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18 animals you’ve (almost definitely) never seen before

18 animals you’ve (almost definitely) never seen before

1. The Sarcastic Fringehead

The brilliantly-named Sarcastic Fringehead lives off the pacific coast of North America. When threatened the fringehead will open their mouths wide as a method of defence - making them look a bit like The Predator - and use their teeth to attack.

2. White Peacocks

(Picture: Félix Potuit)

This peacock has a genetic condition called leuicsm - similar to albinism - which reduces the pigmentation in its skin.

3. Squid with teeth

(Picture: Richard E Young/Creative Commons)

The promachoteuthis sulcus is a rare squid which appears to have human-looking teeth - although they are actually just flaps of skin.

4. Fish with teeth

(Picture: 22 words)

The Pacu Fish is a small piranha-like fish native to South America, notable for its human-looking teeth. These are not just flaps of skin: there are reports two men bled to death after a Pacu bit off their testicles.

5. Crocodile fish

(Picture: nerc.ac.uk)

The Blackfin icefish, or crocodile fish, has a natural antifreeze in its blood that helps it survive in the freezing waters around Antarctica. It has no red blood cells, which explains its clear appearance, and it needs little oxygen.

6. This nosy monkey

(Picture :Bjørn Christian Tørrissen)

The proboscis monkey is found in Borneo and is notable for its long nose.

7. The Blue-footed Booby

(Picture: Pete)

Found in the islands surrounding the Pacific Ocean, the blue-footed boobie's bright feet are a sexually selected trait.

8. The butterfly that's male and female

(Picture: Didier Descouens)

This large white butterfly is a bilateral gynandromorph, which means one half is male, the other female.

9. The walking fish that isn't a fish

(Picture: LoKiLeCh)

The name is a misnomer - the Mexican walking fish is actually an amphibian typically found in lakes around Mexico. As of 2010 they were considered critically endangered.

10. Vampire Deer

(Picture: Momotarou2012)

Chinese water deer are harmless but have been nicknamed 'vampire deer' due to their fangs.

11. Alarm Jellyfish

(Picture: NOAA Ocean Explorer)

The atolla jellyfish is bioluminescent and emits a series of flashes when attacked - earning it the nickname ‘alarm jellyfish.’

12. Poisonous sea slugs

(Picture: Steve Childs)

Nembrotha cristata, a colourful-but-poisonous type of sea slug, grow up to 50mm in length and can be found in tropical oceans.

13. Star-Nosed Mole

(Picture: NPS.gov)

These hamster-sized creatures are found in areas of eastern Canada and America. They use their unusually-shaped noses to feel their way around.

14. The Superb Bird of Paradise

The superb bird of paradise, also known as the lophorina superba, can be found in the rainforests of New Guinea. Due to the relatively low number of female birds of paradise, the male of this species has developed an incredibly elaborate mating display.

15. The King of Saxony Bird of Paradise

The king of Saxony bird of paradise, also found in New Guinea, has some very unusual features. The male’s ornamental feathers sprout from the top of their heads.

16. Pistol Shrimp

(Picture: Open Cage)

Also known as the snapping shrimp, the pistol shrimp is the loudest creature in the shallow ocean. The noise comes from contact between two parts of the creature’s claws.

17. Angel Shark

(Picture: Nick Long)

Angel sharks have unusually flat bodies, which allow them to bury themselves in the seabed to wait for prey.

18. The smallest rodent in the world

(Picture: Bell Pletsch)

The three-toed Baluchistan pygmy jerboa is the joint smallest rodent in the world, alongside the African pygmy mouse. It is not found anywhere outside Pakistan.

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