Even if you’re a dedicated animal enthusiast, you can’t honestly expect to know all of the 1,367,555 non-insect animal species, that are identified on the face of Earth today! Besides, new animal species might be discovered by the time you finish reading this text, so there will always be some new surprises for us out there.
Here’s a list of some animals you’ve never heard of :
1.Red-lipped Batfish:
Found on the Galapagos Islands, this fish is actually a pretty bad swimmer, and uses its pectoral fins to walk on the bottom of the ocean
2.Goblin Shark:
This rare shark is sometimes even called a “living fossil”, “is the only extant representative of the family Mitsukurinidae, a lineage some 125 million years old.” Goblin sharks inhabit around the world at depths greater than 100 m (330 ft), with adults found deeper than juveniles. Given the depths at which it lives, the goblin shark poses no danger to humans.
3.The Panda ant:
The Mutillidae are a family of more than 3,000 species of wasps (despite the names) whose wingless females resemble large, hairy ants. Found in Chile, they are known for their extremely painful stings, hence the common name cow killer or cow ant. Black and white specimens are sometimes known as panda ants due to their hair colouration resembling that of the Chinese giant panda.
4.Penis Snake:
This, uhm… peculiar eyeless animal is actually called Atretochoana eiselti. It is a large, presumably aquatic, caecilian amphibian with a broad, flat head and a fleshy dorsal fin on the body.
5.Mantis Shrimp:
Also called the “sea locusts“, “prawn killers” and even “thumb splitters”, this is one of the most common predators in tropical and sub-tropical waters; little is known about them, however, because of how much time they spend hiding in their burrows.
6.Venezuelan Poodle Moth:
Discovered in Venezuela in 2009, this new species of alien-looking moth is still poorly explored. Waiting for more info about them!
7.The Pacu Fish:
You probably don’t need much explanation as to why the residents of Papua New Guinea call this fish a “ball cutter.” The local fishermen were really worried about the safety of their testicles when they had to get in the water!
8.The blue Parrotfish:
This bright blue fish can be found in the waters of the Atlantic Ocean, and spends 80% of its time searching for food.
9.Shoebill:
This large stork-like bird gets its name because of the shape of its beak. Even though it was already known to ancient Egyptians and Arabs, the bird was only classified in 19th century.
10.Sea Pig
Scotoplanes live on deep ocean bottoms, specifically on the abyssal plain in the Atlantic, Pacific and the Indian Ocean, typically at depths of over 1000 meters. They are deposit feeders and obtain food by extracting organic particles from deep-sea mud.
