perspire milk , ballooning noses , and laying ball . It does n’t exactly sound like typical mammalian behavior . Many of us grow up believe the key characteristics were feature hair and Milk River ( which , technically , would admit coconuts ) , but science has proven time and time again that there ’s a lot more to this group of animals .
Join us as we research the concealed gift and very visible physical quirkiness of 11 of the weirdest mammals on Earth . Who need alien when we already apportion the major planet with these bozo ?
Pangolin
look like an armadillo dressed up like a reptilian artichoke plant , the pangolin is n’t the easiest mammal to place . The strong-arm law of similarity it shares with armadillo ( who we ’ll revisit later ) are really an good example of convergent evolution , where like traits emerge in unrelated animal group .
Pangolinsemerged from an ancient mathematical group of mammal that go out back to just after the dinosaur , and now lay out the only eff living mammals to have scales . Unfortunately for the scaly anteater , this rare trait has turned it into themost trade animal on the planetas thescalesare considered a worthful component intraditional practice of medicine .
Fairy armadillo
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Armadillos look likewise armoured to pangolins , but their skin is reinforced by another rare trait among mammals : osteoderms . These tough plates are made of bone rather of ceratin , which is what scales are made of . It was suppose that the armadillo was the only living mammal with osteoderms , but in 2023 a 2d mammalian joined the rank .
Osteoderms by , what makes the pink fairy armadillo so dang peculiar is its show , looking a bit like a runt nigiri bourgeon feet and started walk around . They get their scandalous pinkness from pedigree cells that pass closely to the airfoil of their skin .
What makes pangolins so special has unfortunately made them very vulnerable.Image credit: Positive snapshot / Shutterstock.com
Spiny mouse
The spiny mouse is an equally perplexing animal , and the second animation mammal walking around with osteoderms . Unlike armadillos , these mouse only haveosteoderms on their tailsand they were discovered by chance while researcher were attempt to find out more about their incredible positive feedback capabilities .
Spiny for the hedgehog - similar defence mechanism they wear on their back ( which are spiny hairs , not quite as tough as porcupine needles ) , these mouse canregenerate skin without leaving scars . Unsurprisingly , researchers are very interested in seeing if this can be recreated in humans , for whom grave scarring can be drain .
And they getperiodsand potentially PMS too , relatable
While researching their regeneration skills, scientists discovered something very unique about spiny mice.Image credit: Eric Isselee / Shutterstock.com
Saiga antelope
Saiga antelopearen’t just one of the existence ’s weirdest mammals , they ’re also one of its most inauspicious . renowned for their singular droopy nozzle , they ’ve been lost in their thousands in Mongolia following outbreaks of peste des petits ruminants ( PPR ) , also dubbed the laughingstock plague .
Looking like they ’d be more at home on Tatooine , saiga have enormous nostrils that are thought to help oneself them cope with dust in dry experimental condition . The males also have peculiar Daucus carota sativa - shaped hooter , but like the anteater ’s scales , this strange trait has made them vulnerable to poachers .
Platypus
You ca n’t talk about wacky mammals without touching on the monotremes , and arguably the strange has to be theplatypus . With a duck - like bill , venomous spurred heel , and a fluffy , otter - like eubstance , it must ’ve taken humans a farseeing time to consider these animals were real when taxidermy specimens first traveled abroad .
Beyond their outward quirk , there ’s a luck to marvel at under the goon , too . Platypuses sweat milk , consist eggs , andglow in the dark . Perhaps the most creative thinker - boggling of all was the find that the platypus has10 sexuality chromosome : five wye and five X.
Echidna
Echidnas are astonishingly cute , being big balls of spines with long prig sticking out of the top . However , take a look underneath and matter get a piffling … unearthly .
The anteater has afour - fee peniswhich is for sure something to lay eyes on . Each of the four steer is able of surrender spermatozoan as well as urine , but remarkably only two of them are used per reproductive attempt . If you require us to pivot back to cute again , they alsoblow bubbles from their snootsto assuredness down . Nawww .
Naked mole rat
It ’s hard to imagine the word " cute " has ever accrue in the same condemnation as naked mole dirty dog , who – for all their evolutionary wonder – have a rather unfortunate , indicative appearance . Whatever your views on their bald , buck - toothed appearance , they are in truth singular creature .
up to ofreproducing throughout their entire lives , females have evolve tofeed their feces to unrelated malesto keep their infant good . They ’re the only cold - blooded mammals with remarkable longevity and never seem to get cancer . A 2020 report discovered that naked mole - rat cells are not inherently resistant to malignant neoplastic disease , but that the rodent ’s exemption from the disease must be due to “ a non - cell autonomous chemical mechanism , ” possibly call for an effective immune system reply to malignant neoplastic disease .
Muntjacs
Not an antelope this meter , but adeerwith a concealed endowment . If you came across a barking deer you might not think there was much noteworthy about them – that is , until they originate flapping their scent secreter .
A viral telecasting on TikTok shows thebizarrely flappy faces of muntjac deerin all their glandular marvel . While it might look like the facial anatomy dreamt up for James Cameron’sAvatar , they ’re actually an adjustment these animals have evolved to be able-bodied to perfume distinguish their way through the wild .
The flaring facial secretor of barking deer serve different purpose . The v - shaped frontal glands on the forehead are mostly used for perfume pit the environment , so muntjac will mostly keep them close unless they ’re rubbing their point on a tree trunk or branch . They will also flare their glands when excited , say if confront with a possible mate , or a weird - look hairless primate holding a cup of food .
Those sure are some horns.Image credit: Mikhail Gnatkovskiy / Shutterstock.com
male will use their flame nerve glands to scent chump more often than female , especially when in the company of other male muntjacs . They ’ll use them to mark the soil and other deer , and flap them open while pooping and piss . overnice .
Pink river dolphin
If the countersign “ pink dolphin ” are n’t enough to convince you that the Amazon ’s aquatic mammals are n’t utterly gonzo , perhaps the fact that they get pinker the more frantic they are will . These gonzo - notched whales lurk in the muddy body of water of the River Amazon , and they have a spicy fable to the boot .
It was once thought that the “ botos ” would change by reversal into better-looking humankind called “ boto encantado ” that would fare on land and seduce char . The shapeshifting dolphins were also believed to control storms , and be able to inflict insanity and unwellness on anyone who crosses them .
The true statement is , when it come to the world ’s weirdest mammals , these nine are just skimming the surface of the peculiar pool . What do you think is the humanity ’s weirdest mammal ?
Sweating milk, laying eggs, and having 10 sex chromosomes. Just another day in the life of a platypus.Image credit: Lukas Vejrik / Shutterstock.com
Like ducks, it’s all very cute until you find out about the penis.Image credit: Kima / Shutterstock.com
A face only a mother could love.Image credit: Neil Bromhall / Shutterstock.com
Behold, the pink river dolphin.Image credit: Coulanges / Shutterstock.com
