There are some seriously weird animals out there. Some that look like curious alien creatures, or monsters from fantasy stories. There are even some that probably look more like Pokemon than something you'd see in real life.
But don't be fooled; these things exist. As strange, creepy, and even beautiful as they can be, they're 100% real. You can find them all somewhere in this wild world.
This is the kind of sea creature you need to see in action, and probably still won't believe it's real.
They look like weird, floating plants, but they are, in fact, animals. They're even related to starfish, though they tend to move around a lot more.
These adorable creatures look like a cross between a sloth and a bear (hence the name). They aren't a weird science experiment, though.
They're an actual species of bears that live in the Indian subcontinent. Don't be fooled by those cute faces; they're still bears.
Wouldn't it be so cool if the common squirrels around here looked like this? It would definitely be more entertaining to watch them run around in trees and dig up your garden. Why do so many other countries get such cool animals?
These guys definitely don't look real. Those long, yellow legs look so disproportionate to the rest of their bodies. They look like something from a faraway land, but surprisingly (or maybe unsurprisingly), you can find them right here in the U.S!
If you're from Florida, you may already know what's what with the purple gallinule, but this is one bird I can say I've never seen before!
These little guys kind of looks like a mantis of sorts, but they're full-fledged sea creatures. They have translucent exoskeletons, which is probably where they get their name. But man, if these things weren't so tiny, they'd probably be terrifying!
Those black and blue feathers are so beautiful. But those vulture-like heads are so creepy. You can find these regal yet unsettling birds in parts of Eastern Africa. Just knowing that they exist kind of makes me want to pack up and go on a safari.
No, that's not Photoshop. This wolf really does have super long legs! They live in grasslands in South and Central America, having developed their long limbs over time to be able to traverse tall grass.
Those big old ears are probably also really helpful, too.
No matter how brightly-colored these spiders are, they're still terrifying. But in a way, they're kind of cool, too. This particular species of spider calls the forested areas of South and Southeast Asia its home.
It can apparently build webs that are around three to four feet in size! I'd hate to accidentally walk into one of those.
Nudibranchs are a kind of mollusk (think slugs, but not quite the same). They can be found in oceans all over the world!
Depending on where they are, they can look radically different, and yet they all pretty much look like alien creatures. The one pictured here is from an Australian coast.
The name kind of says it all. They're a dazzling neon pink color. They're HUGE, measuring at up to 8 inches (which is really big for a slug)! And they're only found around Mount Kaputar in Australia. As hard as it is to believe, these things are the real deal.
Like the name implies, these birds are actually quite common, living all around South America. But I can confidently say that I've never seen one of these before in my life. You'd probably remember those big, yellow, unsettling eyes.
What animal looks kind of like a bear, kind of like a cat, has a tail like a monkey, and smells like buttered popcorn? (That last part is true, by the way.)
Well, it's called a binturong, and you can see it roaming around South and Southeast Asia. Personally, they kind of remind me of racoons.
These birds are actually quite pretty. They're fairly large birds that can be found all around Central America, though their numbers have dwindled as a result of hunting. The ruffles on their heads are really cool to look at, though!
A Port Jackson shark isn't quite as big or intimidating as, say, a great white. But they're still sharks, so you may want to steer clear of them if you ever find yourself scuba diving near their homes.
They're also only found in and around the Australian Coast, so unless you live there, chances of running into them is pretty slim.
These tiny, winged lizards don't actually fly. They do glide, though (like flying squirrels!).
They're probably one of the closets things we have to actual dragons on Earth, so that's pretty cool. They're typically found in Asia (the one pictured here was found in Thailand).
You're probably thinking, "Okay, this one has to be fake." But it is in fact a real animal that lives off the coasts of Australia. It uses camouflage to avoid predators, hence its leafy appendages.
Despite its appearance, it's actually more fish than seahorse. And honestly, it looks like a real-life Pokemon.
This one is kind of cute, albeit in a really creepy way. They live in coral reefs, growing to a maximum of only around an inch in length.
They can be tricky to spot because they blend into their surroundings, taking on the color of whatever reef they live in.
What's even weirder than a giant worm? One with legs. Technically, although these things do look like worms, they're actually lizards. I'm not sure if that makes them better or worse, though.
They're typically found in Mexico, but you can see them as far north a California.
This electrifying little creature is a tenrec, which is a kind of animal found in Madagascar that looks like a rodent, but isn't actually part of the rodent family.
And yes, the lowland streaked tenrec really does have yellow quills like that. This guy looks like Sonic the Hedgehog's long lost cousin or something.
