"most people know of an elephant's strength or an eagle's great eyesight. Here's a spotlight to some lesser-known creatures of the animal kingdom."--Nyla Gill
There’s many amazing animals already given the spotlight for their amazing natural talents. Everyone knows of an elephants strength or an eagles great eyesight, but this article is going to give a spotlight to some lesser known creatures of the animal kingdom. From shape-shifting to a creature that makes its own claws, here are 6 underrated creatures with mind-blowing powers!
1. Sea Cucumber: Shape shifting!
To start off our list we’ll look at the sea cucumber’s amazing ability to “shapeshift”. Sea cucumbers have mutable collagenous tissue, which allows them to alter the stiffness of their body. Normally the collagen in our bodies that’s used to form our bones can only change over the course several days. But in minutes this echinoderm has the ability to embody the textures of jelly or bricks as a defense mechanism against predators!
To start off our list we’ll look at the sea cucumber’s amazing ability to “shapeshift”. Sea cucumbers have mutable collagenous tissue, which allows them to alter the stiffness of their body. Normally the collagen in our bodies that’s used to form our bones can only change over the course several days. But in minutes this echinoderm has the ability to embody the textures of jelly or bricks as a defense mechanism against predators!
2.Wolverine Frog: Bone Claws!
Just like the stoic anti hero it’s named after, the wolverine frog has the ability to push it’s bones out of it’s body as claws. If the wolverine frog even feels threatened it won’t hesitate to break it’s own bones and pierce them through their toes as claws. It’s also known as the hairy frog because when breeding, males grow ‘hair-like’ strands of arteries and skin outside their body.
Just like the stoic anti hero it’s named after, the wolverine frog has the ability to push it’s bones out of it’s body as claws. If the wolverine frog even feels threatened it won’t hesitate to break it’s own bones and pierce them through their toes as claws. It’s also known as the hairy frog because when breeding, males grow ‘hair-like’ strands of arteries and skin outside their body.
3.Mantis Shrimp: Super Vision
Our next animal is the fierce vibrant mantis shrimp and their spectacular eyesight. Mantis shrimp have very specialized set of compound eyes that are capable of seeing distant vision, the polarization of light (moving sound waves), and ultraviolet light. Mantis shrimp are able to see eight colors of visible light instead of the three primary colors humans are limited to! It’s not just their visual capabilities that make them astounding. Mantis shrimp also deliver a fast punch the speed of a bullet! Their limbs can fling out at about 50 mph.
Our next animal is the fierce vibrant mantis shrimp and their spectacular eyesight. Mantis shrimp have very specialized set of compound eyes that are capable of seeing distant vision, the polarization of light (moving sound waves), and ultraviolet light. Mantis shrimp are able to see eight colors of visible light instead of the three primary colors humans are limited to! It’s not just their visual capabilities that make them astounding. Mantis shrimp also deliver a fast punch the speed of a bullet! Their limbs can fling out at about 50 mph.
4.Naked Mole Rat: Cancer and Pain Resistant!
You may recognize this beautiful hairless creature from Kim Possible. Rufus, the naked mole rat possessed quite a magnificent super power that scientists are still trying to understand this day. Most naked mole rats are resistant to cancer due to the extracellular matrix in their tissues that prevents cancer cells from growing. They also have a high tolerance to pain, being able to use sensory nerves in their body to register too high temperatures as regular painless temperatures. Their TrkA receptor allows them to be unbothered by thermal hyperalgesia, which is a heightened sensitivity to extreme temperatures. Naked mole rats can do things such as walk across stimuli like hot chili peppers, which would typically harm other animals.
You may recognize this beautiful hairless creature from Kim Possible. Rufus, the naked mole rat possessed quite a magnificent super power that scientists are still trying to understand this day. Most naked mole rats are resistant to cancer due to the extracellular matrix in their tissues that prevents cancer cells from growing. They also have a high tolerance to pain, being able to use sensory nerves in their body to register too high temperatures as regular painless temperatures. Their TrkA receptor allows them to be unbothered by thermal hyperalgesia, which is a heightened sensitivity to extreme temperatures. Naked mole rats can do things such as walk across stimuli like hot chili peppers, which would typically harm other animals.
5. Axolotl:Super Healing!
This Mexican salamander take the appearance of the baby form of a monster(it’s forever stuck in it’s aquatic juvenile stage) but it does has the amazing monster-like ability of regeneration! It’s true that many other amphibians can regenerate their limbs and tail, but axolotls take this a step further; being capable of growing back almost any lost or injured parts of their body-from skin and limbs to their spinal cord and organs. Even pieces of their heart can be restored after being removed! Although these invincible guys can recover from almost any bodily harm without scarring, axolotls are endangered due to pollution and introducing of new fish species. Most axolotls today live in laboratories for research instead of their natural habitat at the Mexican Basin.
This Mexican salamander take the appearance of the baby form of a monster(it’s forever stuck in it’s aquatic juvenile stage) but it does has the amazing monster-like ability of regeneration! It’s true that many other amphibians can regenerate their limbs and tail, but axolotls take this a step further; being capable of growing back almost any lost or injured parts of their body-from skin and limbs to their spinal cord and organs. Even pieces of their heart can be restored after being removed! Although these invincible guys can recover from almost any bodily harm without scarring, axolotls are endangered due to pollution and introducing of new fish species. Most axolotls today live in laboratories for research instead of their natural habitat at the Mexican Basin.
6. Turritopsis Jellyfish: Rebirth
Jellyfish are elegant gentle creatures known for their graceful floating and mushroom like appearance. However this species should also be known for they’re extraordinary life process. The Turritopsis dohrnii is a fingernail sized, red-stomached jelly with the nickname “Immortal Jellyfish”. Their super power is being able to reset the clock and take a step back in their developmental process. In the face any threat, these jellyfish make themselves a young polyp again, and rebirth themselves to the identical medusae they were as an injured adult. Why not end this list with a creatures that never dies!
Jellyfish are elegant gentle creatures known for their graceful floating and mushroom like appearance. However this species should also be known for they’re extraordinary life process. The Turritopsis dohrnii is a fingernail sized, red-stomached jelly with the nickname “Immortal Jellyfish”. Their super power is being able to reset the clock and take a step back in their developmental process. In the face any threat, these jellyfish make themselves a young polyp again, and rebirth themselves to the identical medusae they were as an injured adult. Why not end this list with a creatures that never dies!
Bonus bacteria: "Eating" Lightning
After all of our outstanding animals we have one more bonus bacteria that made the list. This microbe has a strict diet of only consuming and converting the energy of electrons, so it essentially survives on nothing but pure electricity. They reside in muddy seabeds and “feast” on electrodes within the sediment using their microbial nanowires.
After all of our outstanding animals we have one more bonus bacteria that made the list. This microbe has a strict diet of only consuming and converting the energy of electrons, so it essentially survives on nothing but pure electricity. They reside in muddy seabeds and “feast” on electrodes within the sediment using their microbial nanowires.
