The aye-aye (Daubentonia madagascariensis) is the very definition of narsty. A nocturnal solitary lemur so weird that it is not only the sole living species in its genus, but also the only member of its family. They lead a solitary existence and try to avoid mirrors, because when you’re this ugly you don’t need a reminder.
Beyond their homely looks, these guys have rodent teeth and the creepy-best middle fingers ever.
Watch this National Geographic video to see them in action:
If you want to learn more check out the Duke Lemur Center website, but do yourself a favor and plan to visit this place to see the aye-aye and other lemurs.
Editor’s Note: Regarding the title – Could. Not. Resist. Sorry.
The family Dicamptodon is a sweet little packet of goodness. Commonly, they are known as “giant salamanders” even though they are not, in fact, the biggest salamanders around. I was not consulted in this naming process, so don’t blame me. While containing just a single genus and four species, they are few, but mighty in size, bark and bite. Members of this mainly terrestrial (although they can be paedomorphic) family may grow to be just over a foot long. They are known to be voracious eaters and a bit aggressive. “Aggressive salamander” sounds as oxymoron-ish as jumbo shrimp, christian scientist, or Chief Justice William Rehnquist, but check out this video below and judge for yourself.
These guys even eat small mammals (hey, don’t we all) and make a barking noise that sounds kind of like my stomach growling.
Finally, if you spend too much time on the internet looking up “salamander vocalization” (and oh yes, I do) you will eventually stumble upon some disturbing mormon business about a “talking white salamander”. This has me wondering if maybe Joseph Smith encountered a species of Dicamptodon , but it was “barking” and definitely not talking. Also, the correct translation was most likely “you are crazy and I’m not a spirit”. While salamanders are awesome, they are not supernatural.
To learn more, follow-up with this video from some California Conservation Corps members:
There are loads of salamanders that don’t necessarily fit into our idea of a salamander. The amphiuma is one example. There are three species of one-, two- and three-toed salamanders and all are fully aquatic. Depending on the species they can be between 33 and 110 cm, but their legs stay T-rex style. They inhabit the southeastern United States, and although relatively common they are sadly understudied.
Here is a video to learn more:
Even though the legs are vestigial, the amphiuma is still able to traverse across land.
Within the family Anablepidae, there is a genus Anableps which are known as four-eyed fish. They are found in Central and South America in fresh or brackish waters. These fish are live bearers and interestingly they exhibit a “sidedness”. Males that are left-handed may only mate with females that are right-handed.
Now the fish do not have four eyes exactly, but in both eyes they can see above and below water simultaneously. This is a good super power to have when you spend most of your time on the surface foraging insects.
Photo Credit: Paul Zahl/National Geographic
The retina is specialized so that half receives light from the aquatic environment and the other from the aerial environment. Recent research found that the dorsal and ventral retina have differential gene expression. Click here for a link to the article to learn more.
The Finch and Pea 