I present to your attention a list of ten animals that were created by nature in order to simply be cute. Get ready for a fresh dose of emotion. Although I would not like to meet some specimens.
10. Spinefish
Isn't it true that these thin fish resemble seahorses? However, in our opinion, they are much cuter than their relatives, probably because of their nose-like faces. Most of them live in salt water, but freshwater species are also found. It is curious that, like seahorses, needlefishes carry the eggs by males.
Fun fact: The personal lives of these fish are quite varied. Some of them choose a partner for life. Others replace several. And there are females who manage to have affairs with more than one male at a time.
9. European mole
These small insectivorous animals are covered in fur, which hides some of their features that apparently make them so cute. The European mole spends much of its life building underground burrows and tunnels, eating insects in the process. They have poor eyesight, so they spend most of their time underground. They can be very cute, but at the same time they can cause a lot of problems for gardeners, as their digs damage plant roots.
Fun fact: In Germany it is illegal to kill European moles.
8. Kiwi
No, it's not a fruit - it's a bird! Plump birds are residents of New Zealand. Interestingly, during the process of evolution, their wings became smaller, virtually disappearing, but this deficiency was compensated by an excellent sense of smell. Their varied diet consists of insects, worms, leaves and berries. It is curious that there are 5 varieties of kiwi in the world, and all of them are on the verge of extinction.
Fun fact: Kiwis lay huge eggs. It can reach 20% of the bird's body weight. It’s the same as if a woman weighing 70 kilograms gave birth to a 15-kilogram child.
7. Angora rabbit
At first glance, it may seem like a huge ball of fluff, but there is a rabbit inside. They were specially bred for ornamental purposes due to their long fur. There are 4 recognized breeds, as well as several unrecognized ones. For example, “Unrealistically fluffy” (English breed), “Quite fluffy” (French breed), large individuals “Fluffy, but not so much” (giant), etc.
Fun fact: To give you an idea of how fluffy these animals are, you can buy clothing or yarn made entirely from the fur of a single Angora rabbit.
6. Pufferfish
At first glance, these fish are quite cute, but when they get scared, they are able to quickly suck in air or water to instantly take the shape of a ball and scare away the enemy. This behavior saves not only the life of the fish itself, but also the life of its attacker, since pufferfish are very poisonous.
Fun fact: Pufferfish have the smallest genome of any vertebrate.
5. African pygmy hedgehog
This is an artificially bred species of hedgehog - specifically for keeping at home.
Fun fact: Be sure to check your local laws before purchasing an African pygmy hedgehog. Some cities require a special permit to keep them. And, for example, in California and Hawaii, keeping them as pets is generally prohibited.
4. Gray hamster
The gray hamster is a mouse-sized rodent with a very short, inconspicuous tail and short legs. They are found in the Middle East, Central Asia and the steppe regions of Eastern Europe.
Fun fact: We would like to share our unsuccessful experience of keeping these animals. When we purchased two gray hamsters, the seller informed us that they were two females. We firmly believed in this, even when one of them became very fat. Soon after this, the plump female gave birth to 9 babies.
3. Manatees
Agree, “sea cows” are really cute. They are non-aggressive, slow-moving animals (5–8 km/h), weighing on average about 400–550 kg and a body length of 2.8–3 m. They mainly live in warm, shallow coastal waters and cannot survive at temperatures below 15° C They feed on more than 60 different species of plants and algae.
Fun fact: Manatees have residual (useless) nails on their fins.
2. Hairy caterpillar
This cute caterpillar is the larva of the Isabella tiger moth, which is found in the United States and southern Canada. Very fluffy, however, if you decide to keep one as a pet, you will need gloves to avoid rashes.
Fun fact: Do you like hairy caterpillars? Then you should definitely check out the Annual Hairy Caterpillar Festival held in Vermilion, Ohio. The main event is a costume competition among caterpillars. The festival is usually held in mid-September.
1. Pygmy anteater
These little animals are just incredibly cute! They are similar to ordinary anteaters, but are smaller in size (body length 16–20 cm) and live in trees. They also have a prehensile tail (like an opossum) and don't forget sharp claws.
Fun fact: Why do these anteaters have golden fur? The thing is that this color helps them blend in with the cotton trees where they usually live.
