Sea Pigs (Scotoplanes)

The sea pig is a weird animal that looks very different from its name. It is not a pig that lives underwater. It is a sea cucumber. Sea cucumbers live in the bottom of the oceans. They have unique transparent bodies.  

You can’t observe sea pigs outside their natural habitat because they disintegrate into a pile of faux Jell-O once they reach 4,000 feet of the water’s surface. They also break apart easily when caught in a fishing trawler. 

Their poisonous skin protects them from predators. Sea pigs also have unique respiratory systems. They breathe through their anuses. We don’t know a lot about their conservation status because it is hard to study them outside their native habitat.

Bat-eared Fox (Otocyon megalotis)

The bat-eared fox is one of the weird animals native to Eastern and Southern Africa. It is a small animal with ears that are over 5 inches long. Its body is sandy gray, with darker fur around the back of its ears, eyes, muzzle, feet, and the tip of its long, hairy tail. 

The carnivorous mammal can live up to 14 years. According to the conservation status on the IUCN list, there’s no threat of extinction. It relies on its fast speed to escape from predators.

Capybara (Hydrochoerus hydrochaeris)

The capybara is an adorable animal native to South America1. They are semi-aquatic animals found in habitats with easy access to water. Capybaras are the largest rodents in the world. It weighs between 35 kg and 65 kg and weighs about 1.2 meters. 

They have reddish brown coarse fur, but it turns yellowish brown on the belly. Their hind legs are longer than the front legs, and they have partially webbed feet. Capybaras feed on aquatic soft plant parts, grasses, bark, and fruit.

Helmeted Hornbill (Rhinoplax vigil)

The helmeted hornbill is one of the weirdest animals common in Southeast Asia. The bird has black wings with white tips, a black back, a white belly, and white legs. Its most bizarre feature, wrinkled throat patch, is creamy white in females and deep scarlet in males. 

It has a casque on its upper jaw. It is different from other hornbill species. Its casque is harder and heavier and used for combat. It uses its helmet to fight for territory and foraging. Helmeted hornbills fight by ramming their casques together like a big-horned ram. The winner accesses rare nesting cavities and figs from their favorite trees.

Jabiru (Jabiru mycteria)

Jabiru is a large stock bird native to Central and South America. It is also the tallest flying bird in Central and South America. They fly over water bodies, catching any small animal they can. 

They scavenge whenever they can. Their scavenging activities help keep water bodies clean by removing dead fish and carrion from the water's surface. Jabiru is a South American Tupi-Guarani language that translates to swollen neck, referring to their bulging necks. 

The skin on their neck is deep pink when inactive, but it charges to a deep scarlet color when irritated. Jabiru has the largest wingspan of any bird around the world. Their wingspan is up to 2.6 meters, and they weigh up to 8 kg.

Markhor (Capra falconeri)

Markhor is a large wild goat with broad hooves and distinctive spiral horns. It is the largest goat among other goat species, and its horns are its unique features. The horns can grow up to 5 feet long in males. 

Female markhor weighs between 70 and 88 pounds, while male counterparts weigh between 170 and 242 pounds. You will find them in the Himalayan Mountain Range. Unfortunately, exotic wildlife is under threat of extinction because of habitat loss and human hunting.

Eastern Long-Necked Turtle (Chelodina longicollis)

The eastern long-necked turtle is native to swamps, lakes, and inland waterways in Eastern Australia. It is a carnivorous aquatic animal that feeds on small fishes, tadpoles, and invertebrates. 

The unusual animal has a long neck up to the length of its shell. It also has webbed feet for digging and swimming. The long-necked turtle releases acrid liquid from its armpit and groin whenever it feels threatened.

Mexican Mole Lizard (Bipes biporus)

Mexican mole lizards are weird reptiles that look like worms. They have elongated bodies that look segmented, with small forelegs and no hind legs. Although they have tiny legs, they are very well-developed. They also have small eyes and advanced intestines. 

The mole lizards are native to Baja California. You'll recognize it by its pale pink color and blunt-tipped head. They don't have surface pigment to protect them from the sun's rays. However, the small mole escapes by building intricate underground systems on Earth and only comes to the surface at night.

Kakapo (Strigops habroptilus)

Kakapo is a nocturnal, flightless bird. It is one of New Zealand's natural treasures. The nocturnal bird looks like an owl, but it is a parrot. Its feathers are yellow and black, with grey beaks and soles. As of June 2020, only 210 kakapo birds were left in the wild.

Dementor Wasp (Ampulex dementor)

Scientists recently discovered the dementor wasp in southeast Asia. They are flying insects that turn cockroaches into zombies. They do this by injecting the belly of cockroaches with venom, which turns the roach into a passive zombie. 

It turns them into zombies by blocking the receptors of the neurotransmitters of octopamine. Octopamine is involved in the initiation of spontaneous responses. Blocking it makes cockroaches incapable of controlling their movements.

Sea Pigs (Scotoplanes)

The sea pig is a weird animal that looks very different from its name. It is not a pig that lives underwater. It is a sea cucumber. Sea cucumbers live in the bottom of the oceans. They have unique transparent bodies.  

You can’t observe sea pigs outside their natural habitat because they disintegrate into a pile of faux Jell-O once they reach 4,000 feet of the water’s surface. They also break apart easily when caught in a fishing trawler. 

Their poisonous skin protects them from predators. Sea pigs also have unique respiratory systems. They breathe through their anuses. We don’t know a lot about their conservation status because it is hard to study them outside their native habitat.

Bat-eared Fox (Otocyon megalotis)

The bat-eared fox is one of the weird animals native to Eastern and Southern Africa. It is a small animal with ears that are over 5 inches long. Its body is sandy gray, with darker fur around the back of its ears, eyes, muzzle, feet, and the tip of its long, hairy tail. 

The carnivorous mammal can live up to 14 years. According to the conservation status on the IUCN list, there’s no threat of extinction. It relies on its fast speed to escape from predators.

Capybara (Hydrochoerus hydrochaeris)

The capybara is an adorable animal native to South America1. They are semi-aquatic animals found in habitats with easy access to water. Capybaras are the largest rodents in the world. It weighs between 35 kg and 65 kg and weighs about 1.2 meters. 

They have reddish brown coarse fur, but it turns yellowish brown on the belly. Their hind legs are longer than the front legs, and they have partially webbed feet. Capybaras feed on aquatic soft plant parts, grasses, bark, and fruit.

Helmeted Hornbill (Rhinoplax vigil)

The helmeted hornbill is one of the weirdest animals common in Southeast Asia. The bird has black wings with white tips, a black back, a white belly, and white legs. Its most bizarre feature, wrinkled throat patch, is creamy white in females and deep scarlet in males. 

It has a casque on its upper jaw. It is different from other hornbill species. Its casque is harder and heavier and used for combat. It uses its helmet to fight for territory and foraging. Helmeted hornbills fight by ramming their casques together like a big-horned ram. The winner accesses rare nesting cavities and figs from their favorite trees.

Jabiru (Jabiru mycteria)

Jabiru is a large stock bird native to Central and South America. It is also the tallest flying bird in Central and South America. They fly over water bodies, catching any small animal they can. 

They scavenge whenever they can. Their scavenging activities help keep water bodies clean by removing dead fish and carrion from the water's surface. Jabiru is a South American Tupi-Guarani language that translates to swollen neck, referring to their bulging necks. 

The skin on their neck is deep pink when inactive, but it charges to a deep scarlet color when irritated. Jabiru has the largest wingspan of any bird around the world. Their wingspan is up to 2.6 meters, and they weigh up to 8 kg.

Markhor (Capra falconeri)

Markhor is a large wild goat with broad hooves and distinctive spiral horns. It is the largest goat among other goat species, and its horns are its unique features. The horns can grow up to 5 feet long in males. 

Female markhor weighs between 70 and 88 pounds, while male counterparts weigh between 170 and 242 pounds. You will find them in the Himalayan Mountain Range. Unfortunately, exotic wildlife is under threat of extinction because of habitat loss and human hunting.

Eastern Long-Necked Turtle (Chelodina longicollis)

The eastern long-necked turtle is native to swamps, lakes, and inland waterways in Eastern Australia. It is a carnivorous aquatic animal that feeds on small fishes, tadpoles, and invertebrates. 

The unusual animal has a long neck up to the length of its shell. It also has webbed feet for digging and swimming. The long-necked turtle releases acrid liquid from its armpit and groin whenever it feels threatened.

Mexican Mole Lizard (Bipes biporus)

Mexican mole lizards are weird reptiles that look like worms. They have elongated bodies that look segmented, with small forelegs and no hind legs. Although they have tiny legs, they are very well-developed. They also have small eyes and advanced intestines. 

The mole lizards are native to Baja California. You'll recognize it by its pale pink color and blunt-tipped head. They don't have surface pigment to protect them from the sun's rays. However, the small mole escapes by building intricate underground systems on Earth and only comes to the surface at night.

Kakapo (Strigops habroptilus)

Kakapo is a nocturnal, flightless bird. It is one of New Zealand's natural treasures. The nocturnal bird looks like an owl, but it is a parrot. Its feathers are yellow and black, with grey beaks and soles. As of June 2020, only 210 kakapo birds were left in the wild.

Dementor Wasp (Ampulex dementor)

Scientists recently discovered the dementor wasp in southeast Asia. They are flying insects that turn cockroaches into zombies. They do this by injecting the belly of cockroaches with venom, which turns the roach into a passive zombie. 

It turns them into zombies by blocking the receptors of the neurotransmitters of octopamine. Octopamine is involved in the initiation of spontaneous responses. Blocking it makes cockroaches incapable of controlling their movements.