The animal kingdom is full of a variety of wonderful and beautiful creatures. There are familiar ones like the elephant and giraffe, and some not so familiar ones like the cassowary and wombat. Even so, many animals feed into a shared perception of what a “normal” animal would be. And that’s what makes some of these animals some completely bizarre.
Purple Frog
Purple probably isn’t the color you think of when you think of a frog. This frog is also known as the “pig-nosed frog” because of its strange face and body. The species is indigenous to India, but its population has dwindled enough that it’s considered endangered. The tadpoles are eaten, the frog is turned into medicine, and is even made into an amulet meant for children. Said amulet is used to help children conquer their fear of storms.
Pink Fairy Armadillo
The pink fairy armadillo has a max body length of five inches. It’s one of the smallest mammals in the world, especially for something not classed as a rodent. They’re native to Argentina, where they spend most of their lives burrowing through the desert soil. Their pink shell, their namesake, gains this color from the blood it holds to help regulate the animal’s temperature.
Greater Sage-Grouse
Say hello to the greater sage-grouse. It looks like any other type of fowl, except for the two air sacs on its chest. They’re used to attract females by producing popping sounds. The males will even gather together into a group known as a “lek”, in an attempt to call females over in a larger group.
Japanese Spider Crab
The Japanese spider crab is one of the world’s largest arthropods. Fully stretched out, it can reach almost 12 feet across. They’re the largest crabs on the planet. However, they do still have predators. They’ll place sea sponges and other sea animals over their bodies to blend in with the ocean floor.
Blue Dragon (Glaucus Atlanticus)
The blue dragon is just one individual in a species known as Glaucus Atlantic. They’re a three-centimeter long sea slug. They move around with an air bubble trapped in their stomach, using it to float and glide through the ocean. Their primary food source is the Portuguese man-o’-war. They even use the tentacles and venom for tor their own protection.
Jerboa
The jerboa is a small rodent with kangaroo-like back legs. Its running speed is impressive, even surpassing most humans at 15 miles per hour. Found in the more arid regions of Asia, Arabia, and Northern Africa, this rodent is more active at night.
Ocean Sunfish
Also known as the Mola Mola, the ocean sunfish is one of the largest fish in the world. Even more impressive given the fact that it isn’t a shark. It weighs nearly 5,000 pounds and can grow up to 14 feet vertically and 10 feet horizontally. Since it spends most of its time near the ocean surface, smaller fish and some birds get the opportunity to clean the sunfish of parasites.
