As of: February 23, 2024, 5:45 a.m
By: Sophie Kluß
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The diversity of animals on earth is endless.
And even though you think you've already seen most of the specimens, there are always surprises waiting.
Do you know these strange animals?
1 / 10Nasikabatrachus sahyadrensis, also known as the Indian purple frog or pig-nosed frog, was discovered in India in 2003.
According to “Geo”, the discovery is not a sensation – more than 100 frog species are described every year – but the optics are truly impressive.
© Nature Picture Library/Imago
2 / 10The Glasswing is a butterfly and lives up to its name because it appears to have wings made of glass.
You can look through them like small window panes.
The reason for his unusual appearance?
Thanks to his inconspicuous appearance - at least to his enemies - he manages to avoid one or two bird beaks.
© imagebroker/Imago
3 / 10The striped tenrec lives on the African island of Madagascar.
It is just as big as a bar of chocolate and yet has a sophisticated defense strategy: The small mammal, which resembles a hedgehog, lunges headfirst at its opponent and, according to Geo, drills the barbed spears into his skin.
© imagebroker/Imago
4 / 10The Irrawadi dolphin, which is up to 2.8 meters long and weighs up to 150 kilograms, looks like a child's painting come to life.
Despite its cute appearance, it is threatened with extinction according to WWF.
According to the environmental protection organization, the fin can be used as an individual “fingerprint to recognize individual individuals.” © Barbara Walton/dpa
5 / 10The cute red-headed tree rat has been spotted twice so far: the first time in 1898 in Colombia, the second time 113 years later, in 2011, also in Colombia.
It is considered critically endangered.
© UPI Photo/Imago
6 / 10This animal dressed up and put on red lipstick.
The sea bat is not a bat, but is a fish, hence also called the red-lipped batfish.
But the sea bat uses its fins less for swimming and more for strutting across the ocean floor.
© OceanPhoto/Imago
7 / 10A hedgehog – so what?
Take a closer look: the long-eared hedgehog looks exactly like the local hedgehog (also called the brown-breasted hedgehog), except for its long ears.
His large ears not only ensure that he has excellent hearing, but also regulate his heat balance.
© blickwinkel/Imago
8 / 10The crested deer looks like a cross between a wild boar and a deer – and sounds like a dog.
The barking fellows with the supposed vampire teeth belong to the deer family.
The bush of hair on its head, which is up to 17 cm long, gives the crested deer its name.
© Steffen Schellhorn/Imago
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9 / 10The extremely rare Dumbo octopus uses its ear-like fins to swim - which it does very slowly.
He is named after the big-eared Disney elephant Dumbo.
The animals live at a depth of 3,000 to 4,000 meters and are 20 to 30 centimeters long.
However, as the “Süddeutsche Zeitung” reports, the largest specimen discovered so far was “1.80 meters long and weighed almost six kilograms.” © ZUMA Wire/Imago
10 / 10The star-nosed mole, also known as the star-nosed mole, is probably the epitome of a strange animal.
In addition to its appearance, another feature sets it apart: As “National Geographic” writes, the star-nosed mole is the fastest eater in the mammal kingdom and finds and devours an insect or worm within just a quarter of a second.
© imagebroker/Imago
I've never met an animal I didn't like.
I can't say the same about people.
Doris Day, American film actress and singer (1922–2019)
Transparent wings, vampire teeth or fins that look like ears - in this photo gallery you will discover ten of the strangest animals in the world.
Are you interested in unusual animal species?
Then click through another series of photos and discover eleven animals that can register danger.