Talking about the strangest animals on the planet, the earth has lots of them. Some are dangerous, some are adorable and some are weird. Our planet is home to 8.7 million species. And still, we have many undiscovered species waiting for us to discover. Researchers say that categorizing these species might take more than 1,000 years. when we go by the stats, researchers say that we have identified only 14% of the total species present in the world. Out of this, only 9% live in the oceans, and 91% of them are terrestrial.
And we are sure that you did not know many of these amazing animals that share the planet with us. so here we have a list of some of the strangest animals living with us. They are strange because of their habits, size, behavior, and appearance.
Top 10 Strangest Animals On The Planet
1. Greater Egyptian Jerboa
The greater Egyptian jerboa is a species of the rodent family, mainly found in Algeria, Egypt, Libya, Morocco, Tunisia, and Saudi Arabia. These tiny rodents are 13 centimeters long with a tail of about 20 centimeters long. Their hind legs are about four times larger than their forelimbs. They move from one place to another by jumping.
2. Sea pen
Sea Pens really look like an old-fashioned quill pen and also, they behave in a completely remarkable way. Sea pens colonize in groups and, when stimulated, light up, displaying a bright green light on the seafloor. It looks like someone flipped on a light switch, especially when groups emit light in a sequence.
3. Pangolin
Pangolins are the only known mammal with scales. When threatened by predators, pangolins roll up into a defensive ball, protected by their armor-like coating of keratin scales. These creatures are one of the most illegally trafficked mammals in the world. Their scales are thought to have medicinal powers in parts of Asia.
4. Panda Ant
Just like pandas are cute, panda ants are also very cute-looking. Fuzzy, with a white body and black spots, looks adorable and innocent. But don’t judge a book by its cover, as they might actually be more dangerous than the bears. Panda ants are found in Chile and Argentina, and the females are actually wingless wasps. This means they sting. So if you see a cute little panda ant just leave it be don’t try to adore its cuteness.
5. Satanic Leaf Tailed Gecko
Don’t go by the name the creature is not satanic it is not harmful in a devilish way. It gets its name from its appearance. Its specific name phantasticus is the Latin word for “imaginary”, based upon the gecko’s unique appearance, which led its discoverer Belgian naturalist George Albert Boulenger to describe it as “mythical” in 1888.
The leaf-tailed portion of the animal’s body mimics a dried-out, brownish leaf. The skin has even formed veins to replicate the veins on a leaf. In addition to its remarkable capacity for camouflage, this gecko can trick predators by voluntarily shedding its tail.