Meet The Bizarre Animals That Look Straight Out Of A Video Game Or Fantasy Movie
Every time we think we’ve seen all the strange creatures this planet has to offer, nature proves us wrong. Just when it feels like there can’t possibly be anything left to surprise us, someone online posts a photo of an animal that looks like it came from another planet, or maybe a Pixar storyboard.
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The truth is, Earth is still full of mysteries, and many of them crawl, swim, or fly right under our noses. From forests to ocean floors, life finds ways to create beings that look both bizarre and beautiful, and sometimes a mix of both.
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That fascination is what keeps the online community “Animals I Didn’t Know Existed” alive and buzzing. The page has grown into a weekly hangout spot for almost 30,000 people who come to share and marvel at creatures most of us would have never heard of otherwise.
What makes the community fun isn’t just the photos but the reactions. People debate which animals look “AI-generated.” Others point out that some could easily fit into a fantasy film or a video game. There’s always that mix of disbelief and delight, someone inevitably writes, “No way that’s real,” only to be met with a link to an actual scientific source.
So, if you’ve ever wondered how much you don’t know about the animal kingdom, this is a good place to start. From the adorable to the eerie, the “Animals I Didn’t Know Existed” community proves there’s still magic left in the natural world, real, living, breathing proof that evolution is the ultimate artist.
Tiger Quoll (Dasyurus Maculatus)
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The Rarely-Seen Giant Flying Squirrel (Petaurista Petaurista)
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Chrysina Limbata, A Species Of Scarab Beetle Found In Costa Rica And The Rainforests Of South America
"Ghost Birds" - A Name For A Type Of Potoo (Family Nyctibiidae) That Is Found In The Amazon Basin
I've Know About Draco Lizards(Genus: Draco) For Awhile But I Wanted To Share
Theloderma Corticale Also Know As Vietnamese Mossy Frog
Male Violet-Backed Starling (Cinnyricinclus Leucogaster)
Nyala (Tragelaphus Angasii): Real-Life Forest Spirit?
The Spiny Flower Mantis (Pseudocreobotra Wahlbergii)
South America Has Its Own, Much Smaller Version Of The Snow Leopard: Meet The Andean Mountain Cat (Leopardus Jacobita), A Close Relative Of The Jungle-Dwelling Ocelot
Jaguarundi (Herpailurus Yagouaroundi) Closest Relative Of The Mountain Lion
Cochranella Euknemos - Glass Frog
The Dik-Dik Antelope Refers To 4 Species Of The Genus Madoqua. This Is The Silver Dik-Dik (Madoqua Piacentinii), The Smallest Of The Genus, Native To Somalia And Ethiopia. Full Sized Ranges From 4-6.5 Pounds Max. They Have Sharp Hooves And Mark Their Territory With Their Tears!
The Paradise Flying Snake (Chrysopelea Paradisi) Can Flatten Its Body To Glide Between Trees Like A Flying Squirrel
Endangered Canid Native To Asia, The 'Dhole' (Cuon Alpinus)
The Bat-Eared Fox (Otocyon Megalotis)
Roseate Spoonbill Aka Platalea Ajaja. I Prefer To Call It A Duckmingo Or A Fluck
Striped Pyjama Squid (Sepioloidea Lineolata)
🔥 Perfect Camouflage. Alaskan State Bird Willow Ptarmigan (Lagopus Lagopus) Blending In With Winter Landscape
🔥 The Red-Shanked Douc Langur
The King Bird Of Paradise,(Cicinnurus Regius)
Goodfellow's Tree-Kangaroo (Dendrolagus Goodfellowi)
Sulawesi Moon Moth ( Actias Isis )
The Black Serval (Leptailurus Serval)
Bassariscus Astutus (Ringtail Cat)
Great Eared Nightjar (Lyncornis Macrotis) Recently Encountred In Thailand
Secretary Birds Are Famous For Its Snake-Stomping Legs; A Single Kick Delivered Some 195 Newtons Of Force. They Are Also Famous For Their Long Eyelashes
The African Forest Buffalo (Syncerus Caffer Nanus) Is The Smallest Subspecies Of The African Buffalo, Weighing In At 550–705 Lbs
The Short /Round Eared Elephant Shrew
Wandering Leaf Sheep
Priotrochatella Constellata. hey Are Critically Endangered Due To The Exploitation Of The Marble Quarries In Cuba That They Inhabit
These Prehistoric Looking Beetles
Aardwolf, Proteles Cristata. One Aardwolf Can Lap Up As Many As 250,000 Termites During A Single Night!
Sumatran Striped Rabbit (Nesolagus Netscheri)
Greater Lophorina (Lophorina Superba)
Galidia Elegans: Ring-Tailed Vontsira
Pygmy Tufted Squirrel, (Exilisciurus Whiteheadi)
Elephantfish (Campylomormyrus Sp.)
Chinese Water Deer (Hydropotes Inermis)
This Photograph Of A Male Bargibant's Seahorse Was Taken Off The Coast Of Bali In Indonesia
Spangled Cotinga (Cotinga Cayana)
Bagworms (Psychidae) Make Portable Houses Out Of Small Sticks And Silk
The Daring Owl Butterfly (Scientific Name: Dynastor Darius) Looks Incredible At Every Life Stage
The Bush Dog Is A Stocky Canid With A Bear-Like Face That Lives Near Water In Central And South America. It Has Partially Webbed Feet, Keeping It From Sinking Into Mud And Assisting It In Swimming And Diving. Don't Be Fooled By Its Small Stature, It Is An Apex Predator
Tufted Ground Squirrel (Rheithrosciurus Macrotis)
Tefflus Carinatus Violaceus Beetle
I Definitely Thought The Standard-Winged Nightjar (Caprimulgus Longipennis) Was AI When It Popped Up On My Recommend Socials Today
Sphaerocoris Annulus, Common Names Picasso Bug Or Zulu Hud Bug
Aphrodita, Marine Worms Also Know As Sea Mouse
Metagryne Bicolumnata Or Bunny Harvestman. An Arachnid With The Head Of A Black Dog, That Is Neither A Spider, Nor A Dog
A Flying Lemur (Galeopterus Variegatus)
The Numbat (Myrmecobius Fasciatus), An Small Endangered Australian Marsupial That Eats Almost Exclusively Termites
The Painted Bat (Kerivoula Picta) Is Extremely Colorful For A Bat, And For A Mammal In General
A Female Pheasant-Tailed Jacana (Hydrophasianus Chirurgus) Is Larger Than A Male. The Species Is Also Polyandrous — Each Female Mates With Multiple Males And, In A Single Season, Lays Up To 10 Clutches That Are Raised By Different Males In Her Harem
The Rare White Greater Glider (Petauroides Volans)
The Luna Moth: The Moth That Makes Butterflies Look Ugly
A Newly Discovered And Endangered Species Of Crocodile Newt (Tylototriton Ngoclinhensis)
The Groove-Billed Ani (Crotophaga Sulcirostris), A Gregarious Tropical Bird That Looks Remarkably Like A Feathery Dinosaur
Shingle Urchin (Colobocentrotus Atratus) Found In The Wild, At Low Tide
The European Hamster (Cricetus Cricetus) Also Known As The Black Bellied Hamster. I Will Personally Like To Call It The Red Panda Hamster Because… Well Look At It
Eurylaimus Ochromalus, Aka Black-And-Yellow Broadbill. Derp
Biscuit Boxkite (Isoxya Tabulata)
Saiga Antelope Aka Mongolian Saiga (Saiga Tatarica) Is Critically Endangered Species That Evolved In Isolation. Their Unusual Nose Helps Them Process The Cold And Dusty Air In Their Habitat
Pink-Spotted Fruit-Dove Ptilinopus Perlatus
Takin (Budorcas Taxicolor)
The Blue-Eyed Ground Dove (Columbina Cyanopis) Was Believed To Be Extinct For 75 Years — Until Twelve Were Rediscovered In The Brazilian Cerrado In 2015. Current Population Estimates Range From Over 250 Wild Individuals To As Few As 16
Behold! The Plume Moth! (Pterophoridae)
The Chuditch, Or Western Quoll (Dasyurus Geoffroii) Is A Carnivorous Marsupial Found Only In South West Western Australia
The Bush Hyrax (Heterohyrax Brucei)
Petaurista Alborufus Castaneus - Red And White Giant Flying Squirrel
The Now Extinct Thylacine (Tasmanian Tiger/Wolf)
The Critically Endangered Gharial (Gavialis Gangeticus)
American Mink (Neogale Vison)
Yellow-Backed Duiker (Cephalophus Silvicultor)
New Crab Species Recently Discovered Off The Coast Of Australia Called "Lamarckdromia Beagle", The Ylook Like Little Underwater Fuzzballs
The Red River Hog: Potamochoerus Porcus
The Bornean Bearded Pig (Sus Barbatus)
Blue Faced Malkoha (Phaenicophaeus Viridirostris)
The Comb-Crested Jacana And Its Massive Feet
Rhizosomichthys Totae (Greasefish). This Catfish Has Several Longitudinal Bands Of Fat Along Its Body, And Is So Greasy That Shish-Kebabed Specimens Were Allegedly Used As Torches By Natives. It Was Last Seen In 1957 And Is Feared Extinct
The Magnificent Frigatebird (Fregata Magnificens)
Royal Albatross, The Largest Flying Existing Bird Today
Aidke: The Yeti Crab 🦀 In My Defence It Seems To Be A Fairly Recent Discovery. Looks Very Cool Though!
This Little Creature Is Called A Sea Pig, He’s Related To Sea Cucumbers (Scotoplanes)
The Nilgai (Boselaphus Tragocamlus), Is The Largest Antelope In Asia, Aka The Blue Bull Of India
Platerodrilus Paradoxus, A Type Of Trilobite Beetle. This Is The Larval Form Of The Species, Which Females Remain In Even As Adults
A Very Rare Blonde Echidna (Tachyglossidae)
So Many Beautiful Animals In The Ocean, And The Lettuce Sea Slug (Elysia Crispata) Is Among Them!
The Elephant Shrew, Clearly Not As Large As An Elephant. (Macroscelididae)
The Turtle Frog (Myobatrachus Gouldii) Uses Its Short, But Muscular Front Arms — Rather Than Back Legs As Most Frogs Do — To Dig More Than A Metre (>3.3 Ft) Beneath The Soil. Adapted To Semi-Arid Habitats Far From Water, Its Tadpoles Develop Inside Their Eggs And Hatch As Tiny Frogs
The Indian Giant Squirrel (Ratufa Indica) Is The World's Largest Species Of Squirrel, Growing Up To 1m (3.3ft), Tail Included, And 3kg (6.6lb). It Travels From Tree To Tree With Jumps Of Up To 6 M (20 Ft)
An Albino Atractosteus Spatula!
The Amu Darya Sturgeon (Pseudoscaphirhynchus Kaufmanni) A Critically Endangered Sturgeon Related To The Possibly Extinct Syr Darya Sturgeon
Shield-Tailed Agama (Xenagama Taylori)
The Male Darwin’s Frog (Rhinoderma Darwinii) “Swallows” His Offspring — Nudging The Eggs Into His Vocal Sac — Where They Soon Hatch Into Tadpoles. He Carries Them For 50 To 70 Days, During Which They Develop Entirely Within The Sac, Before Spewing Out Fully Formed Froglets
Purse Crab (Persephona Punctata)
The Tayra (Eira Barbara) Is A Member Of The Weasel Family That Lives In The Americas
Meet The Goliath Tigerfish, (Hydrocynus Goliath), The Apex Predator Of The Congo River
Lollipop Crab - Ixa Cylindrus - A Leucosid Crab Species Native To The Seas Around Indonesia And The Philippines
Pizza-Crust Slug (Pleurobranchus Sp, Probably P. Areolatus) Is A Type Of Sea-Slug Of Which Some Specimens Resemble A Pizza
The Giant Emerald Pill Millipede (Zoosphaerium Neptunus) Is A Species Of Pill Millipede From Madagascar And Is An Example Of Island Gigantism, It's One Of The Largest Known Species Of Pill Millipede
The Masked Lapwing (Vanellus Miles) Boldly Nests On Almost Any Stretch Of Open Ground, And Will Fiercely Defend It
Hairy Pie-Dish Beetle (Helea Perforata)
An Indian Purple Frog (Nasikabatrachus Sahyadrensis) This Cute Little Chonker As The Name Suggests, Lives In India But Is Sadly Endangered But I'm Sure We Can Agree It's A Beautiful Animal
Even in an age where everything feels discovered, nature still finds ways to surprise us. These odd, fascinating animals show us how much mystery our planet holds.
Whether they make us laugh, stare, or question what we’re seeing, each one proves that Earth’s creativity hasn’t run out, and that wonder is always just a scroll away.
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