The Most Bizarre-Looking Creatures

BALD UAKARI

Family: Pitheciidae

Habitat: Swampy forests of Brazil, Peru and Columbia

Fun Fact: Although it may look sickly, the bald uakari's bright red face is a sign of good health. Sick uakaris develop pale faces. 

SEA PIG

Family: Scotoplanes

Habitat: Deepest part of the ocean 

Fun Fact: The "sea pig" is actually the common name for a species of sea cucumber (in the class holothuroidea) that lives in the deepest abyssal depths of the world's oceans. 

SLOTH BEAR 

Family: Ursidae

Habitat: South Asia forests 

Fun Fact: Sloth bears are the only bears that carry their young on their back.

ARMORED LEAF CHAMELEON (BROOKESIA)

Family: Chamaeleonidae

Habitat: Rainforest (Northern and Northwest Madagascar)

Fun Fact: When an armored leaf chameleon feels endangered, it plays dead, often resembling a fallen leaf.

BROWN HYENA

Family: Hyaenida

Habitat: South West deserts of Africa (Angola, Botswana, Lesotho and Mozambique)

Fun Fact: This aggressive species of hyena has a social hierarchy consisting of an alpha male and alpha female. They maintain this hierarchy by mock fighting each other.

DEEP SEA JELLYFISH

Family: Ulmaridae

Habitat: Deep sea ecosystem

Fun Fact: It is very hard to research these mysterious creatures because they shy away from activity with humans. 

HENKEL'S LEAF-TAILED GECKO

Family: Gekkonidae 

Habitat: Humid rain forest

Fun Fact: When the Uroplatus henkeli (a species of Henkel’s leaf-tailed gecko) is attacked, it makes a screeching distress call, startling the predator and often allowing it to escape.

BRAZILIAN TAPIR

Family: Tapiridae

Habitat: South American rain forests

Fun Fact: Splayed toes, four on each front foot and three on each hind foot, help the tapir successfully navigate through soggy ground.

SPINY RIVER SNAIL

Family: Pleuroceridae

Habitat: Oceans

Fun Fact: The spiny river snail's outer shell ranges in colour from brown to olive green, while the inside of the shell is often marked by striking purple bands.

PUGET SOUND KING CRAB

Family: Lithodidae

Habitat: Oceans off the Pacific coast of North America

Fun Fact: Although bright in color, these animals can prove difficult to spot because they are often mistaken for corals or other marine plants.

SILKY SIFAKA

Family: Indriidae

Habitat: Tropical, moist forest

Fun Fact: The silky sifaka has been nicknamed "angel of the forest" because of its gorgeous, cream-colored fur, which sometimes has a slightly silver tint.

LONG-NOSED BANDICOOT 

Family: Chaeropodidae

Habitat: Desert, arid plains of Australia

Fun Fact: Long-nosed bandicoots are often heard making snuffling sounds while looking for their food. As soon as they find it, they make a loud grunting noise like a piglet.

PURPLE FROG 

Family: Sooglossidae

Habitat: Underground

Fun Fact: The purple frog is the sole surviving member of an ancient group of amphibians that evolved over 130 million years ago. 

PUDU

Family: Cervidae

Habitat: Temperate rainforests in South America

Fun Fact: Pudus are herbivorous and typically consume vines, leaves, succulent sprouts, herbs and blossoms. Because of the high water content of the succulents in their diet, pudus can survive long periods of time without drinking water.

SOUTHERN VISCACHA

Family: Chinchillidae

Habitat: Grasslands in Paraguay, Argentina, and southeastern Bolivia

Fun Fact: The southern viscacha's forelimbs are relatively short, while the contrastingly long and muscular hind-limbs enable it run and jump with ease. 

SAIGA ANTELOPE 

Family: Bovidae

Habitat: Semi-deserts

Fun Fact: The Saiga's distinctive large, proboscis-like nose is key to its survival. Large air sacs in the nose extract valuable moisture from exhaled air and also warm up the cold air as it is breathed in.

SOUTH AMERICAN COATMUNDI

Family: Procyonidae

Habitat: Tropical and subtropical South America 

Fun Fact: The South American coatmundi's ankles are double jointed and extremely flexible, enabling the animal to descend trees headfirst.

COTTEN-HEAD TAMARIN

Family: Callitrichidae

Habitat: Tropical forests, open woodlands

Fun Fact: Researchers believe that cotton-head tamarins have a repertory of 38 different sounds which allow them to express emotions such as curiosity, fear, joy and playfulness.