Rather than retracting its head back inside as you might expect, this “side-necked turtle” bends it sideways into its shell. Like a reptilian giraffe, this aptly-named turtle (commonly found in eastern Australia) has a snake-like neck that’s almost as long as its entire carapace. Size: Length: 9.84 in to 11 in Weight: 15.6 to 28.7 ozĭiet: Fish, crustaceans, mollusks, amphibians, worms, insects Habitat: Wetland and swampy areas, streams rivers common in eastern Australia READ MORE: 20 Largest Lakes in the World (by Continent) By Andy Mitchell from Glasgow, UK (Eastern Snake-necked Turtle) CC BY-SA 2.0 5. When the lakes, ponds, and potholes they tend to favor dry up, the frogs may lie dormant for a year awaiting rain. They also cannot move their tongue, so they use small fore limbs to help during feeding. The frogs have eyes on top of their flattened heads, but no eyelids or eardrums. What makes them weird is the fact that they cannot hop, so they have to crawl long distances in order to get from one pond to another. The Xenopus genus includes 20 species of aquatic frogs found in sub-Saharan Africa. Size: Length: 4 to 5 inches Weight: 2 to 2.5 ozĭiet: Brine shrimp, shrimp pellets, waxworms, bloodworms, mealworms, insects, minnowsĬonservation Status: Least Concern, population increasing Habitat: Grassland ponds, streams, and lakes in arid and semi-arid climates READ MORE: The Meaning of the Lorax (10 Eco-Lessons) Clawed Frog by Brian Gratwicke (Flickr: Xenopus laevis) via CC BY 2.0 4. Unfortunately, the Chinese also consider it a delicacy and use it in traditional medicine. They have crazy vocalizations– from barking and hissing to whining and crying– which has earned it the Chinese nickname “the infant fish.” The largest amphibian in the world, this critically endangered salamander can reach lengths of up to 5’9” and weigh up to 65 pounds.įully aquatic, they’re primarily found in the rocky mountain streams and lakes of China but have been introduced in Japan and Taiwan. Size: Length: Up to 5.9 feet Weight: Up to 65 poundsĭiet: Insects, millipedes, horsehair worms, amphibians, fish, freshwater crabs READ MORE: 20 Biggest Forests in the World (World Travel Bucket List) Chinese Giant Salamander by J. They’re limbless, with snake-like bodies marked with earthworm-like rings, and heads that look like a portion of the male anatomy. It’s also known as the “penis snake,” and it’s easy to see why. This odd amphibious species was first discovered on an expedition to the Brazilian rainforest in the late 1800s.īut most people had never heard of them until workers found six of these bizarre, eyeless creatures in 2011 while draining a portion of the Madeira River (a tributary of the Amazon) for a controversial hydroelectric project. Size: Length: 2.4 feet Weight: 1.76 to 3.52 oz Habitat: Brazil near the mouth of the Amazon and in the Madeira River READ MORE: 40 Fascinating Christmas Traditions in Mexico Atretochoana eiselti, also known as the “penis snake”. Once a staple of the Aztec diet, they’re now the focus of conservation efforts in Mexico City, where local NGOs are building “Axolotl shelters.” They’re frequently used for research by scientists due to their ability to regenerate limbs. They’re weird animals because they don’t go into metamorphosis like other salamanders: Even adults remain aquatic and gilled. Size: Length: Up to 12 in Weight: 2.11 to 8 ozĭiet: Trout, salmon pellets, bloodworms, earthworms, waxwormsĬonservation Status: Critically Endangered, population decreasingĪlso known as the Mexican Walking Fish, this amphibious salamander is critically endangered, and nearly went extinct in 2010. Habitat: Mexico’s Lake Xochimilco and Lake Chalco STRANGE AMPHIBIANS & REPTILES Male Axolotl via Maxpixel 1. READ MORE: What is Ecotourism? (The History & Principles of Responsible Travel) If you’re attracted to weird birds, unusual amphibians, and other cool creatures like we are, then you’ll love our epic guide to 70 cool, strange, and weird animals around the world! Getting to see strange animals such as the Baird’s Tapir (in Corcovado National Park), Bushbaby (in Meru National Park), Flightless Cormorant (in the Galapagos Islands), and Hoatzin (in the Peruvian Amazon) in the wild has been one of our favorite parts of traveling the world together. Today we feel special affinity for weird looking animals such as the Pangolin and the Dugong, which we snorkeled with in Coron, Palawan. The Duck-billed Platypus and the Praying Mantis were both early childhood favorites of mine. I even studied ornithology and entomology in high school. Growing up feeling like a bit of an odd bird myself, I’ve always been fascinated by strange animals and weird insects. The world is a wild and wonderful place, filled with millions of cool animals most of us have never even heard of.
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