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
Feb 2 2010
Rare: King of Herrings
GIANT SEA MONSTER! CAUGHT!
This creepy animal definitely isn’t a King. And most certainly not a Herring. The King of Herrings is an extremely long bony fish that swims the oceans deep. Some say the King of Herrings can grow to 50 feet, weigh up to 600 pounds, and swim vertically. Nobody knows for sure as the fish is rarely seen. This is a relatively small catch:
Long live the King of Herrings!
Jan 26 2010
Rare: Purple Frog
They finally caught the purp.
The Purple Frog was officially ‘discovered’ by scientists in 2003 in the Western Ghats region in India. This species is rare mainly because it is rarely seen – it devotes much of the year living 13 feet underground burrowing for termites. The Purple Frog only comes to the surface two weeks a year during monsoon season to mate and scare the hell out of the non-locals.
Characteristics: purple skin, squat bloated corpus, beady eyes, snubbed nose, and generally creepy:
Top view.
Jan 1 2010
Rare: Almiqui
WANTED. Creepy and dangerous. Last seen: 2003
The Almiqui isn’t pretty but it is most definitely special. Only 37 of these nocturnal Cuban creatures have been captured and the species was thought to be extinct for many years. They resemble shrews or rodents but are not at all related – Almiqui also have venomous saliva. This particular specimen was captured alive in 2003 and released after 2 days of scientific prodding and a quick photo shoot.
Nov 9 2009
Rare: Pink Fairy Armadillo
And this is why they live underground.
The Pink Fairy Armadillo is one part warm fuzzy, one part cold prickly. The plates of armor-like skin protect this lilliputian armadillo species (~4 inches) against abrasion whilst digging underground, where it spends nearly all of its time. The supremely creepy animal is currently endangered in central Argentina, where it is found.
Oct 18 2009
Creature of the Deep: Frilled Shark
This is one no-frills fish.
Very little is known about the ancient, eel-like Frilled Shark. It dwells 600-1000 feet underwater and has rarely been seen. But we understand. This thing is U-G-L-Y. We wouldn’t leave the depths of any ocean looking like this.
...in dire need of a makeover.
This species has changed very little since prehistoric times and it certainly shows. Six large gills protrude beyond the wide-set jaw like a swollen wound. An uneven, tattered tail + milky eyes complete the look.
Oct 12 2009
Rare: Recurve-billed Bushbird
Smile for the camera!
This rare, gorgeous bird hadn’t been seen for 40 years until a conservationist photographed it in the Colombian wild in 2005. The unusual beak looks as if it’s upside down, giving us the illusion of happiness. In truth, the Recurve-billed Bushbird has nothing to be happy about as deforestation for agriculture has reduced its habitat.
Oct 12 2009
Animal Anomaly: Pink Dolphin!
This is the stuff dreams are made of.
When we were young, we would obsess over all kinds of fantastical animals – unicorns, rainbow glitter butterflies and pink dolphins. Looks like one of them is for real. This gorgeous specimen was first seen in 2007 in a Louisiana estuary, just north of the Gulf of Mexico. It is actually an albino and has the red eyes of the devil…but we prefer to call it pink and giggle at the thought of it flipping around in paradise.
This anomaly is not to be confused with the pink dolphin species that lives in the Orinoco rivers in the Amazon – note the difference in the shape of the beak:
Also pink. Kind of.