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Think
you know every critter in the animal kingdom? Think again. Test your
species smarts and see if you recognize some of the weirdest-looking
animals from around the globe.
BLOBFISH
Family: Psychrolutidae
Habitat: Deep waters surrounding Australia
Fun Fact: Blobfishes are made of a gelatinous matter that allows them to float above the sea floor and swallow food with minimal effort.
MOUSE LEMUR
Family: Cheirogaleidae
Habitat: Bush and scrub forests of Madagascar
Fun Fact: Mouse lemurs are the smallest primates in the world.
PEACOCK MANTIS SHRIMP
Family: Odontodactylidae
Habitat: Warm water near reefs around the world
Fun Fact: The peacock mantis shrimp has the fastest recorded punch of any animal, punching at
50 mph.
FRILLED SHARK
Family: Chlamydoselachidae
Habitat: Throughout the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans
Fun Fact: Scientists believe the frilled shark
captures food by bending and lunging forward like a snake and than swallowing its prey whole
COMMON AGAMA
Family: Agamidae
Habitat: Villages of Sub-Saharan Africa
Fun Fact: Male common agama get their red-and-blue Spider-Man look only during their
mating season. Once the season is over, they return to a brown color
ORCHID MANTIS
Family: Hymenopodidae
Habitat: Rainforests of Malaysia and Indonesia
Fun Fact: As the orchid mantis gets older and continues to molt, the color of the insect starts to
match more closely with the surrounding vegetation
DUMBO OCTOPUS
Family: Opisthoteuthidae
Habitat: Deep waters of the Northwest Atlantic
Fun Fact: These sea creatures were named for their likeness to the classic Disney elephant.
TAKAHE
Family: Rallidae
Habitat: New Zealand and surrounding islands
Fun Fact: The takahe was believed to be extinct in 1898, but an extensive search party rediscovered
the bird in 1948. 
YETI CRAB
Family: Kiwaidae
Habitat: Hydrothermal vents if the Pacific-Antarctic Ridge
Fun Fact: Scientists believe this creature, which
was first discovered in 2005, is blind due to the lack of pigmentation in its eyes.
TREEHOPPER
Family: Membracidae
Habitat: Every continent except Antarctica
Fun Fact: Treehoppers are known to form mutualistic relationships with ants, wasps and
geckos.
CUSCUS
Family: Phalangeridae
Habitat: Rainforests of Australia and New Guinea
Fun Fact: Cuscuses conduct all of their mating on tree branches.
KIWI
Family: Apterygidae
Habitat: Forests of New Zealand
Fun Fact: Kiwis are the only birds with nostrils on the ends of their beaks, and one of the few fliers
with highly a developed sense of smell.
HAGFISH
Family: Myxinidae
Habitat: Temperate seas around the world
Fun Fact: Hagfish can tie themselves into knots. They do this to remove the slime they secrete.
CHINESE GIANT SALAMANDER
Family: Cryptobranchidae
Habitat: Mountain streams and lakes of China
Fun Fact: The Chinese giant salamander is known as an "infant fish" in Chinese because of the
crying noises it makes that are similar to those of a human child.
KAKAPO
Family: Strigopidae
Habitat: The forests of New Zealand islands
Fun Fact: These nocturnal parrots were not always flightless. Once the kakapo moved to an
island with limited predators, the birds adapted and lost their ability to fly
SILVERY MARMOSET
Family: Callitrichidae
Habitat: Amazon Basin of Brazil
Fun Fact: The silvery marmoset scares away intruders by screaming at them until they leave.
How well do you know the
innumerable critters in the animal kingdom? Test your species smarts and
see if you recognize some of the weirdest-looking animals from around
the globe.
SPINY DEVIL KATYDID
Family: Tettigoniidae
Habitat: Central and South American Rainforest
Fun Fact: This 3-inch-long insect has been known to use its front legs to fight off predators as big as a monkey. 
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.
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.
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
INDIAN GHARIAL
Family: Gavialidae
Habitat: Rivers of India
Fun Fact: The Gharial's snout becomes thicker and shorter as the animal ages.
KODKOD
Family: Felidae
Habitat: Rainforests of Chile
Fun Fact: At only five pounds, the kodkod is the smallest cat in the Americas, and also has the
smallest distribution.
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