25 Bizarre Animals With Outrageous Body Proportions

Posted by , Updated on March 21, 2024

Typically, animals boast symmetrical and appealing exteriors, giving them an endearing and adorable allure. However, this isn’t always the case. We have previously shared several posts about some of the most unusual animals that inhabit our planet, and as such, you may already be aware that there are animal species that have extremely strange appearances. In today’s post, we’re showcasing eccentric animals with peculiar body proportions and structures. Ranging from a monkey with eyes as large as its brain to an oddly large-headed termite soldier, explore these 25 unique animals that certainly don’t have normal proportions.

Video
play-rounded-fill

25

Giraffe weevil

Giraffe weevilcommons.wikimedia.org

Endemic to Madagascar, it’s clear to see where the Giraffe weevil gets its name from. Males have markedly extended necks that can be several times their own body lengths. Measuring about 2.5 centimeters (1 inch), the giraffe weevil uses its prolonged neck for nest building and fighting

24

Chameleon

Chameleonen.wikipedia.org

Their ability to change colors and move their eyes independently already makes the chameleon a weird animal. However, there’s another bizarre anatomical feature that sets this lizard apart…it’s tongue.
Some species have tongues that reach lengths of up to 70 centimeters (28 inches) long, which can be up to twice the length of their own bodies.

23

Fiddler crab

Fiddler crabcommons.wikimedia.org

If there is an animal particularly known for its disproportional body, it is the fiddler crab. There are about a hundred different species of this little crab but they all share one typical characteristic – sexually dimorphic claws. While the female´s claws are both the same size, the male´s major claw is much larger than the other one. Males use the major claw for fighting.

22

Goblin sharks

Goblin Sharks

The Goblin shark is a particularly bizarre looking creature as is, however these deep-sea dwellers have a striking characteristic that makes them slightly freakier; their mouths. These sharks possess jaws that extend in order to capture pray. Some can even extend their jaws as far as the end of their snouts.

21

Sword-billed hummingbird

Sword-billed hummingbirden.wikipedia.org

Native to South America, the sword-billed hummingbird is found at higher elevations (mostly above 2500 meters or 8.200 feet). Its bill can reach over 10 centimeters (4 inches), which is just as long as and sometimes even longer than their body length. The tongue extends even further, allowing the bird to feed on any flower it encounters.

20

Hippopotamus

Hippopotamuscommons.wikimedia.org

Even if we ignore the hippopotamus´ enormous weight and robustness, there is still one thing that earns this enormous creature a place on our list; his teeth. The lower canines and lower incisors are enlarged, especially in males, and grow continuously with incisors reaching 40 centimeters (1.3 feet), while canines can grow up to 50 centimeters (1.6 feet) long.

19

Tarsier

Tarsieren.wikipedia.org

Found in the islands of Southeast Asia, Tarsiers are small haplorrhine primates. However, their eyes are anything but small. Each eyeball is approximately 16 millimeters (0.63 inches) in diameter, which is as large as its entire brain. Compared to the size of their body, tarsiers have one of the largest eyes in the animal kingdom.

18

Colossal squid

Colossal squiden.wikipedia.org

Tarsiers might have big eyes compared to their body size but their eyes are still far from being the largest among all animals. The Colossal squid, a giant mollusk reaching an impressive size of up to 14 meters (46 feet), is the proud owner of this primacy. The largest recorded eye of this animal species measured in at an incredible 27 centimeters (11 inches). Of all the creatures that have ever lived on Earth, only extinct ichthyosaurs are known to have had larger eyes.

17

Blue whale

Blue whaleen.wikipedia.com

Since the blue whale is the largest and heaviest existing animal ever, it’s not surprising that numerous organs and body parts of this marine mammal are considered the largest in the animal kingdom. However, there is one body part which is particularly large even for a creature of this enormous size. Blue whale´s tongue can weigh an unbelievable three tons.

16

Ribbon-tailed astrapia

Ribbon-tailed astrapiaen.wikipedia.org

Also known as Shaw Mayer’s astrapia, the ribbon-tailed astrapia is a species of bird-of-paradise endemic to Papua New Guinea. The bird is medium-sized, about 32 cm (13 inches) long but when their tails are included in their measurement, males can reach a size of over 1 meter (40 inches). With the bizarrely prolonged tail over three times the length of its body, the male ribbon-tailed astrapia has the longest tail feathers in relation to body size of any bird.

15

Musk deer

Musk deeren.wikipedia.org

Also known as the saber-toothed deer, the musk deer is another animal that is armed with weird teeth. Regarding the size or shape of its exposed canines, there’s really nothing that special about them…except for the fact that it’s a deer…deer’s aren’t supposed to have fangs! Native to Asian forests, these mammals use their extended fangs in mating disputes.

14

Narwhal

Narwhalcommons.wikimedia.org

But when it comes to bizarre forms of teeth, nothing compares to the narwhal. This medium-sized whale is famous for its long and sharp “spear” but in fact, it’s not a tusk, nor an antler, but a giant extended canine tooth! Reaching a length of up to over 3 meters (over 10 feet), the canine is used during territorial disputes and, occasionally, to break up ice in the whale’s arctic habitat.

13

Morgan's sphinx moth

Morgan's sphinx mothen.wikipedia.org

If you were asked what animal has the longest nose, you would probably say an elephant, and for the most part be correct. But when it comes to nose-to-body proportions, there are creatures that boast of much longer noses. For example, the Morgan’s sphinx moth, a very large hawk moth from East Africa, has a nose (proboscis) that can measure 28 cm (11 in) long, which is around three times the length of the moth’s body! Talk about being nosy!

12

Proboscis monkey

Proboscis monkeycommons.wikimedia.org

Speaking of weird noses, check out the Proboscis monkey. Endemic to the island of Borneo, this long-nosed monkey is a reddish-brown arboreal monkey species that co-exists with the Bornean orangutan. The nose is particularly remarkable in the male but even the nose of the female is still fairly large for a primate.

11

Snub-nosed monkey

Snub-nosed monkeywww.zoochat.com

While some monkeys have ridiculously large noses, others hardly have any. Native to Asia, the snub-nosed monkey is an arboreal monkey species easily recognized by the short stump of a nose on their round face. Inhabiting mountain forests up to a height of 4,000 m (over 13,000 feet), this monkey is rare and hasn’t yet been well studied.

10

Pelican eel

Pelican eelcommons.wikimedia.org

There are many animals that have strikingly large mouths but there is one creature that can easily surpass them all. Also known as gulper eel, the pelican eel is a deep-sea ray-finned fish characterized by an enormously large mouth.

9

Purple frog

Purple frogcommons.wikimedia.org

Most frogs are quite slender and nimble creatures, but there is one frog species whose body proportions more resemble those of a hippopotamus. Found in India, the purple frog has a robust, bloated and relatively rounded body, short pudgy legs, a small head and an unusual, pointed snout. When you add the weird purple color to this mix, you get an exceptionally bizarre animal.

8

Magnificent frigatebird

Magnificent frigatebirdcommons.wikimedia.org

Measuring 89–114 centimeters (35–45 in), the magnificent frigatebird is the largest species of frigatebird. Males have a striking red gular sac which they inflate to attract females.

7

Japanese spider crab

Japanese spider craben.wikipedia.org

With a body length of about 40 centimeters (16 inches) and extremely long legs, the Japanese spider crab has the greatest leg span of any arthropod, reaching an unbelievable 3.8 meters (12 feet) from claw to claw.

6

Hercules beetle

Hercules Beetleen.wikipedia.org

Aside from its incredible strength (able to lift more than 850 times their own weight) the Hercules beetle has a gigantic horn which can sometimes be longer than their own bodies!

5

Cantor's giant softshell turtle

Cantor's giant softshell turtleen.wikipedia.org

Native to south-east Asia, the Cantor´s giant softshell turtle is a species of large freshwater turtle characterized by a smooth, flat carapace. Able to reach a size of up to 2-meter (almost 7 feet) long, this turtle is an ambush predator feeding on crustaceans, mollusks and fish.

4

Bootlace worm

Bootlace wormen.wikipedia.org

As incredible as it sounds, the bootlace worm, a super thin creature usually reaching just a few millimeters in width, is one the longest animals that has ever lived on Earth. This thin worm has the ability to reach lengths of up to 55 meters (180 feet). That’s longer than the longest known Lion’s mane jellyfish (which is usually considered to be the longest animal in the world).

3

Macrotermes bellicosus

Macrotermes bellicosusm.inmagine.com

Macrotermes bellicosus is the largest termite species known to date with the queens measuring about 4.2 inches (110 mm) long; workers about 1.4 in (36 mm) and soldiers slightly larger than that. However, when it comes to proportional size, the soldier´s head is particularly large, accounting for up to half of its entire body length.

2

Slender salamander

Slender salamandercommons.wikimedia.org

While most of the animals on this list have body parts that are unusually large, the slender salamander is on the opposite extreme. Native to North America, these lungless amphibians are easily recognizable thanks to their strikingly small and short legs.

1

Frog-legged leaf beetle

Frog-legged leaf beetlewww.flickr.com

Speaking of legs, we should also mention an animal that boasts extremely large and powerful legs compared to its body. Found in the jungles of Southeast Asia, the frog-legged leaf beetle has enormous hind legs. But instead of jumping as the name suggests, males use these “superlegs” for leg-wrestling with other males.



SEE ALSO: 25 Mind-Bending Optical Illusions »

NOW WATCH:

video
play-rounded-fill