I have seen more than a few weird animals in my life but nothing like this! These pictures show us creatures so unique and bizarre it's hard to believe we live on the same planet as they do. Most of them are endangered animals, living only in the smallest and most remote places on earth.
Saiga Antelope:
An endangered kind of antelope, the Saiga inhabits the Eurasian steppe in Dzungaria and Mongolia. The strange nose is extremely flexible and helps the Saiga filter out dust in the air created by the running, migrating herd.
Chinese Water Deer:
Nicknamed the "Vampire Deer" for their prominent tusks, they are really a small kind of hornless deer.
Glaucus Atlanticus:
Also known as "blue dragon", this inch long sea slug is commonly found off the East and South Coast of South Africa, and Australia. Like many other colorful animals, its bright blue color is a warning for its powerful sting.
Bearded Vulture:
High in the mountainous regions in Europe and Asia is where these beautiful birds can be found. Only 10,000 or so are believed to still be alive after they were hunted due to fear of attacks on lambs and children.
Flying Snake (Chrysopelea):
This serpent climbs trees and then jumps down to move around the jungle. By flattening its body and flaring out its ribs, this flaying nightmare can glide through the air.
Ring-tailed cats:
The Ring-tailed cats are part of the raccoon family, native only to severalregions of North America. They were very easy to domesticate and so miners and settlers once kept them in their cabins as companions and vermin hunters.
Japanese Spider Crab:
This monster of a crab can reach heights of 12 feet and weigh up to 42 pounds, thankfully it's very rare. These crabs are only found in the waters off the island of Honshū in Japan.
Panda Ant:
It's hard to say if this wingless wasp from South America is cute or horrifying. It has only been spotted a handful of times but it is known to have a very powerful sting.
Frilled shark:
Deep In the waters of the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans you can find this prehistoric beast with its 300 trident-shaped teeth. It can reach a length of 2 meters (6.6 ft) and has a dark brown, eel-like body.
Gharials:
Once the kings of all major river systems, a type of crocodile, these 20 foot long lizards weigh in at 350 pounds are now critically endangered. Human overfishing has reduced these reptiles to just 2% of their former strength.
Dik-Dik:
Named for the alarm calls of the females, Dik-diks are an adorably small breed of antelopes found in southern Africa. A 'fully grown' dik-dik can reach a grand height of 12 inches and a weight of 10 pounds.
Snub Nosed Monkey:
These elf-like monkeys are found in Asia, at heights of up to 13,000 feet. They eat mainly tree needles, bamboo buds, fruits and leaves.
Okapi:
Okapi has the legs of a zebra and the long neck of a giraffe, they were found by British explorers during the early 1800s. Today they are only found in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, where only 10,000 to 20,000 remain.
Mantis Shrimp:
This colorful shrimp spends most of its life tucked away in burrows and holes, They have been called "prawn killers" and "thumb splitters", because of their extremely powerful claws and their ability to give an immensly powerful punch with their front legs.
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