The animal world around us is very rich and diverse with countless species of animals. Among them are many species known to man. However, there are species of creatures that are little known to us due to their special habitat. Here are 9 rare animals that will surprise you with their abilities.
9. East African moles
East African mole.
Scientific name: Heterocephalus glaber
Habitat: This rat lives underground in large flat areas in central East Africa. They live in herds with up to 300 individuals.
Behavior: This mole rat often eats roots and tubers, even its own droppings.
Characteristics: In addition to having no lifespan and apparently being cancer-free, these hairless mole rats can survive up to 18 minutes without oxygen. By studying the possibility that East African mole rats can live without oxygen, we can develop technology to keep victims of heart attacks or strokes alive.
8. Feathered hat deer
Fur hat deer.
Scientific name: Elaphodus cephalophus
Habitat: This deer lives mainly in China and the Burma region of Myanmar.
Habits: The hairy hat deer is a herbivore that includes fruit, grass, bamboo, and leaves.
Characteristics: Although fur hat deer have a scary appearance with pointed fangs that stick out like vampires, they are quite shy. This deer is very secretive, active only at dawn and dusk. When in danger, they emit a sound like an alarm to scare away enemies.
7. Star-nosed mole rat
Star-nosed mole rat.
Scientific name: Condylura cristata
Habitat: Star-nosed moles live in swamps and wetlands in the Northeastern United States and Canada.
Behavior: The star-nosed mole rat’s diet is small invertebrates, larvae, insects and earthworms.
Features: Their particularly impressive nose is a sensitive sensor that acts as an eye, helping them to perceive their surroundings. The star-nosed mole is an animal that stalks its prey with tremendous speed. The average time it took a star-nosed rat to identify prey was 230 milliseconds and the fastest was 120 milliseconds.
6. Pink Armadillo
Pink Armadillo.
Scientific name: Chlamyphorus truncates
Habitat: This shy creature inhabits the dry grasslands and plains of central Argentina.
Temperament: This creature has an average size of about 7-12 cm. They use large claws to dig in the ground, foraging for insects and worms.
Features: The carapace of the pink Armadillo is shaped like the famous Japanese sashimi. However, that is exactly why they are hunted by illegal animal traffickers. The pink Armadillo cannot live in captivity.
5. Mexican iguana (Axolotl)
Mexican iguana (Axolotl).
Scientific name: Ambystoma mexicanum
Habitat: The Mexican iguana is an uncommon species that inhabits Lake Xochimilco, south of Mexico City, Mexico.
Temperament: Mexio salamanders will eat anything that moves in front of them, but mostly crustaceans and small fish. They are amphibians but live in the water most of the time and have few features for living on land.
Characteristics: The Mexican salamander has no way of defending itself in the wild. Their defense mechanism is to stay motionless in the mud in the hope that the enemy won’t see them.
4. Monkey Aye-aye
Aye-aye monkey.
Scientific name: Daubentonia madagascariensis
Habitat: The Aye-aye monkey lives on the island of Madagascar, located off the east coast of Mozambique.
Behavior: The eating habits of Aye-aye monkeys are very special, mainly the intestines of Ramy seeds, bile from the Traveler palm, some fungi and insects. This monkey also likes fermented fruits such as mango and lychee.
Characteristics: Aye-aye monkeys are the only primates that use sound waves to find food. They use their large ears and claws to find prey. Initially, Aye-aye monkeys touch trees with a particularly sensitive claw to look for signs of insects. When they detect prey, they use their claws to pry open the bark and pull the prey out.
3. Teardrop fish
Water drop fish.
Scientific name: Psychrolutes marcidus
Habitat: Drips live mainly off the coasts of Australia and Tasmania, at depths of 100m to 2,800m.
Behavior: The diet of the drop fish mainly includes krill, crabs and sea urchins. They do not actually hunt their prey, but just lie on the ocean floor waiting for the prey to pass by and open their mouths to bite.
Characteristics: In the process of evolving to be able to live on the ocean floor, the skin of the teardrop fish is pink, saggy and has a density lighter than water. This helps them to withstand great pressure on the deep sea floor and can float easily.
2. Black Rain Frog
Black Rain Frog.
Scientific name: Breviceps fuscus
Habitat: According to the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), this frog only lives in the mountains of South Africa.
Behavior: This is an underground frog, so scientists have not been able to study their living habits.
Characteristics: Over millions of years of evolution in harsh environments, this frog has an ugly appearance with black color all over its body. When in danger, they will inflate to defend themselves and that is quite effective.
1. Potoo Bird
Potoo bird.
Scientific name: Nyctibius griseus
Habitat: These particular birds live in the jungles of Central and South America.
Temperament: Potoo is a nocturnal bird, so its eyes are much larger, allowing them to search for insects at night.
Characteristics: During the day, this bird does not move at all, just stands still like a statue, closes its eyes and hides under the branches of trees. Their distinctive brown coat also helps them camouflage and avoid danger.
