With the millions of animals that live on Earth today, not every one of them is identified. Scientists have been observing new species of animals every year and said that even modern science is not familiar with all of the bizarre animals that exist today.
This leaves a lot of room for the exploration of many more unidentified animals. But among those named species, many of them still look strange because they are not the kind of animals that can be seen every day.
Here is a compilation of the top ten strange animals in the world that you might not know that exists.
Dumbo Octopus
The term dumbo octopus refers to an entire genus of deep-sea umbrella octopuses that has fins that resemble Dumbo the elephant. They have arms connected by a web to the skin that make them look like an umbrella when spread apart, according to Oceana.
Aye-aye
They are considered a bad omen by natives in Madagascar that is why they are often killed on sight. But today they are already protected by law.
According to National Geographic, aye-ayes are dark brown or black with a bushy tail and features big eyes, slender fingers, and large, sensitive ears. They also have claws on their fingers and toes, except for their big toes, which help them dangle in branches.
Lamprey
This eel-like, scaleless animal is any of the 43 species of primitive fish-like jawless vertebrates that live in coastal and freshwaters. According to Brittanica, a lamprey may grow from 6 to 40 inches (15 to 100 centimeters) long. A lamprey has seven gills on each side of its body and has a round sucking mouth with horny teeth.
Star-Nosed Mole
The star-nosed mole has a similar body and anatomy to a typical mole but possesses a longer tail and smaller forefeet. According to Brittanica, another difference a star-nose mole has from other moles is its muzzle tipped with 22 fleshy tentacles that constantly move and are extremely sensitive to touch, vibrations, and electricity generated by its prey.
Yeti Crab
This crab has an unusually hairy body but no eyes. Yeti crab was discovered in 2005 on a hydrothermal vent near Easter Island. It represents a new genus and scientifically named Kiwa hirsuta after the mythological Polynesian goddess of shellfish, Smithsonian Ocean reported.
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Superb Bird of Paradise
Superb bird of paradise is sexually dimorphic, which means that the male and female of this bird have different characteristics beyond the differences of their sexual organs. The adult male has an iridescent crown and blue breast shield with elongated nape feather that fans out symmetrically when raised, according to the Australian Museum.
Blob Fish
A blobfish might be the ugliest animal on the planet as announced during the 2013 Ugly Animal Preservation Society. They look like gelatin that has small eyes, a large mouth, and a small body with fins, according to Untamed Science. It came from the family known as "fathead sculpins" named due to the size of their heads and floppy appearance.
Gobi Jerboa
According to the Fact Site, gobi jerboas look like mice but with long tufted tails and back legs that they use to leap and escape their predator.
Cantor's Giant Soft Shelled Turtle
Cantor's giant softshell turtle has a broad head with eyes close to the tip of the snout that gives it a frog-like appearance, according to WWF.
Irrawaddy Dolphin
Irrawaddy dolphins are usually found in South and Southeast Asian coastal areas and in three rivers namely, the Ayeyarwady in Myanmar, the Mahakam in Indonesian Borneo, and the Mekong. According to WWF, Irrawaddy dolphins have a short beak, bulging forehead, and 12-19 teeth on each side of both jaws.
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