20 Unusual Animals You’ve Never Seen Before

Animals are unique creatures. They have their own special qualities, abilities and appearances. The scientists keep discovering new species every year. Inspired by their hard works, we are compiling 20 kinds of new animal species that you’ve never seen before.

1. The Shoebill

This species’ natural habitat is in tropical east Africa, in large swamps from Sudan to Zambia. Shoe-billed Stork is their other nicknames. It has a large shoe-shaped bill and unique blue feathers. Their height can range from 110-152cm. Quite tall, aren’t they?

2. Okapi

It’s shape is like a combination between a horse and a zebra, but this species is closely related to the giraffe family. This is a native species to the Democratic Republic of the Congo in Central Africa.

3. The Pacu Fish

This is an original species from South America. Closely related to their family, piranha. It has a full set of humanlike teeth. Another reason for not swimming alone in South America’s rivers.

4. The Panda Ant

This is not an ordinary ant that lived in panda’s body. This is a species of wasp founded in Chile. Although they have cute appearances, you better keep a safe distance, because they are very poisonousbugs.

5. The Narwhal

Narwhal is the most recognizable whale on earth because of their tusk appearance. Their natural habitat is in the Arctic Ocean. Therefore, they are called as the unicorn of the ocean.

6. The Red-Lipped Batfish

Founded in the Galapagos Island, this is not an ordinary fish. They can’t swim but they use their unusual shaped fins to walk in the bottom of the ocean.

7. The Blind Snake

It is an aquatic snake that lives in Amazon. It has no eyes and fleshy dorsal fin in their body. It has a Latin name Atretochoana eiselti. But most of people who knows about it, they simply call it “a blind snake.”

8. The Umbonia spinosa

It is a beautiful creature closely related to cicadas. They eat plant stems. They live within regions of South America, including Venezuela, Dutch Guiana and British Ecuador.

9. The Blue Dragon

The Blue Dragon, or Glaucus atlanticus is a species of blue sea slug. Their stomachs are filled with gas, allowing them to float in the warm ocean waters. So, watch your step when you walk on the seaside.

10. Pink Fairy Armadillo

This is the smallest species of armadillo. It can be easily recognized by its bony armor shell. It’s natural habitat is on the sandy plains, dune, and scrubby grasslands in Argentina.

11. The Aye-Aye

As the world’s largest nocturnal primates, Aye-Aye combines rodent-like teeth and especially thin middle finger to hunt. The only other animal species known to look for food in this such way is the striped possum.

12. Dumbo Octopus

These octopuses are commonly nicknamed “Dumbo Octopus” in reference to their wide ear-shaped fins. These features could be larger or have different colours. Their diets are worms, small crustaceans, and copepods. Their average life span is 3 to 5 years.

13. Lampreys

This is a jawless fish of the order of Petromyzontiformes. Currently there are 38 species of lampreys. About 18 of them are parasitic and sucks other fish’s blood. The adult lamprey can be recognized by a toothed funnel-like a sucking mouth.

14. Sunda Colugo

This is a nocturnal creature that can be found throughout Southeast Asia such as Indonesia, Thailand, Malaysia and Singapore. It glides as it leaps among trees. Sunda Colugo diets consist of fruits, flowers and young leaves. It’s a forest-dependent species.

15. The Blobfish

The Blobfish is the member of Psychrolutidae family that lives in the deepest part of the sea (600-1200 m). The appearance comes with no more than 30cm. They feed on crutaceans.

16. California Condor

This is the biggest flying scavenger and one of the rarest birds in North America. They hunt in packs looking abandoned leftover flesh.

17. The Alligator Snapping Turtle

This creature is probably the heaviest freshwater turtle. Its reputation earned from its extremely powerful jaw and long neck. They also have ridge and rough skin of an alligator.

18. Gobi Jerboa

This rodent is a family member of Dipodidae. It can be found only in China and Mongolia. Firstly discovered at Gobi Dessert in 1925. Its natural habitats are temperate grassland and dessert.

19. Star-nosed Mole

It’s a small mole as they found in moist low areas of eastern Canada and the northeastern United States. It’s the only member of Condylurini tribe and Condylura genus. It has a star-shaped nose with more than 25.000 minute sensory receptors, known as Eimer’s organs.

20. The Gerenuk

It’s a long necked species of antelope. Gerenuk also known as the Waller’s gazelle. Their natural habitat is in the African Great Lakes region. Male gerenuks have horns and more muscular body than female gerenuks.