Kingsbrook Animal Hospital's Blog: Some of the World's Most Bizarre Creatures!

Wednesday, October 13, 2010

Some of the World's Most Bizarre Creatures!







1. Star-nosed Mole
Star-nosed moles are easily identified by the eleven pairs of pink fleshy appendages ringing their snout which are used as a touch organ with more than 25,000 minute sensory receptors, known as Eimer’s organs, with which this hamster-sized mole feels its way around.

2. Aye Aye
It is the world's largest nocturnal primate, and is characterized by its unusual method of finding food; it taps on trees to find grubs, then gnaws holes in the wood and inserts its elongated middle finger to pull the grubs out.

3. Silky Anteater
It is the smallest member of the anteaters, with total length ranging from 360 to 450 mm (14.1-17.7 in) and usually weighing less than 400 g (0.88 lbs). It has a dense and soft golden brown fur, short snout, partially prehensile tail and two very enlarged claws in each forepaw.

4. Hellbender
The hellbender is a giant salamander, native to North America, which inhabits large, swiftly flowing streams with rocky bottoms.

5. Cornish Sucker
A large headed fish that has two blue spots at the back of the head and 2 small tentacles near the eyes. On the underside is a sizeable sucker that helps it grip to rocks, seaweeds etc. The overall body colour is purplish with black markings. Otherwise known as Shore Clingfish.

6. Horseshoe Crab
Horseshoe crabs are arthropods that live primarily in shallow ocean waters on soft sandy or muddy bottoms. They will, however, occasionally come on shore, e.g. for mating.