5 of 7

Write now Article Tools

Planet Earth is teeming with unusual and outright insane creatures. To get the very oddest, you have to look to the oceans. One of the more commonly known odd ones is the anglerfish, a deep-dwelling fish with its own fake bait hanging over its head, a mouth of hideous fangs, and many long spines protruding from its fleshy body. It is certainly a horrific sight to behold. However, I feel that looking to the sea is a cop-out-it's just too easy to find the strange ones. So I will address one of the strangest mammals in the world.

The echidna may not be a creature you have heard of, yet it is one of the oldest mammals on our planet. It may not look so odd, resembling a porcupine with a long, thin snout. But it has several extremely distinguishing features.

In everyday life, the echidna licks up insects through its skinny mouth, which actually also includes its nose. It has stubby, clawed hands which it can use for extensive digging. If attacked, it simply rolls into a ball.

It isn't until you address their mating that you see the true strangeness, for after copulation the echidna lays a leathery egg. This is deposited into the echidna's pouch and ten days later, the extremely tiny, hairless baby begins to drink milk and grow in size, finally emerging from the pouch about fifty days later, having begun to grow its spines. The echidna is one of only two mammals on Earth that lays eggs, the other being the duck-billed platypus.

Learn more about this author, Kay Peace.
Click here to send this author comments or questions.

Add your voice

Know something about The world's strangest creatures?
We want to hear your view. Write now!