Photos of weirdest animals on Earth (part 2)

This is part 2 of the list of some of the weird, bizarre, unusual animals in the world. Check out part 1 of the “Photos of weirdest animals on Earth.”

1. Leafy seadragons are covered with leaf-like appendages, making them remarkably camouflaged. Found in Australia, they inhabit calm, cold water and have been protected by the government since 1982.


2. The slender loris inhabits tropical moist lowland forests found in India or Sri Lanka. The species is threatened by habitat loss.

3. The Indian gharial is a critically endangered species and one of the longest of all living crocodilians, sometimes measuring over 20 feet.

4. Hairy frogfish walk along the seabed hunting for food. This rare creature can be found in Indonesia.

5. Living at extreme depths, and among the rarest of octupuses, the Dumbo octupus (Giant Octupus) gets its name from its ears which loosely resemble those of the Disney character, Dumbo.

6. A viperfish is a deepwater fish with long, needle-like teeth and hinged lower jaws. It is one of the fiercest predators in the very deep part of the sea and is believed to attack its prey by luring its victim with a light producing organ.

7. The shoebill is a very large bird found in tropical swamps of eastern Africa. It stands at an average of four feet with a wingspan of over seven feet. The species was only discovered by ornithologists in the 19th century.

8. The Axolotl is a Mexican neotenic mole salamander. The species originates from the lake underlying Mexico City. Axolotls are used extensively in scientific research due to their ability to regenerate most body parts.

9. The guineafowl puffer, from the Pacific Ocean. When fully expanded, it can reach 50 cm in length.

10. The frill-necked Lizard, so called because of the large ruff of skin around its neck, runs on its hind-legs when frightened. This behaviour has earnt it the name ‘bicycle lizard’ in Australia.

11. The long-beaked echidna was named among the top-ten “focal species” in 2007 by the Evolutionarily Distinct and Globally Endangered project. Echidnas are one of two types of mammals that lay eggs.

12. Although the tarsier was once more widespread, all the species living today are found on the islands of Southeast Asia, especially The Philippines. Each eyeball is approximately 16 mm in diameter and is as large as their entire brain.

13. Similiar to the komondor (a large Hungarian dog breed, has a long, thick, strikingly corded white coat), the Hungarian puli also has a coat of dreadlock-type cords. The breed rarely moults and is deceptively fast and acrobatic.

14. The most distinctive trait of the proboscis monkey is the male’s large protruding nose. It has been suggested that the female proboscis monkey prefers big-nosed males.

15. The Sun Bear is found primarily in the tropical rainforests of Southeast Asia. At only four feet tall, it is the smallest member of the bear family, and it is often called the dog bear.

Thanks to telegraph.co.uk for the info and photos.

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Tags: Animals