Whenever I pick up a fantasy novel or start a new video game, the first things that grab my attention are the characters and monsters. The stranger and more imaginative these beasts are, the more memorable the world can feel.
But every now and then, reality proves it's as creative as fiction. You don't have to visit imaginary lands to meet something so unique it seems almost impossible.
The Twitter/X account 'Weird Animals' shares images of fascinating species that many people have never even heard of. So, to show just how diverse life on Earth really is, we've gathered some of its latest posts featuring extraordinary creatures from land, sea, and air.
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I love saiga antelope. They had a pretty rough go of it recently when something swept through the herds and killed a lot of them off, but I believe that whatever it was has receded, luckily.
Sorry - still gross, even with pretty colours. I've worked in one too many institutional settings to ever develop an affection for cockroaches, no matter their colour.
Also called Leadbeater's possum. "By the time of the 1939 Black Friday fires, the species was thought to have been extinct. Then, on 3 April 1961, a member of the species was rediscovered by naturalist Eric Wilkinson in the forests near Cambarville, and the first specimen in more than 50 years was captured later in the month." <- Wiki Diki
"Can't right now. I'm in a talk with my branch assistant manager"
"Atelopus barbotini, popularly known as the purple fluorescent frog or more accurately the purple harlequin toad, is a species of toad in the family Bufonidae." and "Deforestation and disease are the main causes for population decline in recent years. Because French Guiana has few laws and restrictions for logging, there are often issues with sustaining enough range for the toads to maintain a steady population.." <- Wiki Diki
Nudibranchs are one of my favourites. They have so many colours and designs.
I have tried that in the past when I was being bothered. I must say it works quite well.
I'm sat here like hmm I'll see if I can find the frog in those leaves. Then, I saw them all lol
Is this another frog that you can see part-way through?
Wait what? The Man o' war is pretty d**n big, do these things grow a lot larger? Or do they metaphorically trench run the d***h star?
"This species is generally very aggressive and will puff up when threatened to appear larger. If this behavior does not deter the intruder they will make a shrill screech, bite, and corner the target." <- Wiki Diki
"Many limacodid larvae are green and fairly smooth (e.g. yellow-shouldered slug), but others have tubercles with urticating hairs and may have bright warning colours. The sting can be quite potent, causing severe pain." <- Wiki Diki
This guy must work out at the gym - those are spectacular legs!
Pretty sure that's very bad for the rabbit to leave it's fur that long, even apart from the fact that it can't see or probably move very well.
Forgot the top of the bird's head. Also "The male has one of the loudest calls of any bird—a sharp sound like that of a hammer striking an anvil or a bell. Before making such a call, an individual must take a sharp inhale to increase air pressure in the interclavicular air-sacs surrounding its syrinx. It takes a long time for young males to learn the call, as one such male living in captivity next to an adult P. nudicollis that frequently called could not perfect it within 10 months of practice." <- Wiki Diki
Unusual - I don't think I've seen one of these before.
I think we saw one of these on several posts earlier this week and we were commenting on its attractive leggings.
I hate it when they bring deep water fish like this to the surface. I know they have to study them and blah blah blah - it just seems lie an awful way to die.
Interesting - another one I wasn't aware of. This is great!
OK - where does it go? Yes, it goes right back in the water.
Wow! Third one on this list I've never seen before and I spend LOTS of time on-line checking out animals. I am loving this!
A blue WHAT? And you didn't even put a stripe on it like you do for ladies' mammary glands? Hmmmmm . . . .
That's about the last time you'll be able to pick one of those up before it starts to grow, as I learned to my bitter regret.
Thank you Rokas and Indrė for this article! I love animals so much and seeing new ones I hadn't heard of before was the icing on the cake!
Thank you Rokas and Indrė for this article! I love animals so much and seeing new ones I hadn't heard of before was the icing on the cake!
