The Most Unusual and Unknown Creatures [Photos & Videos]

 The Angora Rabbit (Turkish: Ankara tavşanı) is one of the oldest types of domestic rabbits. Mainly bred for its long soft hair, it originated in Ankara, Turkey, along with the Angora cat and Angora goat. Their long wool may be removed by shearing, combing or plucking. There are many individual breeds of Angora rabbits, four of which are ARBA recognised: English, French, Giant, and Satin. Other breeds include German, Chinese, and Swiss to name a few.

 

 

Aye-aye:

 The Aye-aye (Daubentonia madagascariensis) is a nocturnal lemur native to Madagascar. It is the world’s largest nocturnal creature. It has prominent eyes, rodent like teeth and a long bushy tail. The aye aye is renowned for its unique method of finding food; it taps on trees to find grubs, then gnaws holes in the wood and inserts its elongated middle finger to pull the grubs out. This bizarre looking creature is the only extant member of the genus, although it is currently an endangered species. A second species, (Daubentonia robusta) appears to have become extinct at some point within the last
1000 years.

Blobfish:

The Blobfish (Psychrolutes marcidus) is a deep sea fish that inhabits the waters off the coasts of Australia and Tasmania. It is rarely seen by humans due to the detachment of its habitat. The flesh of the blobfish is primarily a gelatinous mass with a density slightly less than water which helps the fish to stay afloat without burning up all its energy on swimming. It normally swallows edible matter that floats in front of it. The poor guy is considered one of the ugliest animals alive. 

Kitti’s Hog-nosed Bat:

 This tiny creature is Kitti’s Hog-nosed Bat (Craseonycteris thonglongyai), also known as the bumblebee bat. It is a vulnerable species of bat that competes with the Etruscan pygmy shrew for the the title of the world’s smallest mammal. The bat is about 29 to 33 mm in length, and is now considered as one of the 12 most endangered species on the planet. It is found in Western Thailand and Southeast Burma.
Video

Emperor Tamarin:

 The Emperor Tamarin’s name (Saguinus imperator) was intended as a joke as it was named after German emperor Wilhem II, who sported a unique handlebar mustache during his reign. It is found in southwest Amazon Basin, East Peru, North Bolivia and in the West Brazilian states of Acre and Amazonas. It reaches a length of 24 to 26 cm with a 35 cm long tail.

Giant Salamander:

 The Giant Salamander (Cryptobranchidae) is the largest amphibian known today. It can grow up to 6 feet long. They are usually found in ponds and brooks of China, Japan and USA.

Platypus:

 

 The Platypus (Ornithorhynchus anatinus) is a semi-aquatic mammal found in Eastern Australia, including Tasmania. It is one of the five existing species of monotremes — the only mammal that lays eggs instead of giving birth to live young. It is also one of the few venomous mammals with the male Platypus having a spur on the hind foot which delivers a poison capable of causing severe pain to humans. 

Yangtze River Dolphin:

The Yangtze River Dolphin (Lipotes vexillifer) is also known as the Baiji or the Whitefin dolphin. Nicknamed "Goddess of the Yangtze" by the Chinese, it is found only in the Yangtze River in China. Unfortunately, due to the country’s industrialization, the animal has been ‘functionally extinct’ as there are only between 0-13 yangtze dolphins left in the world.

Tarsier:

 Tarsiers (Tarsius) are little apes found only in the islands of Southeast Asia. They are, however, mostly found in Borneo. Tarsiers are 4-6 inches tall and their eyes are each the size of their brains. What makes these minuscule primates so rare is the fact that they are entirely carnivorous — they eat bugs, birds, lizards, snakes and bats.

Finger Monkey:

These adorable little guys are native to the rain forests of Brazil, Peru, Bolivia, Ecuador, and Colombia. Finger Monkeys (Cebuella pygmaea) are actually pygmy marmosets. They are also dubbed Pocket Monkey and Tiny Lion. How cute. Such as here, these notoriously tiny primates are usually seen in photos hugging and gripping on to human fingers, which gives us a needed sense of perception. The finger monkey is the tiniest living primate in the world. Check the below video to be 100% certain it’s a real animal.

Ninita the pygmy marmoset who was born deaf

If it weren’t for the Internet, most of us would have never seen or known all these magnificent, bizarre creatures! And for that, we thank you. Check the sequel, The Most Unusual and Unknown Creatures II for even more bizarre animals.

On a parallel note, also check Animals That Are Not To Be Confused. Here is another Angora Rabbit... because why not.

ALSO VIEW:

The Most Unusual and Unknown Creatures II

Extinction 

Some Animals I Shot

Animals That Are Not To Be Confused

Animals Getting High: Weird Nature ― Peculiar Potions [Documentary]
 
Big Cat Hybrids 

Extinction

Why Cats Are Not Dogs
 
Why Do Cats Give Massages? 

Une Fatwa Translated

Translation from French to English:

An article in French discussing the fact that the Salafi sheikh Mohamed Hussein Yakoub was talking on "El Nas" channel about a fatwa dealing with pissing while standing up. Yakoub argued that since the prophet Mohamed only pissed once while standing up, we should all do it while sitting down! And, that all bathrooms should be changed so that Egyptians don't get dragged by western cultural invasion! The writer also notes that the absurd slogan of the self-promoting channel is "heaven through the small screen." Finally, he suggests that the next episode of Yakoub should discuss a more meaningful topic such as the status of thousands of Egyptians prisoners who are treated as slaves in Saudi Arabian prisons.

Around the World in 80 Seconds

The longest traffic jam in the world recorded in China with a length of 260 kilometres

  In the Chinese province of Shandong is a 36 Km bridge across the Gulf of Jiaozhou.
It takes eight car lanes, and it's the longest sea bridge in the world.

 Airport in the Maldives located on an artificial island in the middle of the Indian Ocean

 Balcony of floor 103 in Chicago

 Balloons in Cappadocia, Turkey

 In the resort town of Skagen you can watch an amazing natural phenomenon. This city is the northern most point of Denmark, where the Baltic and North Seas meet. The two opposing tides in this place cannot merge because they have different densities.

 Desert with Phacelia (Scorpion Weed) flowering once every several years

 An unusual tunnel in California's Sequoia National Park

 This statue, created by Bruno Catalano, is located in France

 Banpo Bridge in Seoul, South Korea

 Emerald Lake in the crater of an extinct volcano — Tongariro National Park, New Zealand

 Favelas of Brazil — the boundary between wealth and poverty

 Gibraltar Airport

 Haus Rizzi in Braunschweig, Germany

 Lena Pillars by the Lena River, far eastern Siberia in Russia

 In the city of Buford, USA lives just one person and he works as a janitor and as a mayor

 Lighthouse guard in Mare, France

 Heavy fog over Sydney, Australia

 Lost paradise in the Indian Ocean, Isle of Lamu

 Morning Glory — kind of clouds observed in the Gulf of Carpentaria in northern Australia

In north western Montana, USA the water is so transparent that it seems that it is quite a
shallow lake when in fact it’s pretty deep

 Office of Selgas Cano in Madrid

 Paris computer games store. Note that the floor is absolutely flat.

Restaurant on a cliff on the east coast of Zanzibar. Depending on the tide the restaurant can be reached both on foot and by boat.

 Crescent Moon Tower in Dubai

 These trees grow in the forest near Gryfino, Poland. The cause of the curvature remains unknown.

The world's highest chained carousel is located in Vienna — the height is 117 meters

The river above the river — Magdeburg Water Bridge, Germany

 Sunset from inside a wave

 This is a unique geological phenomenon known as Danxia land form. Those gorgeous colours are the result of an accumulation of red sandstone and other rocks over millions of years. These phenomena can be observed in several places in China. The one in the photo is located in Zhangye, Province of Gansu.

 Thor's Well — "The Gates of the Dungeon" — in Cape Perpetua, Oregon. At moderate tide and strong surf, flowing water creates a scenic landscape

A storm in Montana, USA, 2010

ALSO VIEW:

Around the World in 80 Seconds - The Sequel

A Gentle Giant

Being a true dog person, I never dealt closely with big dogs until 2 years ago when I first met Shay, a female Saint Bernard who was then 2 years old. She weighs 140 pounds or 63.5 Kg with beautiful shaggy and dense white coat and with the famous reddish brown patches. Since she wasn’t really used to leaving the house or garden, the first few times I was met with loud wary barking. Our relationship slowly developed with trips to nearby parks, along with my 8 year-old Cocker Spaniel and sometimes also with 2 King Charles puppies whom she’s been living with lately and treats very gently. There is a cute and ridiculous difference in size between them that I’m often stopped in the streets for pictures or questions.


The 1st problem I started to face by walking her is how to handle such immense force, especially when walking across other dogs or when being approached by people. She would pull me and start her barking, and what a bark that is. Other than the occasional frowns I would get, I didn’t really enjoy not being fully in control and decided to do something about it.

One day, I was talking to 2 older ladies in the street as Shay was distorting our conversation because she obviously didn’t feel at ease around strangers. They mentioned the Dog Whisperer, the famous show by Cesar Millan and how it could solve my problem. Later that same day, a man in the park also told me how by watching the Dog Whisperer, his relationship with his previously-abused adopted dog has fully healed.

Taking it as a sign, I went straight home and instead of downloading the show, thanks to the great invention of the internet, I found all episodes - from season 1 to 8 – streamed online and ready to be watched. Like a rookie off the bench, I started with episode 1 from the 1st season. Even though I love all dogs and found some of the information quite useful, but I never had trouble with average or smaller size dogs and I was always capable of connecting and commending them smoothly. That is probably the reason why I never watched the show - I thought it wasn’t for me. This time, I was seriously interested in solving my little dilemma with sweet Shay.

The 1st thing I realized is that a more powerful collar was definitely needed so we bought a metal one with pointy edges. A new leash was needed as well since the old soft one - or what was left from it - caused a great deal of damage to my hand every time I used it. They obviously weren’t doing the job in controlling that gentle giant puppy, which is the one and only way in dealing with such size and force. Like any other dog, she simply needed to know who the master was.

A second remarkably useful info I learned from Millan was how dogs sense our tension or fear. I honestly never gave it a lot of thought, but I always knew that dogs do sense human fear and was even told once that they smelled it. Apparently, through the short leash, the dog feels the slightest pull or hesitation which is automatically transferred to them and causes them to get agitated. Looking back at how I handled her during our walks, whenever there would be other dogs around, I would pull her a tad closer almost unconsciously and that’s when she sensed my tension and acted upon it.


Other than the show's useful tips and as I do with anything I’m interested in and want to know more about, I Googled Saint Bernard and man was I fascinated by the findings.

This large breed of working dogs originates from the Italian and Swiss Alps where they were primarily bred for rescue by monks in the late 1700’s. Their ancestors share a history with the Sennenhunds, also called Swiss Mountain Dogs or Swiss Cattle Dogs. These dogs are thought to be descendants of molosser type dogs first brought into the Alps by the ancient Romans.

 The monks used them to save travelers from snow storms and avalanches in the Alpine wilderness. Later, equipped with strong digging paws and a great sense of smell, they were trained to go out by themselves in packs of 2 or 3 and find victims on the Great Saint Bernard Pass between Italy and Switzerland. They would dig the survivors out, and if capable, they would lead them back to the hospice or monastery. If they couldn’t move, in a graceful display of intelligence, one of the St. Bernard would lay on their body for warmth while the other would go and get help. Some reports discuss the authenticity of the Brandy kegs worn around the some dogs’ necks which were supposedly used to keep the found-victims warm.

Between the tough winters of 1816 to 1818, St. Bernards were about the brink of extinction as many dogs lost their lives in the snowy climate while performing rescues. By 1850, the breed was crossed with Newfoundlands brought from the Colony of Newfoundlound in an attempt to save the remaining breed. Successfully, other efforts were made later by a group of enthusiasts in the U.K to increase their numbers by crossing it with the English Mastiff.

The modern St. Bernard which became the Swiss national dog, is very different from that of the type bred by the monks. Over the years, the breed has got larger and heavier but still keeping the original character of that old and proud history from which they originated.
The most famous and most remembered St. Bernard in history was Barry, who have reportedly saved between 40 and 100 lives during his life. Another famous dog was Beethoven who starred in the comedy movies by the same name.


After my little research, I never looked at Shay the same again. She’s a descendent of rescue dogs that dug in the snow in extreme weather conditions and saved human lives. Along with the gentle and mutual affection I came to discover, this magnificent breed has truly gained my utmost respect.

A dog that size and with such heritage most naturally needed a healthy outlet for its energy, and getting physical while making her feel useful was the right thing to do. Armed with my newly-acquired knowledge, a new leash and a new collar, I started taking Shay out for training walks and sometimes for short power runs.

After some time, and with more walks around the block and trips to the park, the tension disappeared, the barking diminished and my love for her increased. She would lay on the ground right by my feet, roll on her back charmingly while she looks me straight in the eyes and hands me her strong paw to hold in my hand. Now I can softly say that I’m deeply attached to this gentle giant.