I love animals—unique animals, weird animals, and even the strangest animals on earth. There are simply so many outrageous animals in the world that it’s hard for me to choose a favorite animal. 

Do you love unusual animals as much as I do? Then you’re about to have an epic journey through the strange side of the animal kingdom

Weird Animals

The first time I thought an animal could be weird was at the zoo when a kid exclaimed, “That’s a weird animal,” as they looked at an Aye Aye at the primate exhibit. The kid wasn’t wrong. 

Here are some more weird animals to feast your mind on.

Ghost Shark

Ghost sharks or chimeras are not actually related to the great white shark or any other shark, but they are one of the oldest in the world, with DNA testing indicating that the animal evolved before flowering plants did! 

The ghost shark was swimming in the oceans when dinosaurs roamed the earth. Chimaera can grow to be an impressive 30 years old, and they are also known as elephant fish or ratfish.

Pacu

Related to the fierce piranha fish, the pacu is a vegetarian version, which looks just like its more carnivorous relative. The pacu breeds are often sold at aquariums as vegetarian piranha to fish owners. However, when you open their mouth, you’re in for a fright as this fish has teeth like a human!

Sea Pig

The sea pig isn’t a pig at all—it’s a cucumber. Can you imagine these bottom cleaners or carrion eaters feasting on a whale carcass? They do, and they will eat almost anything, shoveling it into their mouths with their tentacles.

Pink Fairy Armadillo

The pink fairy armadillo is perhaps one of the cutest animals I have ever seen. It looks like something right out of a fairytale with its fluffy edging and hardened shell to protect its back. Weighing only 120 grams, the pink fairy armadillo is also as small as a fairy would be.

While the numbers of pink fairy armadillos are dwindling, it’s incredibly difficult to create a breeding program as most of these pretty animals die within days of being moved to captivity.

Red-Lipped Batfish

Like a little girl wearing mommy’s lipstick, the red-lipped batfish has rouged lips that are quite striking and somewhat out of place. The red-lipped batfish is actually a poor swimmer, and it uses its two ventral fins to walk along the ocean bottom, looking for smaller fish to eat.

Pacific Barreleye Fish

Talk about seeing what someone’s thinking—the Pacific barreleye fish is truly transparent when it comes to its thoughts. Quite literally, their skull is transparent, showing off their brains, nerves, eyes, and more. The glowing green eyes add a super creepy element too.

Axolotl

The Mexican walking fish or Axolotl is a definitely weird addition to the animal world. This is not a fish but an amphibian, and I simply love the bright-colored red crown around its head, which are its gills, allowing it to breathe underwater.

Dugong

Ever gone swimming, only to run into a cow down in the depths of the deep blue? Chances are you’re not hallucinating—it’s a dugong, or sea cow, that you’re seeing. A dugong has cow-like features but the body of a dolphin. With their front legs, they graze the underwater pastures on the seafloor, just like their land-based namesake.

Dumbo Octopus

Hitting the cuteness scale is the dumbo octopus with its large protrusions that resemble elephant ears. I really love the name because the dumbo octopus actually looks like the Disney cartoon character Dumbo the elephant, even sporting frilly skirt-like arms. 

Sadly, you’re not very likely to see a dumbo octopus in the flesh since these ocean creatures live at depths of around 13,000 feet in a complete absence of light.

Goblin Shark

Staying with deep sea fish, the goblin shark is a true mystery of the deep. This shark lives at depths of over a thousand feet, and they are found all across the world’s oceans. Goblin sharks are prehistoric in nature, making them living fossils. 

Due to their translucent skin, goblin sharks appear pink in color, which just looks so out of place with their flattened lower jaw and projectile-shaped nose.

Markhor

I adore goats, and the markhor is one of my favorite wild goats. Found in the mountains of Turkey and Afghanistan, the markhor has the most unusual set of horns that spiral like a corkscrew. Markhor horns can grow to a length of over 1.5 meters.

Magnificent Frigatebird

The magnificent frigatebird is a sea bird, and its rather dull plumage of brown and white feathers may not appeal to you but wait till the male is looking for a female. This is when the male inflates their large red gular sac, making a giant red drum appear on their chest.

Irrawaddy Dolphin

Another amazing aquatic mammal is the Irrawaddy dolphin, and I simply love their snubby heads that are rounded, resembling a baby alien from the movie Aliens.

These dolphins have to surface to breathe as they don’t have gills. They live in areas of Southern Asia where the ocean meets the rivers and salty sea and freshwater rivers mix.

Bizarre Animals

Star Nosed Mole

This animal is the stuff of nightmares, and I simply feel creeped out when I see the star-nosed mole. The animal has a couple of appendages on its face called rays that it hunts with and feels its way through the underground tunnels.

Echidnas

The spiny anteaters or echidnas are very remarkable, and I simply love the spikey hair they seem to have on their bodies. Even more interesting is the fact that echidnas lay eggs but raise their offspring like mammals.

Native to Australia and New Guinea, the echidna has broad feet with long claws, which dig up ants, worms, and other insects to eat.

Penis Snake

Yes, I had to read it twice when I first came across a reference to this animal, and the pictures explain why it’s got this vulgar-seeming name. 

With a head that definitely resembles a human phallus, the penis snake is actually not a snake, as it’s an amphibian with rings like an earthworm. It’s unclear as to what a penis snake eats, and the animal is nearly blind.

Tarsier

The tarsier is a tiny primate with large eyes and very keen hearing from its bat-like ears. Extraordinarily, the tarsier is a venomous primate, and it can secrete a poisonous substance from its arm gland, creating a toxic reaction that may trigger an allergic reaction or cause death.

Mantis Shrimp

Don’t let the bright and colorful appearance of a mantis shrimp fool you. These aggressive crustaceans are known to club at their prey and predators alike, producing enough force to hit you like a bullet. 

The mantis shrimp hunts and kills fish with its sharp claws that can pierce scales and flesh, creating a nice skewer for dinner.

Blobfish

Imagine a fish that looks more like a failed oyster than a fish. This unusual fish has even earned the title of “ugliest fish in the world.” And to complete the picture of ugliness, the blobfish has a giant fleshy nose that hangs over the rim of the mouth. Thank goodness people don’t look like them!

Naked Mole Rat

Named for creatures that aren’t actually part of its genetic pool, the naked mole rat is neither rat nor mole. This unusual animal is also called a sand puppy, and it looks like one of the sandworms of Dune, except for the sharp walrus-like teeth. 

Naked mole rats are entirely hairless, and they have no insulation under their skin, making it essential they live in subterranean environments.

Bald Uakari

When I saw a bald Uakari for the first time, I thought I was seeing Hellboy! This primate has no hair on its face, which is a bright cherry red color, with large cranial lobes, exactly like the comic character.