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Unusual Animals

Originally published 20 April 2010

Just because in some cases they have been around for millions of years doesn't mean you'll have seen them. In fact, our list of the world's more unusual animals includes some which are definitely not easy to see, such as the virtually motionless sloth. See which animals made our list.

Tarsier, The Philippines

Amongst the smallest primates in the world (3.5 to 6.25 inches tall), tarsiers are found in several Southeast Asian locations including Sulawesi, Borneo, Sumatra and the Philippines. Their excellent night vision makes it a good hunter in the dark where it feeds mainly on insects. They are endangered in the wild while captive tarsiers have, sadly, been known to deliberately injure or even kill themselves due to stress.

Tasmanian devil, Australia

It's the world's largest carnivorous marsupial but the Tasmanian devil is probably known to most of us because of the famous Warner Bros cartoon series. However, the name actually does bare some relation to its cartoon portrayal as a snarling lunatic, as early settlers to Australia noted it had a feisty character. Found originally throughout Australia, they are now only to be seen in Tasmania itself.

Kiwi, New Zealand

There were once millions of kiwi birds in New Zealand but with the arrival of humans around 1,000 years ago its numbers have been reduced drastically to just a few thousand. Having evolved on an island with no predatory mammals the kiwi became a flightless ground dweller, sniffing out grubs. A tiny cousin of the now extinct great Moa birds, the kiwi is one of the last of its kind.

Komodo dragon, Indonesia

The Komodo dragon is the largest living species of lizard, growing up to 3 metres in length and weighing around 70 kilograms. They eat mostly carrion (they can locate a dead or dying animal up to 6 miles away), but will also hunt and ambush prey such as birds and mammals. Komodo and its smaller neighbour of Rinca Island in Indonesia are the only places in the world where it exists.

Fossa, Madagascar

The fossa is Madagascar's largest mammalian carnivore but although it resembles a cat in appearance, it is in fact related to the mongoose (it has webbed feet!). It hunts birds and reptiles but most of its diet is made up of lemurs. As with much of Madagascar's unique fauna, the fossa is listed as 'endangered', mainly through loss of habitat.

Musk oxen, Arctic

Natives of Arctic Canada, Greenland and Alaska, musk oxen are noted for their thick shaggy coats, long curved horns and for the strong odour emitted by the males. These sociable animals usually live in herds of between 10 to 20 animals but sometimes the herd can number several hundred, while their thick coats enable them to survive bitterly cold winter temperatures.

Pangolin, Botswana

Pangolins are the only mammals which have large, hard plate-like scales covering their skin, which are then used as a defence against predators as they can roll themselves into a tight ball. Found in Africa, their diet consists mainly of insects which they eat with their elongated tongue. As usual, their main threat comes from humans: they are considered a delicacy in China.

Sloth, Costa Rica

Sloths are the world's most sedentary creatures, sleeping between 15 to 20 hours every day. In fact, they are so slow moving that algae can grow on their fur. Located in Central and South America, they spend most of their time living in trees, returning to the ground about once a week on average. Even immature sloths are surprisingly sturdily built and rarely die from falls. They are currently classified as 'endangered'.

Capybara, Brazil

Found in South America, the capybara is the world's largest rodent (over 4ft in length and up to 140lbs in weight), living a semi-aquatic existence in grassy wetland areas or close to rivers. Here they graze mainly on grasses and aquatic plants but they are also excellent swimmers and can stay underwater for up to five minutes. They are not considered a threatened species.

Frilled neck lizard, Australia

With its large frill around its neck (which is uses partly to scare potential predators) and its ability to run on its hind legs, the frilled neck lizard looks like a leftover from the age of the dinosaurs. They live in the northern part of Australia where the hot, tropical climate ensures their requirement - being cold-blooded - to control body temperature.

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