There are a huge variety of animals on Earth. Their appearance, dietary habits and vital functions sometimes amaze and sometimes shock people. Let's take a look at some of them.
Hummingbird. This small bird, originally from America, is known to many, but not everyone knows that the size of individuals of different species can reach from 8 to 20 cm in length. But, even having the body of an "ordinary" bird, these animals do not lose their habit. In flight, their wings move so fast that for a person their movement merges into one continuous picture. Small species of hummingbirds are capable of fluttering like butterflies with a swing of 80-100 times per second, while large ones are much smaller, from 8 to 10 times.
Their amazing feature is that they are the only birds that can fly backwards! With all this, in flight, they can make incredible pirouettes, hang in a rapid fall, abruptly change the direction of movement, and much more.
Komondor. This is the name of the Hungarian breed of dogs. They live everywhere, as they are pets. They belong to a variety of herding dogs.
The peculiarity of this animal lies in its wool, the length of which reaches one meter, and the wool of this breed cannot be combed. As it grows on the dog's body, it is necessary to form some kind of strands, as if weaving laces. Because of this, the Komondor can resemble a huge rope mop. They are also distinguished by their large growth. The height at the withers of an adult male can reach up to one meter.
Tapir. Lives in South and Central America, as well as in Southeast Asia, belongs to the order of equids, is a herbivore.
An interesting fact about this animal is that it is one of the most ancient mammals. The remains of tapirs were found 55 million years ago! Even his appearance, maybe not entirely remarkable, speaks of his long-standing origin - an unremarkable appearance, a primitive body structure. It was only later, in the process of evolution, rhinos and horses could have come from it. However, the ancestor himself was able to survive. Another interesting point is that his front legs are four-toed, and his hind legs are three-toed. On the fingers, there are small hooves that help him move.
Tapirs are quite large animals, some species can reach up to 2 meters in length and up to 1 meter in height.
Star-nosed. Insectivorous mammal of the mole family. Indeed, it is practically no different from ordinary moles. Only with your unusual nose. Around his respiratory tract are located around 22 "rays", skin sensory processes. When the star-nose is looking for food, they are directed forward and to the sides. When he absorbs what he finds (moreover, he holds the food with his paws!), Then all the processes gather in a heap.
Axolotl. Seemingly unremarkable species of amphibians. However, a remarkable fact - these creatures do not evolve and constantly remain in the form of a tadpole! In rare exceptional cases, they still have to lose their gills (six beautiful fluffy "twigs" on the sides of the head) and come out to the surface of the water using pulmonary respiration. They even learned to reproduce in the process of evolution, remaining tadpoles. The approximate length of their body can be up to 30 cm.
Scientists artificially brought them to the state of an adult, and the axolotl existed normally. However, in nature, it remains in the state of a larva. Apparently he simply does not need to become an "adult".
Mixin. An amazing animal that lives in the seas. It can grow up to 80 cm in length. It is a kind of professional fish killer.
In the daytime, the mixins sleep, burrowing into the silt, and at night they go hunting. Their prey can be fish caught in the net, or marine animals weakened by the disease. Basically, they penetrate into the fish through the gills, then secrete mucus, which blocks the animal's respiratory organ, and eat their prey from the inside. Fishermen can find in their nets either prey, from which only skin and bones are left, or fish, inside which there can be from 1 to 100 mixines.
The real sea killer doesn't live in captivity. Scientists tried to keep them in an aquarium, but the mixins died because they used to live under very strong pressure in the depths of the ocean.
Narwhal. Do you think unicorns don't exist? How they exist! Only you need to look for them not on the ground, but under water. More precisely, in the Arctic Ocean and in the North Atlantic.
Narwhals are marine mammals of the unicorn family. Outwardly, they resemble beluga. The only difference from them are males. They have a very large, up to three meters long, tusk, which protrudes forward. This tusk is a strongly developed left anterior incisor, its weight can reach up to 10 kg. Its shape is also remarkable, like a real unicorn horn, this twisted tusk.
The most interesting thing is that the right anterior incisor in males is undeveloped and hidden in the gum, while females have no tusks at all.
The presence of such "weapons" and narwhals is unclear. They do not use it not when breaking ice, not when fighting for a female. It is quite possible that he serves as a "barometer" for them.
Drop fish. Very funny fish at first sight. Although, what makes you laugh? Her shapeless body? So it is due to the fact that this fish lacks muscles.
The drop fish lives deep in the ocean floor. Under great pressure, in the process of evolution, this species acquired a jelly-like body shape and small eyes. She doesn't care much about food, she eats everything that swims past her, mainly small crustaceans and plankton.
Of course, these are not all amazing animals. There are a huge number of them: cave scolopendra, sea underwater crabs, fish with transparent bodies and glass frogs, amazing tropical dragonflies and giant butterflies, you cannot name them all. And what is most interesting - scientists have not yet discovered many species, and this happens almost every day.
