Evolution has given our planet some truly wonderful and strange things. The abundance of life on Earth spans a wide spectrum of forms, from humanity:
Summer Glau (Venice Magazine, Kwaku Alston)
To other animals:
We named the cat Indiana - and the butterfly is Charles
The capability of life to change and adapt to survive the world in weird and fantastic ways is testament to the complexity and majesty of the universe, and should rightly be celebrated and protected. But today I want to look at some of the oddities, the obscure creatures that may never be incorporated into superhero designs à la Batman or Squirrel Girl, but have just a worthy place on Earth as the mighty Triceratops or noble seahorse.
Pichiciego
Usually 'mammal' and 'armoured' don't go together, with the exception of humans who, if videogames have taught me anything, have to go through a lot of collecting and building up their blacksmithing skill in order to construct their own. The pichiciego, or pink fairy armadillo, is not very dangerous to you unless you happen to be a nightlife-loving ant. In fact, it's quite the master of stealth - there are plenty of stories of local people's tales of strange creatures turning out to be true, but in this case the opposite happened. The folks of central Argentina were shocked when zoologist Richard Harland unearthed it in 1824, such is it's preference for staying buried underground. And ain't a cutie?
Axolotl
I know what you're thinking. I've run out of ideas already and I'm slipping in Pokémon instead. But the axolotl is quite real, and is a salamander with quite a following. They're closely related to the tiger salamander, and are facing extinction due to the urbanisation and pollution of Mexico City and the introduction of foreign species that are eating their young and competing for their food sources. Admittedly they are not all as adorable as the example I've used here, but their loss would be a sad one, as these are truly unique creatures. Specifically, they have the ability to regrow limbs, an ability which has fascinated scientists.
Pangolin
Another armoured mammal, this isn't 'armour' so much as it is 'fingernails' that form their tough overlapping scales that cover most of their body, but the pangolin is odd enough to be considered a 'purveyor of magic and charms' in some cultures. Again this a nocturnal creature that prefers to live underground rather than in a downtown apartment, which is entirely sensible. Their name, awesomely, is from Malay and means "something that rolls up", and they're found across a range of Africa and Asia (link). Pangolin skins have also been used to make a coat at least once. But do you know where you'll never find them?
A lion's stomach.
"Bring it on, furball."
Yoda Bat
Also known as the tube-nosed fruit bat, it does bear something of a resemblance to Yoda from Star Wars, particularly the ears and cheeky smile. It was discovered in Papua New Guinea in 2009, along with many other new species, showing that Mother Nature still has some rather odd surprises lurking in the world. They are, sadly, already in a dangerous conservation status. Just like Yoda, replacing them with CGI simply would not be the same. And while this creature is not likely to be used as the inspiration for the Batman reboot, it is vital to its ecosystem, as it disperses seeds from the fruit it eats, a vitally important role.
Emperor Tamarin
The first thing you'll notice about the Emperor Tamarin is that it has an incredible moustache, and it seems this is due to a visual similarity between it and Wilhelm II of Germany. Wilhelm reigned 1888 to 1918, and the Emperor Tamarin was discovered in 1907, so I think that is a plausible story. They can be found in Central and South America, are adorably small, and newborns usually come in sets of twins. They are are fairly low on the scale of conservation concern, but their numbers are dwindling and spreading out as the Amazon rainforest is damaged, so they may be of more concern in the future.
If you want to learn more about endangered animals or donate towards their protection, see the World Wildlife Fund website.
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