The Hairy Frog
Out of all the creatures in the animal kingdom, hairy frogs are among some of the most freaky. These creatures, also known as the trichobatrachus robustus, or the horror frog, live in Central Africa where they break their own bones in order to produce claws when faced when faced with predators. One researcher explained:
Some other frogs have bony spines that project from their wrist, but in those species it appears that the bones grow through the skin rather than pierce it when needed for defense.
Males grow up to about four inches and grow long hair-like strands of skin and arteries. Its believed that this “hair” helps the frogs take in more oxygen into their skin.
A giant African land snail can eat through a wall
The animal kingdom is a vast and varied group of creatures, many of which we’ll never get a chance to see up close. Thankfully, we’ve got plenty of photos of the most bizarre animals in the world to show you what you’re missing. Whether you’re curious about the strange fish that live in the depths of the open ocean, or nocturnal creatures who live in the trees of Africa we’ve got you covered.
These photos of strange animals will take you across the world on the hunt for cute animals that burrow through the ground, and one of the most ugly fish you’ll ever see. Let’s go!
No, that’s not a rabbit in a Halloween costume, it’s an achatina fulica, otherwise known as a giant African Land Snail. Depending on how you feel about snails these big boys are either the cutest thing on the planet or they’re the thing that should not exist. Their bodies can grow up to about 15 inches long, and they get incredibly hungry.
In their 10 year life span they can eat through pretty much anything, and people who’ve kept them as pets have found that they can even chew through plaster walls. If you take a giant land snail home make sure you’ve got plenty of food ready.
Don’t be fooled by the Bush Viper’s hypnotic colors, it’s the meanest animal in the bush
The bush viper looks terrifying, and guess what, it is. These frightening, demonic looking, rough scaled creatures are mostly live in Nigeria and western Kenya, although they can also be found in northwestern Tanzania and northwestern Angola. This venomous species comes in shades ranging from bright red, to orange, brown, and green.
While they move fast when it’s time to catch their prey, bush vipers tend to sit still and coil up in order to conserve their energy. If they were constantly on the move they’d have to eat all the time, hence the stillness. When disturbed they strike quickly and they rarely miss.
The Mexican Alligator Lizard is endangered and beautiful
The endangered Mexican alligator lizard is a gorgeous small invertebrate that more closely resembles a curved piece of turquoise than a member of the animal kingdom. They tend to be slow-moving, however when they feel threatened they can run away with the best of them. These lizards mainly live in high elevation cloud forests in Central America, specifically Mexico and Guatemala.
The Mexican alligator lizard has a healthy diet of bugs that are low in protein like caterpillars, grasshoppers, and katydids, although during the summer they don’t each as they’re preparing to breed. Locals believe that these lizards are venomous, but fortunately for collectors that’s not the case.
The Bony Fish are some of the biggest creatures in the sea
Most fish in the sea are considered to be bony fish, but this big boy is the king of them all. This huge creature is a Mola alexandrini ocean sunfish, initially it was believed to be a Mola mola, but recent research has helped to re-identify the animal. Sunfish are the largest bony fish known to man, and due to their size they grow into strange shapes – often resembling discs or wagon wheels.
While this huge fish holds the title as the world’s heaviest bony fish, the largest recorded catch was actually a M. alexandrini, or a southern sunfish, caught in 1996 off Kamogawa, Japan. It would seem that there are some very big boys out in the eastern sea.
Trapezia Crabs are animals that look like they were designed by Roy Lichtenstein
Is it a crab or is it a pomegranate? Obviously it’s a crab, but its polkadot shell makes it resemble either a very garish piece of wall paper or that tasty purple fruit. The trapezia crab, or trapezia rufopunctata is a species of guard crabs in the family Trapeziidae. This small commensal crustacean can be found inside Pocillopora and Acropora coral of Indonesia.
While these crabs were initially believed to be coral pests, researchers have found that the trapezia crab actually has a symbiotic relationship with its hime, and spends its time cleaning and defending the coral. They only grow to one inch and size.
A Long-Eared Jerboa’s tail is as big as its entire body
The long-eared jerboa, also known as the euchoreutes naso, is a nocturnal mouse-like rodent with a long tail, long hind legs for hopping, and if you didn’t notice, they have very large ears. These cute little creatures can be found in the deserts of northwest China and southern Mongolia.
Since the long-eared jerboa is such a tiny specimen, which makes it a yummy appetizer for its predators, nature has made sure that it’s the color of sand, allowing it to blend in with its desert home. The jerboa eats insects and while its body only grows to about 3.5 inches in length its tail grows to double that size.
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