Nature is beautiful. We all agree on that. But we usually forget how weird it can also be. Just when you think you’ve seen enough weirdness, it amazes you with another strange member of the animal kingdom. Here are 22 of those strange animals from around the world!
The oarfish isn’t usually seen by humans as it rarely makes it to the surface of the ocean. This one in the picture was found dead off the coast of Australia. I’m pretty sure it’s not the kind of friendship you’d like to build in your summer vacation anyway.
The male weevils have these long necks and they use them to fight other males. A bit aggressive, don’t you think?
It’s a prehistoric shark with needle-like teeth. Unless you’re thousands of feet underwater, don’t worry about running (swimming?) into them. They stay very deep and are rarely seen.
The crab in the picture above measured 10 feet from claw to claw. Its nickname is also “Crabzilla.” Makes sense.
This creature thing was discovered .8 miles under water near the Great Barrier Reef. It is basically one big head.
This fish’s name is Fat Lady (how rude, right?). She was Britain’s biggest freshwater fish and was caught over 200 times. She was over 30 years old when she passed away. She also weighed 60 pounds. She would probably eat you. No, not joking.
No, it’s not from a weird sci-fi movie, no matter how weird it looks. This one-eyed albino shark was apparently cut from a pregnant bull shark in the Gulf of California. This picture is the only reminder of it.
This is a picture of a man hugging a 200-pound Mekong catfish in Thailand. That’s pretty much it.
The guy you see in the picture caught this giant catfish WITH HIS BARE HANDS. “When we were swimming, we suddenly saw a giant fish. We then swam close to the fish quietly and circled it in the center. I dashed forward to grab its head while the other two caught its body. The fish was quite forceful and struggled fiercely in the water.” He says.
Naked mole rats live in colonies underground mainly in sub-Saharan Africa. If you actually find them cute, don’t ever call me again. OK, maybe they are just a little cute, in a very bizarre way.
The arapaima is one of the world’s biggest freshwater fish. This one in the picture was found in the River Essequibo in Guyana.
Those hands. That “nose.” What am I even looking at?
This gharial was found in India. It’s about the size of a human man (6 feet), but it’s certainly more terrifying than a human man.
This 7-foot halibut was caught off the coast of Norway’s Lofoten Islands. It was too big to bring on the boat so the fisherman jumped into the water to take a picture. And yes, this is the halibut WE EAT.
The mata-mata turtle is also called “the weirdest turtle ever.” That face? I don’t know what to call it.
This fish doesn’t swim. It walks on its fins on the seafloor. Seriously.
That’s a baby wolf eel. The adults grow to be 7 feet long.
These ants are found in Australia and they can sting you. They have those teeth for a reason.
This giant stingray was “caught” on the Mekong River in Cambodia.
Aye-ayes are found in Madagascar and are nocturnal. That’s probably why it looks so damn terrified of the flash in the picture above.
A unique species of stick insect from Australia. Rumor has it that these are commonly found in pet stores all over the world, and are quite popular as pets. We just don’t wanna believe it, to be honest.
The lamprey is a fish that lives in the ocean but spawns in freshwater. This one was caught near Portland, Oregon. It may or may not suck your blood. Don’t push your luck, maybe.