I promise this is not merely click bait. What you are about to read is a list of real, non-mythical, living creatures that are so strange, you’ll doubt their existence. Believe me, every word is true.
1. Bearded Vulture
No, this is not Dumbledore’s Phoenix. This spectacular avian is arguably the most beautiful vulture I have ever seen. Its name originates from the tufts of hair protruding from its beak, although it is also called a lammergeier. Armed with a 10-foot wingspan, this vulture is accurately adapted to its home range among the Eurasian mountains. Their feathers are a mix of pearl white dusted with umber and gray, but they like to stylize. These raptors dye their feathers blood red by rolling in the iron-oxide abundant soil to turn their plumage a vibrant vermilion. The most stunning, albeit, terrifying feature is its diet of bones. Yes, bones! Unlike most carrion birds, the bearded vulture waits for others – ravens, crows, eagles – to pick off the meat. Lammergeiers lift their choice femur into the air then drop it onto a rock or cliff. They then swoop down and gobble up the shards. Yum!
2. Saiga Antelope
I’ll give you another moment to just appreciate such a nose. Believe it or not, that gigantic schnoz has a purpose: to warm the freezing air during winter and keep out the dust in summer. Saiga antelope inhabit grasslands and steppes in Kazakhstan and parts of Mongolia. Their tawny pelts turn snow white in winter. Unfortunately, they are critically endangered due to over-hunting and habitat loss.
3. Maned Wolf
Although it looks like a cross between a fox and a wolf, this is an entirely different animal altogether. The maned wolf uses its stilt-like legs to peer above the tall grass of South America’s plains. Surprisingly, this canine is an omnivore. Maned wolves have been known to favor a particular fruit called lobeira which can sometimes compose 50 percent of their diet.
4. Musk Deer
What happens when a vampire bites a deer? Edward, you have some explaining to do. Despite their horrifying teeth, musk deer are not carnivorous; they are herbivores. Instead of antlers, males fight tooth and nail, literally, for mates. They are often poached for their musk gland, a scent sometimes used in colognes, which has caused a decline in recent years.
5. Binturong
Does anyone smell popcorn? These Bearcats have a unique scent that humans identify as buttered popcorn, exactly like the kind you get from a movie theater. Binturongs live in canopies across Asia and roam the trees for rodents and bird’s nests. These mammals also eat many fruits and flowers. They are the only carnivore, besides a kinkajou, with a prehensile tail. That’s not all, binturongs can even twist their hind ankles completely backward when descending a tree!
6. Philippine Colugo
What even is this? Most refer to it as a flying lemur. Before you get excited, this is not Momo from “Avatar: The Last Airbender”. By ‘flying’, I really mean gliding. Colugos can be somewhat compared to a sugar glider; they use their patagium, skin flaps between their limbs, like wings. They have been known to coast in the air for over 320 feet, soaring through the rainforest in search of leaves, flowers, and fruit. Did I mention they are nocturnal? That’s what they use those huge, adorable eyes for!
To think you’ve been living your whole life without ever knowing these animals exist alongside you!
