18 Strange Creatures Explained

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• published: 06 May 2016
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Nature holds some of the weirdest animals out there and we don't always have an explanation to how or why they exist. Here are 18 strange creatures explained. Subscribe to Epic Wildlife http://goo.gl/6rzs5u Let's Connect -- http://www.epicadamwildlife.com/ -- http://www.facebook.com/epicadamwildlife -- http://www.twitter.com/epicwildlife -- http://gplus.to/epicwildlife Proboscis Monkey The cartoonish looking Proboscis Monkey is a real primate native to Borneo. While scientists know little about the practical value of their elongated noses, they seem to attract females. These strange monkeys also communicate using a series of honks, appropriate considering their looks. Sunfish These giant, ancient looking fish, still swim the ocean today. In fact, many of these fish tend periodically wash ashore New Zealand, setting the internet ablaze every so often. The Sunfish, also known as the mola mola, is the heaviest bony fish species in the world. These animals can produce up to 300,000,000 eggs when breeding! More than any other vertebrate in the world. Due to their size, occasional carcasses found on beach shores, and their extremely weird looks, many stories surround the fish. They are actually relatively gentle fish, posing no harm to humans. These giants subsist on a diet of jellyfish, who they consume in large numbers to satisfy their appetite.   Sunda Colugo This animal looks as though it is a resident on a foreign planet in some sci-fi show. It actually is a rare gliding lemur who uses large flaps of skin between its’ legs to sail from one tree to another. They are completely helpless on the ground and wind and rain make it difficult for them to travel between trees. Although not much is known about these animals, researchers think that their numbers in the wild are decreasing. Tufted Deer This animal looks like it was a weird science experiment combining a deer and a bat. Amazingly enough, these fanged deer have a home range between china and Afghanistan. While most deer use their antlers for mating purposes, male tufted deer instead have evolved long canines for this purpose. Oddly enough, when scared or challenged, these deer bark. Living alone or in pairs, these animals are relatively shy and prefer to stay away from human contact. Saiga Antelope This hoofed creature looks like some sort or alien livestock. While completely foreign looking, this strange creature used to roam a huge expanse of area in Eastern Europe and Asia. Today the Saiga antelope is critically endangered, calling only Russia and Kazakhstan home. The Saiga lives in semideserts and steppes, eating a wide variety of plants. Its’ distinctive nose is used to filter out dust and keep its’ body cool during the hot summers. Only 50,000 of these animals still exist today, an estimated 5% of what is was 15 years ago, population decreases attributed primarily to disease and poaching. Monkey Faced Pig Looking like a science fiction animal experiment gone wrong, this is actually a mutant pig, born in Indonesia, not some hybrid animal. While it looks like a monkey face has been grafted onto a pig's body, this animal actually is exhibiting an extremely short snout and morphed ears. It has been theorized that this creature has a mild case of Cyclops syndrome, which occasionally occurs in sheep and pigs, and probably occurred due to environmental pollution. Oddly enough, the creature’s owner was much more concerned about the fact he likely wouldn’t be able to sell the piglet, instead of what possibly caused the mutation. Aye-Aye Considered an omen of bad luck by the indigenous peoples of Madagascar, the aye-aye is one weird looking primate. Its’ two large, front facing eyes, small compact size, and dark fur make it a peculiar looking animal. It is thought to be one of the only primates to use echolocation to find prey. Their slender fingers and claws allow them to hang onto the soaking wet trees of their rainforest homes. Aye-Aye’s tap tree trunks and branches and listen to the echoes made in order to locate larvae underneath. These monkeys, as bizarre as they look, are perfect for the niche they live in. Gerenuk The Gerenuk looks like a bad Photoshop job. In reality this antelope is common to the African Great Lakes area. Their long neck and legs are perfect for browsing tall shrubs and the lower branches of trees, food that most other antelopes are unable to get to. When food is out of the reach of their elongated necks, Gerenuk will stand on their hind legs to give them the extra height necessary. Often called the giraffe-necked antelope, these animals do not drink water. Instead they get all the water they need from metabolic process and the food they eat, allowing them to live in extremely dry and arid habitats.