Have you ever heard of the Saharan pronghorn, the extremely rare large African game animal? What about the Vulturine Guineafowl, an African bird with an impressive crest of feathers on its head? These are just a few of the many interestingly fancy animals found around the world.
From Mexico’s aquatic salamander- the axolotl to mandarinfish, there are many fascinating creatures waiting to be discovered in virtually every corner of the globe. So come along for the ride, and let’s take a look at some of nature’s most fancy animals.
12 Fancy Animals
Believe it or not, some of nature’s fanciest cutest creatures have hidden beauty behind their bright and furry coats. This piece will focus on 13 of the fanciest animals in the world.
1. The Axolotl
Scientific Name: Ambystoma mexicanum
The Axolotl is an aquatic salamander native to Mexico, living in lakes, rivers, and other freshwater bodies. The axolotl’s most unique feature is its ability to regenerate its limbs, making it an exceptionally hardy species.
Axolotls are easily recognized by their short legs, cylindrical bodies, and long tails adorned with feathery external gills. They have five toes on their hind legs and four on their front legs. Their most defining feature is their movable eyelids and their blunt snout.
2. Glasswinged Butterfly
Scientific Name: Greta oto
Glasswinged butterflies, known as the Greta oto, are some of nature’s most captivating creatures. Unsurprisingly, this unique butterfly native to Central and South America has inspired many stories and tales from ancient folklore.
Its wings are almost completely transparent with little brown-colored edges and a white stripe. This allows this species of butterfly to be virtually invisible – an interesting adaptation for predator avoidance.
Their transparent wings also make them look like they’re changing color based on their environment. This amazing ability helps them easily blend with the flowers and plants on which they feed.
3. Friesian Horse
Scientific name: Equus ferus caballus
The Friesian horse is long admired for its majestic good looks, impressive stature, and gracefulness in motion. An elegant animal originating in the Netherlands, this breed stands out thanks to its beautiful black coat, long silk-like mane, and feathery fetlocks.
Friesian horses have clean-cut heads and tall ears; their large eyes usually have an expression of intelligence and alertness. While they look like draught horses, this breed is actually quite athletic, performing well in dressage and other forms of riding.
A fun fact about the Friesian horse is that it is considered the oldest breed of horse to be domesticated by humans.
4. Bengal Cat
Scientific Name: Felis catus × Prionailurus bengalensis
Bengal cats are hybrids, combining the beauty of the wild Asian leopard cat with the playfulness of domestic cats. With beautiful leopard-like spots, these felines are instantly eye-catching and sure to turn heads.
The Bengal cat has a strong and muscular body, with powerful hind legs that help them jump great heights. They come in only two colors; brown and black.
However, the markings on their coats can vary from silver and white to blue and gray. Some even have tabby markings.
These cats have alluring personalities because they are active and inquisitive by nature. They love to explore their environment and even show signs of intelligence – like opening doors and cupboards.
5. Vulturine Guineafowl
Scientific Name: Acryllium vulturinum
The Vulturine Guineafowl is a majestic bird native to Southern Ethiopia, Tanzania, and Kenya in the Sudan-Sahelian regions. It has an impressive plumage of glossy blue, black, and white feathers. Its vulture-like head is adorned with a bright red and white complexion, with long plumes that cascade down its neck.
These birds look dignified with the big teardrop-like wattles that make them some of the fanciest animals on earth. One of their most distinctive characteristics is the wattles which become elongated during mating season; it’s said to be longer than any other species in this family.
Despite their exotic features, they are ground-dwelling creatures that live mainly in woodlands and brush areas, searching for insects, seeds, fruits, and foliage to eat.
6. White Bengal Tiger
Scientific name: Panthera tigris tigris
Also known as the bleached tiger, the white Bengal tiger is among the fanciest animals on earth due to its impressive size, beauty, and the power it exudes. This majestic beast boasts a coat of pure white fur with chocolate-colored stripes, making them extremely eye-catching creatures.
Despite their fierce and menacing demeanor, they are actually quite docile animals who typically shy away from contact with humans. These incredible cats can grow up to 9.8 ft. (3 meters) long and weigh over 510 lbs (230 kgs), making them a tremendous force to be reckoned with in their natural habitat, which is primarily located throughout India.
With these powerful attributes combined, the white Bengal tiger is justifiably placed among some of the world’s most exotic animals.
7. Scarlet Macaw
Scientific name: Ara macao
The Scarlet Macaw is a large, vividly colored exotic parrot native to the rainforests of Central and South America. Easily identified by their distinctive red, yellow, and blue feathers, the Scarlet Macaw can live for up to 50 years in the wild.
These colorful birds average around 32 inches (81 centimeters) in length, with over half of this being the length of their long, pointed tail. They have strong beaks, which they use to crack open nuts and fruits.
Scarlet Macaws have an exceptionally loud call due to their large vocal sacs, which can reverberate back into their chest cavity – allowing them to be heard from up to three kilometers away. They are considered near-threatened mostly due to competition with livestock, hunting and trapping for the pet trade, as well as habitat loss.
8. The Mandarinfish
Scientific name: Synchiropus splendidus
Mandarinfish are a small, brightly-colored marine species found in the Pacific Ocean waters, specifically around coral reefs. These unique fish have oval-shaped bodies and patches of electric-blue, green, and yellow scales covering its head and abdomen. The Mandarinfish’s dorsal fin is adorned with red lines arranged in a symmetrical pattern, while its eyes are relatively large compared to the size of its body.
This fish can change color depending on certain environmental conditions, making it one of the few vertebrates known to do so. Though they don’t grow more than three inches in length, Mandarinfish enjoy swimming in groups where they startle predators with their bright scales by flashing them quickly and then rushing into the safety of nearby reefs or rocks. Despite the potential danger, they tend to exhibit curious and bold behaviors around humans when diving near coral reefs.
9. The Arctic Fox
Scientific name: Vulpes lagopus
The Arctic fox is one of nature’s most adaptive and beautiful creatures. This species can be found in treeless tundra environments, spanning from Alaska to Greenland in the northern polar regions. Their unique ability to survive in extremely low temperatures is due to their white fur, which serves as an effective camouflage and provides insulation against the cold.
This fox is a small, compact animal (one of the smallest members of the canine family), averaging only 849mm in length for males and 810mm for females from the head to tail tip. Depending on the season, the Arctic fox may have white or blue-gray fur, which changes color to help them blend into their winter and summer environments.
10. Amur Leopard
Scientific name: Panthera pardus orientalis
The Amur leopard, or the Far Eastern leopard, is among the eight subspecies of leopards found in the world and is one of the rarest animals in existence. It’s a medium-sized cat native to the Amur region, located on the bank of the Amur and Zeya Rivers in the Russian Far East.
These cats have an average body length of 32-54 inches (82-136 cm), with their tail making up almost two-thirds of this measurement, while their weight ranges between 55-106 lbs (25-48 kg). Their stunning, thick coat can range from yellowish tan to light brown and is marked with dark spots which form rosette patterns in the neck and back.
This leopard is listed as a critically endangered species on IUCN Red List – due to low population size, fragmentation, and poaching. Conservation efforts are in place to protect these majestic creatures and increase their numbers in the wild.
11. Snowy Owl
Scientific name: Bubo scandiacus
The Snowy Owl is truly one of the most strikingly beautiful animals in existence. With its distinguished white body and yellow eyes, this raptor makes an absolutely stunning sight when soaring through the sky.
These owls prefer to dwell in open tundra habitats and exist in various regions, such as North America and Europe. Although they can survive in cold climates, they are also sensitive to human disruption thanks to their strikingly conspicuous white plumage. So, they prefer to live far away from urbanized areas.
Despite their preference for remoteness, they are incredibly fascinating creatures with a deep understanding of the world around them, allowing them to be very successful hunters within their environment.
12. Resplendent Quetzal
Scientific name: Pharomachrus mocinno
Resplendent quetzals are among the most extraordinary creatures on the planet. Found exclusively in Central America, these birds are renowned for their iconic iridescent green feathers, which generate an impressive spectrum of colors when they catch the sunlight.
Even more striking than their plumage is their tail trailing length, reaching nearly three times their body size; males and females possess this extravagant characteristic. Despite its exceedingly gorgeous features, it also shows signs of intelligence, as some studies have indicated that it has the capacity to learn simple tasks quickly.
This symbolizes a diverse and complex memory system, something even more impressive considering these birds typically live between 20 to 25 years.
13. Peacock
Scientific name: Pavo cristatus
Peacocks have brightly colored and intricately patterned feathers on their tail, which are known as their “train.” These feathers are used primarily for courtship displays, as the male peacock will spread out his train and perform a display dance to attract a mate.
These bright colors and complex patterns signal the male’s health and viability to potential mates as a partner. The feathers are also used to intimidate other males during competition for mates. There’s no question that a peacock’s feathers make it one of the fanciest-looking animals on the planet!
