Strangest Animals Ever Found

From the Minotaur to chupacabra and the Loch Ness Monster to the Kraken, humans have long been fascinated with the mythical creatures of the world. We image the beasts that live in places unknown, in jungles, the seas, the caves, and the woods. But what about the creatures that aren’t myths.

What about the creatures that are real?

The creatures in this list are legit. They have been found and photographed by scientists and most have a reason that they look the way they do.

Here are some of the strangest creatures that have been found in recent years.

Aye-Aye

First is the Aye-Aye. This primate is a nocturnal critter that lives in Madagascar. The big ears listen for insect larvae to eat. They dig out the larvae using their skinny middle fingers.

Aye-Aye. Image Courtesy of msn.com.
Aye-Aye. Image Courtesy of msn.com.

Dolores, The Bald Bear

You have probably seen this scary lady on the internet before. Dolores suffers from some genetic defect. She and the other female bears that suffer from this unknown condition at a zoo in Germany.

If this bear wants your picnic basket, I suggest you hand it over.

Dolores the balding bear. Image Courtesy of dailymail.co.uk.
Dolores the balding bear. Image Courtesy of dailymail.co.uk.

False Catshark

This scary shark is only the second seen in Scotland. The researchers at the Scottish Shark Tagging Programme call it the “sofa shark”. This guy is a little of 6 ft long, but this species can grow up to 10 feet in length. They are also found in the Pacific, Indian, and Atlantic where they can eat octopus and squid. These nasty looking things live in the deeps of the ocean leading the interesting physique that allows for hunting squids.

False Catshark. Image Courtesy of news.discovery.com.
False Catshark. Image Courtesy of news.discovery.com.

Chinese Giant Salamander

This 4 ft salamander is named “Professor Wu.” The Chinese giant salamander has been harvested and commercially grown for a delicacy, leading to the creatures endangered status. Professor Wu has been moved to the London Zoo as a public representative against the salamander commercial industry in China. These scary fellows can grow as big as a human and have creepy hands that they use to walk across the bottoms of lakes and rivers.

Four Foot Long Salamander. Image Courtesy of news.nationalgeographic.com.
Four Foot Long Salamander. Image Courtesy of news.nationalgeographic.com.

Kenny, The Down Syndrome Tiger

This tiger was has been called the “Down Syndrome” tiger. His mouth hangs open as a result of an deformed face. He is unable to close his mouth and suffers from a mental disability as a result of inbreeding. His parents were siblings, crossbred in hopes of producing white tigers. His brother also suffered several deformities. Most white tigers are born stillborn or die very early. Kenny died in 2008 in Arkansas.

Kenny, the White Lion. Image Courtesy of advocacy.britannica.com.
Kenny, the White Tiger. Image Courtesy of advocacy.britannica.com.

Monkey-Eating Eagle

There are less than 700 of these eagles in existence. This fuzz-ball was one of few born in captivity. He will grow up to be over 3 feet long and eat macaque monkeys and other small mammals in the jungles in the Philippines. He already looks unimpressed with the large monkeys taking care of him.

Monkey-Eating Eagle. Image Courtesy of the Philippine Eagle Foundation.
Monkey-Eating Eagle. Image Courtesy of the Philippine Eagle Foundation.

Giant Goldfish

This goldfish was caught in Lake Tahoe. The lake, between California and Nevada, has been a supposed dumping ground for aquarium owners who no longer want their little carnival goldfish anymore. These fish can grow up to 1.5 feet long and are throwing the ecosystem out of whack. Do us all a favor and don’t dump Goldie in the local lake or pond!

Monster Goldfish. Image Courtesy of huffingtonpost.com.
Monster Goldfish. Image Courtesy of huffingtonpost.com.

Mountain Lion with Extra Set of Teeth

This toothy beast was killed in this past December in Idaho, near the Utah border. The mountain lion had attacked a pet dog leading authorities at the Department of Fish and Game to track down the cat. When they found him, they discovered he had an extra set of teeth growing out the back of his head! This is thought to be either the result of a teratoma tumor, which leads to growth of extra teeth, and other extra features, or the obsorbtion of its twin in the womb. Regardless of how, this is not one cat I want to meet while hiking!

Mountain lion with teeth on its head. Image Courtesy of Idaho Department of Fish and Game.
Mountain lion with teeth on its head. Image Courtesy of Idaho Department of Fish and Game.

Pacu

A relative of piranhas, this fish is native to the Amazon. The pacu eats mostly nuts, and other plants. The scary thing about this guy is his teeth. They look remarkably human. The pacu uses these large teeth to crack open nuts that fall into the water. This has been introduced into many rivers around the world, eating the native fish out of existence. Some pacu have even been caught in New Jersey and Arizona, where it is believed they were illegally introduced. This is not a fish I want to see on the end of my line.

Pacu found in Arizona and New Jersey. Image Courtesy of news.nationalgeographic.com.
Pacu found in Arizona and New Jersey. Image Courtesy of news.nationalgeographic.com.

Slender Loris

How is this guy not some evil villain of a Disney animated film? The Slender Loris is a creature that moves v…e…r…y…s…l…o…w…l…y. Hand over hand. Unless they are startled, then they are quick little suckers. I just picture him plotting while tapping his long fingers and toes together. “And now Mr. Bond, you will die!”

Slender Loris. Image Courtesy of theguardian.com.
Slender Loris. Image Courtesy of theguardian.com.

Two-Headed Snake

“We” is an albino snake. This…these..they are a result of two embryos merging in one egg. Two headed snakes are rare and have not successfully reproduced, despite efforts by zoos and researcher. The two heads have been known to try and eat the other if they get hungry. We has been known to try and go in different directions at once. One snake is scary enough to come upon. Double the heads, double the oh heck no!

Two-headed snake. Image Courtesy of snakebuddies.net.
Two-headed snake. Image Courtesy of snakebuddies.net.
Yeti Crab

This hairy crab was discovered in 2005. Living in the depths near Easter Island, this crab has no eyes. Known as the “Yeti Crab”, this creature grows bacteria in its hair to eat. The white hair is reminiscent of mythological yeti, a giant white abominable snowman in Asia.

Yeti Crab. Image Courtesy of msn.com.
Yeti Crab. Image Courtesy of msn.com.

These creatures are scarier than the myths, they are real!