These Creatures Actually Exist

1. Shoebill ....looks like a shoe, obviously!

Image source Getty ImagesObviously named because the bill looks like a shoe!  Shoebills are ridiculously tall - I mean over 4 feet high and they like treading shallow waters, looking for their unsuspecting prey.  They have even been known to get into scraps with young crocodiles and are highly effective predators

2. Glass Frog ....you can see right through him

Image source Getty ImagesJust as you can see through a glass tumbler, the same can be said for the glass frog!  Many of the frogs have lime green skin although some have no colouration at all.  You can even see their organs with the naked eye.  Jut as amazing is their spotted backs which are meant to resemble eggs.  This makes predators confused when going after their offspring.

3. Mantis Shrimp is as strong as an ox! ....

Image source Getty ImagesMantis shrimps are fierce and very weird!  They have been around for over 400 million years and aren't like any other shrimp.   Mantis shrimps are so strong that they can smash crab shells and open clams,  Their 'clubs' can dish out over 500 punches IN UNDER A SECOND and they can see in two different directions at the same time!  That's quite some skill.

4. Axolotl .... prefers to walk!

Image source Getty ImagesThis salamander is both cute and disturbing, a very strange combination.  Even though it develops legs, it never reaches land and spends its time strolling the underwater surface, which makes sense of its nickname, 'walking fish'.  If you want to catch sight of this creature, get yourself to the lake of Xochimilco, near Mexico City.

5. Sun Bear .... will lick you to death!

Image source Getty ImagesWhen you think of bears, you're probably imagining a grizzly or brown bear and not a sun bear, one of the smallest bears in the world.  They weigh under 100 pounds and have extremely long tongues of up to 9 inches!  This allows them to lick out their loot from the bark of trees.

6. Lyrebird .... such a copy cat

Image source Getty ImagesLyrebirds are so amazing at mimicking that they could easily have their own Saturday night tv show!  They can even imitate power tools and industrial equipment.  Very intelligent, they can repeat whole sentences in exactly the same voice as the human!

7. Parrotfish .... lethal teeth

Image source Getty ImagesYou will find parrotfish in tropical reefs, where they use their teeth to break off coral and rocks.  This enables them to carve out living places that other species couldn't survive in.  A disgusting fact about them is that the sand grains fond on white-sand beaches is parrotfish poo.  Sorry.

8. Aye-Aye .... a real mix!

Image source Getty ImagesThese nocturnal lemurs look very unusual with their rat-like teeth and large ears.  They tap on trees to locate insects, based on percussion feedback and then bore a hole with their long middle finger to get to the insects to eat them.  They have a similar behavioural pattern to a woodpecker.

9. Okapi .... what is it?

Image source Getty ImagesIs it a zebra or maybe a giraffe?  Hard to say because it looks like both.  The okapi is the only living relative of the giraffe but has the distinctive black and white markings of the zebra on its front legs and hindquarters.  Nicknamed, 'zebra giraffe' (I wonder why) it's a beautiful mammal.

10. Markhor .... gone wild

Image source Getty ImagesThis exotic wild goat,  known as a 'screw horn goat,' has a head adorned with corkscrew shaped horns and looks very clever with its long beard and majestic pose.  Thanks to dogged conservation efforts, its numbers have gone up by a quarter and it is no longer on the endangered list.

11. Red-Lipped Batfish .... it is lipstick?

Image source Getty ImagesCheck out this red-lipped batfish. The second part of the fish’s scientific name is Ogcocephalus darwini, a nod to Charles Darwin who famously studied evolution while visiting the Galapagos.  The batfish lives on the ocean floor and looks like it's been experimenting with red lipstick!

12. Mexican Mole Lizard .... looks like a worm

Image source Getty ImagesThe Mexican mole lizard can be mistaken for a large worm but on further inspection, you will notice its elongated, ribbed body is attached to short legs with five fingers.  Looking very closely, it has eyes and a mouth and is all together a strange, if not weird, creature.

13. Long-Wattled Umbrella Bird .... look a bit flabby

Image source Wiki CommonsFemale long-wattled umbrella birds don’t look anything out of the ordinary but the males are incredible with their long, flabby hunks of skin (as seen on turkeys), extending from their necks.  What is amazing is that they can control their wattles by lengthening and retracting them, either while sitting or during flight.

14. Pacu .... serious teeth

Image source Getty ImagesA distant cousin of the famous piranha, the pacu has a serious set of teeth.  Their razor sharp teeth are actually square and resemble human teeth which is eerie.  Unlike piranhas, which strip animals to their bones, pacus are herbivorous and use their strong teeth to munch on fruit and seeds.

15. Hummingbird Hawk-Moth .... looks so weird!

Image source Getty ImagesFirst described by the naturalist Carl Linnaeus, this is not your usual moth as it looks like a bird as well - that's messing with my head!   It is distinguished by its exceptional size as it is a large as a humming bird and has prominent reddish wings.  Isn't nature wonderful!

16. Venezuelan Poodle Moth .... get your head around this!

Image source Getty ImagesHow mad is this - a moth covered in hair that looks like a poodle, honestly!  However, like moths, it's attracted to light and has wings.  You would have to go to Venezuela to view this insect which is one of the cutest things, in the moth world, that you have ever seen.

17. Penis Snake .... bragging again!

Image source Getty ImagesDon't laugh at the name of this creature but it's head really does look like a part of the human anatomy (I'm trying to be discreet here).  The name is misleading as it isn't a reptile but an amphibian and can be found in Brazil at the mouth of the Amazon River where it feeds off small fish and bugs.

18. Japanese Spider Crab .... nice long legs

Image source Getty ImagesWith their long, spidery legs, spider crabs look like almost cartoonish. They are also exceptionally large and live for a heck of along time.  Weighing up to 40 pounds and reaching over 12 feet in length, they can survive for 50 years and even up to a full century

19. Marabou Stork ....when one leg is enough!

Image source Getty ImagesThis large bird which stands at up to 5 feet tall, has been nicknamed 'undertaker bird' and 'nightmare bird' - that's a bit disturbing!  Its appearance is quite freaky with its massive beak and reddish neck pouch.  Disgustingly,  it eats its own faeces as well as human garbage.

20. Sunda Colugo .... loves to glide

Image source Getty ImagesAlso commonly known as Sunda flying lemurs or Malayan flying lemurs, these lemurs don't fly!  They just show off by spreading their wings and they glide around, allowing them to travel from tree to tree without touching the ground.  They are similar to flying squirrls.

21. Pink Fairy Armadillo .... anything but cute

Image source iucnredlist.orgWhen most of us think of an armadillo, we tend to  picture the kind that is found off the side of Texas roads. The pink fairy armadillo is quite different to that one.  It has a fuzzy white underbelly, a pink shell and is about the same size as a hamster.  Fancy one as a pet?

22. Indian Purple Frog.... check out the shape!

Image source edgeofexistence.orgIndian purple frogs look absolutely nothing like everyday frogs. They have a unique and striking purple colour, are shaped like a lump and possess features that appear deformed.  Most of their life is spent tucked underground, sucking down termites.  They only re-surface for 2 week periods for the mating seasons.

23. Mata Mata .... so strange they named it twice!

Image source Getty ImagesThe mata mata makes other turtles look active! which is funny in itself!  They sit in the shallow water and only move when it's time to lay eggs on land.  When relaxing in the water, they use their wide mouth to suck down prey and practically inhale their food.  Talk about lazy!

24. Panda Ant .... more dangerous than a bear

Image source Getty ImagesPanda bears are cute but panda ants can be more dangerous with their white bodies and black spots.  Don't be deceived by these fuzzy little insects.  The females are wingless wasps and can pack a mean punch with their sting.  So, even though they may look adorable, don't go near them.

25. De Brazza’s Monkey .... nice white beard!

Image source Getty ImagesWith their white beards and extra bushy eyebrows, these gorgeous primates live in central Africa and spend most of their time along river systems surrounded by forests.  They tend to forage on plants and if you see one and it sees you back, it may freeze in fear.

26. Sea Pen .... won't write though!

Image source Getty ImagesInvertebrates that live on the seafloor are very common.  Sea pens look like an old fashioned quill pen and, when stimulated, they light up and display a bright green light on the sea floor.  It almost looks as if someone has switched the light on and when there is a group of them, this looks magnificent

27. Tarantula Hawk .... Ridiculously dangerous

Image source Getty ImagesMost species avoid spiders because their venom could take out any large mammals.  The tarantula hawk targets tarantula spiders for its evening meal.  The female tarantula hawk carries her own venom to paralyse the tarantula.  She then lays her eggs in the still living spider and buries the carcass.

28. Australian Peacock Spider ....do a great mating dance!

Image source Wikimedia CommonsThis species in the jumping spider family (that's making me feel uneasy already) has a vibrant colour pattern, with the male being more colourful than the female.  The Peacock Spider uses its hues to attract mates and the female performs a mating dance to her prospective partner.

29. Narwhal ..., almost a unicorn

Image source Wales.orcasThis is the closest real thing to a unicorn!  A Narwhal can live for around 50 years and death usually occurs through suffocation from being trapped by sea ice.  They can grow up to 18 feet and the tusk is actually a canine tooth that comes out from the left side of the upper jaw through the lip.

30. Lilac-Breasted Roller .... don't be taken in by its beauty

Image source Getty ImagesAt about 15 inches long, including the tail, this impressive hunter preys on anything from lizards to snakes and from snails to scorpions!  The Lilac-Breasted Roller is an aggressive bird that carries its prey to its perch and then beats it up until it become dismembered.  Lunch anyone?