zoology rocks

stumbled upon a link on a liberal blog
and guess what i found

the cutest and the nastiest.
all from WebEcoist (links here and here)

with titles like 20 Strange, Rare and Exotic Endangered Species and
7 Extraordinary Examples of Animal Camouflage
who could resist?

certainly not anyone who is supposed to be studying by now.

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Mexican Walking Fish

(Image via dillheady) The Mexican walking fish is on the verge of extinction. It’s a caecilian (more about that in a bit), and it lives in - where else? - the waters off Mexico. It’s also important because it will be the only cute animal in this entire post. Awww. It really is cute, isn’t it? It’s always nice to start things off gently. Digital foreplay, if you will.

Glass Frog

(Image via about:blank) The glass frog is endangered, as well. And absolutely stunning, so it would be a shame if we let it die out. Note the visible organs in this beautiful specimen. Unfortunately, with tropical rainforests in Central and South America threatened (in some places, the problem is actually worse than it was in previous decades), the glass frog may go extinct.

Honduran Ghost Bat

(Image via wonderful world of animals) The Honduran ghost bat is not officially endangered, but many American ecologists consider it to be threatened due to rainforest habitat destruction and climate change. It is unique, both for its tiny size (just a few centimeters) and its pale coloring.

Kagu

(Image via tropical birding) A rare New Zealand bird, not much is known about the enigmatic Kagu. It is flightless, though its wings are large; it is a forest-dweller, though its markings are oddly light in color. Very few remain and scientists know little about its preferences and habits. We do know that it possesses “nasal corns” unlike any other bird. For reasons unknown, the kagu also has one-third the red blood count of other birds. Scientists have had a difficult time classifying this rare and unusual bird.

Giant Water Bug

(Images via bug guide and time_one) The inspiration for Alien? The palm-sized giant water bug possesses a syringe-like tooth that bores into its prey, injects a toxic venom that liquefies the animal’s insides, and then…meat’s back on the menu! One of the favorite treats of Giant Water Bugs that live in the Amazon is the piranha. If that tells you anything. Why would we want something so bad ass to go extinct? It’s not like other animals are waiting around to eat piranhas.

Chinese Giant Salamander

(Images via xinhuanet and ZSL)Something tells us these giant salamanders were never called for in any witch’s recipe. Seriously, look at that thing! That lives under some people’s porches! The United States is also home to a giant salamander called the Hellbender, and it’s…well, the name fits. However, it is not as endangered as the shockingly strange-looking Chinese cousin. The Chinese giant salamander can grow to be nearly six feet long.

Dead Leaf Butterfly

(Image via conservationreport) The leaf butterflies look brilliant when their wings lay flat - they come in all manner of colors and shapes. But when their wings fold up they look like leaves - sometimes green, sometimes brown, as if fallen and dead. The likeness to a dead leaf is nothing short of remarkable. They live in forested, lush areas like New Guinea, southern Asia, Madagascar and India.

Malaysian Orchid Mantis

(Image via Daily Mail) The luxurious and seemingly fragile orchid is one of nature’s most revered blooms. In reality, it’s a rather hardy bromeliad, and there are thousands of different varieties. This Malaysian Orchid Mantis has cleverly adapted to resemble the striking white orchids of the region.

Leafy Sea Dragon

(Image via seahorse) Sea creatures are particularly fond of blending in. From nudibranchs to the octopus, from cuttlefish to many other brilliant fish, marine life has learned to hide. Future posts in this series will take you on an underwater journey to see these incredible animals, and here is another peek. The leafy sea dragon looks like a bunch of undulating undersea fronds or a stray kelp thicket.