The Angora rabbit is a variety of domestic rabbit bred for its long, soft hair. The rabbits were popular pets with French royalty in the mid 1700s, and spread to other parts of Europe by the end of the century. They are bred largely for their long wool, which may be removed by shearing or plucking (gently pulling loose wool).
The Thylacine was the largest known carnivorous marsupial of modern times. Native to Australia and New Guinea, it is thought to have become extinct in the 20th century. It is commonly known as the Tasmanian Tiger (due to its striped back), the Tasmanian Wolf, and colloquially the Tassie (or Tazzy) Tiger. It was the last extant member of its genus, Thylacinus, although a number of related species have been found in the fossil record dating back to the early Miocene. The Thylacine became extinct on the Australian mainland thousands of years before European settlement of the continent, but survived on the island of Tasmanian along with a number of other endemic species, including the Tasmanian Devil. Intensive hunting encouraged by bounties is generally blamed for its extinction, but other contributory factors may have been disease, the introduction of dogs, and human encroachment into its habitat. Despite being officially classified as extinct, sightings are still reported.
6. Platypus, Wikipedia
The Platypus is a semi-aquatic mammal endemic to eastern Australia. Together with the four species of echidna, it is one of the five mammals that lay eggs instead of giving birth to live young. The bizarre appearance of this egg-laying, duck-billed mammal baffled naturalists when it was first discovered, with some considering it an elaborate fraud. it is one of the few venomous mammals; the male Platypus has a spur on the hind foot, which delivers a poison capable of causing severe pain to humans. The unique features of the Platypus make it an important subject in the study of evolutionary biology and recognizeable and iconic symbol of Australia; it has appeared as a mascot at national events and is featured on the reverse of the Australian 20 cent coin.
5. Narwhal, Wikipedia
The Narwhal is an Arctic species of cetacean. It is one of two species of white whale, the other being the Beluga whale. The most conspicuous characteristic of male narwhal is their single extraordinarily long tusk, an incisor that projects from the left side of the upper jaw and forms a left-handed helix. The tusk can be up to nearly 10 feet long and weigh up to 22 pounds. About one in 500 males has two tusks, which occurs when the right tooth, normally small, also grows out. The purpose of the tusk has been the subject of nuch debate. Early scientific theories suggested that the tusk was used to pierce the ice covering the narwhal's Arctic Sea habitat. Others suggested the tusk was used in echolocation. More recently, scientists believed the tusk is primarily used for showmanshipand for dominance: males with larger tusks are more likely to successfully attract a mate.
4. Anglerfish, Wikipedia
Anglerfish are named for their characteristic mode of perdition, where in a fleshy growth from the fish's head ( the esca ) acts as a lure. Anglerfish also have spines protruding from their head, moveable in all directions. The esca can be wiggled so as to resemble a prey animal, and thus to act as bait to lure other predators. Deep-sea anglerfish live mainly in the oceans aphotic zones, where the water is to deep for the sun to penetrate; therefore their perdition relies on the "lure" being bioluminescent. Since individuals are presumably locally rare and encounters doubly so, finding a mate is problematic. When scientists first started capturing ceratioid anglerfish, they noticed that all of the specimens were females. These individuals were a few inches in size and almost all of them had what appeared to be parasites attached to them. It turned out that these "parasites" were the remains of male ceratioids.
3. Leafy Sea-dragon, Wikipedia
Named after the dragons of Chinese mythology, Leafy Sea-dragons resemble a piece of drifting seaweed as they float in the seaweed-filled water. The Leafy Sea-dragon, with green, orange and gold hues along its body, is covered with leaf-like appendages, making it remarkably camouflaged. Only the fluttering of tiny fins or the moving of an independently swiveling eye reveals its presence. Sea-dragons have no teeth or stomach and feed exclusively on mysidopsis shrimp. Known as "Australian seahorses" in Australia, they are found in calm, cold water that is approximately 50-54 degree Fahrenheit. The South Australian government since 1982 has protected Leafy Sea-dragons.
2. Yeti Crab, Wikipedia
Kiwa hirsuta is a crustacean discovered in 2005 in the South Pacific Ocean. This decapod, 6 inches long, is notable for the quantity of silky blond setae ( resembling fur ) covering thoracic legs and claws. Its discoverers dubbed it the "yeti lobster" or "yeti crab". Based on both morphology and molecular data, the species was deemed to form a new genus and family ( Kiwaidae ). The animal has strongly reduced eyes that lack pigment, and is thought to be blind. The 'hairy' pincers contain filamentous bacteria, which the creature may use to detoxify poisonous minerals from the water emitted by the hydrothermal vents where it lives. Alternatively, it may feed on the bacteria, although it is thought to be a general carnivore. Its diet also consists of green algae and small shrimp.
1. Coelacanth, Wikipedia
Coelacanth is the common name for an order of fish that includes the oldest living lineage of jawed fish known to date. The coelacanths, which are related to lungfishes and tetrapods, were believed to have been extinct since the end of the Cretaceous period, until the first specimen was found off the east coast of South Africa, off the Chalumna River in 1938. Since 1938, they have been found in the Comoros, Kenya, Tanzania, Mozambique, Madagascar, among other places. Coelacanths first appear in the fossil record in the Middle Devonian, about 410 million years ago. Coelacanths are lobe-finned fish with the pectoral and anal fins on fleshy stalks supported by bones, and the tail or caudal fin diphycercal ( divided into three lobes ), the middle one of which also includes a continuation of the notochord.
This article is licensed under the
GFDL. It uses material from the Wikipedia articles cited above.
Source : http://listverse.com/nature/top-10-strangest-animals/
.jpg)
Over 2 million deaths per year resulting from malaria infection caused by mosquito bites. The mosquito is a member of the family Culicidae; these insects have a pair of scaled wings, a pair of halteres, a slender body, and long legs. The females of most mosquito species suck blood from other animals.
Over 100,000 deaths per year. Snakes, also known as ophidians, are cold-blooded legless reptiles closely related to lizards, which share the order Squamata. There are also several species of legless lizard which superficially resemble snakes, but are not otherwise related to them.
Up to 5,000 deaths per year. A scorpion is an invertebrate animal with eight legs, belonging to the order Scorpiones in the class Arachnida.
Up to 2,000 deaths per year. A crocodile is any species belonging to the family Crocodylidae. The term can also be used more loosely to include all members of the order Crocodilia: i.e the true crocodiles, the alligators and caimans and the gharials. The crocodiles, colloquially called crocs, are large aquatic reptiles that live throughout the Tropics in Africa, Asia, the Americas and Australia.
Over 600 deaths per year. Elephantidae is a family of pachyderm, and the only remaining family in the order Proboscidea in the class Mammalia. Elephantidae has three living species: the African Bush Elephant and the African Forest Elephant and the Asian Elephant.
Over 400 deaths per year. Bees are flying insects, closely related to wasps and ants. There are approximately 20,000 species of bees, and they may be found on every continent except Antarctica. Bees are adapted for feeding on nectar and pollen, the former primarily as an energy source, and the latter primarily for protein and other nutrients.
Over 250 deaths per year. The lion is a mammal of the family Felidae and one of four "big cats" in the genus Panthera. The lion is the second largest cat, after the tiger. The male lion, easily recognized by his mane, weighs between 150-225 kg. In the wild, lions live for around 10-14 years, while in captivity they can live over 20 years.
Over 200 deaths per year. The hippopotamus, from the Greek,is a large, plant-eating African mammal, one of only two extant, and three or four recently extinct, species in the family Hippopotamidae.
Over 100 deaths per year. Jellyfish are marine invertebrates belonging to the Scyphozoan class, and in turn the phylum Cnidaria. The body of an adult jellyfish is composed of a bell-shaped, jellylike substance enclosing its internal structure, from which the creature's tentacles suspend.
30-100 deaths per year. Sharks are fish with a full cartilaginous skeleton and a streamlined body. They respire with the use of five to seven gill slits. Sharks have a covering of dermal denticles to protect their skin from damage, parasites and to improve fluid dynamics.
