The most terrible animals in the world: names, photos and descriptions. The most terrible animals on the planet Top 10 terrible animals in the world

In the depths of the sea and ocean there are a huge number of all kinds of creatures that amaze with their sophisticated defense mechanisms, ability to adapt, and, of course, their appearance. This is a whole universe that has not yet been fully explored. In this rating, we have collected the most unusual representatives of the depths, from beautifully colored fish to creepy monsters.

15

Our rating of the most unusual inhabitants of the depths opens with the dangerous and at the same time amazing lion fish, also known as the striped lionfish or zebra fish. This cute creature, about 30 centimeters long, spends most of its time among the corals in a motionless state, and only from time to time swims from one place to another. Thanks to its beautiful and unusual coloring, as well as long fan-shaped pectoral and dorsal fins, this fish attracts the attention of both people and marine life.

However, behind the beauty of the color and shape of its fins are hidden sharp and poisonous needles, with which it protects itself from enemies. The lion fish itself does not attack first, but if a person accidentally touches it or steps on it, then one injection from such a needle will sharply worsen his health. If there are several injections, then the person will need outside help to swim to the shore, as the pain can become unbearable and lead to loss of consciousness.

14

This is a small marine bony fish of the pipefish family of the order Pipefish. Seahorses lead a sedentary lifestyle; they attach their flexible tails to stems, and thanks to numerous spines, outgrowths on the body and iridescent colors, they completely blend into the background. This is how they protect themselves from predators and camouflage themselves while hunting for food. Skates feed on small crustaceans and shrimp. The tubular stigma acts like a pipette - the prey is drawn into the mouth along with water.

The body of seahorses in water is located unconventionally for fish - vertically or diagonally. The reason for this is the relatively large swim bladder, most of which is located in the upper part of the seahorse's body. The difference between seahorses and other species is that their offspring are carried by the male. On its abdomen it has a special brood chamber in the form of a sac, which plays the role of a uterus. Seahorses are very fertile animals, and the number of embryos borne in a male’s pouch ranges from 2 to several thousand. Childbirth for a male is often painful and can result in death.

13

This representative of the depths is a relative of the previous participant in the rating - the seahorse. The leafy sea dragon, rag-eater or sea pegasus is an unusual fish, so named for its fantastic appearance - translucent delicate greenish fins cover its body and constantly sway with the movement of the water. Although these processes look like fins, they do not take part in swimming, but serve only for camouflage. The length of this creature reaches 35 centimeters, and it lives in only one place - off the southern coast of Australia. The rag picker swims slowly, its maximum speed is up to 150 m/h. Just like seahorses, the offspring are carried by males in a special pouch formed during spawning along the lower surface of the tail. The female lays eggs in this pouch and all care of the offspring falls on the father.

12

The frilled shark is a species of shark that looks much more like a strange sea snake or eel. Since the Jurassic period, the frilled predator has not changed at all over millions of years of existence. It got its name from the presence of a brown formation on its body, which resembles a cape. It is also called the corrugated shark due to the numerous folds of skin on its body. Such peculiar folds on its skin, according to scientists, are a reserve of body volume to accommodate large prey in the stomach.

After all, the frilled shark swallows its prey mainly whole, since the needle-like tips of its teeth curved inside the mouth are not capable of crushing and grinding food. The frilled shark lives in the bottom layer of water in all oceans, except the Arctic Ocean, at a depth of 400-1200 meters; it is a typical deep-sea predator. The frilled shark can reach 2 meters in length, but the usual sizes are smaller - 1.5 meters for females and 1.3 meters for males. This species lays eggs: the female gives birth to 3-12 young. Gestation of embryos can last up to two years.

11

This type of crustacean from the infraorder of crabs is one of the largest representatives of arthropods: large individuals reach 20 kilograms, 45 centimeters in carapace length and 4 m in the span of the first pair of legs. It lives mainly in the Pacific Ocean off the coast of Japan at a depth of 50 to 300 meters. It feeds on shellfish and leftovers and is believed to live up to 100 years. The survival rate among the larvae is very small, so females spawn more than 1.5 million of them. During the process of evolution, the front two legs turned into large claws that can reach a length of 40 centimeters. Despite such a formidable weapon, the Japanese spider crab is non-aggressive and has a calm character. It is even used in aquariums as an ornamental animal.

10

These large deep-sea crayfish can grow more than 50 cm in length. The largest recorded specimen weighed 1.7 kilograms and was 76 centimeters long. Their body is covered with hard plates that are softly connected to each other. This armor design provides good mobility, so giant isopods can curl up into a ball when they sense danger. Rigid plates reliably protect the crayfish’s body from deep-sea predators. Quite often they are found in Blackpool, England, and they are not uncommon in other places on the planet. These animals live at depths from 170 to 2,500 m. Most of the entire population prefers to be kept at a depth of 360-750 meters.

They prefer to live on the clay bottom alone. Isopods are carnivorous and can hunt for slow prey on the bottom - sea cucumbers, sponges, and possibly small fish. They also do not disdain carrion, which sinks to the seabed from the surface. Since there is not always enough food at such great depths, and finding it in pitch darkness is not an easy task, isopods have adapted to do without food for a long time. It is known for sure that cancer is capable of fasting for 8 weeks in a row.

9

The purple tremoctopus or blanket octopus is a very unusual octopus. Although, octopuses are generally strange creatures - they have three hearts, poisonous saliva, the ability to change the color and texture of their skin, and their tentacles are able to perform certain actions without instructions from the brain. However, the purple tremoctopus is the strangest of them all. For starters, we can say that the female is 40,000 times heavier than the male! The male is only 2.4 centimeters long and lives almost like plankton, while the female reaches 2 m in length. When the female is frightened, she can expand the cape-like membrane located between the tentacles, which visually increases her size and makes her look even more dangerous. It is also interesting that the blanket octopus is immune to the venom of the Portuguese Man of War jellyfish; Moreover, the intelligent octopus sometimes tears off the jellyfish's tentacles and uses them as weapons.

8

The blobfish is a deep-sea bottom-dwelling marine fish of the psycholute family, which, due to its unattractive appearance, is often called one of the most terrible fish on the planet. These fish supposedly live at depths of 600-1200 m off the coast of Australia and Tasmania, where fishermen have recently begun to increasingly bring them to the surface, which is why this species of fish is endangered. The blobfish consists of a gelatinous mass with a density slightly less than the density of water itself. This allows the blobfish to swim at such depths without expending large quantities.

Lack of muscles is not a problem for this fish. She swallows almost everything edible that floats in front of her, lazily opening her mouth. It feeds mainly on mollusks and crustaceans. Even though the blobfish is not edible, it is endangered. Fishermen, in turn, sell this fish as a souvenir. Blobfish populations are recovering slowly. It takes 4.5 to 14 years for the blobfish population to double.

7 Sea urchin

Sea urchins are very ancient animals of the echinoderm class that inhabited the Earth already 500 million years ago. Currently, about 940 modern species of sea urchins are known. The body size of a sea urchin varies from 2 to 30 centimeters and is covered with rows of calcareous plates that form a dense shell. Based on body shape, sea urchins are divided into regular and irregular. Regular hedgehogs have an almost round body shape. Irregular hedgehogs have a flattened body shape, and the anterior and posterior ends of the body are distinguishable. Spines of various lengths are movably connected to the shell of sea urchins. The length ranges from 2 millimeters to 30 centimeters. Spines often serve sea urchins for movement, nutrition and protection.

Some species that are distributed mainly in tropical and subtropical regions of the Indian, Pacific and Atlantic oceans have poisonous needles. Sea urchins are bottom crawling or burrowing animals that typically live at depths of about 7 meters and are widespread on coral reefs. Sometimes some individuals can crawl onto. Correct sea urchins prefer rocky surfaces; incorrect - soft and sandy soil. Hedgehogs reach sexual maturity in the third year of life, and live about 10-15 years, up to a maximum of 35.

6

Largemouth lives in the Pacific, Atlantic and Indian oceans at depths from 500 to 3000 meters. The body of the largemouth is long and narrow, in appearance it resembles an eel 60 cm, sometimes up to 1 meter. Due to the giant stretching mouth, reminiscent of the beak bag of a pelican, it has a second name - pelican fish. The length of the mouth is almost 1/3 of the total length of the body, the rest is a thin body, turning into a tail filament, at the end of which there is a luminous organ. The largemouth does not have scales, a swim bladder, ribs, an anal fin or a full-fledged bone skeleton.

Their skeleton consists of several deformed bones and light cartilage. Therefore, these fish are quite light. They have a tiny skull and small eyes. Due to poorly developed fins, these fish cannot swim quickly. Due to the size of its mouth, this fish is capable of swallowing prey that is larger than itself. The swallowed victim ends up in the stomach, which can stretch to enormous sizes. The pelican fish feeds on other deep-sea fish and crustaceans that can be found at such depths.

5

The sac-eater or black eater is a deep-sea representative of perciformes from the suborder chiasmodidae, living at a depth of 700 to 3000 meters. This fish grows up to 30 centimeters in length and is found throughout tropical and subtropical waters. This fish got its name from its ability to swallow prey several times its size. This is possible due to the very elastic stomach and the absence of ribs. A bagworm can easily swallow fish 4 times longer and 10 times heavier than its body.

This fish has very large jaws, and on each of them the front three teeth form sharp fangs, with which it holds the victim when it pushes it into its stomach. As the prey decomposes, a lot of gas is released inside the bagworm's stomach, which brings the fish to the surface, where some black gobblers have been found with swollen bellies. It is not possible to observe the animal in its natural habitat, so very little is known about its life.

4

This lizard-headed creature belongs to the deep-sea lizard-heads that live in the tropical and subtropical seas of the world, at depths from 600 to 3500 meters. Its length reaches 50-65 centimeters. Outwardly, it is very reminiscent of long-extinct dinosaurs in a reduced form. It is considered the deepest sea predator, devouring everything that comes in its way. Bathysaurus even has teeth on its tongue. At such a depth, it is quite difficult for this predator to find a mate, but this is not a problem for it, since the bathysaurus is a hermaphrodite, that is, it has both male and female sexual characteristics.

3

The smallmouth macropinna, or barrel eye, is a species of deep-sea fish, the only representative of the genus macropinna, which belongs to the order Smeltfish. These amazing fish have a transparent head through which they can watch their prey with their tubular eyes. It was discovered in 1939, and lives at a depth of 500 to 800 meters, and therefore has not been well studied. Fish in their normal habitat are usually motionless, or move slowly in a horizontal position.

Previously, the principle of operation of the eyes was not clear, since the fish’s olfactory organs are located above the mouth, and the eyes are located inside the transparent head and can only look up. The green color of the eyes of this fish is caused by the presence of a specific yellow pigment in them. It is believed that this pigment provides special filtering of light coming from above and reduces its brightness, allowing the fish to discern the bioluminescence of potential prey.

In 2009, scientists found that thanks to the special structure of the eye muscles, these fish are able to move their cylindrical eyes from the vertical position in which they are usually located, to the horizontal position when they are directed forward. In this case, the mouth is in the field of view, which provides an opportunity to capture prey. Zooplankton of various sizes, including small cnidarians and crustaceans, as well as siphonophore tentacles along with cnidocytes were found in the macropinna vein. Taking this into account, we can come to the conclusion that the continuous transparent membrane above the eyes of this species evolved evolutionarily as a way of protecting cnidarians from cnidocytes.

1

The first place in our ranking of the most unusual inhabitants of the depths was taken by a deep-sea monster called an anglerfish or devil fish. These scary and unusual fish live at great depths, from 1500 to 3000 meters. They are characterized by a spherical, laterally flattened body shape and the presence of a “fishing rod” in females. The skin is black or dark brown, naked; in several species it is covered with transformed scales - spines and plaques; ventral fins are absent. There are 11 known families, including almost 120 species.

The anglerfish is a predatory sea fish. A special growth on its back helps it hunt other inhabitants of the underwater world - one feather from the dorsal fin separated from the others during evolution, and a transparent sac formed at its end. In this sac, which is actually a gland with liquid, surprisingly, there are bacteria. They may or may not glow, obeying their master in this matter. The anglerfish regulates the luminosity of bacteria by dilating or constricting blood vessels. Some members of the anglerfish family adapt even more sophisticatedly, acquiring a folding fishing rod or growing one right in their mouth, while others have glowing teeth.

The list of the most terrible animals opens with “Viper Fish”. This is a deep-sea predator that is extremely rare to encounter due to its specific habitat. The viper fish does not tolerate sunlight, so during the day it descends to a depth of up to 3 km. A distinctive feature of this creature is its fang-shaped teeth, protruding far beyond the mouth. The viper fish, as a rule, feeds on small fish or other sea creatures that are smaller in size. However, due to the fact that it is quite difficult to find prey in deep water, the viper fish can go without food for a long time.

This type of shark got its name due to its terrible, frightening appearance. The goblin shark lives in almost all seas at a depth of 200 meters. These monsters feed not only on a variety of fish, but even on their own smaller relatives. The goblin shark has 2 rows of teeth: one of which is designed to capture prey, and the second - directly for chewing food.

Another scary animal is the Naked Mole rat, which belongs to the family of burrowing rodents. They almost never appear on the surface of the earth. You can guess where the digger is operating only by a thin squeak and sand flying from the hole in all directions. Mole rats got their name due to the lack of hair on both the head and body. Naked mole rats have very poor eyesight, which they more than compensate for with a keen sense of smell and fast movements. Mole rats feed on tubers, roots of trees and flowers. However, animals living in captivity are happy to include fresh vegetables and fruits in their diet.

Long-horned sabertooth

The long-horned saber-tooth is rightfully recognized as one of the most terrible sea predators, and although the size of an adult specimen is only 15 centimeters, this does not prevent the saber-tooth from instilling fear in all inhabitants of the deep sea. The fangs of a saber tooth can reach 7 centimeters, but this is half of its length. This monster lives in tropical waters at a depth of up to 700 meters, where it is easier for it to find prey, which the sabertooth requires quite often due to its exorbitant appetite. The saber tooth feeds on absolutely all living creatures that it can catch in the ocean.

The Madagascar bat is an amazing creature belonging to the order of primates; however, in appearance they are more reminiscent of a cat or squirrel. The little arm weighs about 3 kilograms, the maximum height is about 45 centimeters, but the tail of the animal can reach up to 60 centimeters in length. A distinctive feature of all Madagascar monkeys is the third toe on the front paws, which the animal needs to quench its thirst and eat food. Also, the arms have huge locator ears, thanks to which they are able to detect even the movement of larvae in the bark of a tree.

The European anglerfish, or as it is popularly called “monkfish,” is a predatory fish that lives on the seabed. Monkfish got its name because of its unpleasant appearance. But despite this, the fish is quite edible, very tasty, and also without bones. It is especially popular in France. The body length of the monkfish can reach up to 2 meters.

The drop fish is one of the most amazing creatures that nature could create. In appearance, the drop fish resembles a huge lump of jelly with a sad look of small eyes and drooping lips. The drop lives only in deep waters near Australia and Tasmania. This unique fish feeds on all living creatures that swim into its wide open mouth.

The wolf fish, also known as “striped catfish,” lives in the deep seas of the North Atlantic, but is increasingly being found in the cold seas of Russia. The lifespan of a catfish is about 20 years, during which it can grow up to 1.5 meters in length and gain about 20 kilograms of weight. Wolf fish usually feed on mollusks and crabs. The catfish has a very aggressive character, because of which it can bite an unwary fisherman or even attack its relative.

This sea monster is a representative of toad-shaped fish that live in the waters of the World Ocean. The danger posed by this creature is its poisonous thorns, which can cause considerable harm to humans. The body of this creature, unlike other fish, is covered not with scales, but with growths, which makes it so similar to a toad. The toadfish camouflages itself on the sandy bottom and becomes almost invisible to surrounding creatures, so that not a single hunt ends in failure.

Idiot

“Idiakant” closes the list of the most terrible animals in the world. A deep-sea fish that most often lives in tropical and temperate waters. An adult female can reach 50 centimeters in length, but males are an order of magnitude smaller: they barely grow to 7 centimeters. The frightening appearance of the idiot is given by the long fanged teeth protruding from the mouth of the fish and preventing it from closing its mouth. Idiacanth lures prey with the help of a special head appendage that glows in the dark.

The most terrible extinct animals Video

A selection of 30 of the most unusual creatures of our planet...
Based on materials from: wikipedia.org & animalworld.com.ua & unnatural.ru

Madagascar suckerfoot
Found only in Madagascar. At the bases of the thumbs of the wings and on the soles of the hind limbs, sucker bats have complex rosette suckers, which are located directly on the skin (unlike the suckers in sucker-footed bats). The biology and ecology of the suckerfoot has been virtually unstudied. Most likely, it uses rolled up leathery palm leaves as shelters, to which it sticks with its suckers. All suckers were caught close to the water.

Angora rabbit (ladies)
These rabbits look quite impressive; there are specimens whose fur reaches up to 80 cm in length. Their wool is extremely valuable, and a wide variety of things are made from it: stockings, scarves, gloves, just fabrics and even linen. One kilogram of this rabbit's wool is valued at about 10 - 12 rubles. One rabbit produces about 0.5 kg of this wool per year, but usually much less. Most often, Angora rabbits are bred by women, which is why they are sometimes called “ladies’ rabbits.” The average weight of such a rabbit is 5 kg, body length 61 cm, chest girth 35-40 cm, but other options are possible.

Monkey marmoset
This is the most amazing species of monkeys living on Earth. The weight of an adult does not exceed 120 g. When you look at this tiny creature the size of a mouse (10-15 cm) with a long tail (20-21 cm) and large Mongoloid eyes with a conscious gaze, you feel some embarrassment.

Coconut crab
This is one of the representatives of decapod crustaceans. The habitat of this animal is the western Pacific Ocean and islands in the Indian Ocean. This animal of the land crayfish family is quite large for representatives of its species. An adult can reach 32 cm in length and weigh up to 3-4 kg. For quite a long time, it was mistakenly believed that the palm thief could split coconuts with its claws in order to then eat them, but now scientists have definitely proven that this cancer, despite the enormous strength of its claws, is not capable of splitting a coconut, but can easily break your arm...

Coconuts that split when they fall constitute their main source of nutrition, which is why this crayfish was named the palm thief. However, he is not averse to enjoying other food - the fruits of plants, organic elements from the earth, and even God's creatures similar to themselves. His character, meanwhile, is timid and friendly.

The coconut crab is unique in its kind, its sense of smell is as developed as that of insects, and it also has olfactory organs that ordinary crabs lack. This feature developed after this species left the water and settled on land.

Unlike other crabs, they move forward rather than sideways. They don't stay in the water for long.

Sea cucumber. Holothuria
Sea cucumbers, egg capsules (Holothuroidea), a class of invertebrates such as echinoderms. The modern fauna is represented by 1,150 species, divided into 6 orders, which differ from each other in the shape of the tentacles and calcareous ring, as well as the presence of some internal organs. There are about 100 species in Russia. The body of sea cucumbers is leathery to the touch, usually rough and wrinkled. The body wall is thick and elastic, with well-developed muscle bundles. Longitudinal muscles (5 ribbons) are attached to the calcareous ring around the esophagus. At one end of the body there is a mouth, at the other there is an anus. The mouth is surrounded by a corolla of 10-30 tentacles, which serve to capture food, and leads into a spirally twisted intestine.

They usually lie “on their side”, raising the front, oral end. Holothurians feed on plankton and organic debris extracted from bottom silt and sand, which is passed through the digestive canal. Other species filter food from bottom waters with tentacles covered with sticky mucus.

Hell Vampire

This animal is a mollusk. Despite its external similarity to an octopus or squid, scientists have separated this mollusk into a separate series, Vampyromorphida (Latin), because only it has retractable, receptive, whip-shaped filaments.

Almost the entire surface of the mollusk’s body is covered with luminescent organs - photophores. They appear as small white discs enlarging at the ends of the tentacles and at the base of the fins. Photophores are absent only on the inner side of the membraned tentacles. The hellish vampire has very good control over these organs and is capable of producing disorienting flashes of light lasting from hundredths of a second to several minutes. In addition, it can control the brightness and size of the color spots.

Amazonian dolphin
This is the world's largest river dolphin. Inia geoffrensis, as scientists have named it, can reach 2.5 meters in length and weigh up to 200 kg. Juveniles are light gray in color, but become lighter with age. The Amazonian dolphin has a full body, with a narrow snout and a thin tail. Round forehead, slightly curved nose and small eyes. You can meet the Amazonian dolphin in the rivers and lakes of Latin America.

Star-nosed
The star-nosed insect is an insectivorous mammal from the mole family. You can meet such an animal only in South-Eastern Canada and the north-eastern USA. Externally, the star-nosed snake differs from other animals of this family and from other small animals, only it is characterized by the structure of its snout in the form of a rosette or an asterisk made of 22 soft mobile fleshy naked rays. The size of the star-nosed ray similar to its European relative the mole. Its tail is relatively long (about 8 cm), covered with scales and sparse hair. When the starfish is looking for food, the rays on the stigma are constantly moving, with the exception of the two middle ones, they are directed forward and do not bend. When he eats, the rays are pulled together into a compact lump; While eating, the animal holds the food with its front paws. When the starfish drinks, it immerses both the stigma and all the whiskers in the water for 5-6 seconds.

Fossa
These amazing animals live only on the island of Madagascar; there are nowhere else in the world, not even in Africa. The Fossa is a rare animal and the only member of the genus Cryptoprocta, with the Fossa being the largest predator found on the island of Madagascar. The appearance of the Fossa is a little unusual: it is something between a civet and a small puma. At times, the Fossa is also called the Madagascar lion; the ancestors of this animal were much larger and reached the size of a lion. The fossa has a strong build, a massive and slightly elongated body, its length can reach up to 80 cm (on average the fossa body reaches 65-70 cm). The fossa's paws are high, but rather thick, and the hind paws are longer than the front paws. The tail of this animal is very long, often reaching the length of the body and reaching up to 65 cm.

Japanese giant salamander
The largest amphibian found in the world, this salamander can reach 160 cm in length and weigh up to 180 kg. In addition, such a salamander can live up to 150 years, although the officially recorded longest age of a huge salamander is 59 years.

Madagascar crayfish (or Aye-Aye)
The Madagascar monkey (lat. Daubentonia madagascariensis) or aye-aye, is a mammal of the suborder of prosimians; the only representative of the family of arms. One of the rarest animals on the planet - there are only five dozen individuals, which is why it was discovered relatively recently. The largest animal of the nocturnal primates.

The body length of the arm is 30-37 cm without a tail, 44-53 cm with a tail. Weight - about 2.5 kg. The head is large, the muzzle is short; The ears are large and leathery. The tail is large and fluffy. The coat color ranges from dark brown to black. They live in the East and North of the island of Madagascar. They are nocturnal. They feed on the fruits of mango trees and coconut palms, the core of bamboo and sugar cane, tree beetles and larvae. They sleep in hollows or nests.

This animal is one of the most unique mammals on the planet; it has no similar features to any other animal. The little arm has a thick, wide head with large ears, which makes the head appear even wider. Small, protruding, motionless, and glowing eyes with smaller pupils than those of a nocturnal monkey. Its muzzle bears a close resemblance to the beak of a parrot, an elongated body and a long tail, which, like the whole body, is sparsely covered with long, stiff, bristle-like hair. And finally, unusual hands, and these are hands, their middle finger has the appearance of a withered one - all these features connected together give the aye-aye such a unique appearance that you involuntarily rack your brains in a vain zeal to find a related creature similar to this animal.” - this is what A.E. Bram wrote in his book “Animal Life”.

Listed in the “Red Book”, ay-ay is the most remarkable animal, over which a serious danger of extinction hangs. Daubentonia madagascariensis is the only representative of not only the genus, but also the family that has survived to this day.

Guidak
The photo shows the longest-living and at the same time the largest (up to 1 meter in length) burrowing mollusk in the world (the age of the oldest individual found is 160 years). The concept of Guidak was taken from the Indians and is translated as “deep-digging” - these gastropods can actually bury themselves quite deep in the sand. A “leg” protrudes from under the thin, fragile shell of the hyodac, which is three times larger than the shell (there have been cases where specimens with a leg length of more than 1 meter were found). The clam meat is very tough and tastes like abalone (this is also a clam, terribly tasteless, but with a very beautiful shell), so Americans usually cut it into pieces, beat it and fry it in butter with onions.

Liger
The liger (English liger from the English lion - “lion” and English tiger - “tiger”) is a hybrid between a male lion and a female tigress, looking like a giant lion with blurred stripes. The appearance and size are similar to the cave lion and its relative the American lion, which became extinct in the Pleistocene. Ligers are the largest big cats in the world today. The largest liger is Hercules from the interactive theme park Jungle Island.

Male ligers, with rare exceptions, have almost no mane, but unlike lions, ligers know how and love to swim. Another feature of ligers is that female ligers can give birth to offspring, which is unusual for feline hybrids. The extraordinary gigantism of ligers is due to the fact that ligers receive genes from their lion father that promote the growth of their offspring, while the tiger mother does not have genes that inhibit the growth of their offspring. While the tiger father does not have genes that promote growth, the lioness mother has genes that inhibit growth, which are passed on to her offspring. This explains the fact that the liger is larger than the lion, and the tiger lion is smaller than the tiger.

Imperial tamarin
The name of the species (“imperial”) is associated with the presence of fluffy white “whiskers” on these monkeys and is given in honor of Kaiser Wilhelm II. Body length - about 25 cm, tail - about 35 cm. Weight of adult individuals - 250-500 grams. Tamarins feed on fruits and lead a diurnal lifestyle. They live in small groups of 8-15 individuals.

Emperor tamarins are native to the Amazon rainforest and are found in northwestern Brazil, eastern Peru and northern Bolivia. In the east, the range is limited by the Gurupi River, in the upper reaches of the Amazon - by the Putumayo rivers in the north and Madeira in the south. Although the species lives in hard-to-reach places, its conservation status is assessed as vulnerable.

Cuban slittooth
The Cuban slittooth, a strange creature that looks like a large hedgehog with a funny long-nosed muzzle, when it bites, kills insects and small animals with poisonous saliva. The slit tooth is not dangerous for humans, quite the contrary. Until 2003, the animal was considered extinct until several specimens were caught in the forest. The slittooth has no immunity to its poison, so fights between males are usually fatal for all participants.

Kakapo parrot
The New Zealand kakapo parrot, also known as the owl parrot, is probably the most unusual parrot in the world. He never flies, weighs 4 kilograms, croaks in a nasty voice and is nocturnal. It is considered an extinct species in nature due to ecological imbalance caused by rats and cats. Experts hope to restore the kakapo population, but it is very reluctant to breed in zoos.

Cyclocosmia
This species of spider stands out from the representatives of its genus only by the very original shape of its abdomen. Cyclocosmia digs burrows 7-15 cm deep in the ground. Its abdomen, at the end, is as if chopped off and ends with a chitinized flat disc-shaped surface; it serves to close the entrance to the burrow when the spider is in danger. This method of defense is called Pragmosis (eng. Phragmosis) - a method of defense in which an animal, if threatened, hides in a hole and uses part of its body as a barrier, blocking the path of a predator.

Tapir
Tapirs (lat. Tapirus) are large herbivores from the order of equids, somewhat reminiscent of a pig in shape, but with a short trunk adapted for grasping.

The sizes of tapirs differ from species to species, but as a rule, the length of a tapir is about two meters, the height at the withers is about a meter, and the weight is from 150 to 300 kg. Life expectancy in the wild is about 30 years, the cub is always born alone, pregnancy lasts about 13 months. Newborn tapirs have protective coloring consisting of spots and stripes, and although this coloring appears to be the same, there are some differences between species. The front paws of tapirs are four-toed, and the hind paws are three-toed; the toes have small hooves that help them move on muddy and soft ground.

Mixin
The common hagfish (lat. Myxini) lives at depths of 100-500 meters, its primary habitat is near the coast of North America, Europe, Iceland, and East Greenland. Sometimes it can be found in the Adriatic Sea. In winter, the hagfish sometimes descends to great depths - up to 1 km.

The size of this animal is small - 35-40 centimeters, although sometimes giant specimens are found - 79-80 centimeters. Naturalist Carl Linnaeus, who discovered this miracle in 1761, initially even included it in the class of worms because of its specific appearance. Although in fact hagfish belong to the class of cyclostomes, which are the historical predecessors of fish. The color of hagfish can vary, but the predominant colors are pinkish and gray-red.

A distinctive feature of hagfish is the presence of a number of holes that secrete mucus, which are located along the lower edge of the animal’s body. It should be noted that mucus is a very important secretion of hagfish, which is used by the animal to penetrate into the cavity of the fish chosen as a victim. Mucus also plays an important role in animal respiration. The hagfish is a real mucus-creating plant, in particular, if you put it in a bucket full of water, then after a while all the water will be converted into mucus.

The fins of hagfishes are actually not developed; they are difficult to distinguish on the long body of the animal. Organ of vision - the eyes see poorly; they are masked by light areas of skin in this area. The round mouth has as many as 2 rows of teeth, and there is also one unpaired tooth in the palate area. Hagfish “breathe through their nose”, and water enters the hole at the end of the snout - the nostril. The respiratory organs of hagfish, like all fish, are gills. The area where they are located are special cavities-channels running along the animal’s body. The hagfish hunts only those fish that are sick, weakened (for example, after spawning) or caught in gear or nets installed by humans. The attack process itself occurs as follows: the hagfish eats through the wall of the fish’s body with its sharp teeth, after which it enters the body, consuming first the internal organs and then the muscle mass. If the unfortunate victim is still able to resist, then the hagfish passes into the gills and fills them with mucus, abundantly secreted by its glands. As a result, the fish dies from suffocation, leaving the hunter the opportunity to eat its body

Proboscis
The proboscis monkey, or Kahau (lat. Nasalis larvatus) is a monkey widespread only in one small area of ​​the globe - the valleys and coast of the island of Borneo. The proboscis monkey belongs to the family of thin-bodied monkeys and received its name due to its huge nose, which is a distinctive feature of males.

It has not yet been possible to establish the exact purpose of such a large nose, but, obviously, its size plays a role in choosing a mating partner. The fur of these monkeys is yellowish-brown on the back and white on the belly, the limbs and tail are gray, and the face is not covered with hair at all and has a rather bright reddish tint, and in the cubs a bluish tint.

The size of an adult proboscis monkey can reach 75 cm, excluding the tail, and twice that size from the nose to the tip of the tail. The average weight of a male is 18-20 kg, females weigh almost half as much. Almost never moving away from the water, proboscis whales were known as excellent swimmers who could travel more than 20 meters underwater. In the open shallow waters of tropical forests, proboscis monkeys move, like most primates, on four limbs, but in the wild thickets of mangroves (the so-called tropical forests of Borneo) they walk on two legs, almost vertically.

Axolotl
Representing the larval form of Ambystoma, the axolotl is considered one of the most interesting objects for study. Firstly, axolotls do not need to reach adult form and undergo metamorphosis to reproduce. Surprised? The secret lies in neoteny - a phenomenon in which sexual maturity occurs in the axolotl even in “childhood” age. Note that the tissues of this larva react rather poorly to the hormone secreted by the thyroid gland.

Experiments have proven that lowering the water level during home breeding of these larvae promotes their transformation into adults. The same thing happens in cooler, drier climates. If an axolotl lives in your aquarium, and you want to turn it into an ambistoma, then be sure to add the hormone thyroidin to the larva’s food. A similar result can be achieved with an injection. As a rule, the transformation of an axolotl will take several weeks, after which the larva will change its body shape and color. In addition, the axolotl will permanently lose its external gills.

Literally translated from the Aztec language, axolotl is a “water toy,” which is quite consistent with its appearance. Once you see an axolotl, you are unlikely to forget its unusual, bizarre appearance. At first glance, the axolotl resembles a newt, but has a rather large and wide head. The smiling “face” of the axolotl deserves special attention - tiny beady eyes and an excessively wide mouth.

As for the amphibian’s body length, it is about thirty centimeters, and axolotls are characterized by the regeneration of lost body parts. The axolotl's natural habitat is concentrated in Xochimailco and Cholco, mountain lakes in Mexico.

If you look closely at the amphibian's head, you will notice six long gills, symmetrically located on the sides of the head. The axolotl's gills externally resemble thin shaggy twigs, which the larva cleans from time to time of organic debris.

Thanks to their wide, long tail, axolotls are excellent swimmers, although they prefer to spend most of their lives at the bottom. Why bother with unnecessary movements if the food floats into your mouth by itself?

At first, biologists were quite surprised by the respiratory system of axolotls, which included both lungs and gills. For example, if the aquatic habitat of an axolotl is not sufficiently saturated with oxygen, the larva quickly adapts to such a change and begins to breathe with its lungs.

Naturally, the transition to pulmonary breathing negatively affects the gills, which gradually atrophy. And, of course, it is worth paying attention to the original coloring of the axolotl. Small black spots evenly cover the green body, although the axolotl's abdomen remains almost white.

Zoologists have made different assumptions as to what exactly attracts the candira to the human genitals. The most plausible assumption seems to be that the candiru are extremely sensitive to the smell of urine: it happened that the candiru attacked a person a few moments after he urinated in the water. It is believed that candiru are able to find the source of smell in water.

But the candiru does not always penetrate the victim. It happens that, having overtaken prey, the candiru bites through the skin of a person or the gill tissue of a fish with long teeth that grow in their upper jaw and begins to suck blood from the victim, causing the body of the candiru itself to swell and swell. Candiru hunt not only fish and mammals, but also reptiles.

Tarsier
Tarsier (Tarsier, lat. Tarsius) is a small mammal from the order of primates, the very specific appearance of which has created a somewhat ominous halo around this small animal weighing up to one hundred and sixty grams.

Particularly impressionable tourists say that the first time they see huge shining eyes looking at them without blinking, and the next moment the animal turns its head almost 360 degrees and you look straight at the back of its head, you feel, to put it mildly, uneasy. By the way, local aborigines still believe that the tarsier’s head exists separately from the body. Well, this is all speculation, of course, but the facts are obvious!

There are about 8 species of tarsier. The most common are the Bankan and Philippine tarsier, as well as a separate species - the ghost tarsier. These mammals live in Southeast Asia, the islands of Sumatra, Borneo, Sulawesi and the Philippines, as well as in adjacent territories.

Externally, tarsiers are small animals, the size of which does not exceed sixteen centimeters, with large ears, long thin fingers and a long tail of about thirty cm, and at the same time with very little weight.

The animal's fur is brown or grayish, and its eyes are much larger compared to human proportions - about the size of an average apple.

In nature, tarsiers live in pairs or small groups of eight to ten individuals. They are nocturnal and feed exclusively on animal origin - insects and small vertebrates.

Their pregnancy lasts about six months and a small animal is born, which, within a couple of hours after birth, grasping the mother’s fur, will make its first journey. The average lifespan of a tarsier is about ten to thirteen years.

Narwhal
Narwhals (lat. Monodon monoceros) are a protected rare species belonging to the unicorn family and are listed in the Red Book of Russia due to their small numbers. The habitat of this marine animal is the Arctic Ocean, as well as the North Atlantic. The size of an adult male often reaches 4.5 meters, weighing about one and a half tons. Females weigh slightly less. The head of an adult narwhal is round, with a large, tuberous forehead, and there is no dorsal fin. Narwhals are somewhat reminiscent of beluga whales, although compared to the latter, the animals have a somewhat spotted skin and 2 upper teeth, one of which, growing, turns into a three-meter tusk weighing up to 10 kg.

The narwhal tusk, twisted to the left in the form of a spiral, is quite rigid, but at the same time it has a certain limit of flexibility and can bend up to thirty centimeters. Previously, it was often passed off as a unicorn horn, which had healing powers. It was believed that if you throw a piece of narwhal horn into a glass of poisoned wine, it will change its color.

At this time, there is a hypothesis that is very popular in scientific circles, proving that the narwhal’s horn, covered with sensitive endings, is needed by the animal to measure water temperature, pressure and other parameters of the aquatic environment that are no less important for life.

Narwhals most often live in small groups of up to ten animals. The diet of narwhals, which, by the way, can hunt at a depth of more than a kilometer, consists of cephalopods and bottom fish. The enemies of narwhals in nature can be called other inhabitants of these territories - polar bears and killer whales.

However, the greatest damage to the narwhal population was caused by people who hunted them for their tasty meat and horn, which is successfully used to make various crafts. At this time, animals are under state protection.

Octopus Jumbo
Dumbo is a very small and unusual deep-sea octopus, a representative of the cephalopods. Lives only in the Tasman Sea.

Jumbo apparently received his name in honor of the famous cartoon character, the baby elephant Dumbo, who was ridiculed for his large ears (in the middle of the body, the octopus has a pair of rather long, paddle-shaped fins resembling ears). Its individual tentacles are literally connected to the ends by a thin elastic membrane called the umbrella. It, together with the fins, serves as the main mover of this animal, that is, the octopus moves like jellyfish, pushing water out from under the umbrella bell.

The largest Jumbo was discovered in the Tasman Sea - half the size of a human palm.

Medusa Cyanea
Jellyfish Cyanea - considered the largest jellyfish in the world, found in the Northwest Atlantic. The diameter of the bell of the cyanea jellyfish reaches 2 meters, and the length of the thread-like tentacles is 20-30 meters. One of these jellyfish, washed ashore in Massachusetts Bay, had a bell diameter of 2.28 m, and its tentacles extended 36.5 m.

Each such jellyfish eats about 15 thousand fish during its life.

Piglet squid

This is a deep-sea marine inhabitant, which received the nickname “pig squid” because of its round body. The scientific name of piglet squid is Helicocranchia pfefferi. Not much is known about him. It is found in the Atlantic and Pacific oceans at a depth of about 100 meters. Swims slowly. And under the eyes (like many deep-sea animals) it has luminous organs - photophores.

“Little Pig”, unlike other squids, swims upside down, so its tentacles look like a tuft.

Snake Carla
There are currently 3,100 known species of snakes on our planet. But the snake Carla from the island of Barbados is the smallest of them. The maximum length it reaches in adulthood is 10 centimeters.

Leptotyphlops carlae was first officially described and identified as a new species in 2008. Blair Hedge, a biologist at Penn State, named the snake after his wife, herpentologist Carla Ann Hass, who was also part of the team that made the discovery.

It is believed that the Barbados thread, as this snake is also called, is close to the theoretically possible minimum size for snakes that evolution allows. If suddenly the snake happens to be even smaller, it simply will not be able to find food for itself and will die.

The snake Carla feeds on termites and ant larvae.

Due to its miniature size, the thread snake bears only one egg, but it is a large one. The size of the born snake at the moment of birth is half the mother’s body. However, this is normal for snakes. The smaller the snake, the proportionally larger its offspring - and vice versa.

Leptotyphlops carlae has so far been found only on the island of Barbados in the Caribbean Sea, and even then only in the east-central part of it. Most of Barbados' forests have been cleared. And since the thread snake lives only in the forest, it is assumed that the territory suitable for habitation of the strange creature is limited to just a few square kilometers. So the survival of the species is a concern.

Lamprey
Lampreys look like eels or huge worms, although they have nothing to do with either one. They have a naked body covered with mucus, which is why they are mistaken for worms. In fact, these are primitive vertebrates. Zoologists group them into a special class of cyclostomes. You can’t say about cyclostomes that they have a tongue without bones. Their mouth is equipped with a complex system of cartilage that supports the mouth and tongue. There are no jaws, so food is sucked into the mouth like into a funnel. Along the edges of this funnel and on the tongue there are teeth. Lampreys have three eyes. Two on the sides and one on the forehead.

Lampreys are predators and attack mainly fish. The lamprey attaches itself to the victim, gnaws through the scales, drinks the blood and snacks on the meat (from the area it bit into). In our country, lamprey fishing is carried out in the Neva and other rivers flowing into the Baltic Sea, as well as in the Volga. In Russia, lamprey is considered an exquisite delicacy. But in many countries, such as the USA, lampreys are not eaten.

Killer Clam
This curiosity lives on coral reefs at a depth of almost 25 meters. The mollusk weighs up to 210 kilograms with a body length of up to 1.7 meters. Life expectancy is up to 150 years. Due to its impressive size, it gave rise to many rumors and dark legends.

It is called Giant clam (from the English giant clam), Tridacninae, Tridacna. The giant clam is a delicacy in Japan, France, Southeast Asia and many Pacific Islands. Lives due to symbiosis with the algae that live on it. It also knows how to filter water passing through it and extract plankton from there.

It doesn’t actually eat people, but if a careless diver tries to touch the mollusk’s mantle with his hand, the shell flaps will reflexively close. And since the compression force of the tridacna muscles is enormous, a person risks dying from lack of oxygen. This is where the name “killer clam” comes from.

Of our planet. Animal species are amazing in abundance and indicate that powerful nature is capable of much... A wide variety of inhabitants exist in all corners of the planet, and many of them repel and terrify us. After reading this article, you will find out what the most terrible animals in the world are. We will describe each of them in detail in order to prove that it was no coincidence that they were included in our list. It's called "The most terrible animals in the world: top 10."

Long-horned sabertooth

This predatory fish lives in the subtropical and tropical waters of all the oceans of the Earth. The weight of an adult is about 120 g, length - 15 cm. The long-horned saber tooth has a terrifying appearance. The color of this fish is jet black. She has a very large head with sculpted ridges. The long-horned sabertooth has many fangs on the lower and upper jaws. Teeth are like nails. When the fish closes its mouth, it hides them in special cavities located in the jaws. The sabertooth has the longest teeth of any other fish known to science. The skin of the long-horned saber-tooth is rough to the touch.

The fry are very different from the adults. Their color is lighter, their body structure is different, and they have pointed spines on their heads. Adults live at approximately a depth of 500 to 700 meters, and fry - 100-200 m. This species, one of the top most terrible animals in the world, feeds on squid, small fish, and crustaceans. The young are food for large predators such as alepisaurs and tunas. Interestingly, the juvenile saber-tooth differs from the adults so much that scientists even named it differently and considered it a different species for 50 years.

Hagfish (or witchfish)

Many of the most terrible animals in the world are inhabitants of the deep sea. The witchfish is one of the most repulsive fish on Earth. It feeds on both small inhabitants of the waters and the dying and dead. In an unusual way, it attacks the victim - it makes a hole in the skin of the fish, after which it enters its body and gradually eats all the insides of its victim, of which only the skeleton and skin remain.

This is a jawless fish. The hagfish has a reputation for being the slimiest creature on Earth. On both sides of its body, pores secrete huge quantities of sticky, viscous mucus, which predators can choke on. It also plays the role of a lubricant, allowing the hagfish to climb out of the body of a dead fish, where it climbed in order to feast on it. The witch fish, moreover, is the only one that can sneeze. Thanks to this, she frees her nostril from mucus. The hagfish is also the only vertebrate that can curl up into a knot. This allows the fish to crawl out of its victims and cleanse the body of mucus.

Hagfish live in the Mediterranean Sea and the North Atlantic in large groups (up to 15 thousand in one territory). Very large eggs are laid by females in small quantities. This suggests that hagfish have a very low mortality rate. Baby fish have both female and male reproductive organs. As they grow older, they choose their own gender. It depends on the demographic situation in the group.

The hagfish lives at approximately depths of 100 to 500 meters, mainly off the coast of East Greenland, Iceland, Europe, and North America. You can sometimes find it in the Adriatic Sea.

The size of this fish is small. In length it reaches 35-40 centimeters, although sometimes specimens of 79-80 cm are found. The color can be different. The predominant colors are gray-red and pinkish.

Hagfishes are very tenacious. They tolerate being without water for a long time, and can also starve for a long time and remain alive, even receiving very serious injuries. One case is described when a hagfish continued to swim 5 hours after it was beheaded.

You will agree, after reading this article to the end, that many of the most terrible animals in the world are significantly inferior to the hagfish! Witchfish are edible. However, people generally refuse to eat them. Well, who would agree to eat a half-meter worm...

"Aye-aye", or Madagascar little hand

This is a primate that has a very repulsive appearance for representatives of its species. The little hand is a cross between a rat and a small monkey. It feeds on insects and larvae, obtained from trees with the help of dexterous fingers.

The Madagascar monkey belongs to the order Prosimians. The animal lives in the bamboo thickets of Madagascar. This species was discovered by Pierre Sonner, a naturalist. Based on all the characteristics, scientists attributed the little arm to lemurs. But outwardly, aye-aye doesn’t look at all like monkeys. It is most likely akin to a squirrel or a cat. And in size this animal resembles a domestic cat. The weight of the animal is only 3 kg. In length, including the head, its size reaches only 40 cm. But it has a fluffy tail, reminiscent of a squirrel, which is much longer than the body. Its size is 60 cm!

The animal's teeth resemble those of a rodent. He has 18 of them. Interestingly, only on the outside are they covered with enamel. The hand bites through the skin of a nut or stem with its front teeth. She then selects the pulp with her long finger to feed on. These animals eat fruits, mangoes, coconuts, as well as various larvae and beetles.

The animal is nocturnal. It does not tolerate daylight well, which frightens the little hand. After sunset, these most terrible animals in the world frolic, grunting merrily...

This exotic species is of serious concern to the scientific community. The danger of its extinction has become urgent not only because of deforestation in the habitats of the bat. People's prejudices also threaten the extinction of the aye-aye. There is a legend according to which a person who meets a little hand in the forest will die soon if he does not kill this animal.

Giant squid, or Architeuthis

Architeuthis is a genus of deep-sea squid that forms an independent family. This is one of the largest invertebrate animals. Many believe that Architeuthis is the most terrible animal in the world. The length of its mantle is about 2.5 meters. In females it is slightly larger than in males. Without taking into account the hunting tentacles, the length of the squid is about 5 meters. Reports of finds of 20-meter squids have not been confirmed by scientific data. Its long tentacles are covered with serrations and suction cups, which allows the squid to attack even very large fish. Architeuthis, like all other squids, has a mantle, as well as 2 hunting tentacles and 8 arms (regular tentacles). Their terrifying appearance suggests that this is the most terrible animal in the world.

Dragon fish or idiot

Idiacanths are deep-sea fish whose body mainly consists of a head and a long body. To this set, females also have monstrous teeth, which prevent the fish from literally closing its mouth. Idiacanths live in the tropics, as well as in the temperate zone of the Indian and Pacific oceans and the Atlantic. Outwardly, this most terrible animal in the world looks like a snake - the same thin and long body, almost invisible fins. It has photophores, like most inhabitants of the depths. Photophores are luminous organs. Their location is different for females and males. In the latter, a developed photophore occupies about a third of the head, and in females, luminous spots are “scattered” throughout the body, and in the teeth there are special planes with a luminous substance. There is also a difference in size between females and males. The male grows to a maximum length of 7 cm, while the female can reach half a meter in length. Having completed manipulations to procreate, he dies. In general, the male gives the impression of an extremely absurd creature: he has no teeth, his intestines are underdeveloped (that’s why he cannot eat). All that is available is a giant photophore that lures the female in the deep-sea darkness. But the latter lives for several years, having managed to bear offspring several times during this time.

The bats

Many people believe that these animals are vampires. This is only partly true. Many of their species are harmless. However, some do drink the blood of large animals. Sharp fangs allow them to bite through the skin. Bats are a suborder of the order Chiroptera, uniting 700 species, which are distributed into 16 families.

They eat mainly insects, although large bats (giant noctule, for example) can feed on frogs, lizards, birds, and some even fish. Species are known that prey on other bats. There are three types of vampires in South America that feed on the blood of vertebrates - mammals and birds. Some are vegetarians: they eat nuts, pollen, nectar, berries, fruits (for example, these are leaf-noses). In an hour of hunting, an insectivorous bat can eat up to two hundred mosquitoes.

Anaconda

While describing the 10 most terrible animals in the world, we did not forget about the anaconda. This giant snake reaches five meters in length. Thanks to its mass, it can kill even very large prey. There are frequent cases of this species attacking people and then strangling them.

The anaconda is the most massive snake in the world. The weight of the largest female reached 97.5 kg, and its length was 5.2 meters. There are reports of larger individuals, the size of which ranges from 9 to 11 meters, but they are unreliable. Anaconda, purely theoretically, can have a length of up to 6.7 m.

Its color is mainly grayish-green. There are two rows of brown spots of oblong or round shape, alternating in a checkerboard pattern. A row of slightly smaller yellow spots, surrounded by black rings, run along the sides of the body. The anaconda's coloring effectively camouflages the snake as it lurks in calm water, covered in tufts of algae and brown leaves.

Tasmanian devil

This animal has enormous bite force. The Tasmanian devil, with the help of sharp fangs and strong jaws, can crush even large bones. Due to its stocky body, black color, as well as its huge mouth, increased aggressiveness and terrible taste preferences, Europeans called this animal the “devil”. There is something sinister even in its Latin name. Sarcophilus is translated as "lover of flesh." This animal can now be found only on the island of Tasmania, in its western, northern and central parts. Previously, this species also inhabited mainland Australia, but disappeared 400 years before the first Europeans appeared here. However, with the advent of Western people on the island, a struggle began with the Tasmanian devil, in particular due to the fact that this animal ravaged chicken coops. In addition, its meat, which tasted like veal, was liked by local residents. As a result, the animal's population declined sharply. The population was still restored. In June 1941, a law was passed banning the destruction of this species.

The marsupial devil is indiscriminate in food and gluttonous. It feeds on almost everything: medium and small animals, insects, birds, snakes, amphibians, edible roots and tubers of plants. His diet also includes carrion, which is almost the main dish. The animal eats any corpses, preferring rotten, already decomposed meat. These are Tasmanian devils, the most terrible animals in the world. A photo of a representative of this species is below.

Star-nosed

Various "World's Scariest Animals: Top 100" lists invariably include the star-nosed fish. What did he do to deserve such a bad reputation? Although this mole is not dangerous to humans, meeting him can be a whole test for the psyche. On the animal’s face there are many skin growths that will terrify and scare away even the most courageous.

The naked nose of the starfish is surrounded by twenty-two (11 on each side) small processes. Their length ranges from 1 to 4 mm. Their shape on the face resembles a star, which is why the animal got its name. The body length of the starfish varies from 17 to 20 cm, and the weight ranges from 35 to 70 grams. Like other moles, this animal has a cylindrical, thick body with clawed and powerful forelimbs. Its fur is black or dark brown on its sides and back, and its belly is light brown. The tail of the animal is quite long, from 6 to 8 cm. In winter, the star-nosed fish stores fat reserves in it, which is why its tail increases 3-4 times in volume.

Human

The most terrible animal in the world is man. And now we will prove it. Man is the most terrible species for nature because, for the most part, he does not care at all about the safety of others and brutally destroys representatives of fauna and flora. It is through human labor that the Red Book is filled, which includes not only the most terrible animals on the planet. The human race constantly finds excuses for why it is so ungrateful towards nature. This mammal is insidious - yet many individuals look pleasant and peaceful. This is the most terrible animal in the world, whose name is man.

Not all animals are as pleasing in appearance as or as extravagant as the peacock, but every animal has an important role to play, and every living organism has its own purpose.

Here are the 13 ugliest animals on the planet.

California condor

One of the rarest birds in the world and the largest in North America, the California condor has an unattractive appearance. His bald head is adapted to his lifestyle as a scavenger. Birds eat so much that they often have to rest for several days after a large meal. Sometimes the California condor cannot even take off immediately after a hearty meal.

The birds were near the point of extinction in the late 1970s, when only a few dozen individuals survived. Scientists began an intensive program to increase the population and today, about 127 California condors live in the wild.

Blob fish

Maybe it's unfair to judge a fish based on its appearance, but the blobfish looks more like a ball of slime than a living creature.

Blobfish live deep in the ocean where water pressure is extremely high. In fact, this fish's jelly-like appearance is a brilliant adaptation - its sticky flesh allows the blobfish to stay afloat in depths where gaseous bubbles cannot function.

The blob fish was once challenged aesthetically by the British ugly animal community by holding an online vote for the ugliest animal in the world. After a poll, the community made the blobfish the official mascot of the group.

Naked mole rat

It must be difficult to maintain high self-esteem if you are a hairless rodent, but this is not a problem for the naked mole rat. These do not need good eyesight. Their hairless bodies are also adapted for the underground environment.

Scientists note that naked mole rats are more closely related to porcupines, chinchillas and guinea pigs than to moles or rats. Interestingly, naked mole rats are the longest-lived of all rodents, given their size, they can live for almost 30 years, and they have remarkable resistance to cancer.

Proboscis

A person may be embarrassed by such a nose, but for a nosy person, the bigger the nose, the better! Scientists believe that the large nose amplifies the sounds that the proboscis monkey makes to impress the female, as well as to intimidate other males.

This curious species is an amazing swimmer, thanks to its webbed feet and hands. Proboscis monkeys jump from trees into the water and can often swim faster than crocodiles.

Warthog

These wild members of the pig family have a distinctive pig's snout, prominent tusks, warts and a fuzzy mane of hair that cascades down their backs. The warthog's body is covered with bristles, and its disproportionately large head looks terrible.

The warthog is far from being the epitome of beauty, but it is surprisingly well adapted to its environment.

Star-nosed

The star-nosed fish's strange 22 fleshy appendages act more like hypersensitive fingers than a nose. They help the star-nosed creature feel its way underground.

It is said to look like a cross between a rat and an octopus. The most impressive nose in the animal kingdom also makes this strange creature a deadly hunter. The outer tentacles search for potential food, and the internal sensors decide whether the prey is edible.

Aye-aye

Among the 13 ugliest animals on the planet, the aye-aye is a primate from Madagascar. It uses its long, bony middle finger to pluck insects and larvae from tree trunks. This allows it to fill an important biological niche, performing the functions of a woodpecker. The aye-aye is nocturnal and only comes out at night.

Angler

This unappetizing, bizarre type of fish is a common delicacy. For many years, people did not consider this fish edible due to its appearance. But the chefs realized that appearances are deceiving and now monkfish is a delicacy on the menu of all expensive restaurants.

The monkfish has a huge head that is filled with a ton of razor-sharp teeth.

African marabou

The African marabou is not at all like the stork from fairy tales, where it brings newborns. Standing 1.5 meters tall with a wingspan of over 3 meters, these African birds feed on carrion, which is why they have no feathers on their heads. They also eat other birds.

Apart from its ugly appearance, the African marabou also has some unattractive habits. They defecate directly on their legs and feet. This nasty action helps them regulate their body temperature.

Sea Elephant

Baby and female elephant seals have a pleasant appearance. But males acquire a large nose when they reach sexual maturity, somewhere around 3-5 years. Such a nose helps produce loud, roaring sounds, which are simply necessary when defending territory.

Horseshoe bats

Like most insectivorous bats that use echolocation to catch their prey, horseshoe bats have a distorted face that looks more like an ear. This adaptation makes them more susceptible to sound waves, which allow them to move quickly through the air.

This species gets its name from the fleshy structure surrounding the bat's nose. The upper part is pointed, and the lower part is shaped like a horseshoe. These folds of skin are used to send echolocation signals and help focus sound.

Darwin's bat

Looking at Darwin's pipistrelle, it looks like he was trying to compensate for his unusual body with bright lipstick. These fish are most often found around the Galapagos Islands and near Peru. Scientists believe that males attract females with this bright red color.

Interestingly, Darwin's pipistrelle more often walks along the ocean floor than swims.

Hyena

The list of the 13 ugliest animals on the planet ends with the hyena. Although they are often called scavengers, in fact, hyenas themselves kill 95% of what they eat. A group of hyenas can dismantle and devour a 200kg zebra in 25 minutes.

Having the appearance of wild dogs, they are more closely related to civets, mongooses and meerkats.

If you find an error, please highlight a piece of text and click Ctrl+Enter.