Throughout history, humans have discovered and bred many strange animal species. Below is a list of the top 10 most unusual animals currently living on our blue planet.
Strange Animals Still Living on Earth
1. Silkie Chicken
The Silkie chicken, also known as the Silkie, is a breed of chicken originating from China. Its name comes from its silky plumage and notably, its skin, meat, and bones are all black. Additionally, this breed has unique features such as blue earlobes and five toes on each foot, while most other chickens have only four.
2. Sunda Flying Lemur
This strange animal is found in Indonesia, Thailand, Malaysia, and Singapore. Despite its name “flying lemur,” it cannot actually fly; it glides from tree to tree using a broad membrane that connects its limbs. Its primary diet consists of fruits and tender shoots.
3. Dhole
The dhole, also known as the Asiatic wild dog or Indian wild dog, is a carnivorous mammal of the dog family and the only extant member of the genus Cuon. They are highly social animals, living in small packs.
4. Markhor
The Markhor is a large wild goat species found in Afghanistan, Pakistan, Kashmir, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan. The IUCN classifies this species as endangered, with fewer than 2,500 mature individuals remaining.
5. Proboscis Monkey
The Proboscis Monkey is a group of monkeys belonging to the Old World monkey family, found in various regions across Asia. They are named for their short nose on a round face, with nostrils facing forward. This animal has relatively colorful and long fur, especially around the shoulders and back.
6. Raccoon Dog
The Raccoon Dog, or Tanuki, is a species native to East Asia and the only surviving member of the genus Nyctereutes. It is an excellent climber and primarily lives in the high branches of trees.
7. Maned Wolf
The Maned Wolf is a canid species. It is the largest wild dog in South America, resembling a large fox with slightly reddish fur. In the wild, some individuals can reach heights of 1.07 meters, lengths of nearly 1.5 meters, and weigh up to 34 kg.
8. Gerenuk
The Gerenuk, also known as Waller’s Gazelle, is a long-necked gazelle species found in East Africa. It is the only member of the genus Litocranius, first described by naturalist Victor Brooke in 1879.
9. Amazonian Royal Flycatcher
This bird belongs to the tyrant flycatcher family and is found in the forests and woodlands of most of the Amazon basin. In the wild, this species builds very large nests (sometimes up to 2 meters long) on tree branches close to water to avoid predators.
10. Zebra Duiker
The Zebra Duiker is a mammal in the Bovidae family, order Artiodactyla. This species was described by Gray in 1838. The Zebra Duiker is found in Côte d’Ivoire, Guinea, Sierra Leone, and Liberia. It has also been recently discovered in southeastern Guinea.
