angora rabbit- a breed of decorative rabbits, which is distinguished by "special fluffiness." They are bred for their long and soft coat, which is 90% down. From 150 to 500 grams of wool are obtained from one such rodent per year. Angora wool began to be obtained in the Turkish city of Ankara, hence the name. There are Angora rabbits with unprecedentedly long hair - up to 30 cm. various form ears and body.

Source: http://imworld.ru

Evil shieldback- belongs to the genus of tailless amphibians, the family of whistlers.
The shield backs live in the semi-arid region of southern Paraguay, Argentina and Bolivia. They lead a semi-aquatic lifestyle (there are no swimming membranes on their front legs, so they are poor swimmers). Shield-speakers live in shrubs, temporary freshwater swamps, meadows and reservoirs. Due to the reduction of habitats, they are endangered.

Let the harmless appearance of the toad not deceive you, it has a formidable weapon - long cone-shaped outgrowths on the lower jaw - "pseudo-teeth". tadpoles evil shieldback very angry, they, without blinking an eye, eat their fellows, swallowing them whole (probably, for this they need such a big mouth). Shchitobacks are cannibals, and they are kept separately in terrariums.

Source: http://vk.com

Burmese snub-nosed monkey, or Stryker's Rhinopithecus- for their miniature nose, the monkeys received the nickname "Michael Jackson". The nose gives the monkeys inconvenience: during the rain, drops fall into the nose and they sneeze. Therefore, during bad weather, they are forced to sit in the trees, hiding their heads between their knees.
Snub-nosed monkeys live only in northern Burma, their population numbers up to 300 individuals. They were discovered quite recently - in 2010.

Source: http://vk.com

sea ​​bats- fish from the bat family of the anglerfish order, or sea devils. The bat can reach a maximum length of 35 cm. These fish have a very extravagant and original appearance: they have a large head with a “fishing rod”, a tubular outgrowth in which bait is hidden - a special trapping organ. Sea bats have plump lips, a narrow body and narrows even more towards the tail, so the fish resemble the physique of a giant tadpole. Sea bats are similar to frogs due to the special pectoral and ventral fins, which consist of several skeletal elements. The pelvic fins are very large and look like frog legs. Completes the image - bare skin without scales. Red-lipped and coconut sea bats are more popular and known for their skillful make-up - well-chosen lip color. Sea bats are very clumsy and do not like to swim. Their favorite pastime is hiding at the bottom.

Source: http://www.lextours.com

Hungarian Shepherd Dog or Komondor- is considered one of the most ancient breeds. The ancestors of the Komondor were used to guard sheep and cattle. This is one of the most big dogs- the average height of a male is 80 cm. In addition to their impressive size and affectionate nature, Komondors are distinguished by their extravagant appearance. Sheepdog hairstyle - long "dreadlocks": a special white, long corded coat.

Source: http://www.zoopicture.ru

Ay-ay, or Madagascar hand- the only species from the family of rukonozhkovyh. Ai-ai - semi-monkeys, with fluffy, but rare black-brown hair, a long tail, thin and long aristocratic fingers, big eyes and huge bald ears. Ai-ay lives in tropical forests Madagascar and is nocturnal. In length, the animal grows up to 45 cm, and its tail can reach 60 cm. It seems that Tolkien "copied" Gollum from this particular mammal.

Source: http://www.mirkrasiv.ru

Moon-fish, or fish-sun- this is really both the sun and the moon of the oceans, it is also called the "floating head". The fish moon is the largest in existence today bony fish: grows up to 3 m in length and weighs up to 1.5 tons. The body of the moon-fish, as if squeezed in a press, is flat, and the tail is very short. It lives in the tropical waters of the Atlantic, Indian and Pacific oceans. Small sunfish swim like all normal fish, but the bigger they get, the harder it is for them to swim. Adult individuals are not able to fight the current. Moonfish can often be seen resting on their side on the surface of the water.

01.03.2013 - 17:43

Do you think the miracles on this planet are over and there is nothing to surprise us with? Wrong! Nature is still capable of presenting funny surprises to researchers ... We bring to your attention the note "The most unusual and funny animals."

baleen toad

Frogs are different: striped and multi-colored, large and small, with "horns" and with "pockets", and therefore you are unlikely to be surprised if you find out that there are frogs ... with a mustache. Few Europeans are familiar with the mustachioed toad. But the Chinese know her well, and it is difficult to surprise them with such a beast. But we, dear readers, are not Chinese, and therefore get ready to be surprised.

This toad is called that - mustachioed spadefoot (why - spadeweed, we do not undertake to explain). And the mustache, as it should be, is worn only by male spadeworts, and then only during the breeding season. In truth, the toad "whiskers" are just a few spikes that periodically grow above upper lip, and they serve not only to decorate and confirm their own masculinity, but also for more serious matters.

And such things come at a time when male toads - forest dwellers in essence - go together to the reservoirs, take a position suitable from their point of view on the banks and begin to utter calling cries in unison, bristle, vykablutsya and generally demonstrate themselves to females in every possible way, proving to them their superiority over other males.

That's when the mustache comes in handy. If some impudent toad suddenly tries to physically push the enemy, he will immediately receive a hard and professional blow from him with his mustache in the underbelly. Interestingly, among all the currently known toads and frogs, the mustachioed spadefoot is the only one that uses physical strength in the fight for the female. The rest are content with verbal abuse and mock demonstration of muscles. Spadewomen, like real men, in the event of a conflict, silently “go around the corner”, that is, they sink to the bottom of the reservoir, and there they begin a “showdown”. Wins, as one would expect, not the most noisy or colorfully painted, but the strongest. True, it should be noted that, despite the seriousness of the frog "showdown", it does not come to bloodshed. Frogs fight painfully and for real, but not to death.

When the job is done, the females lay their eggs and go back to the forest, since from their point of view the performance is over and nothing more interesting is expected. The other thing is the males. Again, like real men, they guard their "home" - masonry - until the appearance of tadpoles. It's funny that sometimes males confuse masonry and take someone else's offspring under protection. But in this case, there are no more conflicts. If the spadefoot sees that the masonry is already under someone's protection, she simply looks for another one or goes home.

The only ones who can seriously prevent the spadefoots from breeding peacefully are, as one would expect, people. The inhabitants of the Celestial Empire highly value toads from the point of view of gastronomy, and therefore, in the midst of mating games, both males and females, and caviar, and subsequently tadpoles, are harvested like potatoes, after which they cook very tasty dishes from all this, in their opinion.

The Iron Lady"

If the mustache toad didn't surprise you too much, then we can offer an even more extravagant animal - an armored snail.

Yes, yes, this mollusk is like an ancient knight, or rather, like modern tank, clad in very thick armor, from the most real and very durable iron.

Researchers discovered iron snails quite recently - in 2001 - in the area of ​​​​the so-called "black smokers", located near the Arabian-Indian ridge, which stretches along the bottom of the Indian Ocean. "Smokers" are hydrothermal vents. They throw out hot water saturated with copper, iron and zinc. All this mixture settles to the bottom, including those living in close proximity snails. This is how shellfish get their armor.

I must say that such protection is very useful for snails, as it saves them not only from predators, but also from colossal pressure, because these mollusks live at a depth of more than two kilometers. For this reason, and also because they were discovered quite recently, zoologists have not yet really studied iron snails.

Who has four eyes?

Our next hero does not have a chic battle mustache and is not clad in a steel shell, but at the same time he is no less interesting. We are talking about a turtle that has ... four eyes.

This amazing animal lives in the mountains located in the fresh water reservoirs of Vietnam, Laos and southern China. In fact, the turtle, like any other animal, has only two working eyes, the second pair is simply drawn on the turtle's head by nature, but drawn so professionally that at first the thought comes that they are the real organs of vision.

Why turtles need fake eyes is hard to say, as, in fact, there is practically nothing to tell about the animals themselves. It is only known that they are terribly secretive, they live mainly in mountainous areas, and therefore, surprisingly, they are able to quite deftly climb stones and low cliffs. There, in the crevices of the rocks, turtles hide their offspring.

But even in the mountains, people find both the turtles themselves and their eggs. This species is considered not only tasty, but also medicinal, and therefore is subjected to total extermination, despite all state prohibitions. So, sadly, scientists, most likely, simply will not have time to study the amazing four-eyed turtles. Very soon, if they are not allowed on dubious drugs, they will simply be eaten.

Madagascar shooter

Someone once said that everything that we can imagine exists in nature. So, let's imagine a small black hedgehog with an orange collar, shooting thorns, similar at the same time to a mouse, to a mole, and in addition still able to swim.

Represented? So, such an animal exists, lives in Madagascar and is called a tenrec.

There are many tenrecs on the island. There are tree tenrecs, there are ground, underground (very similar to moles), and water tenrecs. These, unlike their land counterparts, have membranes on their paws.

These animals have one very interesting feature. They know how to communicate with each other with the help of ... needles. Their needles are able to vibrate and, with the help of this vibration, the animals transmit certain information to each other. True, with age, the ability to “communicate with needles” in tenrecs disappears.

But the tenrecs retain the ability to “shoot” with needles until their death. After all, this is their only means of protection against foss and other predators. The process is quite simple: the attacked black-and-orange hedgehog quickly directs its combat needles located on the head and on the sides of the body towards the enemy. Then it sharply strains and relaxes the skin, as a result of which the needles fly out towards the attacker and dig into his nose! Very effective and extremely painful reception.

Tenrecs are predators and are predominantly nocturnal. During the day, they prefer to rest, gaining strength before hunting, in tree hollows, burrows and under stones, and at night they go hunting in search of insects and lizards. Water terneks prey on small fish.

Another characteristic feature of tenrecs is an inexhaustible love for their offspring. Mothers nurse their babies for six months - until they become fully grown and independent.

home phone

No, this is not a typo. We are not talking about a phone, but about a telephon - a tailed spider, surprisingly similar to a scorpion. So similar that a person who is unfamiliar with the telephone, when they meet, is likely to panic and try to run away.

True, a resident of Central Russia has not so many chances to meet with a telephone. Most varieties of these spiders live in the Malay Archipelago, on the island of Java, in Central America, Brazil, Mexico and in the Ussuri taiga. In Australia, Africa and Europe, telephones are not found.

Well, if we talk about the appearance of the telephone, then, at first glance, there is something to be afraid of. Here you have a solid size (some individuals reach a length of 8.5 centimeters), and huge terrible claws, and a terrible scorpion tail that, just look, will dig into your ankle and sprinkle with deadly poison.

But then it turns out that the claws are intended only for the dismemberment of worms and insects, there is no needle on the tail, and the telephon does not have poison either. For protection, there is only a liquid with the smell of vinegar, which is as dangerous to humans as diluted vinegar is. That is, it’s better not to expose your eyes, (and the phones “shoot” with their liquid far enough - up to 30 centimeters), but if it gets on the skin ambulance calling is not necessary.

After learning such details, many calm down and even take telephones into the house as pets and favorites. And they have something to love, despite the aggressive look. These spiders do not require complex care and fanciful feeding, plus they quite quickly deal with all kinds of flying, buzzing and stinging living creatures, which, in fact, is very beneficial for the owners.

And it looks so edible

Take a look at the photo. So it’s tempting to pick it up in your arms, squeeze it from the “poles”, and, having heard the treasured crunch, take a long knife and cut it into juicy, red slices, right?

But it won't work. This is not a watermelon and not a plant at all, but an animal. More specifically, a slug caterpillar. And its taste is hardly even remotely reminiscent of the taste of watermelon.

Yes, by the way, and the size of this caterpillar is very far from melons - it is no more than a centimeter in diameter. And nature came up with such a strange color so that voracious birds would not try to taste the caterpillar. Birds do not eat watermelons, especially immature, and even so small.

The watermelon-like caterpillar most often sits still and does not move (as it should be for the fetus), but sometimes slowly crawls from place to place in search of tasty leaves.

Before finally pupating, the watermelon caterpillar finds a secluded place in the deaf foliage, where it attaches tightly to some branch and is covered with a dense, brown, silky cocoon.

After some time, a small reddish-brown butterfly with a wingspan of only about three centimeters will hatch from the cocoon of the former watermelon-like caterpillar.

Moth! give paw

Big black eyes, paws covered with soft fluff, brown mustaches, "angelic" wings... Perhaps this is some kind of wonderful animal from a childhood dream, something like a fabulous unicorn? No, unfortunately, everything is much more prosaic. Before you is an ordinary moth! Yes, yes, the same inhabitant of dusty wardrobes, a thunderstorm of fur coats and other items of clothing.

Well, frankly, this moth, which is discussed in our article, is not quite ordinary. Photographer Arthur Anker discovered her in the southeast of Venezuela, in the territory National Park Canaima several years ago and with difficulty, but still persuaded him to pose a little.

Anyway, that's what he says. Yes, at first they did not really believe him. Agree yourself: with the ability to handle Photoshop (and working with Photoshop and similar programs for processing graphic images has long become the second literacy of all photographers), and so, with the appropriate skill, “cooking” a photo of such an animal based on your imagination will not be much labor.

But, in the end, biologists believed Arthur, called his find a “poodle” moth (something it really looks like a poodle) and are now busy linking the flying “poodle” to already existing species and classes of Lepidoptera.

Dolphins Gentlemen

We will talk about the southern right whale dolphins, which differ from the breeds known to us in the sophistication of “attire” and a way of life that is little studied by science, which is not surprising, because these animals prefer to stay away from the coast, in the most expanses of the World Ocean.

But even in the open sea, whale dolphins are not easy to spot. The structure of their skin is such that, moving at great speed, they leave no splashes, no foam, in fact, no traces at all! It's like dolphins are flying on the water instead of swimming.

As for their attire, take a look at the picture and see for yourself: only a true gentleman can wear an extremely strict, perfectly fitting black and white suit with such elegance.

By the way, a dolphin must first earn such clothes. This is done very simply, and depends only on age. Up to a year, a baby dolphin wears nondescript “clothing” of a grayish color, and only in the second year of life does it put on a chic dandy suit from high society.

flying kangaroo

Sir Joseph Banks, who at one time took part in the expedition of Captain Cook, left notes in his diary telling about the first meetings of Europeans with kangaroos: “On the journey, we came across very few animals, and even less we were able to catch. The largest locals call "kangaroo". Nothing like this is found in Europe. Their main difference from other mammals is that they do not run, but jump on very long hind legs, while keeping the front legs bent near the chest. These beasts move so fast that even my best hound couldn't keep up with them."

But the honorable Sir Banks has not yet had a chance to meet the so-called tree kangaroos, which are not only able to run very fast, but also easily jump from the height of a 10-story building without any harm to their own health. What other animal is capable of such a daring feat?

However, it is not surprising that neither Sir Joseph nor Captain Cook himself met tree kangaroos. These animals sleep all day long, stretched out on the branches. tall trees, and only in the evening, groaning and stretching, descend with their tail forward from "heaven" to the sinful earth to look for food.

All fingers of tree kangaroos have long, hooked claws, with which they quickly climb trees, and sometimes even jump from branch to branch, like monkeys. They are even sometimes called that - marsupial monkeys. And, by the way, tree kangaroos run on the ground not much worse than those “classic” kangaroos that we are used to seeing in zoos and which at one time so impressed Sir Joseph Banks and his comrades.

Ugh! Slug!

Yeah, okay, she's not so nasty, that caterpillar of the slug or wood lice. There was a time when she was generally Living being they didn’t count, they thought that someone just spat on the leaf.

But no. It turned out that this creature is very much alive, although it looks more like a piece of gelatin. However, this "gelatin" is able to move with the help of eight pairs of suckers, and besides, it is extremely voracious. The slug eats, like all caterpillars, leaves, and does it in two passes. First, like an impatient gourmet, she eats the tastiest thing - the pulp, and then, after slightly freezing the worm, she proceeds to destroy the "skeleton", as a result, practically nothing remains of the leaf, even the cutting.

Scull! Scull!

Let's once again briefly return to Australia, to its still unexplored world of the tropics.

Traveling around Australia, the biologist Louis Weber stumbled upon an amazing creature that, if he were, say, an ignorant savage, would make him run without looking back. Just imagine a caterpillar with a real ... skull instead of a head.

It is clear that in fact there is no skull, it is just a protective “mask” that saves from predators and from people who do not have a biological education. By the way, it is strange that animals react so nervously to the sight of a skull. Maybe their grandmothers also read scary tales about the living dead in childhood?

devil gecko

This silent inhabitant of the island of Madagascar is able to sit for hours in fallen leaves, thoughtfully contemplating the nearest grass and, no doubt, thinking about eternity, and maybe about how he cleverly hid and now no one will find him.

Will find. To his deep regret, they will find it, catch it, put it in a jar and sell it to some amateur. And after all, no one will warn this lover that the leaf-like geckos in question do not breed in captivity, which means that this purchase is futile.

But even collectors familiar with this sad fact still buy leaf-like geckos. Therefore, in 2004 the World Fund wildlife listed all these animals in the list of "Most exterminated".

Why are gecko lizards so attractive to collectors? Some of the collectors of unknown animals probably "peck" at the name. Zoologists not deprived of fantasy called this gecko not only leaf-like, but also devilish, unclean, satanic and even fantastic. All these names are officially registered, and therefore, in a casual conversation, you can inadvertently mention that something satanic or fantastic lives in your house and, thus, let's say, interest some beautiful stranger (or stranger).

Others probably like that at first glance their home terrarium seems empty, but if you look closely, it sits in the corner, missing Madagascar.

In fact, the poor gecko does not support any connection with evil spirits, and the first name, leaf-like, suits him best of all. This is because when this truly leaf-like lizard sits in real leaf litter, it blends in almost perfectly with its surroundings.

Pinocchio frog

This frog, which lives in the Fojai mountains in Indonesia, was called the "Pinocchio frog" for a very simple reason - the males of this species have an unusual a long nose, which is completely uncharacteristic of other tailless amphibians. Moreover, this nose, like that of the hero of a fairy tale, behaves quite emotionally. It can also grow, but not in those cases when the frog is lying to someone, but only when it has a “fighting” mood in terms of the desire to continue the race.

The nose does not participate in the process of procreation, it only informs the females about the readiness for mating. It is interesting that this unusual frog was discovered quite recently - in 2008, and more or less detailed information about it appeared in the general press only two years later. One of the participants of the expedition to search for animals unknown to science fished out a long-nosed frog from a bag of rice stored in a base camp set up at the foot of the Fojai Mountains, and, apparently, for two years he could not understand how she got there, what she was doing there, and what is it anyway?

Walking on the bottom of the ocean

In the same place, off the coast of West Papua New Guinea, another amazing creature was discovered - a walking shark. No, she can swim, but for some reason she most often prefers walking.

The "legs" of this strange pedestrian are the pectoral and ventral fins. Deftly managing them, the shark travels calmly at a depth of up to four meters, and sometimes in shallow water, picking up any living creatures suitable for food along the way. It can be crustaceans, shrimp and more. This shark does not attack a person - it is too small, the dimensions are not the same, in the region of only half a meter. But it can scare, especially with its coloring. The body of the shark is yellow-brown and white and black spots are scattered in a chaotic manner on this background. So you won’t understand right away: what is it that is coming at you?

For its modest size, extraordinary coloration, and given that it is still a predator, this species of animal was named cat sharks.

Here it must be added that cat sharks are found in different places, and were already known, but in order to walk along the bottom so easily, only a recently discovered inhabitant of the waters of West Papua New Guinea has this feature.

well forgotten old

Researchers discovered this spider in 2006 in Ghana (West Africa) in the Ateva Forest Reserve. In honor of the reserve, the spider got its name. But with the same success it could be discovered and described in the last century, the year before; a thousand or a hundred thousand years ago.

This spider is unique in that its ancestors could easily sit on the paradise tree of the knowledge of good and evil and watch how the Serpent seduces Eve with an apple, and Eve, in turn, seduces Adam. Or they could travel on the ruins of ancient civilizations along the waves of the next. Or meet those who first visited the young planet Earth. And, most likely, both the first, and the second and the third, and all because these spiders are already more than three hundred million years old! Can you imagine how many times they have already been “opened”? Surely the spiders themselves, for such a long period of existence, are already tired to death of all these next naturalists and researchers screaming joyfully at the sight of them.

Yes, not just a cuzimanza, but also a long-nosed one. As we understand it, this is someone with a very long nose. We understand correctly! Kuzimanza has a really long nose, but this does not prevent her from living, and therefore plastic surgeons please do not worry.

So, who is the Cuzimanza? Everything is very simple! This is one of the species of mongoose that lives in West Africa. And the habits of the Cuzimanza are completely mongoose. For example, these animals prefer to live big families; they have good eyesight, hearing and smell, they are happy to eat lizards, mice, birds, and bird eggs. Without pleasure, only if necessary, they snack on worms, frogs and beetles. Well, and, of course, like any decent mongoose, Kuzimanza successfully destroy all kinds of vipers and also eat them without any harm to their health.

And the full face of the kuzimanza is almost the same as that of the "classic" mongoose. It's just that the profile is not the same. The profile is completely different - a noble, nosy, one might say, an original profile that distinguishes this animal from its fellows in appearance.

And this animal can be kept at home instead of a cat or dog. At the same time, the phrase: “I’ll go and feed the kuzimanza” will invariably shock your guests.

This is the dog

And here is another representative of the "long-nosed" cohort. True, this is no longer a mongoose, but the so-called Peters red-shouldered proboscis dog.

No one knows why this creature was called a dog. There is nothing doggy about him, and never has been. The family to which this creature belongs is called even funnier - jumpers. But here the dog has something to be proud of: of all the jumping proboscis dogs, it is the largest, about the size of a rat. The remaining representatives of this order barely reach the size of a large mouse.

Where did the jumpers come from, and who are their closest relatives - science could not find an answer to these questions for a long time. In the end, using the most complex analyzes and using the latest technological advances, zoologists managed to draw a parallel between the mouse-like jumping horses and ... elephants. Because studies have shown that both have a trunk.

So proboscis dogs, which are none, but relatives of elephants. But the differences (besides the size) are immediately noticeable. After all, if elephants are calm, unhurried animals in everyday life, then it is extremely difficult to follow the chaotic movements of the proboscis dog, they move so quickly on all four paws. The movements of the dog, although erratic, are dedicated to one single purpose - the search for food. This goal for the proboscis dog (as for any living creature) is sacred. To this end, the dog sticks its nose-trunk into all the cracks found. The nose is down, and the tail is strictly up, so that the relatives, watching the lighthouse tail sticking out over the grass, know that everything is in order with its owner.

This family was called the Prygunchikovs, apparently, after they frightened one of its representatives. Because these animals conduct their searches on four legs, but they run away from real or imaginary danger on two, funny bouncing like miniature kangaroos.

It remains only to add that the dog, like the Cuzimanza, lives in Africa. Organizes the search for food during the day, and sleeps at night, like all decent animals, curled up in a grassy nest, specially made for a single overnight stay. After all, the proboscis dog rarely spends the night in the same place.

flying panda

In fact, the animal, discovered by scientists at Bucknell University (Pennsylvania) in South Sudan- bat. But somehow extraordinary. Later, experts confirmed: yes, the species is unknown, so you can safely give it your name. And the bat was named the flying panda.

If you look at the picture, it is immediately clear why the panda. Painfully characteristic coloring. Well, the spitting image of a panda, only with wings and growth did not come out. “I immediately noticed the unusual white stripes and spots on her torso,” says Diane Reeder, senior researcher and assistant professor of biology at Bucknell University. “I have never seen anything like it before. Although for me, this mouse is more like a badger than a panda, but each of us has our own idea. One thing was clear for sure, that we had opened a new known species. At first we wanted to call it “badger bat”, but then we changed this decision in order to pay tribute to the country in which it was found and called it Niumbaha (Niumbaha), which is translated from the local language as “rare” or “unusual "".

It is somehow even unusual to write this, but the flying panda, which is so rare in nature, is not threatened with extinction in the near future. This is due to the fact that in the territory of its habitat - in South Sudan, in Ghana, in Côte d'Ivoire and in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, people are busy organizing and implementing numerous revolutions and, as a result, mass extermination of their own kind. that in this situation, every little thing, like some kind of striped bats, is simply ignored.

But when peace and prosperity are established in these regions, when industry begins to develop, deforestation and poaching intensify, when European model houses introduce striped skin bat into fashion, then the little winged panda will only have to hide behind the cover of the Red Book. For now, everything is fine.

Because life is a struggle

Everyone fights for their survival in this world in their own way. Who uses power, who uses cunning. But what about the poor caterpillar of the butterfly from the family of moths, which every bird wants to have breakfast for the reason that the notorious caterpillar has a very appetizing look? That's right - to become as less appetizing as possible.

Over millions of years, insects have come up with many ways to disguise themselves. Some pretend to be dry twigs, stems or leaves, others mimic, completely merging with the surface on which they are located. this moment. But the moth caterpillar went its own way - graceful and beautiful. Throughout her life, she, like a lady from high society, regularly ... changes into bright, festive outfits.

The home of haute couture, so to speak, for the caterpillar are flowers - the most catchy and most beautiful of all that grow nearby. Climbing onto a flower, the caterpillar gnaws off part of its bright petals and, with the help of sticky liquid silk, which it secretes itself, glues itself with these petals from top to bottom. In this outfit, she flaunts until the petals wither. And as soon as the “dress” begins to lose its fresh look, the caterpillar hurries to the next “couturier” flower and does it all over again.

Such dressing up can occur dozens and even hundreds of times, until a small but beautiful pale green butterfly hatches from a cunning caterpillar fashionista.

By the way, this caterpillar was called a moth because, due to its structural features, it moves in such a way as if it measures the span by span of the surface along which it moves.

Aggressive grasshopper

People gave the name of the enemy of the human race to many animals, fish and plants. But this time, a dubious honor was earned by an ordinary grasshopper, which zoologists called the spiny devil.

It is immediately worth noting that the grasshopper is not quite ordinary. He does not like to hide like his brothers, who usually blend into the grass so that they can only be heard, but not seen. And she will never become “fashionable”, like our previous heroine. The spiky devil is always in sight. (Unless, of course, this can be said about the Amazon basin, where this representative of Orthoptera lives). He is ready to fight back anyone who encroaches on his life and freedom. Moreover, “any” includes birds and even small monkeys. Despite the fact that the size of the aggressive grasshopper is quite modest (6-7 centimeters), it is all studded with sharp and dangerous-looking thorns.

In the event of an approaching danger, the grasshopper raises its forelimbs, on which especially long spines are located, and begins to swing them threateningly. Usually such actions produce the expected impression. The predator, thinking that there is no smoke without fire, and since this little thing behaves “like a big one,” it means that something dangerous lies behind it, prefers to retire and not mess with the devil. If the enemy comes across "stubborn" and weakly or does not react at all to swinging the thorns, the grasshopper changes tactics: it quickly turns around, raises its hind limbs, demonstrating their unbearably bright inner color. While the predator is rubbing its eyes and generally trying to figure out what it was, the grasshopper silently disappears into the grass. Indeed, in fact, by and large, he has nothing to defend himself with, because his thorns are absolutely not dangerous.

Pompeii worm is your friend

This creature looks even more terrible than the evil grasshopper from the Amazon. But your chances of meeting him are even less. After all, the Pompeian worm lives only in the depths of the ocean, and even there it finds places where even the most experienced divers do not risk penetrating.

The most comfortable place to live, from the point of view of the Pompeian worm, is "black smokers" - high-temperature hydrothermal springs located at the bottom, in geologically active zones of the ocean.

The temperature of the water surrounding the “smokers” rises to 100˚С, but this does not bother the Pompeian worms. These creatures build their "houses" - hollow tubes right in boiling water next to the "smokers". white color- and they live quite comfortably.

Scientists tried to determine how an extreme sports enthusiast manages not to cook in his own home, and found a very interesting feature. It turns out that outside the worm's house, water can boil and evaporate as much as you like, but in the tube itself the temperature is always kept at a more than comfortable level - 20-22˚С. How the Pompeian worm manages to “set” such a low temperature compared to the surrounding one is still a mystery.

The only "friend" of the Pompeian worm turned out to be filamentous bacteria that cover its body. The worm feeds the bacteria with mucus, provides them with access to fresh water, and itself absorbs what the bacteria secrete. This is its main source of nutrition and the only protective shell.

Despite the fact that the Pompeian worm and its "friends" - bacteria live in boiling water, and with a high concentration of heavy metals and hydrogen sulfide, they are in good health, which unimaginably amaze researchers.

shaggy viper

The yellow-bellied three-toed skink that lives in Australia is much more like a small (about 18 cm) snake, which for some reason has grown a pair of, at first glance, completely worthless legs near the head and tail. Moreover, the front “legs” are more like “handles”. But the main feature of the skink is naturally not in the presence of limbs. Interestingly, these reptiles, apparently, have not yet fully decided how to reproduce.

In the coastal regions of New South Wales (Australia), skinks lay eggs, and in the northern uplands of the state, they are also viviparous. And not so long ago, when studying these strange reptiles, researchers also discovered an “intermediate link” - skinks that retained eggs inside longer than their relatives. It seems that viviparous individuals are descended from them.

Another creeping miracle of nature lives in impenetrable thickets Central America, and therefore it is very difficult to meet him, and there is no need - you can be very scared. Wouldn't you be scared if you accidentally stumbled upon a long-furred viper?

By the way, if the snake caterpillar in question suddenly took on the appearance of a snake, it means that it was no less cowardly than yours. This metamorphosis looks like this: a seemingly harmless, albeit rather large, shaggy caterpillar, when meeting with an enemy, suddenly raises the front part of the body, which ends in a scaly, completely serpentine, triangular head with evil eyes - that look, it will hiss and bite. So there is something to be afraid of.

Another “woolen” representative of that part of the animal world where increased shaggyness is not welcome is the hairy crab. He lives deep under water, in complete darkness, and therefore completely devoid of vision. The color of this crab is cloudy and indefinite - it is some kind of colorless. That's just long hair can draw attention to him. True, this is not hair at all, but bristles that serve as a kind of filter for water purification. This feature is very useful for these animals, as they live near geothermal water sources, the water of which is saturated with toxic gases.

"Are you a mouse? I am not a mouse, I am a deer."

Funny dialogue, isn't it? Is it possible to confuse two such different animals? Can! If, for example, you meet a Malay kanchil - a mouse deer or a deer mouse, this is what you like best, but rather the first.

Kanchil lives in Ceylon, and it is very difficult to see him, not only because Ceylon is far away, but also because this beast prefers to stay awake at night, and during the day sleeps in the most remote places of the island. But even if you manage to track him down and catch him, be careful! This deer-like mouse bites very painfully and viciously.

But Sulawesian bear couscous, although it has a root in its name from the word "bite", but behaves quite peacefully. He lives in tropical zone Australia, where it wanders leisurely through the treetops, trying to go down less often, and less likely to catch anyone's eye. For ease of travel, the couscous tail plays the role of the fifth paw.

Meet the galago - a very cheerful animal that lives in Central Africa. Outwardly, the galago looks a bit like a cat and has similar habits.

The essential difference is that the domestic cats we are used to prefer to move on the ground. Galago (like couscous) loves to jump and jump through trees more.

This beast is able to jump from branch to branch, even if the distance between them exceeds 10 meters! Large eyes give out a nocturnal animal in him, but the galago can have fun during the day without much damage to itself.

wombat dad

And Australia again. In front of you is a wombat, a small, bear-like marsupial animal that lives underground and has virtually no enemies.

A wombat burrow can go to a depth of 3.5 m, and there, deep underground, he feels completely calm.

If a hunting dog slips into its corridors, then the wombat will not rush about in a panic in search of salvation, but will calmly watch for it around the corner and strangle it in complete darkness. In addition, the wombat butts very strongly, although he does not have horns.

Another ungulate is the Sumatran rhinoceros. Although, probably, it was correct to call it - a rhinoceros, because it is the smallest (but also the most ancient) of all existing species rhinos. Well, compare for yourself: the length of the body is only about two meters, the height is up to one and a half, and it weighs only a ton at most. What's it like against, say, a 2.5-ton white rhino? Yes, petty. But the horn and everything else in the Sumatran rhinoceros - everything is like a real one!

But the last representative of today's review is really able to amaze with its appearance. This is a fish with ... a transparent head. So if she had thoughts, it would be clear how she thinks.

About this amazing fish in general, few people know anything, because it lives at very great depths. Maybe that's why nature made her a transparent skull, so that he played the role of a spacesuit and protected his eyes from powerful pressure?

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Konstantin Fedorov

Konstantin Fedorov is a regular contributor to the Chronoton. Lives in St. Petersburg. Journalist, traveler, explorer. By education - an oceanologist, he always dreamed of the seas and oceans and often writes in maritime theme. Other favorite topics are animals, science news, and of course the mysteries of the past.

1. Rupert, an adorable three-month-old wombat cub, sits in a cup at Healesville Sanctuary Animal Shelter, Victoria, Australia. His mother was hit by a car and the animal was C-section to retrieve the baby. Wombats are burrow-dwelling herbivores that look like small bears.

2. Giant panda cubs sleep in the "children's room" of the Research Center for the Study and Breeding of Giant Pandas in Chengdu, in China's southwestern Sichuan province. In China this year, a nationwide census of pandas was held, which is traditionally held in the country once a decade. The purpose of the census is to determine how many endangered animals currently live in the wild. This year the census was conducted for the fourth time, the first time it took place in the 1970s. This time, its goal is not only to establish the number of pandas, but also to determine the conditions under which the animals enjoying universal love live. According to the census, which was conducted ten tapes ago, the number of pandas in the wild living in China was 1,596 individuals, of which 1,206 individuals lived in Sichuan province.

3. Four five-week-old squirrels sleep soundly on their bedding at Sanctuary Wildlife Care in Morpeth, Northumberland. The squirrels were thrown out of the nest by hurricane Katya, and now they are being helped by the center's staff.

4. Staff at St Tiggywinkles Wildlife Hospital in Buckinghamshire knitted a tiny sweater to keep an adorable, needleless hedgehog warm. The baby was found in Bedford Park. He got the nickname Potato because he resembles this vegetable when he rolls up into a ball. The baby is undergoing a variety of tests, scientists are trying to find out what caused the loss of needles. Potatoes are given a daily moisturizing massage with baby lotion, as unknown reasons his skin is constantly drying up. Doctors have not yet figured out the cause of the needles falling out, it is also possible that the hedgehog was already born like that.

5. Two adorable fluffy baby penguins, chicks emperor penguin. It seems as if one of them is patronizingly hugging the other. Very soon, the babies will begin the molting period, when they will lose up to 30 percent of their body weight. During this period, they say goodbye to their fluffy plumage and they have "adult" feathers that make it possible to swim. Photographer David Schultz traveled to Antarctica aboard an icebreaker to take a selection of photos from the life of penguins.

6. This penguin couple seems to be holding hands. The touching scene was captured by professional photographer Silvio Getty in Port Lockroy, one of the bays of the Antarctic Peninsula.

7. Hugging meerkats in national reserve Makgadikadi Salt Pan in Botswana. It seems that the adult meerkat says to the cub: “One day it will all be yours!” and shows the baby around. The scene was captured by 48-year-old Thomas Retterath from Nürburg, Germany. Thomas works as a food vendor.

8. Polar Cub polar bear three months old sees snow for the first time. He pressed his nose and paw against the glass of the enclosure. The bear cub is an inhabitant of the Aalborg Zoo, Denmark. The representative of the zoo says: “The kid is having fun, he really likes the snow. Basically, he plays with his mother and tries on the tooth everything that catches his eye. Most often it goes to the paws of the mother bear.

9. White cubs, male and female. They are bottle fed by the staff of Dalian Laohutan Ocean Park Zoo in Dalian, Liaoning Province, China…

10. And here is another lover to eat from the hands. Richard Tesore, head of wildlife rescue organization SOS Rescate Fauna Marina, bottle feeds a La Plata dolphin (Pontoporia Blainvillei) calf off the coast of Piriapolis, 90 kilometers east of Montevideo, Uruguay. A female dolphin whose umbilical cord has not yet fallen off was found washed ashore near Montevideo. The baby was named Nipper. Unfortunately, the dolphin did not survive - he died twelve days after he was found by rescuers.

11. A featherless penguin abandoned by his parents a few days after birth has been adopted back into his family thanks to the efforts of an aquarium staff in China's Liaoning province. The baby was born on August 17, and the parents stubbornly did not accept him, refusing to take care of the baby and feed him. Aquarium employee Wang Dan said that the penguin's parents refused to feed him, pinched him with their beaks, and in the end just left him to die. Zoo staff came to the conclusion that the lack of plumage is due to poor nutrition and weakness of the baby, his body did not absorb the necessary substances. At first, Wang Dan and her colleagues hoped that over time, harsh parents would accept the baby, but when this did not happen, people decided to feed the penguin on their own.

12. A month later, after the vigilant cares of the aquarium employees, who created a special group whose duties included taking care of the featherless penguin, the baby became much stronger and even fluff began to appear in him, to the delight of people taking care of him. Only then the family had mercy and agreed to accept the baby.

13. A zookeeper holds a baby orangutan named Bo, a nine-month-old orphan. The baby lives at the Madrid Zoo & Aquarium in Madrid, Spain. Bo was born on July 5, 2010, but lost his mother Pundu at the age of seven months. Now the little orangutan is ten months old. Zookeepers are trying to "toss" him with one of the female orangutans living in the zoo. The kid is very smart and friendly.

14. A gorilla hugs a duckling that snuck into her enclosure from a nearby body of water, the Bristol Zoo. Zookeepers helped the duckling return home safely.

15. A gecko licks morning dew from its own eyeballs. This gecko was found on the coastal sand dunes in Namibia. Nocturnal reptiles typically lick the dew off their own eyeballs in the morning, when cooling air causes water vapor to condense on objects near the ground and turn into water droplets. This dew is a source of moisture for geckos. The photo was taken by Isaac Pretorius. It took him three days to capture this scene. During these three days, he kept an eye on the geckos, waiting for the right moment.

16. Four durukuli night monkeys huddled close to each other. They sit in a hollow tree about 25 feet (7.5 meters) above the ground in the Amazon rainforest. Photographer David Hemmings spotted the monkeys while traveling through the Amazon rainforest in Ecuador. Night monkeys, also known as durukuli or owl monkeys, are the only monkey species that is nocturnal. They have huge eyes, which is due to their nocturnal lifestyle and the need to see in the dark.

17. Charming Pomeranian named Shunsuke received the official title of "Japan's cutest dog". Newspapers recently reported that a five-year-old Pomeranian named Boo was officially recognized as "the cutest dog in the world." Boo lives in America. Nine-year-old Shunsuke, born in 2002, however, is a serious competitor for Bu. In Japan, Spitz has become one of the local attractions. He has his own page on Facebook and on the Twitter microblogging site, where about 55,000 users follow the dog's adventures. In addition, he regularly appears on television, has published two books, and recently published the first calendar with his images.

18. Charming red kitten named Garfield is smart and quick-witted. He apparently decided that if he covered his eyes with his paw, he would become invisible. In a flower pot, he hid from a large dog that happened to be nearby. The photo was taken in her garden by Iveta Novotna from Brno, Czech Republic.
22. A giant gorilla and a tiny duckling become friends after the chick accidentally wanders into a gorilla's cage at the zoo. Visitors were shocked when the duckling was in close proximity to a huge ninety-kilogram primate, which has a heavy temper. However, a gorilla named Fran, whose age is fifteen, became interested in the guest and began to study him with the help of a twig that turned up in time. It all ended with the fact that the zoo staff evacuated the chick. The photo was taken by Tom Warren at the Bronx Zoo, New York.

23. Sea otters resting on the water off the coast of Moss Landing in California. Wildlife photographer Michael Young captured a colony of more than forty sea otters lying on their backs and relaxing in the water. The photographer said that he was shocked by how differently the animals fold their paws while resting. Some of them folded their paws on their chests, some covered their eyes with their paws, others simply stretched them along the body. sea ​​otters absolutely amazing creatures, it is interesting to watch them, the photographer assures.

24. Kangaroo named Bernie, who was rescued by Lisa Milligan. She found the animal abandoned by its parents and showing no signs of life on the side of the road in Melbourne, Australia.

25. Baby baboon (Papio hamadryas) stuck out his tongue. Zoo Cali, Colombia.

Sometimes the creations of our nature are inexplicable. In the universe there is a huge number of representatives of the fauna, which are so original in their kind that they immediately cause a smile upon closer examination. The funniest animals on the planet have been honored to be on our list. So, let's begin:

1. The sloth is the funniest animal on the planet.

Representatives of this genus of mammals have only 2 or 3 fingers. This is a very slow animal, weighing up to 10 kg and a little over half a meter in size. Their funny appearance is somewhat reminiscent of a monkey. Modern animators dedicate their creations to these leisurely animals, because their slowness and clumsiness cause laughter not only in children, but also in adults. Sloths spend most of their lives in a hanging position.

When animals want to eat, they just turn their heads in search of a leaf. Their long hook-claws help this species of mammal to hang confidently on trees, which gives them a kind of security from predators. Compared to the size of the body of these animals, the sloth's head is not very big size, which makes this kind of mammal even more comical. The famous German naturalist A. E. Brehm called sloths a caricature of animals. But, we must pay tribute, sloths are not aggressive, not poisonous and very funny.

Appearance This animal causes tenderness and at the same time a sincere smile, especially when looking at the kids. They are so playful, puppet, cute that you can choose definitions for them for a long time. Bamboo bear was sung in Ancient China more than three thousand years ago. These animals have an original black and white coloration and eyes outlined in black circles, which makes their image sadder and funnier at the same time. Pandas are clumsy, which makes their behavior more interesting to watch, especially when eating bamboo. At first glance, these animals are absolutely harmless, playful, but if there is a fight between them, then representatives of this species show their amazing dexterity inherent in predators. Bear cubs that are in captivity show their friendliness and playfulness to the fullest.

Adults may spank their young when they run away from them. Young animals play, love to stand on their heads, somersault, quickly move along fences and obstacles. Growing up, they lose their dexterity and become more important and sedate. One legend about pandas speaks of a family of Chinese shepherds who lived on the side of a mountain. Every day the shepherd took his sheep to the pasture where the bamboo groves grew. There also lived a small bamboo white bear cub who loved to play. One day, a ferocious leopard attacked the herd. All the sheep fled very quickly, and the little bear baby did not know how to move quickly. The shepherd's daughter rushed to protect the panda, striking with a stick at the retreating aggressor. The brave girl died from her wounds. All the polar bears, in memory of the brave shepherdess, began to sprinkle themselves with ashes. Animals bitterly mourned their protector, rubbing their ears and smearing the ashes of grief on themselves ... It was from that time that they became black and white.

The funny look of this primate species is reminiscent of hussars due to their long white whiskers. This type of monkey is called marmoset. In their hierarchy, males are at the lowest level and are the breadwinners and carriers of babies, and females run the whole clan. Luxurious beard and mustache, which tend to twist to the bottom, make the appearance of the tamarin majestic and funny. They got their name because of the similarity of their vegetation with the mustache of the German emperor Wilhelm II, as well as a certain semblance of a crown on their heads. Tamarins arrange funny “hairdressing” games on certain days. This process is mandatory and collective. Little funny animals help each other to clean up each other's appearance by shortening the "imperial" vegetation on their appearance.

You can talk endlessly about the appearance of the Philippine tarsiers. Their comical physiognomy with huge frozen, one might even say glassy eyes, will not leave anyone indifferent. The Philippine tarsier lives mainly in South-East Asia. These funniest animals on the planet are unique in that they can turn their heads 180 degrees. In other words, sitting on a branch, the tarsier can see what is happening on his back. This small and funny monkey has huge shiny eyes, which are considered the most beautiful among all animals.

If we consider animals with big eyes, then one more funny animal called loris should be noted. He has excellent eyesight and therefore leads an active night life. During the day, primates prefer to sleep, but as soon as dusk comes, animals of this species become incredibly playful. As pets, they mainly acquire slow lorises, since it is very difficult for other species of these semi-monkeys to take root in the same territory with a person. If we compare the loris and the Philippine tarsier in terms of survival in captivity, then the latter are almost impossible to tame.

Those fluffy voluminous lumps different color evoke a lot of positive emotions just by their appearance. They are classified as fur because of the long soft pile, which is subsequently processed into yarn. Angora rabbits can be kept as pets because of their unusual, funny appearance. Many species of this rabbit breed have tassels on their ears that are almost impossible to see right away because of the dense vegetation. Rabbits are often compared to soft toys and children love them.

Sphinxes are representatives of the cat family. This type of cat appeared relatively recently and gained its well-deserved popularity. Such animals are preferred by people with allergenic diseases due to the complete absence of hair on their body. Their bare skin feels like soft velvet to the touch. Sphinxes are wrinkled, which makes them look valuable. A newly born Sphynx kitten, according to all the rules, should have a lot of folds and wrinkles, which indicates its thoroughbredness. Little sphinxes can be compared with devils from fairy tales, they are so funny and clumsy. Outwardly, sphinxes look like old people. This type of cat has an extraordinary love for people. Cats of this breed are very intrusive, quickly freeze, which is why they are always near a person. Affectionate gentle creatures, despite the unusual funny look, are very playful and love to eat deliciously.

The platypus or flatfoot (as the British call this mammal) has a comical unique appearance. At first glance, it seems that the beak or “nose” of this animal absolutely does not correspond to its appearance, and the tail does look like a beaver. In addition, these animals lay eggs and feed their young with milk, even though they do not have nipples. Platypuses carry their babies in "bags" like kangaroos. Amazing animals prefer warmth, despite spending a lot of time in the water. When they sleep, they curl up in a funny way. After sleep, platypuses like to stretch and yawn, opening their five-fingered paws with membranes. This animal, despite its ridiculously funny look, carries with it to the end unsolved riddle your assembled image.

These and other funniest animals on the planet are worthy of human close attention. Even the most ferocious-looking predators can be funny and funny, playful and cute, with their own bizarre habits. The fauna is fabulously rich and makes it possible to endlessly learn about the animal world.

In this post there will be scary, nasty, cute, kind, beautiful, incomprehensible animals.
Plus a short comment about each. They all really exist.
Watch and be amazed

SCHELEZUB- a mammal from the order of insectivores, divided into two main species: the Cuban flint tooth and the Haitian. Relatively large, relative to other types of insectivores, the beast: its length is 32 centimeters, and the tail, on average, 25 cm, the weight of the animal is about 1 kilogram, the physique is dense.


MANED WOLF. Dwells in South America. The long legs of the wolf are the result of evolution in matters of adaptation to the habitat, they help the animal overcome obstacles in the form of tall grass growing on the plains.


AFRICAN CIVETA- the only representative of the same genus. These animals live in Africa in open spaces with high grass from Senegal to Somalia, southern Namibia and eastern South Africa. The dimensions of the animal can visually increase quite strongly when the civet raises its hair when excited. And her fur is thick and long, especially on the back closer to the tail. The paws, muzzle and end of the tail are completely black, most of the body is spotty-striped.


MUSKRAT. The animal is quite famous, thanks to its sonorous name. It's just a good photo.


PROEKHIDNA. This miracle of nature usually weighs up to 10 kg, although larger specimens have also been noted. By the way, the length of the body of the prochidna reaches 77 cm, and this is not counting their cute five to seven centimeter tail. Any description of this animal is based on comparison with the echidna: the paws of the echidna are higher, the claws are more powerful. Another feature of the appearance of the prochidna is the spurs on the hind legs of males and the five-fingered hind limbs and the three-fingered forelimbs.


CAPIBARA. Semi-aquatic mammal, the largest of modern rodents. It is the only representative of the capybara family (Hydrochoeridae). There is a dwarf variety of Hydrochoerus isthmius, sometimes considered as a separate species (capybara).


SEA CUCUMBER. Holothuria. Sea-pods, sea cucumbers (Holothuroidea), a class of invertebrates of the echinoderm type. Species eaten are common name"trepang".


PANGOLIN. This post just couldn't do without it.


HELL VAMPIRE. Mollusk. Despite its obvious similarity with the octopus and squid, scientists have identified this mollusk in a separate order Vampyromorphida (Latin), because as soon as it has retractable sensitive bee-shaped filaments.


AARDVARK. In Africa, these mammals are called aardvark, which means "earth pig" in Russian. In fact, the aardvark in appearance very much resembles a pig, only with an elongated muzzle. The ears of this amazing animal are very similar in structure to those of a hare. There is also a muscular tail, which is very similar to the tail of such an animal as a kangaroo.

JAPANESE GIANT SALAMANDRA. To date, this is the largest amphibian that can reach 160 cm in length, weigh up to 180 kg and can live up to 150 years, although the officially registered maximum age of a giant salamander is 55 years.


BEARDED PIG. In different sources, the bearded pig species is divided into two or three subspecies. These are the curly-haired bearded pig (Sus barbatus oi), which lives on the Malay Peninsula and the island of Sumatra, the Bornean bearded pig (Sus barbatus barbatus) and the Palawan bearded pig, which, judging by the name, live on the islands of Borneo and Palawan, as well as in Java , Kalimantan and small islands of the Indonesian archipelago in Southeast Asia.




SUMATRAN RHINO. They belong to the equine-hoofed animals of the rhinoceros family. This type The rhinoceros is the smallest of the entire family. The body length of an adult Sumatran rhinoceros can reach 200 - 280 cm, and the height at the withers can vary from 100 to 150 cm. Such rhinos can weigh up to 1000 kg.


SULAWESI BEAR CUSCOUS. Arboreal marsupial living in upper tier lowland rainforest. The coat of the bear couscous consists of a soft undercoat and coarse guard hairs. Color ranges from gray to brown, with a lighter belly and limbs, and varies by geographic subspecies and age of the animal. The prehensile, hairless tail is about half the length of the animal and acts as a fifth limb, which makes it easier to move through the dense rainforest. Bear couscous is the most primitive of all couscous, retaining primitive tooth growth and skull features.


GALAGO. Its large fluffy tail is clearly comparable to that of a squirrel. And the charming muzzle and graceful movements, flexibility and insinuation, clearly reflect his feline trait. The amazing jumping ability, mobility, strength and incredible agility of this animal clearly show its nature as a funny cat and elusive squirrel. Of course, it would be where to use their talents, because a cramped cage is very poorly suited for this. But, if you give this little animal a little freedom and sometimes allow him to walk around the apartment, then all his quirks and talents will come true. Many even compare it to a kangaroo.


WOMBAT. Without a photograph of a wombat, it is generally impossible to talk about strange and rare animals.


AMAZONIAN DOLPHIN. Is the largest river dolphin. Inia geoffrensis, as scientists call it, reaches 2.5 meters in length and weighs 2 centners. Light gray juveniles lighten with age. The body of the Amazonian dolphin is full, with a thin tail and a narrow muzzle. A round forehead, a slightly curved beak and small eyes are the features of this species of dolphins. There is an Amazonian dolphin in the rivers and lakes of Latin America.


FISH-MOON or MOLA-MOLA. This fish can be over three meters long and weigh about one and a half tons. The largest specimen of the moonfish was caught in New Hampshire, USA. Its length was five and a half meters, data on weight are not available. In shape, the body of the fish resembles a disk; it was this feature that served as the reason for Latin name. The moonfish has thicker skin. It is elastic, and its surface is covered with small bony protrusions. Fish larvae of this species and young individuals swim in the usual way. adults big fish swim on their side, quietly moving their fins. They seem to lie on the surface of the water, where they are very easy to notice and catch. However, many experts believe that only sick fish swim in this way. As an argument, they cite the fact that the stomach of fish caught on the surface is usually empty.


TASMANIAN DEVIL. Being the largest of modern carnivorous marsupials, this animal is black in color with white spots on the chest and rump, with a huge mouth and sharp teeth has a dense physique and a stern disposition, for which, in fact, it was called the devil. Emitting ominous cries at night, the massive and clumsy Tasmanian devil outwardly resembles a small bear: the front legs are slightly longer than the hind legs, the head is large, and the muzzle is blunted.


LORI. Feature Lori - large eyes, which can be bordered by dark circles, between the eyes there is a white dividing strip. The muzzle of a lory can be compared to a clown mask. This most likely explains the name of the animal: Loeris means "clown" in translation.


GAVIAL. Of course, one of the representatives of the detachment of crocodiles. With age, the muzzle of the gharial becomes even narrower and longer. Due to the fact that the gharial feeds on fish, its teeth are long and sharp, located with a slight inclination for the convenience of eating.


OKAPI. FOREST GIRAFFE. Traveling in Central Africa, journalist and African explorer Henry Morton Stanley (1841-1904) encountered local natives more than once. Having once met an expedition equipped with horses, the natives of the Congo told the famous traveler that they found in the jungle wild animals very similar to his horses. The Englishman, who had seen a lot, was somewhat puzzled by this fact. After some negotiations in 1900, the British were finally able to purchase parts of the skin of a mysterious beast from the local population and send them to the Royal Zoological Society in London, where they gave the unknown animal the name "Johnston's Horse" (Equus johnstoni), that is, they identified it as a member of the horse family. . But what was their surprise when, a year later, they managed to get a whole skin and two skulls of an unknown animal, and find that It looks more like a pygmy giraffe of the times ice age. Only in 1909 was it possible to catch a live specimen of Okapi.

VALABY. WOOD KANGAROO. To the genus Tree kangaroos - wallabies (Dendrolagus) include 6 species. Of these, D. Inustus or bear wallaby, D. Matschiei or Matchish wallaby, which has a subspecies D. Goodfellowi (Goodfellow wallaby), D. Dorianus - Doria wallaby, live in New Guinea. In Australian Queensland, there are D. Lumholtzi - Lumholtz's wallaby (bungari), D. Bennettianus - Bennett's wallaby, or tharibina. Their original habitat was New Guinea, but now wallabies are also found in Australia. Tree kangaroos live in the tropical forests of mountainous regions, at an altitude of 450 to 3000m. above sea level. The body size of the animal is 52-81 cm, the tail is from 42 to 93 cm long. Wallabies weigh, depending on the species, from 7.7 to 10 kg males and from 6.7 to 8.9 kg. females.


WOLVERINE. Moves quickly and dexterously. The animal has an elongated muzzle, a large head, with rounded ears. The jaws are powerful, the teeth are sharp. Wolverine is a “big-legged” beast, the feet are disproportionate to the body, but their size allows them to move freely through the deep snow cover. Each paw has huge and curved claws. Wolverine climbs trees perfectly, has sharp eyesight. The voice is like a fox.


FOSS. On the island of Madagascar, such animals have been preserved that are not found not only in Africa itself, but throughout the rest of the world. One of the rarest animals is Fossa - the only representative of the genus Cryptoprocta and the largest predatory mammal that lives on the island of Madagascar. The appearance of the fossa is a bit unusual: it is a cross between a civet and a small cougar. Sometimes the fossa is also called the Madagascar lion, since the ancestors of this animal were much larger and reached the size of a lion. Fossa has a squat, massive and slightly elongated body, the length of which can reach up to 80 cm (on average it is 65-70 cm). The legs of the fossa are long, but thick enough, with the hind legs higher than the front ones. The tail is often equal to the length of the body and reaches 65 cm.


MANUL approves of this post and is only here because it should be. Everyone knows him.


FENEC. STEPPE FOX. He agrees with the manula and is present here in so far as. After all, everyone saw him.


THE NAKED DIGGER puts the manula and the fennec fox in karma and invites them to organize a club of the most feared animals in Runet.


PALM THIEF. A representative of the decapod crustaceans. The habitat of which is the western part Pacific Ocean and tropical islands in the Indian Ocean. This animal from the family of land crayfish is quite large for its species. The body of an adult individual reaches a size of up to 32 cm and a weight of up to 3-4 kg. For a long time, it was erroneously believed that with its claws, it can even crack coconuts, which it then eats. To date, scientists have proven that cancer can only eat already split coconuts. They, being its main source of nutrition, gave the name palm thief. Although he is not averse to eating other types of food - the fruits of Pandanus plants, organic matter from the soil, and even their own kind.