More than 8 million species live on Earth. 8 million. If we try to count the creatures we know and see, I think that one of us who is very curious can count 100, maybe. Can you imagine the diversity?
As a matter of fact, not all of these creatures have an ‘accustomed’ appearance. There are even some that look like a character straight out of a pokemon, not a real creature. We have compiled 20 of such ‘strange’ creatures!
20 strangest creatures on earth
blue parrot fish
I wouldn’t want to post a photo of him being taken out of the water and deprived of his life, but this was the photo that best showed the fascination of his color. This fantastic looking fish lives in shallow water coral reefs in tropical and subtropical regions of the Western Atlantic Ocean and the Caribbean Sea. It feeds on algae and small organisms; They spend 80% of their day looking for food.
dumbo octopus
What makes Dumbo octopuses interesting, which has 13 different species and takes its name from its resemblance to Disney’s character of the same name, is that they have fins that look like ears.
blue sea rabbit
The blue sea rabbit you see above is also known by many different names such as blue dragon, sea lizard. This unique creature, which is a type of sea snail, can ‘cannibalize’ and eat its own kind as well as preying on different species.
Halitrephes maasi (Firework jellyfish)
Discovered only a few years ago, this fascinating jellyfish species lives in areas of the ocean more than 1000 meters deep. It’s a very rare species and very rare until now.
Irrawaddy dolphin
The cute Irrawaddy dolphins, which live in small groups in rivers, estuaries and near sea shores in Southeast Asia and parts of the Bay of Bengal, add to this list their round and ‘beakless’ heads, quite different from the image that comes to mind when we think of dolphins.
japanese spider crab
Japanese spider crabs, a type of crab that lives in the depths of the ocean, with 10 legs, each leg can reach 3-4 meters in length, are also the largest crabs.
leafy sea dragon
You are looking at a fish that lives in the shallows of southern and western Australian waters. The leafy sea dragon, a very tiny fish species, is unfortunately one of the rare creatures whose species is about to be threatened.
striped lowland tenrene
This species is famous for both its appearance and the use of its spines as a ‘tool’ with which it communicates by making sounds; It is known as the only mammal species with this feature. For example, when a baby loses its mother, it can call to its mother with the sounds it makes using special spike clusters on its back.
Macropinna microstoma (Transparent-headed fish)
A fish with a transparent head! Although it is hard to believe, this fish species, which lives at the end point of the sun’s rays in the ocean, can hunt by seeing their prey hovering over their heads. They are also thought to use their transparent head areas as a camouflage tool.
panda ant
These tiny creatures, called pandas because of their colors and patterns, and ‘ants’ because of their resemblance to ants, are actually wingless wasps!
demonic leaf-tailed lizard
The best way to camouflage to avoid being hunted! These wonderful creatures, living only in Madagascar and a few small islands around it, are unfortunately illegally hunted to be sold as ‘exotic pets’…
Venezuelan poodle moth
Another newly discovered creature is the Venezuelan poodle moth. Similar to the Furbys we played with as kids, this confidence is said to be quite rare.
sea pen
Although sea pens look like any sea plant rather than a living thing, they are actually animals that live in colonies and belong to the cetaceans branch, which includes creatures such as jellyfish. They usually live in shallow waters.
mantis shrimp
Mantis shrimp, also known as praying mantis shrimp, with over 450 species, are famous for their fists! Yes, you read that right, these strange creatures that can reach a maximum size of 30-35 cm are known for their punches to catch their prey. Moreover, these fists are known as the strongest fists in the world.
long-necked umbrella bird
This strange looking bird is unfortunately one of the endangered bird species. A member of the umbrellabird family, this species is endemic and only lives in a small area from southwestern Colombia to the province of El Oro in Ecuador.
sea lamprey
A type of parasite that lives only in the northern hemisphere, the sea lamprey has fangs in its jawless mouth and is also referred to as a ‘vampire’.
goblin shark
Goblin sharks, which are distinguished from other shark species by their formidable jaw and tooth structures, pinkish colors and short fins, are also referred to as ‘living fossils’. Because they have changed little in the evolutionary process and they carry the characteristics of their ancestors…
narwhal
Narwhals, an extremely rare member of the order whales, have long and scary horns!
axolotl
In fact, axolotls, an endemic species living in the mountain lakes of Mexico, are unfortunately one of the species that are frequently taken from their natural habitats to be pets. one of the species…
star-nosed mole
This strange-looking mole species, which lives in North America and feeds on aquatic insects and worms, draws attention with the organ known as the ‘Eimerin organ’, which has more than 25,000 receptors in its nose. This odd-looking organ helps congenitally blind star-nosed moles distinguish food and hunt.