2008 Was The Year For The Weirdest Animals
This would be fun for all the animal lovers as right now we are going to reveal the ten weirdest creatures spotted in 2008 by the New Scientists. So what are we waiting for, lets get started with the list:-
Bone-breaking horror frog: A hairy frog was spotted by the scientist that damages its own bones in an effort to produce claws, thus it leads to punctured toe pads. This kind of behavior mostly occurs when the frog is threatened.
Solar-powered sea slug: The Elysia chlorotica, which is unique in itself, is actually an urid-green sea slug that feeds on algae and absorbs the chlorophyll. Moreover, this creature even steals some of the plant genes that allow it to survive on sunlight alone for over a year. The sea slug lives along the Atlantic seaboard of the US and has a gelatinous leaf-shaped body.
World’s smallest snake: The world's smallest snake is the Leptotyphlops carlae and was found by Blair Hedges, of Pennsylvania State University.
Sex-pest guppies: The small but conniving guppies use sexual harassment with the aim to invade and conquer another fish's territory and even maiming resident females. The guppies do this to suppress the native fish population, say the researchers.
Zombie caterpillars: This parasitoid wasp species is able to manipulate the behavior of the caterpillar. “The wasps larvae partially develop inside the caterpillar body and chemically cause the caterpillar to behave like a zombie bodyguards, along with some unnatural moves as well,” inform the researchers.
World’s only lungless frog: This is a little frog with big eyes and is called the Barbourula kalimantanensis. Amazingly, it has no lungs and gets all the oxygen it needs through its skin.
Self-sufficient goldmine bug: Candidatus Desulforudis audaxviator, which survives 2.8 kilometres down inside a goldmine, in 60 degrees Celsius water, completely isolated from the rest of the world, without light or oxygen is at the seventh spot of the weirdest creatures of 2008. It is for it’s this trait only that it is called "the bold traveler".
Electric fish that loves a shock: The elephant nose fish’s female species are enticed and attracted by the electric aura of their male counterparts. “They prefer them over the electric sparks of the other males of closely related species,” say the researchers.
One-tonne guinea pig: Who does not love a cute and cuddly guinea pig that can easily fit in your lap? But the Josephoartigasia monesi was a one-tonne rodent, which roamed South America 2 million years ago and is now extinct.
Newly discovered monkey already endangered: This species was however found in the 2008 in the north-western Amazonia. Sadly this species of monkey has already been listed as an endangered species.