Sometimes, I think humans can be very selfish. They act like the world belongs to them and barely care that so many species live here. Our animal kingdom is vast, and this planet is their home, too. It really makes me wish they could make decisions about how the world works.
Unlike humans, they are so one with nature. Also, they can be incredibly adorable and fascinating at the same time. Well, the “Awwducational” community on Reddit posts pictures of these cute creatures and even shares mind-blowing information about them. We have put together our favorites. Just scroll down for endearing pics and quick facts!
#1
The Yeti Crab: this crustacean lives around hydrothermal vents located deep in the waters of the Pacific Ocean, and it feeds on the colonies of bacteria that grow on the “hair” covering its legs.
Image source: SixteenSeveredHands
#2
This is the striped pyjama squid. It is native to the Indo-Pacific Ocean, mostly around Australia. It may look adorable, but don’t touch! It bites when threatened, and it’s venom contains tetrodoxin, the same neurotoxin in the venom of it’s very distant cousin, the blue ringed octopus.
Image source: theportraitssecret
#3
Rainbow lorikeets travel in nomadic flocks, following the flowering of trees — using their brush-tipped tongues to feed on nectar and pollen. At night, they roost communally, perching close together and occasionally hanging upside down or lying on their backs, feet in the air.
Image source: IdyllicSafeguard
#4
Emperor penguins have officially been declared at risk of extinction by the IUCN. This is because the ice they rely on to hatch and raise their chicks is melting, leading to colony collapse.
Image source: Quouar
#5
The raccoon dog isn’t a raccoon at all — it’s a canid, more closely related to foxes. It’s the only member of the dog family that hibernates, able to put on 50% of its body weight in fat reserves as winter approaches, before snuggling down in its den, often with its partner.
Image source: IdyllicSafeguard
#6
Present-day sled dog breeds and their cold-climate adaptations stem from a common ancient Arctic ancestor that diverged from other dog lineages more than 9,500 years ago in Northeast Asia. Greenland sled dogs don’t share much DNA with wolves, despite a reputation for having been interbred.
Image source: MistWeaver80
#7
Fishing cats have been observed in the wild “fishing” at the edges of bodies of water. They appear to scoop their prey from the depths of the water and have also been observed playing with fish in shallow water.
Image source: MistWeaver80
#8
Baby Horseshoe Crabs: these eggs contain tiny horseshoe crab embryos; the hatchlings typically emerge after 2-4 weeks, but it takes another 10 years for them to mature into adults.
Image source: SixteenSeveredHands
#9
This is the rock hyrax! It’s native to sub-Saharan Africa. Despite it’s rodent-like appearance, it’s actually one of the closest living relatives of elephants.
Image source: theportraitssecret
#10
The Armadillo Girdled Lizard: when this lizard feels threatened, it curls its body into a loop and tucks its tail into its mouth, shielding itself with the bony plates on its back; unlike most lizards, this species also gives birth to live young, and it usually produces just one offspring per year.
Image source: SixteenSeveredHands
#11
Seals are one of the few mammals that can hear equally well on land and in water. This is because their ears are filled with cavernous tissue, a spongy tissue that fills with blood as the seal dives, allowing them to conduct sounds to their middle ears while underwater.
Image source: Quouar
#12
The Teddy Bear Crab: this crab carries a pair of sea anemones in its claws wherever it goes, using the venomous creatures to defend itself from predators.
Image source: SixteenSeveredHands
#13
The Red Handfish: this fish has no swim bladder, so it uses hand-shaped fins to crawl along the seafloor instead, and it’s one of the world’s most endangered fishes, with fewer than 100 individuals remaining.
Image source: SixteenSeveredHands
#14
The Spectacled Salamander: when threatened, this salamander will often curl its body into a defensive position that displays the aposomatic markings on the underside of its tail and legs.
Image source: SixteenSeveredHands
#15
Springtails: these insect-like creatures are often as small as a grain of sand, and they can evade predators by catapulting themselves into the air while their bodies rotate up to 500 times per second.
Image source: SixteenSeveredHands
#16
The pig-nosed turtle is the sole surviving species in its family. It lives in the rivers of northern Australia and southern New Guinea, using its pig-like nose to “snorkel” without exposing the rest of its body.
Image source: IdyllicSafeguard
#17
Jaguarundis are known as very secretive animals & have well developed senses of sight, hearing, and smell. They are terrestrial but are also good climbers and swimmers.
Image source: MistWeaver80
#18
Dida the magnificent “super tusker” matriarch was successfully protected from poachers and found to have passed naturally in her 60s.
Image source: Redqueenhypo
#19
There are less than 250 kākāpō left in the wild. However, this year, the kākāpō are having a breeding frenzy due to an abundance of their favourite food – rimu berries.
Image source: Quouar
#20
After being hunted to extinction 400 years ago, beavers are being reintroduced in the United Kingdom as a solution to flooding due to climate change. The beavers’ presence has also brought back other rare and endangered species.
Image source: Quouar
#21
Velvet Worms: these cute little creatures are actually ferocious predators that capture their prey with a quick-drying adhesive known as the “silly string of demise”.
Image source: SixteenSeveredHands
#22
The Irish Moiled is the only surviving breed of livestock native to northern Ireland. They’re known for being able to thrive off of a diet of low quality pasture.
Image source: Modern-Moo
#23
This is the Devil’s Hole pupfish. It’s native to the United States. They’re found only in the water filled cave system that gives them their name, and extensive efforts have been made to preserve them.
Image source: theportraitssecret
#24
Bare-throated bellbird. The male has one of the loudest calls of any bird—a sharp sound like that of a hammer striking an anvil or a bell, and It might takes a long time for young males to learn & perfect the call.
Image source: MistWeaver80
#25
Fairy Bees: these tiny bees can measure less than 2mm long; the photo on top shows a fairy bee standing on a quarter, while the photo on the bottom shows a fairy bee next to a carpenter bee.
Image source: SixteenSeveredHands
#26
Leopardus Tilcayo is the first new cat species discovered since the Pampas cat in 1923. It lives in the Yungas forest region of Bolivia, but very little else is known about it.
Image source: Quouar
#27
Slipper Lobster Larvae: these creatures are almost entirely transparent, and they have thin, flattened bodies that look like flakes of ice; they often obtain food, transportation, and/or defense by clinging to the tops of jellyfish and sinophores.
Image source: SixteenSeveredHands
#28
The Sea Mouse: this marine worm’s body is fringed by photonic crystals that emit colorful displays of light; each crystal is essentially a hollow, glassy tube with a wall composed of 88 perfectly hexagonal cylinders.
Image source: SixteenSeveredHands
#29
Lerp Psyllids: these tiny insects feed on plant sap and then use the expelled sugar to construct protective barriers around themselves.
Image source: SixteenSeveredHands
#30
Shell-Nesting Mason Bees: these bees build their nests in empty snail shells, using crushed leaves and soil to form the inner brood chambers and then sealing the entrance with plant pulp, pebbles, and debris.
Image source: SixteenSeveredHands
#31
Bison are being reintroduced into Cuenca Los Ojos, a nature preserve along the US-Mexico border. There, they will be key to restoring a natural landscape. Their dung and fur carry grass seeds, their grazing creates habitats for birds, and their bodies provide nutrients for scavengers and the soil.
Image source: Quouar
#32
Australian Resin-Pot Bees: these solitary bees build nesting capsules out of resin, often suspending the capsules from twigs and tree bark.
Image source: SixteenSeveredHands
#33
Meet the maned wolf. Even though it’s called a maned wolf, it isn’t actually a true wolf. It’s its own unique species that lives in South America, mostly in open grasslands and those long legs help it walk easily through tall grass and plants.
Image source: Quirkypine
#34
The capuchinbird is named for its resemblance to Capuchin monks/friars, with the brown plumage around its bald head looking like the monks’ hooded robes.
Image source: IdyllicSafeguard
#35
In 70% of bird species, female birds sing, including alongside males in mating rituals. Males and females sometimes make completely different sounds, making it possible to distinguish between them just by listening. However, despite this, only.03% of archived sounds are labelled as female.
Image source: Quouar
#36
Gall wasps produce a chemical that triggers abnormal cell growth in plants, causing the plants to grow these strange-looking structures around the wasp’s larvae; the structures then provide both shelter and sustenance for the larvae until they reach maturity.
Image source: SixteenSeveredHands
#37
Hedgehogs do something called “self-anointing.” When they encounter a new or strong smell (a strange food, another animal’s scent, even a strong-smelling plant) they’ll chew it up, work it into a frothy saliva, and then twist around to spread that foam all over their own spines with their tongue.
Image source: FillsYourNiche
#38
The white-tipped sicklebill uses its extremely decurved bill to reach inside sharply curved flowers, allowing it to drink nectar other nectarivores cannot reach. It is also a ‘trapliner’ — repeating the same foraging circuits, visiting favourite flowers along its particular route.
Image source: IdyllicSafeguard
#39
When great kiskadees sleep, their vocal muscles twitch in much the same way a dog’s paws twitch while they sleep. Scientists believe they may be practicing songs or re-enacting fights over territory.
Image source: Quouar
#40
The Nova Scotia duck tolling retriever is one of four native Canadian dog breeds. They help hunt ducks by playing and fetching sticks at the water’s edge while wagging their tails. When the ducks come close to see what’s going on, hunters catch the ducks.
Image source: Quouar
#41
Some geese – like the snow goose – can fly 1000 miles without stopping as they migrate between their winter and summer homes.
Image source: Quouar
#42
Quenda have a rear-opening pouch to prevent dirt from entering. They have a gestation period of approximately 15 days and weaning takes around 60 days.
Image source: flippingtimmy
#43
Siberian Whiskered Bats: these bats can live to be more than 40 years old, which makes this the longest-living bat species in the world.
Image source: SixteenSeveredHands
#44
Teddy Bear Bees: these enormous bees can measure up to 26mm (roughly 1 inch) long, and the males are covered in thick, golden “fur” that makes them look like flying teddy bears.
Image source: SixteenSeveredHands
#45
Baeus Wasps: these strange little wasps have flea-like bodies that measure roughly 0.8mm long, which is smaller than a grain of sand, and the females are wingless.
Image source: SixteenSeveredHands
#46
Sunflower stars are a critically endangered species of sea star. They are vital to preserving the health of kelp fields off the coast of Oregon by eating over a dozen sea urchins a day. In captivity, they enjoy cuddling with tankmates.
Image source: Quouar
#47
The lion has lost a majority of its previous range. Once being native to most of southern Eurasia and Africa now it’s only found in sparse parts of Africa and India.
Image source: ConcolorCanine
#48
Elysia viridis: this sea slug engages in photosynthesis by “stealing” chloroplasts from algae and then incorporating those cells into its own body, where they continue to photosynthesize, allowing the sea slug to survive without food for months at a time.
Image source: SixteenSeveredHands
#49
Bee Hummingbirds: these are the smallest birds in the world, with males measuring up to 5.5cm long and weighing an average of just 1.95 grams, which is less than the weight of a dime.
Image source: SixteenSeveredHands
#50
Solenostomus snuffleupagus is a newly discovered species of ghost pipefish. It is highly carnivorous and disguises itself as red algae to hunt its prey. Its existence and range were confirmed partly through citizen science apps like iNaturalist.
Image source: Quouar
#51
Emperor penguins are the deepest-diving birds on Earth. They can plunge to depths exceeding 500 meters, with the deepest recorded dive reaching an incredible 565 meters!
Image source: FillsYourNiche
#52
In the early 1990s, there were fewer than 2000 Indian rhinoceroses left in the wild. However, through careful conservation efforts, that number has more than doubled to the point where they have now become a bit of a pest in some parts of rural Nepal.
Image source: Quouar
#53
Chimpanzees may get the equivalent of one or two drinks worth of alcohol when they eat fermented fruit as part of their natural browsing.
Image source: Quouar
#54
This is the Irukandji jellyfish. It’s native to the Pacific Ocean, specifically around Australia. Not only is it the world’s smallest jellyfish, but also one of the most venomous, and can be near impossible to spot due to being translucent.
Image source: theportraitssecret
#55
The ears of a Black-Tailed Jackrabbit, Lepus californicus, can measure up to 13 cm long, about 20% of the animal’s entire body length. (Photo Credit: Scott Rheam).
Image source: ExoticShock
#56
Scientists sometimes call Polar Bears “Lipovores” because their main source of calories comes from marine fat/blubber. They assimilate the majority of it directly into their own body fat & don’t digest carbohydrates or proteins as well as Brown Bears do.
Image source: ExoticShock
#57
Tūī have two voice boxes, allowing them to two different sounds at the same time. They use this to incorporate a range of sounds into their songs, including human speech.
Image source: Quouar
#58
Olona Slug-Moth Caterpillars: these caterpillars are covered in soft, semi-transparent nodules that easily detach, allowing the larvae to escape from predators.
Image source: SixteenSeveredHands
#59
Black-capped chickadees have exceptional spatial memory for a bird their size. They hide thousands of individual seeds across their territory every fall and can remember the locations of most of them months later.
Image source: FillsYourNiche
#60
The saola — often called the “Asian unicorn” — is endemic to the Annamite Mountains of Laos and Vietnam. Discovered by science in 1992, it has never been directly observed alive by researchers in the wild and may number fewer than 100 individuals.
Image source: IdyllicSafeguard
#61
The star-nosed mole is the fastest eater on Earth. It hunts by slamming its nose against the soil up to 12 times a second. When it finds prey, it can identify and eat it in about 120 milliseconds, faster than the human eye can even process the motion.
Image source: FillsYourNiche
#62
Pīwakawakas have a zigzagging, “drunken” flight pattern. This is because they use their fan-shaped tail to change direction quickly while chasing birds. However, Māori belief holds that pīwakawakas fly the way they do because, after laughing at Maui, Maui crushed pīwakawaka in his fist.
Image source: Quouar
#63
Danionella cerebrum was first identified as its own species in 2021. It has transparent skin and is missing the top half of its skull, making it ideal for scientists wanting to study how brains work.
Image source: Quouar
#64
The Camouflaged Looper: this caterpillar creates its own camouflage using flower petals and foliage from the plants that it feeds upon, “gluing” the pieces onto its body with silk; when the caterpillar moves to a new host plant, it adjusts the disguise to match its new surroundings.
Image source: SixteenSeveredHands
#65
Spittlebugs hide in “spit” to stay cool, moist, and safe from predators. While most plant feeders feed on the sugar rich phloem, these little guys feed on xylem. It’s still got sugar but the excess water allows them to excrete this foam, creating a bubble house.
Image source: FillsYourNiche
#66
Mirror-Ball Spiders: these spiders are covered in shimmering, mirror-like panels that can shrink or expand; the panels are produced by a digestive secretion known as guanine, which seeps into the lining of the spider’s gut and forms crystalline structures just beneath the surface of the abdomen.
Image source: SixteenSeveredHands
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