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Unless your job is directly related to discovering, studying, or tending to exotic wildlife, it is safe to say that most of the time, you only see unique animals on TV. The thing is, there is way, way more to discover, and that’s the good news! With hundreds of thousands of species inhabiting our planet, there will always be a new friend to meet and learn about. 

What is a Unique Species?

Strictly speaking, every species is unique. It is one of its kind, isn’t it? But of course, if we talk about the size of their population, animals that are very specific to one medium-sized area, or even strange animals that don’t look like anything else you have seen before, it is safe to say there are some truly unique animals in the world we live in. 

What is the Most Unique Animal?

So, if we had to make a list, which species would top the charts of unique animals? Well, the answer to that question depends on the criteria you apply to your query. If we are talking about numbers, the rarest animal known to humankind today is a vaquita. However, if you are looking for weird animals that look like no other species in the world, the answer will be completely different. 

However, one thing that can be said for certain is that unique animals have some of the cutest babies one could imagine. And if there is one scientific fact we could all agree upon, it is that cute baby animals make your day infinitely better just by looking at them. So, to give you your daily dose of cuteness, we prepared a whole collection of unique animals and their babies.

#1

Baby Tree Kangaroo

Baby Tree Kangaroo In Her Mothers Belly

Perth Zoo Report

#6

Baby Quoll

Baby Quoll With White Spots In Humans Hand

YoureNotAGenius Report

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jillvillechildcare avatar
JillVille Child Care
Community Member
7 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Another of Tasmania's cutest species! They're still cute as adults - I checked!

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#7

Southern Pudu Fawn

Southern Pudu Fawn In A Forrest With Lifted Leg

wcs Report

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zori-i-iana avatar
Zori the degu
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7 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Ladies and gentleman, we introduce the smallest and most adorable deer in the world!

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#9

Baby Elephant Shrew

Baby Elephant Shrew Posing With His Tongue Out

Black Zack , manchestereveningnews Report

#10

Fluffy Honduran White Bat Baby

Fluffy Honduran White Bat Baby In Humans Hands

James Storer , Hernani Oliveira Report

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Want to Know Some Cool Facts About Unique Animals?

The smallest, the strongest, the rarest — do you know all of them? But besides these characteristics, there are a lot of interesting things you can learn about the unique animals of our planet.

  • The largest animal on Earth is the blue whale. This 190,000 kg, 30 m (98 ft) giant’s heart weighs as much as a small car. Moreover, its arteries are big enough for an average-sized person to swim through!
  • Axolotls are widely believed to be the most unusual animal known to mankind. For starters, they are supposed to be salamanders, but unlike other species of this group, they remain aquatic even as adults. They play a huge cultural role in Mexico, where they originally come from. These funny alien-looking creatures were called after Xolotl, the Aztec deity of fire and lightning. 
  • Scientists estimate that currently, there are only ten or even fewer vaquitas left in the world, which makes them the rarest species in the world. With their name translated from Spanish as “little cow,” vaquitas belong to the aquatic mammals. Interestingly, they were fully described as late as 1985. 
#11

Orphaned Baby Eastern Quoll Being Cared For At Bruny Island

Baby Eastern Quoll Eating From A Small Bowl

Syyraxus Report

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jillvillechildcare avatar
JillVille Child Care
Community Member
7 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Oh those spots! Not very camouflage proof though? I've yet to see polka-dotted trees! :P

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#15

Baby Gundi

Hairy Baby Gundi In A Dessert

Joachim S. Müller Report

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ysapur avatar
YsaPur
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7 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

after a quick image search to see more of this cute never-heard-of animal i got mostly pictures of Gandhi

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#18

Baby Okapi

Baby Okapi Laying On The Ground

Brookfield Zoo Report

#21

Baby White-Nosed Coati

Baby White-Nosed Coati Looking To The Camera

Alea Christine Report

#22

Chacoan Peccary Baby

Chacoan Peccary Baby Being Sniffed By His Mother

Depositphotosalgar Report

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zori-i-iana avatar
Zori the degu
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7 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

They might look like pigs(family Suidae), but they are from another closely related family-Tayassuidae.

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#23

Baby Sunda Colugo

Baby Sunda Colugo Hanging On A Branch

Hendy Lie Hendy Lie Report

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zori-i-iana avatar
Zori the degu
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7 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Also known as flying lemur. The family contains only two vulnerable and unique species.

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#25

African Wild Dog Puppy

African Wild Dog Puppy Playing With Other Dogs

travel4wildlife.com Report

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raimei avatar
rai mei
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7 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

is it just the picture or the outline of the eyes and nose are blue?

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#29

Baby Mouse Deer

Baby Mouse Deer Looking Straight In A Dark Environment

Chester Zoo , Chester Zoo Report

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zori-i-iana avatar
Zori the degu
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7 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

The smallest among all deer-like mammals. The adult`s hind legs are only as thin as a pencil each!

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#35

Baby Lowland Streaked Tenrec

Small Baby Lowland Streaked Tenrec On A Table

Cliff Report

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zori-i-iana avatar
Zori the degu
Community Member
7 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

The tenrecs from Madagascar look like shrew, hedgehog or something else, depending on their habitat.

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How Cute is That?

No doubt, looking at photos of cute animals, especially their babies, is one of the most therapeutic experiences. It might be your first time meeting this lot today, but they will surely put a smile on your face every time you see them. As always, nature leaves us in awe of its creations.

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FAQ About Unique Animals

No matter how much you learn about all the different life forms around you, there is always more to learn. Some facts help you to understand the wildlife better and actively help preserve it; others are just fun to know. Below are three interesting things people always seem to wonder about.

Do Rare Animals Only Have One Baby?

Well, not necessarily. Most of the time, the number of babies depends on the size of the animal (larger mammals are more likely to have one baby per birth), but it also often happens that rare animals do not actively reproduce, which leads to a decline in population. This is what happened to pandas, who were too lazy to mate, and scientists had to interfere to save them from extinction.

Why Do We Love Cute Animals?

There is actually science behind that fuzzy feeling you get when you see those furry little creatures. First of all, we are designed by nature to like our babies so that we can take care of them. And baby animals have a lot of features in common with human babies; that’s why we find them equally adorable. What makes us like all things cute are chemicals that flood our brain during the experience. 

Is It Okay To Own Rare Animals As Pets?

While there might be some extraordinary cases, the short and sweet answer is no. Rare animals are seldom domesticated, which means that at some point, they could attack other beings living in the household, even if just out of self-protection instinct. Also, their care will be significantly different from your pet’s care. Sometimes, you can find rare animals in shelters where wildlife specialists take care of them, but this is meant as a measure of protection and maybe attempts to save them from extinction, not just to have them as household pets.