Despite all the sad and terrible news that we constantly hear about lately; the crime, the bombings, the potential global terrorism, made worse because it\u2019s nearly Christmas, we tend to get skeptical and forget about the good things that are usually right in front of our eyes. The most incredible of things can often come in very small packages, and sometimes, it comes in the form of the seemingly rare yet amazing animals that inhabit the earth. These animals are more than what they seem. They are an example of how amazing our world is, and they, more often than not, seem to outweigh the bad things. <\/span><\/p>\n

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1. Umbonia Spinosa<\/span><\/h2>\n

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This tiny, tiny insect is a species of treehoppers, that can be found in South America, distributed in the parts of Venezuela, Dutch Guiana, British Guiana, and Ecuador. Compared to its other relatives in the same genus, this kind of treehopper can be distinguished just by looking at its dorsal horn, which is located just behind its humerais and they have a short metopidium. <\/span><\/p>\n

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2. Bush Viper<\/span><\/h2>\n

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But commonly known as Atheris, is a type of venomous viper that could be found in the tropical part of subsaharan Africa not including Southern Africa. This species can be found up in the trees, but they could also be found in the ground or near it. They eat small amphibians, lizards, rodents, birds, and even other snakes as well.<\/span><\/p>\n

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3. Panda Ant<\/span><\/h2>\n

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Have you ever seen an ant like this? You probably haven\u2019t, but it does exist! However, panda ants aren\u2019t exactly ants, but more on a type of wasp, and their name stems from their black and white color. The female panda ants do not have wings, but instead are big, and furry. While they may look beautiful, they are best left alone as a sting from a panda ant is said to be very painful. They are nicknamed \u201ccow-killers\u201d as they are very much capable of taking down cows and other animals that are larger than them.<\/span><\/p>\n

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4. Lowland Streaked Tenrec<\/span><\/h2>\n

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This creature can be found in the northern and eastern part of Madagascar, in the tropical lowland rainforests, and is a smaller version of a tenrec; which is similar to hedgehogs, opossums, and shrews among many other animals. They usually inhabit long and shallow burrows and are mostly in families. They put up their sharp spines on their backs and on the crest around its head and points them forward if threatened.<\/span><\/p>\n

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5. Venezuelan Poodle Moth<\/span><\/h2>\n

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Not much is known about this very unique and rare creature, but this fuzzy looking moth is a creature that has only been recently discovered, in 2009 in the Gran Sabana region of Venezuela.<\/span><\/p>\n

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6. Mantis Shrimp<\/span><\/h2>\n

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This colorful crustacean is called the mantis shrimp, with a few nicknames in different countries. They are called sea locusts in Assyria, and in Australia they are called prawn killers, and sometimes they are even called thumb splitters – because they are capable of slicing fingers or thumbs even if they aren\u2019t handled properly. There are over 450 species of the mantis shrimp, and their types can vary from the usual brown to the brightly colored. <\/span><\/p>\n

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7. Blue Parrotfish<\/span><\/h2>\n

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It\u2019s surprising how many rare creatures exist in this world, and a lot of them could be found in the deep blue sea. This blue parrotfish is commonly found in the tropical and even the subtropical parts of the western Atlantic ocean and in the Caribbean sea, on the coral reefs in the shallower parts of the waters. They are usually all blue with a yellow spot located on their heads that end up fading while they age. Their name stems from the large \u2018beak\u2019 that they have, similar to that of a parrot\u2019s, a \u2018beak\u2019 which they use to scrape off algae and small organisms from the rocks. Their pharyngeal teeth are used to crush rocks that they end up eating into sand.<\/span><\/p>\n

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8. Thorny Dragon<\/span><\/h2>\n

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Also called thorny devil, mountain lizard, thorny lizard, or the moloch. This type of lizard is commonly found in the scrubland and desert areas that cover a big part of central Australia. These bad boys have hard and sharp spines that make it hard for predators to swallow them if they are eaten. It\u2019s also got a false head on its back and when threatened by potential predators, it lowers its head between its front legs, thus exposing its fake head.<\/span><\/p>\n

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9. Hummingbird Hawk-Moth<\/span><\/h2>\n

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Is it a hummingbird? Is it a moth? It\u2019s both! It makes a humming sound when it feeds on the flowers, but this is a different type of hummingbird moth that is found in North America. This hummingbird hawk-moth is found all throughout the world, from Portugal to Japan, but it usually inhabits those with warmer climates. They are also known for their visual abilities and are also able to learn colors as well.<\/span><\/p>\n

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10. Okapi<\/span><\/h2>\n

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The wonders of evolution, especially when it looks like this. The Okapi is commonly found in the northeastern part of Congo, in central Africa. While their appearance is similar to a zebra, the okapi is actually more closely related to the giraffe. They are usually solitary animals, and the only time there are more of them in one place is when they start breeding. Unfortunately, they are also endangered animals, due to habitat loss because of logging, human settlement, hunting, and illegal mining.<\/span><\/p>\n

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11. Pacu<\/span><\/h2>\n

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A fish with dentures that are similar to a human\u2019s, the Pacu fish is a rather common name used to describe several very common types of omnivorous fresh water fish that can be found in South America, and they are also related to the piranha. They are found in the Amazon and Orinoco river basins of Amazonia. They could also be found in the riverine systems of Papua New Guinea as well.<\/span><\/p>\n

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12. Atretochoana<\/span><\/h2>\n

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This slimy looking creature is known as the atretochoana. It is a type of caecilian or serpent-like amphibian that was discovered in the Brazilian rainforest and is one of two species of caecilians that do not have a set of lungs. How do they breathe? Their skin has capilliaries that can permeate the epidermis which enables gas exchange, and their skulls are known to have muscles that aren\u2019t found in any other organism.<\/span><\/p>\n

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13. Indian Purple Frog<\/span><\/h2>\n

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Another slimy looking creature is this Indian purple frog. They are found in the Western Ghats in India. They are also called pignose frog and purple frog. Their bodies are typically robust and bloated and compared to usually flattened frogs, they are more rounded, and their heads are small and they have a snout. The adult purple frogs are a dark purplish-grey, thus the name. The male frogs are smaller than the females, being a third of their length. <\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Despite all the sad and terrible news that we constantly hear about lately; the crime, the bombings, the potential global terrorism, made worse because it\u2019s nearly Christmas, we tend to get skeptical and forget about the good things that are usually right in front of our eyes. The most incredible of things can often come in very small packages, and sometimes, it comes in the form of the seemingly rare yet amazing animals that inhabit the earth. These animals are more than what they seem. They are an example of how amazing our world is, and they, more often than <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":28062,"featured_media":10803,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[286,221,554,60,52],"tags":[4105,4106],"yoast_head":"\n