The pleasing fungus beetle is any of the 3,500 species of the Erotylidae family. It is easy to recognize by its black and red-orange patterns.
Pleasing fungus beetles feed on fungus, where the middle part of their name comes from. However, some species within the family also extend their diet to include plant matter.
The nocturnal pleasing fungus beetle is not a pest, which is excellent news because you can find it almost anywhere in the world. Perhaps the first word of its name comes from its easy-going nature.
The satanic leaf-tailed gecko camouflages as dead leaves and twigs to evade predators. Endemic to Madagascar, these gecko species' coloration varies according to the trees they live on. Spikes and ridges run along their heads, bodies, and legs. Their flattened tail looks exactly like a dead leaf.
In addition to its strange appearance, the animal likely gets its name from the blood-curdling scream it uses to deter attackers.
Rasberry crazy ants originate from South America and are becoming an invasive species in the United States. These types of ants chew through electrical wires, causing short circuits. They also displace other animals, including ants.
The ants get the first part of their name from Tom Rasberry, a pest exterminator. He was the first to identify the ants in Texas. The “crazy” part of their name comes from their rapid haphazard movement.
The goblin shark looks like something from a horror movie, but it is a very real animal. It has a long snout, a projectable jaw, and sunken eyes. Its skin is somewhat translucent, allowing its visible veins to complete its otherworldly appearance. The name definitely comes from the appearance.
Goblin sharks are not common. They live about 4,000 feet below sea level. Although scientists believe they are present in oceans worldwide, Japan has the most sightings.
The tasselled wobbegong is a type of carpet shark. Its name comes from the dermal lobes that run along its head. The lobes look like tassels, and that's where the first word of its name came from. The word “wobbegong” is thought to come from an Australian aboriginal term meaning shaggy beard, once again referring to the lobes.
Tasselled wobbegongs ambush prey by laying motionless and blending into the sea floor. The colorful blotches on their skin and the coral-like dermal lobes enhance the disguise.
The Pacific spiny lumpsuckers are tiny, one-inch bony fish. Their bumpy body is full of spiny tubercles, which provide camouflage. The fish have modified pelvic fins that function as adhesive discs, allowing them to remain attached to rocks, eelgrass, and kelp.
The name of this fish describes its appearance funnily. The “spiny” and “sucker” parts of the name are explained in the paragraph above. The lumpy part refers to how the fish resembles a puffy lump.
The Strange-tailed Tyrant is a flycatcher with an unusual tail. In addition to its regular proportional tail, it has a couple of long outer tail feathers. That's where the strange tail in its name comes from.
However, the reason this bird is called a tyrant has less to do with its behavior and more to do with its classification. The bird is a member of the genus Alectrurus, which belongs to the family Tyrannidae. The family name reflects the aggressive nature of some members, especially the Western Kingbird.
The next funniest animal name is derived from the creature's slippery body. The fish coats its body in a mucus-like substance so that predators have a hard time grabbing onto it.
The slippery dick has three phases of growth and its appearance changes with each phase. Juveniles are white with a black lateral stripe. In its mid-phase, it becomes white-grey with two red stripes. At the terminal stage, the slippery dick turns green with dark stripes.
Moustached puffbirds are plump, round birds that live in the Andes in Venezuela and Colombia. An adult can be 9 inches long and weigh up to 50 grams.
As with most animals with funny names, the moustached puffbird looks funny. It has small tufts of white feathers around its bill's base, making it look like the bird has a white mustache. The females have darker plumage than males, with a less prominent mustache.
The hellbender is the largest amphibian in North America. It can grow to about 29 inches and weigh up to 5 pounds. It spends its entire life in the swift-running rivers across the eastern United States.
Hellbenders may have gotten their name because of their monstrous size and wrinkly, slippery, splotchy skin. Those features, while unpleasant, serve essential purposes. Hellbenders absorb 95% of their oxygen intake through the folds and wrinkles of their skin. The mucus on the skin protects it from abrasion, parasites, and predators.
