23 Freakishly Weird Animals That You Didn’t Know Were Real

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Poodle Moth

With all the cuteness that is in the animal world, there is also some weirdness. I never knew that these animals even existed and still find it hard to believe that some of these animals are even real. Check out this gallery of bizarre and sometimes terrifying animals – they’ll leave you stunned!

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There is such a thing of a Venezuelan Poodle Moth? The Venezuelan poodle moth was first captured on film by Dr. Arthur Anker of Bishkek. It is such an odd looking creature, it seems to confuse people at first glance. The insect, seemingly a blend of a large moth and a bright, fluffy white poodle, was discovered in 2009 and may be a new species.

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Quokka 

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The Quokka is known as the animal that is always smiling. This animal is found in the smaller islands of Western Australia. It is adorable and about the size of a domestic cat. The quokka was one of the first Australian mammals seen by Europeans. It is seen all over those countries and are no harm to humans. 

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Chinese Giant Salamander

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What is this thing? I bet this is something that you have never seen before. It actually is the world’s largest species of amphibian, growing up to 6 feet in length. They can only be found in China and Taiwan where they are sadly critically endangered. If you are lucky to see one, you better capture a photo just like this man did! 

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Yapok

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This Portuguese water dog does not look friendly at all, does it? These funny-looking creatures have webbed feet to help them propel through water. These animals are extremely fast swimmers. They are found in parts of both South and Central America where they live in riverbank dens, feeding on fish and crustaceans.

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Frilled Shark

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If I saw this animal while I was swimming in the ocean, I would be scared beyond belief. These horrifying looking sharks are found throughout the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans. They live deep underwater and are rarely encountered by humans. They can grow up to 6.6 feet long and are thought to be the cause of some sea serpent tales throughout history.

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Penis Snake

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If you are afraid of a snake, this will frighten you instantly! What a name for a snake, a "penis snake"! It sure fits the description of it though. These snakes were discovered in 2011 in Brazil, and remains something of a mystery to scientists due to the little data collected on the species so far. One thing’s for sure though, it’s pretty clear why they got their rude nickname!

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Giant Isopod

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These alien-like creatures can grow up to 30 inches long, owing to the phenomenon of deep-sea giganticism. They are carnivores, though it is thought they mainly scavenge the flesh from dead whales and fish. They look a lot scarier than they actually are. They will not eat a human, so that is always a plus!

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Honduran White Bat

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These little bats are found only in Central America where they have been known to build little tents out of leaves! Their white fur helps with this kind of habitat as it makes them invisible to predators when the sun shines through the leaf as they simply blend in.
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Blue Dragon

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Don't be mezmorized by the beauty of this sea slug. Though it's vert beautiful, it's also very dangerous. These pretty little sea slugs are also known as sea swallows, blue angels or to use their proper name Glaucus atlanticus. They float upside down and are known to have a painful and potentially dangerous sting. 

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Olinguito 

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These teddy bear like animals are only found in Colombia and Ecuador, and were only discovered in 2013. They live in cloud forests where they feed mainly on fruit but also sometimes insects and nectar. Sadly they may be at risk in the near future due to deforestation of their habitat, with little in the way of conservation being done so far.
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 Lowland Streaked Tenrec

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This rather bizarre species is only found in the Madagascan rain forest and grow between 4.8 to 6.5 inches in length. They live in burrows with family members and make an unusual sound that sounds more like an insect than a mammal. You may have never seen this animal before and if you come across it in your journey in life, it is not a danger to humans. As you can see this man is holding it. 

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Aye Aye

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These bug-eyed creatures are actually lemurs. They have a pretty creepy middle finger that is long and thin in order to help them collect insects from their nests. They are only found in Madagascar, where they spend the majority of their lives high up in trees.
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Solenodon 

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These mammals have remained unchanged for the past 76 million years – they even predate the mass extinction of the dinosaurs! Sadly they are endangered due to the arrival of Europeans to their habitats in colonial times who brought with them cats, dogs and the small Asian mongoose – all of which hunt the solenodon.
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Shoebill

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This animal resembles a statue. The slow movement may have you wondering even if it is real or not. These large birds live in tropical swamps throughout Africa and have a wingspan of up to 8.6 feet. They feed on fish, rats and even baby crocodiles and are known for their statue-like appearance, standing still for long periods of time.

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 Hummingbird Hawk-Moth

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These moths can be found throughout the northern old world, though only where it is warm. Their large wings and hovering flight, along with the humming sound they make, makes them look considerably like their namesake the hummingbird.
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Japanese Spider Crab

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Did you say you wanted crab legs for dinner? Try going to a restaurant and having this crab claw on your plate, you may need two tables! These huge crabs can grow up to 12 feet in length from claw to claw and prefer to live in deeper parts of the ocean where they use camouflage to hide from predators such as large octopi.

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Kakapo

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These birds, also knows as owl-parrots, are endemic to New Zealand where they are sadly critically endangered. They are unable to fly but are excellent climbers, and can also ‘parachute’ from tall trees using its wings to glide. This bird is no danger to humans and are a popular bird for bird watchers to even come across. It sure is a beauty! 

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Blue Parrotfish 

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This beautiful fish is no harm to us humans. It also isn't very tasty to eat either. These rather striking fish are found in the Atlantic and Caribbean sea where they can grow up to 1.2 metres in length. They have a beak that is used for scraping algae from rocks and spend 80% of their time looking for food.

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Goblin Shark

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I can tell you one thing, I wouldn't want to be swimming next to this shark in the ocean. It is as mean as it looks. These terrifying sharks live deep in the ocean and are known as a living fossil as all other members of their ‘family’ died out 125 million years ago. Their teeth will go through you skin within seconds. 

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Dumbo Octopus

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This is the cutest octopus I have ever seen. It is no harm to us humans, unless it is tampered with. These octopi live in the deep sea and look rather cute thanks to their ear-like fins. The largest ever recorded specimen was a whopping 1.2 meters long. Not many are left out there in the sea!

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Chinese Water Deer

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This is what I call the "twlight" version of a deer. It looks just like a vampire, I guess that is where is gets their name from. This species is native to China, though they were introduced into the United kingdom in the 1870s. They are known as ‘vampire deer’ due to their two protruding canine teeth that are used to warn off rivals.

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Blob Fish

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This is just like floating head! I would not want to run into this creature while swimming in the sea, no matter where about in the world I may be. These gruesome looking fish are found in the deep seas off Australia and New Zealand. Instead of swimming they simply float above the sea bed, swallowing small crustaceans and other edible matter as it goes.

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Tarsier

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I think this creature should be nicknamed "crazy'. Look at those huge eyes and weird body. These alien-like creatures are found in Southeast Asia where they are sadly endangered. They are carnivores, feeding on birds, snakes, insects, bats and lizards.

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