10 strange animals and where to go to see them
10 strange animals and where to go to see them
For many travelers, the opportunity to see exotic wildlife is one of the main reasons for a vacation in a particular place.
We do not disagree.
Weird and exotic animals always grab our attention, and we’ve made sure that most of our tours give travelers the chance to discover some of the world’s most exotic wildlife.
There are some really weird animals out there in the wild, so we’ve put together a list of our 10 favorite weird-looking animals for you to enjoy — and maybe go look for them.
1 – Pangolins (Africa and Asia)
Pangolins are really strange creatures that look a bit like armored anteaters. In fact, another name for them is “scaly ants”! Surprisingly, they are more closely related to dogs, cats, and even seals than to anteaters or armadillos, the mammals they are so closely related.
Despite their exotic appearance, we think pangolins are actually quite cute, with beady eyes, big feet, and of course their habit of curling up on a ball when threatened!
A good place to go to try and spot pangolins is sub-Saharan Africa, where three different subspecies can be spotted.
Unfortunately, many species of pangolin are becoming endangered in Africa and Asia due to extensive poaching and poaching for meat and scales.
2 – AI (Madagascar)
Madagascar is famous for being home to a large number of exotic animals, most of which are not found anywhere else in the world.
One great example of this is the Eye, with its bulging eyes, ever-growing teeth, and long fingers. The look can be quite creepy, especially if you suddenly come face-to-face with someone in the woods at night!
Aye-ayes is a type of lemur and can be found exclusively in the jungles of Madagascar, where they go out at night to search for food.
3 – Capybara (South America)
Capybaras are the largest living rodents and are found throughout most of Latin America. They tend to live near bodies of water in large social groups, which can be up to 100 individuals during the dry season.
They are often spotted serving as a platform for various birds, adding to their unusual appearance.
The one thing that might surprise you about Capybaras is that they are incredibly fast, able to run as fast as a horse if they need to. They can also stay underwater for up to five minutes and have been seen using this trick to avoid predators.
4 – armadillo lizard (South Africa)
Endemic to the North and West Cape provinces of South Africa, this lizard reminds us of nothing more than a small dragon. This similarity is especially evident when they buckle up to protect themselves from danger – the behavior that has earned them their name.
Another interesting fact about Armadillo Girdled Lizards is that they are one of the few types of lizards that give birth to live young, and there is some evidence that females may actually feed their own young, which is not uncommon.
5 – Fantastic Frigate (Galapagos Islands)
These amazing birds, endemic to the Galapagos Islands, boast a wingspan of nearly two and a half meters and have been seen flying as high as 2,500 meters above sea level.
They are sometimes called “man of war” birds, because they like to attack other birds in flight and even try to steal their food at times.
What makes these birds really strange, however, is the large red sac that males carry on their chest, which they inflate to try to attract a mate.
6 – Fossa (Madagascar)
These cat-like animals can be up to 4 feet in length and researchers believe they are more closely related to the more common ferret and other animals like it, even though they are very similar to cougars.
Primarily eating lemurs, the fossa is the only carnivore in Madagascar large enough to eat even adult lemurs.
Their long bodies, small, round ears, and short legs earn them a place on this list – although, like pangolins, we can’t help but think that they are rather cute.
7- Sloth (Latin America)
Known for their slow movement, sloths can be found among trees in Latin American countries such as Panama, Brazil, and many others.
Their faces look a little dumb and from some angles they seem to be smiling. Their slow movement is due to their slow metabolism, as a result of their leaf diet, and is also believed to help them escape detection by sight-hunting predators.
Today’s sloths may be small and cute, but until about 11,000 years ago their ancestors roamed the land and were larger than modern elephants.
8- Velvet ants (South America)
Confusingly, these insects are actually wasps of multiple different subspecies. Females are wingless and hairy and are very similar to ants.
Some specimens are found in Chile in black and white, and when you see these, you’ll understand why they are also called “panda ants.”
These insects are famous for their very painful stings. Such is the strength of these stings, in fact, that these wasps are also known by another name: “cow killers”.
9 – Pink Ferry Armadillo (Argentina)
These lovely alien creatures might be our favorites on this list!
The pink fairy armadillo is a small creature found only in central Argentina, so rare that scientists have not even been able to classify their conservation status. Small enough to fit in a human hand, this tiny armadillo is nocturnal and burrows into the ground.
These places are generally hard to spot due to their shyness, but if you want to try, Central Argentina is the place to go.
10- Maned wolf (South America)
Human wolves aren’t actually wolves – just to be baffled. These long-legged beauties belong to a genus of their own and are related to wild dogs, foxes, wolves and all other types of dogs.
They are solitary creatures with large ears and are omnivores, unlike many other hunters. Some scientists believe that more than half of their diet may be vegetable matter, in fact. This definitely adds to their weirdness, but we think these dogs are very beautiful despite how unusual they are.
Wolves have a mane that can be found in parts of Brazil, Paraguay, Argentina, Bolivia and Peru.
