It is said that the earth is a small place, but it will prove to be extra large when you set out to take record of its content. For instance, although we are only familiar with few numbers of animals, there are actually over 1.6 million species of them. Some of these animals are so rare there are only found in certain areas. It goes without saying that there some animal species that you haven’t seen before… you haven’t even heard of most of them.
However, thanks to the internet, because you can get to discover things you will never find in your library. In this post, we shall be looking at 7 animals you probably didn’t know existed.
Ready for them?
1. Lowland Streaked Tenrec
Except you live in eastern Madagascar or have visited the island before, there is no way of seeing these animals physically. Lowland streaked tenrecs are black and yellow striped animals that live as clusters in burrows. They feed mainly on earthworms, but they also eat other invertebrates.
2. Scorpionfly
Unlike streaked tenrecs, Scorpionflies can be found almost anywhere in the world. These insects are also known as Mecoptera, but popularly referred to as scorpionflies. This is because of the scorpion-like stings they have on their tail. But they do not have venom in their stings like actual scorpions.
3. Water deer
Water deer do not have antlers like musk or true deer. They are basically solitary animals, but the males can get extremely territorial. The male water deer usually mark the boundaries of their territories with urine and feces. Water deer are natives of China and Korea.
4. Matamata
These are tiny turtles found in South America. Matamata can go unnoticed when under water because their shells are like the barks of trees and their irregularly shaped heads resemble fallen leaves. This particular body shape and structure is utilized by the amphibians to catch their preys – fish and aquatic invertebrates – they simply stay still in stagnant pools or black water streams and wait as the water current bring unsuspecting preys their way. They then open their mouths and swallow their prey. They don’t chew because of the way their mouths are structured.
5. Narwhal
Narwhals are perhaps the real-life versions of unicorns. Like the legendary unicorn, a Narwhal has a ‘horn’ (tusk) in the middle of its head, which it uses for battle. The tusk is also used for sensitivity because it is full of nerves.
6. Goblin Shark
If you watch animal documentaries a lot, you probably have seen a goblin shark on at least one occasion. But, it’s impossible to meet this animal in person – unless you are ready to dive 2000m into the Atlantic Ocean.
7. Macropinna microstoma
Ever imagined what it will be like when you dived 800m down the ocean? Well, you are likely to meet a fish with a transparent head. Imagine that for a second.
Macropinna microstoma has a transparent head that helps with its vision. Because of its transparent head, this fish is able to see almost anything around it, without having to twist its head.
So there you have it. How any of these animals did you know existed?
If you are an animal buff, constantly visit the national geographic website to find latest discoveries.
