Weird, Beautiful,unique Nature

Emerald Starling (Lamprotornis iris) is a small bird native to west Africa. It is also known as the iris glossy starling. Its feathers display a rainbow color illusion, as the feathers have a metallic, gemstone-like shine, not caused by typical pigments but created by the arrangement of the feathers, which refract light like a prism. Male & female species are identical.
#birds #nature

Usumbara Peacock Tree Frog (Leptopelis vermiculatus), native only to Tanzania’s "sky island" forests. This species changes color as it ages by starting with green with black specks, then transform into a mottled brown color. They have massive alien eyes, which help them hunt insects at night. They have a cooling system in the form of moisture suits, where they create a special wax-like slime that coats their skin, that's like sleeping bag to trap moisture inside their bodies.
#weird #amphibian #frogs #nature

Luna Moth (Actias luna) is famous for its bright green wings and long tails, but its strangest trait is that adult moths lack mouths and digestive systems entirely. Also known as American moon moth, they use their spinning tails for bat jamming, they survive entirely on energy saved from caterpillar stage & adult moths die in 6 to 7 days, spending their fleeting lives exclusively mating. Caterpillars of the Luna moth can deter predators by regurgitating a foul-tasting, noxious liquid. Male of this species has more sensitive antennae than female.
Picture: Wikimedia commons, Judy Gallagher
#weird #moths #insects #nature

The Eight-Spotted Crab Spider (Platythomisus octomaculatus) is a rare, vibrant arachnid native to Southeast Asia. There is great disparity in the sizes of female and male of this species with females growing to 1 inch while male to just 4mm, has seven big black dots on its back. The eighth spot is hidden under its belly. It walks like a crab, sideways. It hides on yellow flowers, like the yellow hibiscus. Its bright colors confuse bugs and helps it in hunting.
#weird #spiders #nature

Greater Leaf-Folding Frog (Afrixalus fornasini) is a species of frog native to #Africa. It folds leaves into tiny, glued-together "tubes" to protect its eggs. They also don't drop eggs into water like other frogs but lay eggs about 1 meter high on plant leaves. When at rest, the frog tucks its legs tight against its body. he stripes on its legs line up perfectly with the stripes on its body to hide its shape. This trick is called coincident disruptive coloration, confusing predator.
Picture: Pinterest
#weird #amphibians #frogs #nature

Eurhinus magnificus, the jewel weevil, is a species of weevil native to Central America. Its paint is an illusion, it does not get its color from pigments, its exoskeleton is covered in microscopic scales that refract and reflect light, much like a prism.
Picture: Flickr, Andreas Kay
#weevil #nature #weird

The Long-winged Derbid Planthopper (Proutista sp.) is a tiny, delicate true bug. It is known for its "V for victory" stance, holding its long wings upright. The nymphs and adults live completely different lives. The nymphs hide under decaying organic matter feed on fungi, adults emerging to live in the canopy feed on sap from leaves of coconut palms etc. They are difficult to be found by predators as they show a natural gravity defying inversion where adults frequently congregate on the underside of leaves and hang upside down.
#weird #bugs #nature

The Imbabura tree frog (Boana picturata) is a species of frog found in western Colombia, northwestern Ecuador. They are often described as looking like they are from outer space due to their intense, large, black-streaked blue-grey eyes and unusual skin texture. They hide and sleep inside bromeliads—plants that hold small pockets of water.
#weird #frogs #nature

Callirhipid cedar beetle (genus Callirhipis), insect known for its antennae. Although being strange, they are little-known wood-boring insects best known for their extreme sexual dimorphism, exceptionally long larval life, and males sporting extravagant, "leaf-rake" antennae used to sniff out distant females. They are widespread tropical insects. Their antennae serve multi-purposes, while used to scent females, they can fold them up entirely to protect the delicate structures when crawling through tight spaces in rotten logs.
Picture: pinterest
#weird #beetles #insects #nature

Hibiscus Harlequin Bug (Tectocoris diophthalmus) or Cotton Harlequin Bug, is a sap-sucking insect native to Australia and the Pacific Islands. They are a true bug but behave like beetles, Their thorax features an enlarged plate (the scutellum) that stretches completely over their abdomen, concealing their wings while at rest. The males and females of this species show extreme gender color differences. When threatened, they use special scent glands to emit a foul-smelling liquid to deter predators. Bizarrely, if one bug releases its odor, the chemical signal can trigger surrounding bugs to do the same.
Picture: Inaturalist, kerrileeharris
#weird #bugs #nature

The whistling heron (Syrigma sibilatrix) is a medium-sized, often terrestrial heron of South America. Unlike most herons that are strictly tied to wetlands, the Whistling Heron is a dryland heron. In courtship, pairs will fly back and forth and glide in tight circles, are fiercely solitary nesters. They choose a single mature tree (like an exotic eucalyptus) to build their nest in total isolation.
#weird #birds #nature

Walker's Moth (Sosxetra grata), is a distinctive, hairy noctuid moth found in Central and South American cloud forests (Costa Rica to Peru/Brazil). The moth possesses unusual, thick tufts of hair that are not just for warmth; they appear to sense vibrations in the air, alerting the moth to predators or changes in airflow. It can fly in the chilly nights due to the ability to change its body temperature.
Picture: Thomas Shahan
#weird #moths #nature

African Reed Frogs (genus Hyperolius) are highly adaptable, vibrantly colored tree frogs found across sub-Saharan Africa. The African Reed Frog is native to Somalia, Kenya, Tanzania etc. These frogs are almost constantly perched on reeds or other vegetation, hence the name, Reed Frog. This is the only species of frog that can change their sex from female to male when there is not enough males in the population. Known for their melodic sounds.
#weird #frogs #unique #nature

Shag Carpet caterpillar (Prothysana felderi) is a highly distinct larva found in the Neotropical rainforests from Mexico to Ecuador. It exhibits fake egg deflection camouflage, this caterpillar has the thick patch of white, pillowy setae (hairs) right on its back., which makes it look like it has parasitized which is a defensive mimicry tactic protecting from predators. It also glows under UV light.
#weird #caterpillars #nature

Agami Heron (Agamia agami) is a highly reclusive bird native to Central and South America. It has a color-changing face, during courtship, the facial skin and lores of both males and females turn an intense, vibrant red. The Agami Heron is highly secretive bird, it rarely wades into open water unlike most herons. These birds produce odd vocalizations, which sometimes sounds like snoring.
#weird #birds #nature

Stinging flannel moth caterpillar, often called the puss caterpillar or "tree asps," their luxurious "fur" is a disguise. Beneath the hair lie hollow, venom-filled spines that break off and embed into the skin on contact. These caterpillars have seven pairs of prolegs ( 14 legs in extra) unlike other insects which have 6 legs. The adults of this after cocooning have completely nonfuctional mouthparts and live for a week to mate.
Picture: Pinterest
#weird #insects #nature

Coprinopsis pulchricaerulea, often affectionately referred to as the "Frosty Blue" mushroom. This truffle-like species grows on dead wood on the forest floor. It was discovered in Australia as recent as 2012. Despite its intense blue color, it does not contain blue pigment.
#weird #fungi #nature

Glossy ibis (Plegadis falcinellus) is an adaptable, iridescent wading bird known for its incredibly wide, almost global distribution and nomadic nature that allows it to quickly colonize new areas, are famous for their sudden appearances far from their typical habitats. They become vocal when breeding, producing a surprising variety of grunts and a harsh, loud "grrrr" call.
#weird #birds #nature

Spun Glass Slug Moth caterpillar ( (Isochaetes beutenmuelleri) is a near-transparent larva native to North America, known for its translucent body covered in fluid-filled, glass-like stinging spines. It is also a rarely seen larva. The "glass" spines are deciduous, meaning they fall off at the slightest disturbance to confuse or deter predators.
Picture: Mathewbeziat. Inaturalist
#weird #caterpillars #moths #nature

Yellow Stagshorn (Calocera viscosa) In the United Kingdom, it has the recommended English name of yellow stagshorn, in North America it is variously called coral jelly fungus, jelly staghorn, yellow false coral, yellow tuning fork etc. Masquerades as coral but it is really a jelly fungus. It is a saprotrophic fungus, meaning it feeds on dead and rotting organic matter. Grows on decaying conifer wood (like pine and spruce), it is non-toxic, but still has no culinary value.
#weird #fungi #nature

The Rainbow Scarab (Phanaeus vindex) is a species of North American dung beetle. Despite their shiny appearance, they have dirty habits which makes them ecological engineers. They can sense smell from a distance of 10 miles away, they can remain in their tunnels underground in winter.
Picture: Thomas Shahan/ Inaturalist
#weird #beetles #insects #nature

Archduke butterfly (Lexias pardalis) caterpillar, typically found in the tropical forests of Southeast Asia and Australasia. Known for its appearance similarity with a Christmas tree, 10 pairs of lateral protrusions, that act as a "shield,". it can change its hue to match the leaves of its host plant for maximum camouflage. When disturbed, it freezes and relies on its fearsome appearance or curls into a defensive ball.
Picture: pinterest
#weird #nature #caterpillars

Goniobranchus reticulatus aka the Reticulated Nudibranch is a species of colorful sea slug found in tropical Indo-West Pacific region. To avoid self-fertilization, mating nudibranchs engage in a delicate dance where they exchange both sperm and a calcareous "love dart." They build a toxic shield by feeding on toxic sponges, they also don't have an external shell and rely on their colorful patterns and recycled toxins.
#weird #seaslugs #nature

Parrot Waxgill (Gliophorus psittacinus) also known as, Parrot Waxcap is a species of fungi, is widely distributed in grasslands in western Europe, United Kingdom, Iceland, Greenland, North America etc. When young, the Parrot Waxgill is a brilliant, emerald-green color. As it matures, this color fades away to yellow, orange, also known as "Deceiving Waxcap", covered in a thick, gelatinous, and slimy coating esp. wet weather. Its edibility is questionable.
#Weird #Fungi #Nature

Man-faced stink bug (Catacanthus incarnatus) is a shield bug from Southeast Asia etc., famous for a pattern on its back that eerily resembles a human face, the markings are meant as human face mimicry to distract predators, they congregate in huge numbers, if the human mimicry does not scare the predators away, they emit a strong, pungent odor from glands on their thorax.
#weird #insects #bugs #nature

Purple Pinwheel (Marasmius haematocephalus) is a species of mushroom. It grows on leaf litter and forms basidiocarps with striated purple caps. Found in neotropical regions, South America like Brazil and Ecuador, they are known as resurrection fungi rehydrate, re-inflate their caps, and begin releasing spores again in humidity after going dry and shriveling to nothing. They exhibit a phenomenon known as guttation, where they secrete small droplets of water, thus known as sweating.
Picture: Joseph Pallante/ Inaturalist
#fungi #nature

Cinnamon Tree Frog (Nyctixalus pictus) also known as painted Indonesian treefrog among other names, is a species of frog found in Malay Peninsula, the Philippines etc. Their unique call sounds like peep, mistaken for the sound of an insect. These frogs can change color from hour to hour, with juveniles being the brightest. When threatend, they can play dead. Tadpoles have their eyes on top of their heads to look upwards, and they drop from their tree hole nests into the water.
#weird #frogs #animals #nature

Chinese Shield Mantis (Asiadodis yunnanensis) is a medium-sized, vibrant green praying mantis native to China, Myanmar, and Thailand, recognized by its broad pronotal shield. It is also known as Yunnan Asian Mantis. this species has been observed growing significantly more in width than in length, making them look flat and broad. They possess a "dragon-like" appearance. Known to be very aggressive to its own kind, making them dangerous to keep together.
Picture: Inaturalist, jiangyou
#weird #insects #mantis #Nature

The coppersmith barbet (Psilopogon haemacephalus), also known as Coppersmith, is an Asian Barbet found in Southeast Asia etc. Known for its metallic "tuk-tuk" call, mimicking a coppersmith hammering, and its unique nesting habit of chiseling cavities in soft tree wood, often competing fiercely for limited natural holes.
#beautiful #weird #birds #nature

Yellow-crowned Bishop (Euplectes afer) is a species of passerine bird native to Africa south of the Sahara. Males are polygynous, building multiple, intricate, oval-shaped grass nests, which they hang over water or in high grass, trying to attract female of the species to each one. Their breeding display includes buzzing insect-like hissing song.
Picture: Adrian J. F. Craig
#weird #birds #nature

Mexican hairy dwarf porcupine (Coendou mexicanus), also known as the Mexican tree porcupine. It is a small, nocturnal, arboreal rodent found in Central America, known for its "hairy" appearance that hides over 30,000 sharp quills. They are solitary and often return to the exact same hiding spot, making their hiding places dirty. To mark their territory, males have been observed engaging in "anal dragging," rubbing their posterior along the ground or branches. The juvenile, born alone, have soft spines which harden soon after birth.
#weird #animals #nature

Upper Amazon tree frog (Dendropsophus bifurcus), often called the "small clown frog", is a species of frog found in the upper Amazon Basin of Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, and Peru. Their name "small clown frog" is owed to distinct white or orange stripes around their head and front legs, giving them a colorful, clown-like appearance. These frogs are opportunistic breeders that call throughout the rainy season. The tadpoles have bodies which look like violins.
#weird #Nature #Frogs

Monkey Moth (Eupterote sp., Eupterotidae), Yunnan, China. They are large, hairy moths within the Eupterotidae family, often found in Asia and Africa. They possess strongly pectinate (comb-like) antennae and lack a proboscis (mouthparts for feeding).
Picture: Flickr, Itchydogimages
#weird #moths #nature

Elaeomyxa cerifera is a rare, highly iridescent slime mold (myxomycete) known for its "disco ball" appearance, found in damp forests of Australia, this tiny organism is neither plant nor animal nor true fungus, but a protist. During its feeding stage (the plasmodium), it behaves like a giant, pulsating amoeba, it hunts and moves. Similar to other slime molds, this organism displays intelligent behavior despite having no brain or nervous system. It can find the shortest route through a maze to reach food and can remember where it has already explored.
#weird #nature #organism

Wart-headed bug and the dragon-headed bug (Phrictus quinquepartitus), a species of planthopper found in Central and South America. This insect has a hollow, wart-covered snout that acts as a false head. It uses this structure for protection & potentially to look like a dangerous object, though it does not emit light, despite being a lanternfly family member. It reveals bright yellow false eyes located on its hind wings, when threatened. Their mating involves drumming behavior, tapping their head-like structure against trees to produce vibrations.
#weird #insects #nature

Straw-necked Ibis (Threskiornis spinicollis) is a bird of the ibis and spoonbill family Threskiornithidae. It can be found throughout Australia, New Guinea, and parts of Indonesia. Also known as known as the "Farmer's Friend" for eating massive amounts of locusts and grasshoppers. Their dark wings turn brilliant purple, green, and bronze in light, giving them a metallic look. They make loud croaks, barks, and grunts at their breeding sites, but are rarely heard when flying.
Picture: ebird
#weird #birds #nature

Achrioptera punctipes Stick Insect, is found in the rainforests of Madagascar. The males & females of this species have different colorations with males featuring bright blue, red, and yellow markings and wine-red antennae, while females with more cryptic brown appearance to blend in with surroundings. When threatened, both sexes open their hind wings with a loud rustling noise to startle predators & then attempt to trap the attacker. They are flight-capable but clumsy in flight.
#Nature #Weird #Insects
Picture is from #Pinterest

Horned Sungem (Heliactin bilophus) is a species of hummingbird native to much of central Brazil and parts of Bolivia and Suriname. Dazzling horns are possessed by only male species of this bird, has a bill that looks like stiletto which is an adaptation for piercing the base of flowers to steal nectar. Smaller size does not make them less aggressive bird, highly territorial and seen attacking larger hummingbirds.
Picture: Leonardo Amui
#weird #birds #nature

Pearl-spotted Owlet (Glaucidium perlatum), is a tiny African owl, barely 19-21 cm long, featuring false black "eyes" on the back of its head to trick predators. Active during the day (diurnal), it uses these fake eyes to appear as if it is always watching, even while feeding. Known for a powerful whistling call, which they sometimes use to imitate larger birds of prey to scare away threats.
Picture: Ebird, Andrew Spencer
#weird #beautiful #birds #nature

Macropinna microstoma is a species of fish that lives at a depth of about 600 metres (2,000 ft) to 800 metres (2,600 ft). It features a fully transparent, fluid-filled dome on its head, revealing its brain and internal organs. It is the only animal known to have its eyes entirely under the skin inside its skull. It is a wait-and-see hunter, is found in the deep, temperate-to-subarctic North Pacific Ocean, specifically from the Bering Sea to Japan and down to Baja California, Mexico.
#weird #sea #animals #nature

The red-footed tortoise (Chelonoidis carbonarius) is a species of tortoise from northern South America. They make a distinct clucking sound that resembles a barnyard chicken during mating. They eat sand or dirt too along with plants, are a highly social species which share burrows. Due to their sharing hiding places, they leave scent trails for others to follow. They communicate through complex head movements, can recognize humans.
Picture: Istock, Plumpton park zoo
#weird #strange #animals #Nature

The harlequin tree frog (Rhacophorus pardalis) is a species of frog in the family Rhacophoridae found in Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand, and the Philippines. While they cannot fly like birds, they are expert gliders, sometimes called "parachute frogs. They create a foamy, soap-like nest. Their call is described as a "brief raspy chuckle" or a "Wark wark" sound.
Picture: Inaturalist
#weird #nature #animals

The Radiated Tortoise (Astrochelys radiata) is a land tortoise from Madagascar, have star-patterned shells. Their shells' yellow lines widen with age, nerves and blood vessels in their shell mean they feel when touched, like a living map. During their dramatic courtship, Males bob heads, sniff, and butt females, sometimes lifting them during noisy mating.
Picture: pinterest
#tortoises #weird #nature

The White-necked Rockfowl , also known as the White-necked Picathartes, is a rare, vulnerable passerine bird found in rocky, high-altitude rainforests of West Africa (Guinea to Ghana). It has a vulture like head, they are mud-nest sculptors, they return to sleep on their nests even when they are not breeding. They have a evil breeding behavior where they have been known to destroy the eggs or kill the chicks of other pairs to reduce competition.
Picture: ebird. Dubi Shapiro
#weird #nature #birds

The white-lipped tree frog (Sandyrana infrafrenata), being the largest tree frog in world, is found in Australia, Indonesia, Papua New Guinea, the Solomon Islands and Timor-Leste. Other common names include the New Guinea treefrog, giant tree frog, and Australian giant treefrog. Known for its distinctive white lower lip stripe and surprisingly loud, dog-like barking call. Their mating call sounds like a loud "wark, wark" they can also emit a cat-like meow when threatened or distressed. They can pop their stomachs out to clean them & then swallow them back down.
Picture: Australia zoo
#weird #animals #nature

The posts here get updated every 5 to 6 days. It could change as I might update with multiple posts in one go and then not update for an indefinite time. People may not believe it & even though I post here out of only interest in nature & species, it takes a LONG time to first go through species in nature that is beautiful, unique and then research its traits and then decide which one qualifies to be included in posts which interests others.

I must make it clear that there is a real person me ( although there is no need to reveal my real name here) who is behind this account. Since formerly known as #Twitter now known as #X was not very interesting to me, I searched for its alternative & found Mastodon. I use another server on Mastodon besides Mindly social, but Mindly social has been most responsive to my posts. This is an individual user's page with posts focused on #Nature, there is no science in it, there is no religion behind these posts. I also dislike using Mastodon for political posts, that's why followers have been mostly who are interested in #Nature, politics does not align with my account. The pictures shared are also public domain, not stealing others' pictures. Since my posts are public, I hope that the followers' posts must also be public, if that is not acceptable to them, I wish them good luck in finding another account that matches their mindsets. Thanks

I have usually shared #weird or #beautiful species from #nature which often happen to be #birds, #bugs, #frogs, #turtles etc. Since I have observed they catch people's interest more. What should be shared more here from #Nature's world?