A horn grows through the upper lip of this whale. This calls for a haiku.
narwhals are special,
unicorns of the arctic,
one tusk, sometimes two
Double tusk all the way. It's so beautiful.
Photo via National Geographic and jangeisler
Aug 30 2010
Rare: Bush Dog
Neither a bush, nor a dog.
You know that feeling you get when something you’ve never seen before seems really, oddly familiar? Meet the Bush Dog. Could be a bear, badger, or fox depending on the angle. Either way, it’s creepy. These little Dogs of the Bush populate forests all over Central/South America eating small mammals and such. Despite an extensive range, only 15,000 remain.
Photo via Nicola Williscroft
Aug 26 2010
Tarsier
Thinking about delicious crickets or contemplating suicide?
This creepy cutie is the Tarsier. Want to take one home and pet it? Too bad for you. It would rather kill itself. Tarsiers have never been successful in captivity: when caged, they often injure and even commit suicide due to stress. Head-bashing against a hard surface is the preferred method.
Other than that, these nocturnal mammals populate the islands of southeast asia and feast on insects after stunning em’ with their long middle fingers. The third finger is so long, it’s the same length and its forearm. Even creepier, their eyes are fixed in their skulls so they can only look straight ahead. Good thing they can turn their necks 180 degrees.
Eye sockets or eye pockets? Debatable.
Photo via Tribung Pinoy
Many thanks to dear reader Sarah, who brought this darling little creep to our attention.
Jun 27 2010
Jerboa
Creepiness is just a hop, skip and jump away.
This creepy-cum-cuddly creature’s oversized ears, snub nose and innocent beady eyes instantly recall memories of cute-overload cartoon characters. Then you realize that the Jerboa is actually a relative of the rat that can hop faster than you can run and easily top a full-grown man in one jump with its ‘roo-like legs. Adding to the shiver factor is the fact that it walks upright and uses its tail as a prop…a third leg, if you will. Inhabiting desert-like regions of Asia and Africa, it does not drink water but survives on moisture from its diet of insects and seeds…or produced by its own metabolism.
Not surprisingly, the shy, solitary and nocturnal Jerboa was filmed in the wild for the first time only a few years ago and was identified by the London Zoo as one of the 100 most evolutionarily distinct and endangered mammals in the world. Not just another rat is it?
Jun 14 2010
Chinese Water Deer
Deer Xing?
Creepyanimals.com proudly presents the Chinese Water Deer. Cue images of an asian Bambi, prancing around tall reeds, munching on sweet grasses, swimming in rivers and kissing toadstools. Closeup on those doe eyes…wait! What are those fangs doing there? Nobody said this was vampire horror!
It isn’t, but close. In times of defense, the weapon of choice for the Chinese Water Deer is not antlers (it has none), rather it’s two downward pointing canines. While its name suggests a presence in China, an introduced population in Britain puts those suckers to good use.
Many thanks to Lauren, who emailed us with this exemplary specimen of creepy.
May 26 2010
Animal Anomaly: One-eyed Kitten
Another example of the creepy-cute paradox? The evidence is before your eyes.
It was 2005 in Redmond, Oregon. Late one cold December night, a small kitten was born with just one eye, no nose and no eyelid. He was christened Cy (short for Cyclops) and passed away just one day later. Cy’s unique appearance was caused by a form of holoprosencephaly, a brain development disorder that can cause cyclopia – the failure of eyes to properly separate.
May 14 2010
Geoduck
Nice manicure.
Oyster and clams are nature’s original finger food. Jam it open, pocket the jewels and slurp down the goodness. And nature, being the good stewardess she is, sometimes asks you if you want to supersize that. Of course, nature is also a prankster, because next thing you know, you get handed a geoduck and the bivalve is eating you.
The Geoduck, pronounced “gooey duck”, can grow up to three feet long and outlive the most persistent of humans. This strange and delicious animal also possesses a disproportionate amount of cultural cachet. It not only stars in a clam-themed thriller, it is also the sports mascot of Evergreen university. It’s like the Justin Bieber of clams, just a mop top away from trending everyday on Twitter.
May 7 2010
Saiga
The Saga of the Saiga: creepy, but dwindling.
If animals were made of Lego-like pieces that you could wedge together, the Saiga is something an unscrupulous child would put together. Let’s see here: I’ll take the nose of an anteater, the legs of a paraplegic baby deer and let me mount these two carrots as a headpiece. Great, now let me run it over with my train set.
Sadly, this ungulate is critically endangered, all because some ancient culture’s mixed drink recipe included Saiga horns as an ingredient. As a result, these proudly-creepy creatures are running around the steppes of Mongolia with GPS units attached, hoping to attract mates while looking like cyborg-sheep-anteater-goat-vegetables. We wish them the best of luck in their reproductive endeavors.
[Photo via Spectacular Planet]
May 2 2010
Creature of the Deep: Giant Isopod
Is this the prequel to District 9?
The Giant Isopod is a scavenger of the deep, deep seas that happens to be distant relative of the woodlouse, or pill bug. It can curl up into a ball of sorts. Want to see? Didn’t think so.
A very special thank you to dear reader Jessica, who surfaced this beast of the benthic zone.
Mar 30 2010
Underwater Curiosities: Glass Squid
The Glass Squid: a whole lot of nothing.
Okay class, now who can tell me where the brain is located? Anyone? Anyone know the answer?
Neither do we. But we do know the Glass Squid is one very creepy animal with not much going on. Transparent skin, ridiculously short arms, telescopic eyes and a enormous sack of emptiness. That’s it. Class dismissed!