Rare, Wicked, & Cute Animals

Comb Jelly: Ctenophores are commonly called comb jellies because they use rows of hairlike cilia to propel themselves through the water. This unique physiology also causes comb jellies to refract light, so they often shine with a rainbow of iridescent color. In the absence of sunlight, comb jellies can still be colorful, if less vivid. Most species are bioluminescent. Crab carrying jelly: Cassiopea andromeda, the upside-down jellyfish, is named for one of Greek mythology’s treacherous queens. Cassiopeia was punished by Poseidon, who deemed that her constellation often appear upside-down in the sky. Her namesake jelly often lies on the seafloor with its mouth and arms facing the surface, which allows symbiotic algae to collect sunlight for photosynthesis and pass nutrients along to the jelly. Crabs sometimes carry these jellyfish on their backs to serve as a very effective protective shield. Purple jelly: Some animals, like these young crabs and some juvenile fish, can live unharmed among a jellyfish’s venomous tentacles. There, protected from prey, they feed on jellyfish leftovers like zooplankton or larval fish and remove parasites from their accommodating hosts. White spotted Jelly: Also called the Australian Spotted Jellyfish, these are native to the Pacific Southwest waters. Fairly large they generally consume snail species but they have become a concern in some areas because of the huge amount of water they filter, digesting plankton that some food fish and other fish need. Blue jelly: Cyanea lamarckii, also known as the Blue jellyfish or Bluefire jellyfish, is a species of jellyfish in the family Cyaneidae. This species is found in the pelagic zone off the west coast of Scotland, the North Sea and the Irish Sea, sometimes with the more common Lion’s Mane Jellyfish, (Cyanea capillata).Cyanea lamarckii has a blue or yellow tone and grows to approximately 10 to 20 cm, but specimens can grow to 30 cm. In Scandinavian seas this species rarely grows larger than 15 cm.This jellyfish has many stinging tentacles. The four mouth arms are large with many wrinkles and ripples. Box Jellyfish: Box jellyfish are cnidarian invertebrates distinguished by their cube-shaped medusae. Box jellyfish are known for the extremely potent venom produced by some species: Chironex fleckeri, Carukia barnesi and Malo kingi are among the most venomous creatures in the world. Stings from these and a few other species in the class are extremely painful and sometimes fatal to humans.

"This is a really strange but beautiful creature, which looks like a fried or poached egg and lives in the Mediterranean, Adriatic and Aegean seas. It is also one of the few jellies that can locomote on its own, not just relying on current." [src]

Sea angels are gelatinous, mostly transparent, and very small, with the largest species (Clione limacina) reaching 5 cm. C. limacina is a polar species; those found in warmer waters are far smaller. Some species of sea angels feed exclusively on sea butterflies; the angels have terminal mouths with the radula common to mollusks, and tentacles to grasp their prey, sometimes with suckers similar to cephalopods. Their "wings" allow sea angels to swim much faster than the larger (usually fused) wings of sea butterflies."

Scientists estimate that Himantura chaophraya can grow five metres and 600kg in size, certainly making it among the largest of the approximately 200 species of rays. The fish gives birth to live young measuring 30cm wide, so even the small ones are large! [src] the giant freshwater stingray is as mysterious as it is exotic. It wasn't discovered by humans until around 1990, even though the Himantura chaophraya is likely an ancient species, millions of years old. [src]

They have rings around the back of the head that are used to determine how old they are. They are small and light weight. These squid have a lifespan of only a year, and prefer to live in cooler waters. They are found in waters usually less than 27 degrees Celsius. They die after they mate.

Jaguarundi "Jaguarundi Puma yaguarondi are one of the strangest looking of the small cats, with slender, elongated bodies, small flattened heads, and a long tail more reminiscent of an otter than a cat. The short, smooth, unmarked coat shows three distinct colour phases: black, brownish grey, and a reddish brown phase known as the Eyra." [src] It is native to Central and South America. It is also called the eyra cat. Jaguarundi comes from Old Tupi yawaum'di. They are not genetically similar to any of the other small South American cats, but in fact more closely related to cougars. The jaguarundi has short legs, an elongated body, and a long tail. The ears are short and rounded. The coat is not spotted and uniform in color with, at most, a few faint markings on the face and underside. The coat can be either blackish to brownish-grey (grey phase) or foxy red to chestnut (red phase); individuals of both phases can be born in the same litter. It has a total length of 53 to 77 cm (21 to 30 in) with a 31 to 60 cm (12 to 24 in) long tail, and weighs 3.5 to 9.1 kg (7.7 to 20.1 lb) "While Jaguarundis are not native to the south-eastern United States, it is believed that a feral population exists in Florida, established from an introduced population of escaped pets in the 1940’s. They were reported to be quite easy to “tame” by early Central American natives, and were used to control rodent populations around villages. Today, it is not recommended to keep these or any other wild animal, as pets. Jaguarundis are one of the only felines to not have contrasting colors on the backs of their ears." [source]

Clouded Leopard The clouded leopard (Neofelis nebulosa) is a cat found from the Himalayan foothills through mainland Southeast Asia into China, and has been classified as Vulnerable in 2008 by IUCN. The Sunda clouded leopard (Neofelis diardi) found on Sumatra and Borneo is genetically distinct and has been considered a separate species since 2006. The clouded leopard is considered to form an evolutionary link between the big cats and the small cats. Both Neofelis species are the smallest of the big cats, and are not closely related to the leopard. "Most cats are good climbers, but the clouded leopard is near the top of its class. These big cats can even hang upside down beneath large branches, using their large paws and sharp claws to secure a good grip. Clouded leopards have short, powerful legs equipped with rotating rear ankles that allow them to safely downclimb in a headfirst posture—much like a common squirrel. Sharp eyesight helps them judge distances well, and the cats use their long tails to maintain balance." "Though clouded leopards are great climbers, scientists believe that they do most of their hunting on the ground, feasting on deer, pigs, monkeys, and smaller fare such as squirrels or birds. They are aided in their hunting by the largest canine teeth (proportionate to body size) of any wild cat." [source]

One of the, I would say, lesser known-- or at least lesser appreciated-- big cats. The cougar is also known as a puma, or a mountain lion, respectively. The cat's range is from Canada, all the way to South Argentina and Chile. It used to have a vast range to live in, but with development on the cougar's habitat, it is now restricted to mountainous regions. It hunts large animals like moose and caribou, but yields to animals like jaguars, gray wolves, and bears like the grizzly or black bear. It tends to avoid people, and is considered "reclusive"-- though attacks are not unheard of, they are rarely fatal. Cougars can hiss, growl, whistle, and purr, but they can't roar.

"It has thick, woolly fur of varying colours depending on age, sex, and location. Males are typically grey/white or brown/white with splotchy patterns on their back and a white underbelly. Only males have spots.[3] Females are usually white or grey and unspotted. Some completely white individuals are known in both males and females. As the young grow they go through a series of color changes before reaching sexual maturity at around one year old. Colouration varies from reds, whites, buffs, browns, light greys, and blacks. Unlike some other species of cuscuses or possums, the common spotted cuscus does not have a dorsal stripe on its fur"

"This small furry animal was first described as a Pleistocene fossil by Robert Broom in 1896. It was thought to be extinct until 1966, when a living one was discovered in a ski-hut on Mount Hotham. As of 1992, there were two geographically isolated populations in Australia." [source]

There's a bit of debate as to whether or not this animal is extinct or not; it is believed that there could be one or two left in the wild-- as a Chinese man in 2007 videotaped what is thought to have been a baby, or a young Baiji. However, the last known living Baiji-- Qiqi--  went extinct in 2002.

Lower classifications: Silver dik-dik, Salt's dik-dik, Kirk's dik-dik, Günther's dik-dik

Gharials are the only extant crocodilian with visible sexual dimorphism.Although the function of the bulbous narial excresence is not well understood, it is apparently used as a visual sex indicator, as a sound resonator, or for bubbling or other associated sexual behaviours

When threatened the curl into a ball. Their large eyes have nearly 4,000 facets.

Usually found near the sea floor, the bowmouth guitarfish prefers sandy or muddy areas near underwater structures. It is a strong-swimming predator of bony fishes, crustaceans, and molluscs. This species gives live birth to litters of two to eleven pups, which are nourished during gestation by yolk.

Bush dogs are found from Panama in Central America, through much of South America east of the Andes, as far south as central Bolivia, Paraguay, and southern Brazil. They primarily inhabit lowland forests up to 1,900 metres (6,200 ft) elevation, wet savannas, and other habitats near rivers, but may also be found in drier cerrado and open pasture.