Weirdest Looking Animals #weirdanimals #shoebill #peakcockspider

Here are some of the weirdest looking animals in nature.

ORCHID MANTIS: They look beautiful, mimicking the orchid flower to blend into their tropical surroundings to hunt prey and avoid predators.

Females grow up to 2.5 inches (6.5cm) versus 1 inch (2.5cm) for males.

PEACOCK SPIDER: Found mostly in Australia, they are part of the jumping spider family.

The males exhibit striking colors on their abdomen from modified hairs that form brightly colored patterns.

Photo credit: https://www.flickr.com/photos/jean_hort/7356879882
Photo credit: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Maratus_speciosus.jpg

MANTIS SHRIMP: These deep-sea crustaceans are highly intelligent and can see in the UV and far-red spectrum.

Their famous punch can generate the force of a .22 caliber bullet.

GERENUK: The gerenuk is a long-necked antelope whose name means "giraffe-necked" in Somali.

Only males have horns, and gerenuks eat standing on two legs.

SHOEBILL: They look pre-historic, with their beaks resembling a Dutch wooden shoe, hence their name.

Found in east Africa, they decapitate their prey with the razor sharp edges of their beaks.

RED-LIPPED BATFISH: They have bright red, pouty lips and live in sandy seabeds up to 100 meters deep.

They actually don't swim but instead "walk" along the seabeds, and are harmless to humans.

Photo credit: https://www.flickr.com/photos/reinketelaars/5119146052
Photo credit: https://www.flickr.com/photos/zlatkarp/21752571061

DUGONG: Related to manatees, these "sea cows" graze the on the sea grass beds with their downward-facing mouths.

They live up to 70 years, and can grow up to 13 feet (4 m) and 600 pounds (270 kg).

PROBOSCIS MONKEY: One of the largest monkey species in Asia, males have the unusually long, pendulous nose.

It is believed that the male's long noise helps it make louder calls, attracting females better.