs and fish (although it also eats aquatic plants). This rare animal spends most of its life buried and immobile, with only its eyes and mouth sticking out of the sand. It only comes out of hiding twice a day to breathe. This turtle lays 20 to 28 eggs on riverbanks.

Unfortunately, this turtle, like many rare animals, is considered to be in danger of extinction and has disappeared from a large part of its species, because of the man who marries this turtle for its meat and because of the ease with which it can be hunted.

The Thorny Devil | An animal you can't embrace 

This small Australian spiny lizard can grow to be up to 20 centimetres long. It lives in the arid scrub and desert of the interior of the continent. Spiny devils are the only species in the genus Moloch, and can live from six to twenty years.

Spiny devils have natural defenses against predators and specializations to live in the desert. Spiny devils are densely covered with compacted thorns and each one of them is not bigger than the thorns of a rose. It is believed that these thorns keep predators from devouring the spiny devils.

Another curious defense mechanism of the imp is their ability to swell up to appear larger. Spiny devils have another defence mechanism. One of them is to inflate their lungs with air to make themselves bigger and harder for a predator to swallow.

The axolotl | A very curious Mexican Salamander

This is a really peculiar kind of salamander. One of its features is that it retains its larval features throughout its adult life. This condition, called neotenia, means that it keeps its dorsal fin in the shape of a tadpole, which extends almost along its body, and its external feathery gills, which protrude from the back of its wide head, giving it its strange appearance.

These salamanders have their habitat near Mexico City, the ajolot differs from most other salamanders in that they live all their lives in the water, however in very rare cases, an ajolot will emerge from the water when it reaches maturity, but in general, they are content to remain at the bottom of Lake Xochimilco, which is their home.

In terms of size, these salamanders can be much larger than other species. They can even reach a full foot in length, which is a considerable size for their species and even more so for those found in captivity. You may find them in dark colors such as brown or black, but if you are lucky, you may also see them in white or albino.

Although they look like fragile creatures and even with little adaptability, axolotls are creatures that can live for many years, about 15 years! All this with a rigorous diet consisting mainly of mollusks, worms, crustaceans and small fish; however, in the last century they have begun to suffer from the notable decrease in their population richness. The causes of this are the contamination of the waters that constitute their habitat. Another cause that has become the main food for various fish that have been migrating to their waters. Many movements have emerged in Mexico in favor of protecting this species because it is considered a critically endangered species.

The red panda - The most beautiful rare animals

You're probably thinking, "Is there such a thing as a red panda? I mean, whenever we think of a monochromatic giant panda bear in China. However, that is not the only type of panda bear that exists in those Asian forests, since this bear has a younger brother: the red panda or little panda.

It is difficult to differentiate these animals because they are not part of the phenotype of the common bears, these rare animals are small in size, reaching the size of a domestic cat and has an elongated tail and ringed that can be up to 18 inches.

Because of these remarkable differences in traits between red pandas and traditional pandas bears, the red panda bear has been the subject of many discussions by scientists who relate it to the common panda bear and other scientists who relate it to the raccoon because of its ringed collaboration; this is why a specific genus was created in the taxonomy called Ailuridae where this small bear and other animals that are considered to be extinct are specifically found.

We already considered it complicated to be able to differentiate this bear by its particular characteristics. Finding it is even more complicated! Since these rare animals are only found in rainforests like the common panda. Their natural habitat is in Myanmar, central China and the high mountains of Nepal. They are nocturnal creatures as they usually feed only at night.

If you want to go hiking to meet this bear, you have to choose the right time. We recommend the spring or summer seasons when they are in mating and courtship; you will be able to witness them more easily than in other seasons and even more so if you look at the trees.

The Purple Frog | A Curious Frog

Among the rare animals most interesting to study are amphibians; animals that find a world of possibilities that many scientists have taken it upon themselves to explore. Among the most impressive amphibians is the purple frog, whose general features we will mention below.

We are fascinated by rare animals with history. The simple fact that millennia have passed and they still exist shows us that they have been able to adapt to any type. This is the case of the purple frog; whose permanence on earth is estimated to date back 100 million years.

In ancient times this frog was related to the tiny frog of the Seychelles when the supercontinent of Gondwana still existed; however, although they retain a common relative, their features differ significantly.

They are frogs that have adapted to caves, becoming excavators and even developing suckers in their mouths. They feed mainly on algae and in India they are well known for their medicinal properties; however, attempts are being made to control their consumption since the Purple Frog is on the IUCN's list of endangered animals.

I hope you like my humble post. For the strange animal lovers I recommend you to visit this web, super interesting. https://rare-animals.com/

[postsaurischian]

Strange creatures appeared when we heaved up the anchor on a boat trip during one of my Australia visits (2017).

[bmathison1972]

I would love a figure of the purple frog - LOL, and whatever that crab thing is postsaurischian posted LOL

[sirenia]

Strange creatures appeared when we heaved up the anchor on a boat trip during one of my Australia visits (2017).

Not sure what it is, but that crab looks like it's been deep fried! Nature truly is weird and wonderful. A figure of the crab and turtle would be great, alongside the wonderfully bizarre icefish 

[Isidro]

I think almost everybody in this forum knows about the five species you posted, Jeff2020. Welcome to the forum by the way.

postsaurischian, maybe that amazing Sinularia-like thing is stranger animal (or should I say colony of animals?) than a normal spider crab covered with sponges growing in it

[sbell]

I can't say those animals are 'unknown' to me...I have a figure of 4 out of 5. But it's always good to look for things outside of our pet shops I suppose.

[bmathison1972]

I can't say those animals are 'unknown' to me...I have a figure of 4 out of 5. But it's always good to look for things outside of our pet shops I suppose.

I have 3/5. @sbell are you thinking of the Chinese softshell? It's actually a different species than what is depicted above.

[sbell]

I can't say those animals are 'unknown' to me...I have a figure of 4 out of 5. But it's always good to look for things outside of our pet shops I suppose.

I have 3/5. @sbell are you thinking of the Chinese softshell? It's actually a different species than what is depicted above.

Yup, you're right. Still a species I'd heard of, of course.

[Isidro]

I tought the same when I readed thet 4/5 part: I'm not aware of figurines of Cantor's soft-shelled turtle, but we have plenty of figures of Chinese soft-shelled turtle by Japanese brands. Cantor's one is giant and more endangered while Chinese one is small and not so endangered, so Cantor's one would be more attractive for figurine collectors, hehe.

And obviously the other figurine missing in your collections is the purple frog. Anyway, I lack the 5 species in my collection, but you know why (I'm very fussy both with the sizes and realism).

[sirenia]

I tought the same when I readed thet 4/5 part: I'm not aware of figurines of Cantor's soft-shelled turtle, but we have plenty of figures of Chinese soft-shelled turtle by Japanese brands. Cantor's one is giant and more endangered while Chinese one is small and not so endangered, so Cantor's one would be more attractive for figurine collectors, hehe.

And obviously the other figurine missing in your collections is the purple frog. Anyway, I lack the 5 species in my collection, but you know why (I'm very fussy both with the sizes and realism).

Guess the smaller ones you'd want to be made by a company like Kaiyodo, correct size and phenomenal sculpt

[Isidro]

Yes. Many Kaiyodo are pending for adding to my collection, especially in marine creatures At the moment I only have seven figures from this brand (serval, Iriomote cat, silver chimaera, Adelie penguin, Galapagos land iguana, striped owl and the best of all: long-snouted lancetfish!).

[sbell]

Yes. Many Kaiyodo are pending for adding to my collection, especially in marine creatures At the moment I only have seven figures from this brand (serval, Iriomote cat, silver chimaera, Adelie penguin, Galapagos land iguana, striped owl and the best of all: long-snouted lancetfish!).

That lancetfish is amazing. Glad I got one when I did, that set was never easy to get