The Weirdest Creatures on Earth
April 11, 2008
by
findingDulcinea Staff
The weirdest creatures in the world are often the most endangered. In this article we pay tribute to many of them with photos, videos, and biographies of amphibians, mammals, fish, bugs, and more.
Email ThisA Survey of Strange Species
TreeHugger, the environmental site, has a feature on how important “weird” animals are to the environment, even if they aren’t as cute as, say, polar bear cubs. From a National Geographic story, TreeHugger reports that environmental groups like EDGE, based in London, are working specifically for the weird guys in nature.
Source: TreeHugger
The BBC’s user-generated guide to weird animals covers all kinds of species and classes of creature. Learn about birds, “scaly things,” the sea squirt, and much more. Some links to those very necessary images and guides to the animals are provided.
Source: BBC h2g2
The kakapo, mentioned in the BBC link above, is one very strange and very endangered creature. According to the BBC’s guide on the bird, there are only 86 kakapos in the entire world. Nocturnal and indigenous to New Zealand, they are also the “heaviest parrots in the world” and cannot fly.
The New Zealand kakapo population has recently fallen below 100 after the outbreak of a deadly bacteria.
The New Zealand kakapo population has recently fallen below 100 after the outbreak of a deadly bacteria.
Source: BBC h2g2
When it comes to creatures, videos and photos are always a treat. On YouTube you’ll find “Top 10 Weird Animals,” a slideshow that includes a big-eared bat, a colorful bird, and a slimy reptile. Check out the related videos to the side for even more footage of weird creatures.
Source: YouTube
Sometimes discoveries of weird animals have a profound affect on people and the environment. Recently, scientists on the Ross Sea near Antarctica yielded some surprising results: giant starfish, “large sea spiders, jellyfish with 12-foot tentacles, [and] huge sea snails.” The researchers even uncovered several new species. View pictures at MSNBC.
Benthic researchers Sadie Mills, left, and Niki Davey present giant Macroptychaster sea star (starfish), which were discovered during a survey of New Zealand's Antarctic seas.
Benthic researchers Sadie Mills, left, and Niki Davey present giant Macroptychaster sea star (starfish), which were discovered during a survey of New Zealand's Antarctic seas.
Source: MSNBC
Often, when new animals are discovered, they turn out to be endangered as well. A new species of monkey, the highland mangabey, found in the mountains of Tanzania in 2005, is just one example. With a distinct call that can be described as a “honking bark,” this “striking” monkey has long whiskers and thick fur, which helps it withstand below-freezing nighttime temperatures. But illegal logging is threatening the species’ habitat, and only around 1,000 remain.
Source: The Times of London
Endangered and unique animals seem to prove that animals help us more than we help them. The naked mole rat, a frightening-looking but very sweet animal, is helping neurobiologists learn about pain sensitivity in the hopes of finding treatments for humans. The naked mole rat is sensitive to touch but insensitive to substances like acid and chili powder. It’s also a cold-blooded mammal, which might account for this strange makeup.
A naked mole-rat scurries about while awaiting its appearance in the Knoxville Zoo's "Naturally Naked Mole-Rats" exhibit.
A naked mole-rat scurries about while awaiting its appearance in the Knoxville Zoo's "Naturally Naked Mole-Rats" exhibit.
Source: LiveScience
Another pink, fleshy and adorable creature is the Mexican axolotl salamander, with characteristics of a newborn that it keeps throughout its life.
Source: National Geographic
Weird Creatures of the Past
Uncovering fossils—and even cave paintings—teaches us that the creatures of the past may have been even weirder than the modern ones. Scientists recently found a fossil of a scorpion claw that is so big it would put the scorpion’s full size at eight feet long. Other such findings have suggested that creatures like crabs and spiders used to be much bigger than previously thought.
Source: Discovery Channel
How about an ancient “Sea Warrior” crocodile? All we get is an imaginative drawing on National Geographic, but there is scientific evidence that a sea-swimming croc actually did exist.
Source: National Geographic
When Normal Animals Do Weird Things
Practitioners of witchcraft, as well as of some religions, have long seen animals as totems, symbolic of certain characteristics and strengths. This article in MysteryMag lists animals from alligator to zebra and the qualities associated with them. Learn, for example, that the crab is symbolic of good luck and the otter is a totem of sharing.
Source: MysteryMag
The Times of London ran a touching if slightly morbid story about a dog that missed his feline companion so much that after she died and was buried in the backyard, he dug her up! The owners found the dog and cat lying side by side the next morning, and it appeared that the dog had licked his friend clean.
Source: The Times of London
© 2008 Dulcinea Media, Inc.
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