Animals With Unique Traits

From the majestic eagle to the sprightly hummingbird, here are 17 animals that have unique traits.

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7. Sharks
Sharks happen to be some of the fiercest predators in the ocean and its all thanks to years of evolution that has granted them with some topnotch abilities. One of those abilities being what’s called electroreception which means they are sensitive when it comes to electrical impulses. When fish swim around in water their movements give off miniscule electrical signals that a shark can detect thanks to “jelly-filled pores” located on its head. These are called ampullae de Lorenzini and when combined with a shark’s lateral line or their sensory organ this is what allows them to snatch up fish with great accuracy, even in clouded waters.

6. The Hummingbird
The graceful hummingbird is one of the smallest species of bird that currently exists and it just so happens that the smallest bird in the word is of the hummingbird variety. Everyone pretty much already knows how their magnificent wings are the fastest in the animal kingdom with some species beating them at more than 80 times per second. This is made possible thanks to the fact that the joint that connects the upper and lower arm is so closely located to their body that it makes them incredibly flexible. Thus, allowing their wings to grant them the ability to fly upside down, backwards, and even to hover which only they can do.

5. The Blue-Footed Booby
Located on the coasts of what is notably California and the Galápagos Islands, the blue-footed booby is classified as being a strictly marine bird only needing land to lay their eggs. This peculiar bird is most notably well-known for its bright blue feet and comical name. Those bright blues aren’t all just for show as they do serve a purpose. The males will use them in a courting dance to impressive another booby it wishes to copulate with by showing them off and strutting their stuff. Their blue feet are listed as being a sexually selected trait which means females will choose to mate with males who they deem to be more attractive, hence they decide based on the feet.

4. The Spiny Mouse
Though they are small in stature, don’t underestimate these rodents as they have unique trait that’s actually a pretty big deal. Spiny mice are found living in the hot deserts of Africa where they thrive in the heat. It’s here that they put their special skill to use. When captured by a predator the spiny mouse is able to release chunks of its flesh in order to escape a grim end thanks to autotomy. After a while, their bodies will regenerate all the skin, fur, cartilage, and even sweat glands that they lost with minimum or no scarring. As far as experts know, the spiny mouse is the only mammal that is able to practice autotomy.

3. The Lyrebird
When it comes to mimicry mockingbirds aren’t the only avians that possess such an interesting skill. The lyrebird is a species of bird that can only be found on the continent of Australia where its vocal ability to mimic that of which it hears is truly remarkable. Lyrebirds become masters of their craft in their first year of life and the males will use their voices to court females with which they wish to mate with. They also use their long tail feathers during their courting display to up their chances of procreating. Besides mimicking natural sounds in their surroundings, lyrebirds are also known for copying unnatural sounds like chainsaws and car alarms.

2. The Plumed Basilisk
This might just look like any ordinary lizard but we assure you that that is simply not the case here. Found in the native regions of Central America, the plumed basilisk has a pretty special talent that is unique to basilisks and the Malaysian sail-finned lizard. These little one are able to run across water by using their feet and tail in order to support their bodies from sinking into the water. The downside is that they can only do so for short distances. This is where their nickname the “Jesus Christ lizard” comes from. Even if they were to fall in water, they are adept swimmers that are able to stay underwater for up to thirty minutes.

1. The Immortal Jellyfish
What if there was a way to bypass your old age and cheat the system by returning to your young youthful self again? Unfortunately, there’s no such way for us humans to achieve such a grand feat but there is an ocean dweller that’s managed to do so. Turritopsis dohrnii, also known as the scarlet jellyfish, or the immortal jellyfish gets its name from the fact that it is able to revert itself back to its polyp form or “baby stage” when it becomes injured. It will then heal itself and repeat its cycle all over again until it reaches its adult stage. This incredible trait makes it one of the few species of animals that can do so and is pretty much biologically immortal.