Aha ha wasp (Aha ha)

The story behind our funniest animal name will definitely make you laugh. Howard Ensign Evans, an American entomologist, traveled around Australia in the late 1970s, collecting wasps to bring home and study. He mailed some to his friend and colleague, Arnold S. Menke.

Menke looked at the wasps and identified a couple of new species. He exclaimed, “Aha! A new species!” but his colleague, Eric Grissell, responded doubtfully, " Ha!”. Menke turned out to be correct, and the wasps were newly identified species of the Sphecidae family.

He named the first wasp Aha evansi to honor his friend Howard Evans and the second one Aha ha, as a joke.

Conquered lorikeet (Vini vidivici)

This bird is an extant species of parrot that lived in the Polynesian Islands around 700-1300 years ago. In 1987, David Steadman and Marie Zarriello described the species through archeological remains. 

The scientific name is clever wordplay, alluding to the popular Latin phrase " Veni, vidi, vici." The authors saw the opportunity in the similarity between the genus name ”Vini” and the word “Veni.” Vini is a Tahitian name for a local bird.

The common name of the Vini vidivici is conquered lorikeet. It is not a funny name but a reminder of how unfortunate species extinction is.

Truthful Round Fungus Beetle (Colon rectum)

A species of the round fungus beetle is scientifically identified as colon rectum Hatch 1933. It is unclear why the poor thing was given this name, but it is funny. 

The scientist responsible, Melville H. Hatch, also assigned colon-inspired names to a bunch of round fungus beetles from the Leiodidae family.

Shakira wasp (Aleiodes shakirae)

The next funniest animal name came from a superstar. In 2014, Scott Shaw and Eduardo Shimbori, entomologists from the University of Wyoming, had the opportunity to name several newly identified species of insects. They had fun naming them after celebrities. 

They named a parasitoid wasp Aleiodes shakirae. The wasp infects caterpillars and causes their abdomen to twist and bend as it feeds. It reminded Shaw and Shimbori of belly dancing, for which Shakira is famous. Many other members of the genus Aleiodes have celebrity-inspired names, too.

Although killing caterpillars from the inside may sound terrible, Shakira wasps play an important role in keeping the population of plant-feeding caterpillars under 

Chicken turtle (Deirochelys reticularia)

The chicken turtle is native to the Southeast United States. It is a semi-aquatic animal that feeds on plants, aquatic insects, tadpoles, and fish. Because of its long striped neck, the chicken turtle is sometimes called the American snake neck.

In many cultures, turtle soup is a delicacy, and chicken turtle soup is particularly tasty. It gets its name because it tastes like chicken. Chicken turtles were a popular meat source in America in the 1800s.

Sarcastic fringehead (Neoclinus blanchardi)

Sarcastic fringeheads grow to a maximum of 12 inches but are larger than all other fringeheads. This fish is very aggressive and territorial.

The sarcastic fringehead may get the first part of its name from its amusing fighting style. The sarcastic fringehead will engage in a mouth-off. It will open its alien-like mouth and show its colorful interior and size to its competitor. Two male sarcastic fringeheads might even smack mouths.

Another explanation comes from the Greek word sarkasmós, which means to tear or bite and translates to ‘sarcastic’ in English. The scientist who named it was likely referring to fish’s needle-sharp teeth.

Fried egg jellyfish (Phacellophora camtschatica)

The next funniest animal name is, without a doubt, spot on! The fried egg jellyfish looks like a brilliantly cooked sunny-side up floating in the sea. Its tentacles form a colorful bowl-like shape. 

The fried egg jellyfish is one of the few that are not harmful to humans. It feeds on zooplankton and other types of jellyfish. This type of jellyfish is also called egg yolk jellyfish since it looks more like an unbeaten raw egg floating in water than a fried egg.

Screaming hairy armadillo (Chaetophractus vellerosus)

The screaming hairy armadillo is a burrowing animal endemic to Central and South America. The locals hunt it for its meat and shell. This armadillo species has long, thick, bristly hairs all over its body, even on its shell. It is hairier than most other armadillo species. So we immediately know where the second word of its name comes from.

However, the “screaming” in its name comes from the loud distress cries it produces when caught by predators (humans included). Funny thing: the screaming hairy armadillo is a predator of insects and small animals.

Pink fairy armadillo (Chlamyphorus truncates)

The pink fairy armadillo is arguably the cutest in the world. It has a pink dorsal carapace and silky white fur on the rest of its body except its feet and tail. The smallest armadillo species measures just about 13cm and is endemic to the neotropical region of central Argentina.

The pink fairy armadillo's name is not the only unique feature; it also has a double skin1, which is unusual for mammals.

Ice cream cone worm (Pectinariidae)

The ice cream cone or trumpet worm is a marine animal stuck to the ocean floor. The odd-looking worm constructs a tube to live in by gluing together sand and shell fragments. 

The tube expands as the worm grows and eventually looks like an ice cream cone, hence its name. The weird ice cream cones are about 3 inches long and open on both sides.

Another name for the ice cream cone worm is trumpet worm because of its tube shape.

Dik-dik (Madoqua)

Naming animals after the sounds they make is sure to produce some silly names. For example, a small antelope from Eastern and Southern Africa derives its common name from the “zik-zik” alarm call they make when threatened. 

Dik-diks are shy, elusive creatures. They mate for life and live in small family groups. Poaching for hide and bones and agricultural encroachment threaten dik-dik populations.

Pleasing fungus beetle (Erotylidae)

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.

Satanic leaf-tailed gecko (Uroplatus phantasticus)

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 ant (Nylanderia fulva)

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.

Goblin shark (Mitsukurina owstoni)

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.

Tasselled wobbegong (Eucrossorhinus dasypogon)

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.

Spiny lumpsucker (Eumicrotremus orbis)

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.

Strange-tailed tyrant (Alectrurus risora)

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.

Slippery dick (Halichoeres bivittatus)

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 puffbird (Malacoptila mystacalis)

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.