Evolution is nature’s way of helping an animal survive its ever-changing environment. When its surroundings begin to change, an animal will try to adapt by altering or enhancing some of its features. Millions of years of constant evolution produced very complicated species of animals. This list presents ten animals with body parts that have evolved to the extreme to adapt to the environment, ultimately enabling the animals to survive.

10. The Nose of a Proboscis Monkey

The proboscis monkey is type of monkey found in the jungles and swamps of Borneo. It is endemic in the area, which means that the species cannot be found anywhere else. It is a versatile monkey, living both in wet swamps and jungles as well as the drier parts of the forest. They are about two feet tall and weigh about 50 pounds. The proboscis monkey is aptly named because its most distinct feature is its large nose. Unique among the males of the species, the unnatural-looking nose can reach up to 7 inches in length. It is used primarily by the males for mating purposes.

9. The Tusk of a Narwhal

The narwhal is a sea mammal (cetacean) that’s one of two species under the white whale family (the other is the beluga). The narwhal is usually found within the Arctic Circle and rarely seen in warmer waters. The most unusual feature of the narwhal is the straight, lengthy tusk that protrudes out of its mouth. The tusk is actually an incisor that shoots from the upper left side of the narwhal’s jaw. In very rare cases, two tusks can be found on a single walrus (two incisors, one in each side of the jaw). Scientists are currently baffled as to the purpose of the tusk. Various beliefs range from the tusk being used as a sensory organ to a tool for echolocation.

8. The Tongue of a Chameleon

A chameleon is a kind of lizard known for its ability to change its skin color as well as for its extremely long and sticky tongue. There are actually 160 species of chameleon, with sizes varying from 31 inches to a quarter of an inch long. Many of the species can be found in Africa, particularly Madagascar, but a few can also be found in Europe and Asia. Chameleons primarily eat insects such as grasshoppers and locusts, but can also capture and devour small lizards and birds.

The weirdest feature of the chameleon is its long tongue, which it uses to capture prey. It targets the prey with the help of its eyes that are capable of rotating independent of each other. The chameleon shoots its tongue out so fast that human eyes cannot follow it.

7. The Eye of a Vampire Squid

The vampire squid is a species of squid that can be found in tropical and temperate waters. This squid is the only species of its order, and has some similar features to both common squids and octopuses. In fact, when it was first discovered in 1903, it was mistaken for an octopus.

The vampire squid is also known for its eyes, the largest in the world in proportion to the animal’s body. An average vampire squid’s body measures about 6-7 inches, while its eyes measure around an inch or so. This makes its eyes consist of 1/6 the squid’s entire body length. If you had the same eye proportions, your eyes would be larger than your head.

6. The Nose of a Star-Nosed Mole

The star-nosed mole can only be found in North America, typically in the Northeastern United States and Canada. It prefers wet lowlands and feeds on worms, mollusks, aquatic insects, and small invertebrates. The mole is a good swimmer, and can scavenge for food in ponds and streams.

The unusual thing about this mole is the bizarre “fingers” sticking out from the tip of its nose. These are in fact highly-sensitive nasal tentacles, used by the mole to feel its way as it wanders underground. Apparently they are also used to quickly identify food, as the star-nosed mole is one of the fastest-eating animals.

5. The Tongue of a Tube-Lipped Nectar Bat

The tube-lipped nectar bat, endemic to the jungles of Ecuador, is distinguished as the animal with the longest tongue relative to its size. The bat’s tongue is one and half times longer than its entire body. Despite its extraordinarily long tongue, this bat feeds on a wide variety of food types, with nectar and plant matter its favorites. It occasionally also prefers small insects.

4. The Jaw of a Dragonfly Nymph

A dragonfly may look like an ordinary insect, but you have to observe its larval stage first before making that conclusion. The larval stage of dragonflies can last up to five years before it transitions into its next age of development. During the larval stage, the young dragonfly spends its life underwater, breathing with the use of internal gills. The weird thing about dragonfly nymphs can be observed when they feed. The nymph uses an extendable jaw that it can pull out to catch small insects, worms, and even tadpoles and small fish.

3. The Tongue of the Alligator Snapping Turtle

What tongue can beat the long, sticky tongue of a chameleon or the unusually lengthy tongue of the tube-lipped nectar bat? It’s the tongue of the alligator snapping turtle. What’s so unusual about it? The tongue of the alligator snapping turtle forms a finger-like appendage that the turtle uses as bait for catching prey. Not only is this appendage shaped like a little sea worm that fish love to eat, but the turtle also wiggles the appendage to make it look more life-like.

2. and 1. The “Lure” and “Fin” of the Deep Sea Angler

When it comes to strange animal body parts, nothing compares to the eccentricity of the deep sea angler. The two top appendages on this list belong to this animal.

The Lure:

The deep sea angler is a kind of fish that lives in the deepest parts of the ocean in areas that sunlight doesn’t reach. To catch food, it has a finger-like appendage connected to the front of its head. This “lure” glows, emitting a chemical-based light that other fish cannot ignore. When an unsuspecting fish tries to catch the bait, it goes straight into the angler’s mouth.

The Fin:

This is probably the strangest appendage of any animal. When the first specimens of the deep sea angler were found, scientists were baffled by the presence of a tiny fin located at one side of the fish, serving no apparent purpose. It was only later that scientists found out that all the deep sea anglers they caught were females, and that the “fins” attached were actually small males of the species. Sometime during mating, the tiny males attach themselves to the females, ceasing to be independent organisms and becoming only a source of sperm for the female angler.

 

Weird and eccentric they may be, you just have to admire how these animals have coped with the constantly-changing world they live in. Nature has baffling ways of solving problems, but in the end, the will to survive prevails for each species.