These Weird Mammals Will Make You Do a Double Take

Here is your chance to get to know some of the most unusual, weird mammals on the planet.

24 Weird Mammals That’ll Make You Do a Double Take

With more than 6,400 mammal species on Earth, we can’t possibly know them all. While some are adorable, others look like they were cobbled together from different animals.

You may find some in a zoo, but most are endangered and will never be in captivity. Here is your chance to get to know some of the most unusual, weird mammals on the planet.

Narwhal

Average weight: 1.5 tons

Average height: 17 feet

Most commonly found in: The Arctic ocean, near Canada, Greenland, Norway and Russia

What Makes the Narwhal So Weird

These strange whales, dubbed “unicorns of the sea” are best known for their long, spiral tusks or teeth. These are predominantly seen in male narwhals; they can have more than one, and they grow up to 9-feet long.

Some scientists believe these protrusions are used to show dominance by “jousting.” Others think they are used to stun fish and assess their environment by sensing the temperature and salinity of the water.

Platypus

Average weight: 3 pounds

Average length: 5 inches

Most commonly found in: Australia

What Makes the Platypus So Weird

The platypus was first thought by those who discovered it to be a mix of several different species. It has a duck’s bill, a beaver’s tail and — on top of everything else — it even lays eggs.

It also has the distinction of being one of the world’s only venomous mammals. The platypus protects itself with sharp stingers on its hind feet by kicking its predators and propels itself in water to hunt for worm, insect and shellfish delicacies.

Proboscis Monkey

Average weight: Up tp 50 pounds

Average height: 24 to 28 inches

Most commonly found in: Borneo

What Makes the Proboscis Monkey So Weird

There is little information on the proboscis monkey; in fact, no fossilized remains have ever been found. Males exhibit the big nose that makes this monkey stand out from the rest of the primate world, but both sexes have webbed feet, which they use for swimming great distances.

This social animal lives in the trees with families of two to 30. Due to the destruction of their habit, they are critically endangered with only a few hundred left in the wild.

Chinese Water Deer

Average weight: 20-31 pounds

Average height: 2.5 to 3.3 feet

Most commonly found in: China and Korea

What Makes the Chinese Water Deer So Weird

Also known as the “vampire deer” due to its fangs, Chinese water deer are herbivores, so it’s a mystery as to why they have fangs. Unlike other deer, this species does not have antlers.

They are solitary animals and avoid predators as much as possible although they do show aggression toward their own kind and are quite territorial, particularly during mating season.

Naked Mole Rat

Average weight: 1 to 1.5 ounces

Average length: 3 inches

Most commonly found in: Eastern Africa

What Makes the Naked Mole Rat So Weird

Naked mole rats can live up to 30 years traversing underground burrows and tunnels. They have no ears and can barely see, so they communicate primarily through smell and touch, meaning they are more sensitive to vibrations and air currents.

There is only one female breeder in each colony, which can sometimes have up to 300 mole rats. Workers raise their siblings under one queen, who may hold that title for years. Upon her demise, other females may fight to the death for that title.

Culogo

Average weight: 2.2 to 4.4 pounds

Average length: 14 to 16 inches

Most commonly found in: Southeast Asia and the Philippine Islands.

What Makes the Culogo So Weird

The culogo looks like a lemur, acts like a flying squirrel and is a member of the primate family. These solitary animals inhabit tropical rainforests where they spend their days snoozing in hollow trees or hanging from branches.

At night, they forage by gliding from tree to tree and also spend time looking for mates and protecting their territory. They are the stealthiest of all the gliding animals, but they are very poor climbers.

Etruscan Shrew

Average weight: 0.046 to 0.088 ounces

Average height: 0.063 ounces

Most commonly found in: Europe and North Africa, from Malaysia to the Maltese islands

What Makes the Etruscan Shrew So Weird

In terms of mass, the Etruscan shrew is the world's smallest mammal. These solitary, nocturnal animals have an extremely high metabolism and are always on the move. Their sight is poor, and they rely on their sense of touch to locate food — in fact, they can even run right into their prey.

They feed on insects, earthworms, larvae, various amphibians, lizards and rodents, which are sometimes the same size! Their largest threat is from farming and climate change.

Pink Fairy Armadillo

Average weight: 4 ounces

Average height: 3.5 inches

Most commonly found in: South America

What Makes the Pink Fairy Armadillo So Weird

The adorable pink fairy armadillo is called the “sand swimmer” because it is a pro in navigating underground burrows. It is the only armadillo whose outer shell is not fully attached to its body.

Humans have tried to keep them in captivity, but they do not live long, as they are stressed easily and can’t adapt to an artificial diet. Climate change and dogs are additional threats to this tiny pink creature.

Capybara

Average weight: 60 to 174 pounds

Average height: 20 inches to shoulder

Most commonly found in: Central and South America

What Makes the Capybara So Weird

Found in Panama, Colombia, Venezuela, Guyana, Peru, Brazil, Paraguay, Northeast Argentina and Uruguay, these giant rodents are closely related to guinea pigs and rock cavies. Capys have a semi-aquatic lifestyle, which allows them to escape from threats such as anacondas, wild cats and eagles.

They can stay underwater for up to five minutes, which is a pretty amazing feat for an animal that can weigh as much as an adult human. These social rodents even allow other species to ride around on their backs.

Pygmy Jerboa

Average weight: Less than an ounce

Average height: 1.7 inches

Most commonly found in: Pakistan and Afghanistan

What Makes the Pygmy Jerboa So Weird

The smallest rodent on earth lives primarily in the sand dunes and deserts of the Middle East. The disproportionate pygmy jerboa is smaller than its tail, which can be up to 3-inches long.

When it stands, it looks like a tiny kangaroo with a cotton-ball body and large feet, which can propel it several feet into the air. They are banned from being owned as pets in the U.S. but do have human owners around the world.

Lowland Streaked Tenrec

Average weight: 4.4 to 9.9 ounces

Average length: 5.5 inches

Most commonly found in: Madagascar

What Makes the Lowland Streaked Tenrec So Weird

These odd animals are kind of a cross between a shrew and a hedgehog and live largely in scrublands and rainforests. The lowland streaked tenrec is vermivorous, meaning it lives on a diet of worms and insects and is an important part of the ecosystem, as it helps control those pests.

The tenec is the only mammal to practice stridulation, which means it rubs parts of its body together to make sounds. When threatened it uses tongue-clicking and bounces when touched to thrust its quills into potential predators.

Giant Anteater

Average weight: 60 and 100 pounds

Average length: 6 to 8 feet

Most commonly found in: Central and South America

What Makes the Giant Anteater So Weird

Giant anteaters have long snouts and highly developed senses of smell, which helps them target ants and termites from farther away. When they find what they’re looking for, they rip apart the insect’s nest with their powerful claws, but only consume 140 insects at a single meal.

These solitary animals avoid people and most predators, but when they need to defend themselves, they stand up with the help of their tails and use their claws to injure or kill an adversary.

Echidna

Average weight: 14 to 30 inches

Average height: 5.5 to 22 pounds

Most commonly found in: Australia, Tasmania and New Guinea

What Makes the Echidna So Weird

Also called the spiny anteater, the echidna is an animal that scientists are still mystified by. It has remained virtually unchanged since prehistoric times. Like the platypus, it also lays eggs.

Baby echidnas are called “puggles” and feed differently than other mammal babies, as their mothers do not have nipples; they get their milk from glands in their mother’s pouch. Echidna can live up to 60 years in captivity.

Solenodon

Average weight: 1.8 to 2.4 pounds

Average length: 11 to 15 inches

Most commonly found in: Cuba and Hispaniola (Dominican Republic)

What Makes the Solenodon So Weird

Solenodons were found everywhere in North America 30 million years ago, but their habitat has been greatly reduced to just two places. The Hispaniolan species has a flexible snout that allows it to get into narrow crevices when looking for food and prey.

Solenodons do not have a discerning palate — whatever they find they eat, including insects, worms, fruits, roots, vegetables and vertebrates. They are one of a few venomous mammals and bite like snakes to stun and capture their prey.

Malayan Tapir

Average weight: 550 to 704 pounds

Average height: Up to 3.5-feet tall

Most commonly found in: Southern Thailand, Southern Myanmar, the Malayan Peninsula and Sumatra

What Makes the Malayan Tapir So Weird

Of the five living species of tapir, the Malayan (or Asian) tapir is the largest. It is also the only old-world tapir species to survive and looks much the same as it did in prehistoric times. The Malayan, an herbivore, lives in small, isolated forest areas where its black and white color breaks up the outline of its body for camouflage.

Due to its size, it doesn’t have many natural predators, but it is endangered due to habitat destruction and hunting (as it is sometimes used as a food source), despite having protected status.

Hairy Eared Dwarf Lemur

Average weight: 3.5 ounces

Average length: 12 inches

Most commonly found in: Madagascar

What Makes the Hairy Eared Dwarf Lemur So Weird

The hairy eared dwarf lemur was thought to be extinct since it hadn’t been seen for almost a century. It was rediscovered in 1989 when it was declared critically endangered. It has since moved up to endangered because more of the species were discovered in 1996, and there are between 100 and 1,000 left.

There is not much known about this animal — its diet and mating habits are a mystery. Scientists do know, however, that they are social animals, as they are usually found in pairs with as many as six seen at one time.

Northern Hairy Nosed Wombat

Average weight: 55 to 88 pounds

Average height: 10 to 14 inches

Most commonly found in: Australia

What Makes the Northern Hairy Nosed Wombat So Weird

The largest of all the wombat species, the Northern Hairy Nosed (NHN) wombat calls only two locations in the world home — Epping Forest National Park and the Richard Underwood Nature Refuge. Only about 200 remain, but this is good news, as they were down to just 35 in the 1980s.

The NHN is the largest burrowing herbivore; it lives deep underground and is rarely seen by humans. In the wild, they live up to 26 years, nearly twice as long as the other wombat species. And yes, like other wombats, their feces are square!

Ganges River Dolphin

Average weight: 330 pounds

Average height: 8 feet

Most commonly found in: India, Nepal and Bangladesh

What Makes the Ganges River Dolphin So Weird

Officially discovered in 1801, this freshwater dolphin currently resides in the waters around the Eastern Himalayas. Mostly blind, it locates its prey by emitting ultrasonic noise, which bounces off ocean life and enables it to “visualize” where its next meal is.

The Ganges River dolphin travels alone or in small groups. It gives birth just once every two to three years, and every calf is essential, as their numbers are an actual indicator of the health of the river system they live in.

Bactrian Camel

Average weight: 990 to 1,100 pounds

Average height: 5.2- to 5.9-feet tall at the shoulder

Most commonly found in: Central Asia, from Afghanistan to China

What Makes the Bacctrian Camel So Weird

The Bactrian camel can handle just about anything and survive — it can withstand lengthy droughts, food shortages and radiation from the testing of nuclear weapons. They can even drink salt water and not get sick!

Unfortunately, humans are their kryptonite — there are only about a thousand left, and they are threatened by hunting, the loss of their habitat and farming practices.

Red Panda

Average weight: 8 to 17 pounds

Average height: 22 to 24.6 inches

Most commonly found in: China, Nepal and Bhutan

What Makes the Red Panda So Weird

Although the red panda is related to the giant panda, they look nothing alike. The red panda looks more like a fox and is about the size of a housecat. It lives in the trees of the Eastern Himalayas, where it uses its thick tail to balance itself and protect it from the elements in winter.

Contrary to popular belief, the red panda is not a bear — the word “panda” comes from the Nepali word “ponya,” which means "bamboo eater” or “bamboo footed." It is the only living member of the Ailuridae family.

Gilbert’s Potoroo

Average weight: 3.5 pounds

Average height: 14 inches

Most commonly found in: Australia

What Makes the Gilbert’s Potoroo So Weird

The Gilbert’s Potoroo was thought to be extinct for decades and surprised the scientific community when it reappeared in Two Peoples Bay Nature Reserve in Western Australia 1994. There are thought to be about 100 of the animals currently living in the nature reserve and in other safe areas where they have no predators.

The smallest member of the kangaroo family, they are about the size of a rabbit and sometimes mistaken for other animals, like the quokka or the quenda.

Blue Whale

Average weight: 200 tons

Average height: 1,000-feet long

Most commonly found in: All oceans except the Arctic

What Makes the Blue Whale So Weird

The blue whale has the distinction of being the largest animal on Earth in any classification. It is also the loudest animal in the ocean, and when conditions are right, blue whales can hear each other from a thousand miles away.

They were plentiful until the beginning of the 20th century, which is when whaling became a lucrative industry and over 350,000 of the whales were killed. In 1967, they became a protected species, and their populations have since increased to 25,000.

Koala

Average weight: 9 to 19 pounds

Average height: 2 to 3 feet

Most commonly found in: Australia

What Makes the Koala So Weird

“Koala bear” is a misnomer. These adorable animals are not members of the bear family — they have more in common with marsupials than any other mammal. They live in trees along the Queensland, New South Wales, South Australia and Victoria coastines, and their numbers recently took a big hit due to recent wildfires. The Australian Koala Foundation estimates that there are between 43,000 and 100,000 koalas still in the wild.

Koalas are generally nocturnal, but they nevertheless sleep from 18 to 20 hours per day. It must take plenty of energy to digest those eucalyptus leaves.

Javan Rhinoceros

Average weight: 2,000 to 5,060 pounds

Average height: 10 to 10.5 feet

Most commonly found in: Indonesia

What Makes the Javan Rhinoceros So Weird

Javans were once the most populous rhino on Earth, roaming Java, Sumatra, Southeast Asia, India and China. The rarest of all rhinos, there are less than 70 currently living in the wild, which puts them in the critically endangered category. This solitary animal has no predators outside of humans, who have caused its numbers to go down due to poaching.

Javans can live up to 45 years and generally stay out of sight — so much so that scientists know little about them and can only glean information via camera traps and fecal samples.