If you manage to get past its incredibly confusing look, you’ll find that the Guianan cock-of-the-rock is one of the most pristine and beautiful birds to be found in nature. It can be traced to various tropical rainforests and sports a beautiful bright orange color. This bird mostly eats fruits and has been known to feed primarily off canopy trees and lianas.
The male Guianan cock-of-the-rock uses its incredible colors and crest to attract female birds and tends to breed early in the year. Despite being relatively safe and unthreatened in terms of extinction, this bird species is protected and bred by various organizations. It is mostly eaten by jaguars and other large cats but usually manages to stay safe from predators.
Helmeted Hornbill
Don't worry, this bird didn't get a big boom-boom on his head, it's actually just one of its unique features. The Helmeted Hornbill can be found mostly in the Malay Peninsula and is widely known for this exotic bulge that sits on the top of its beak. Experts claim that this casque accounts for about 10% of the bird's weight.
Unfortunately, the Helmeted Hornbill's special casque also makes it a target for hunters and poachers, who managed to turn it into a critically endangered species. The locals use this unique feature and turn it into art and jewelry, while others view it as a spiritual talisman. There have been tens of thousands of these birds killed annually. Hopefully, the trend will end soon, before it's too late.
Bigfin Squid
On the list of deep-sea creatures you never want to come across, the bigfin squid is a great competitor for first place. This creature is genuinely one of the most terrifying things that lurk in the ocean and resembles something straight out of an H. P. Lovecraft novel. It's an extremely rare cephalopod, and is known mostly as the "long-arm squid".
Due to its rarity, it's not yet known if the bigfin squid is just a mutated creature or a full-blown category of species. Although there is no consensus among scientists on their official proportions, it's believed that these sea creatures are many times longer than your average adult male. While it may be harmless to your body, this big-fin squid definitely has the ability to damage your mental health.
Purple Frog
The purple frog, also known as the pig-nosed frog, is definitely one of the weirder frog species out there. It lives mostly in the Western Ghats in India and can be found underground or on the surface during mating season. The purple frog appears extremely bloated and has tiny arms and legs when compared to its large body.
These poor frogs are often hunted and turned into amulets, which has caused them to become endangered in India. Unlike most frogs, their massive bodies prevent them from jumping or moving around quickly. Purple frogs make clucking noises that are very similar to regular frogs, although they could not be further apart visually.
Hammer-Headed Bat
The hammer-headed bat is both weirder and more normal than it looks in the picture below. It's basically a bat with the head of a moose. It has an extremely strong jaw and is the largest bat in Africa. It's known to grow up to 450 grams in weight and can reach a total wingspan of around three feet.
Believe it or not, the purpose of the hammer-headed bat's large jaw is actually to attract females. It uses its enormous head to produce loud mating calls and also tends to attract females with its oversized jaw. While various rumors and scientific myths have assumed that these bats are carriers of the Ebola virus, no evidence has been gathered so far to confirm this suspicion.