Bizarre and Beautiful: 50 Strange Creatures You Won’t Believe Exist

The Japanese Spider Crab has the longest leg span among all arthropods, reaching up to 12 feet. Despite its intimidating look, it's a gentle creature that mainly feeds on debris. Their lifespan can reach 100 years, but they're at risk due to being sought after as delicacies, making them close to being endangered.

Discovered in 2009, the Venezuelan Poodle Moth is a strange and charming insect with white fuzzy fur. Its exact classification is debated, and its appearance was so odd that people doubted its authenticity when photos of it first appeared online.

South America's Mata Mata Turtle has a distinct appearance with a flat, rough shell and a long neck and head. It's a stealthy predator, remaining still on the riverbed to ambush prey.

Along the Pacific coasts of North and South America, the Blue-footed Booby earns its name from its vivid blue feet. During mating dances, males showcase their feet. Females lay multiple eggs a few days apart, and older siblings often push out younger ones from the nest.

The Olm, a close relative of the Axolotl, is a blind amphibian dwelling in underwater caves in Europe. It retains youthful traits throughout life, like external gills and a lack of color. Observations reveal some Olms not moving for nearly 7 years. They are only motivated to move when they mate, usually every 12.5 years. They can survive for up to 10 years without eating.

The Hagfish, resembling a slimy eel, secretes abundant slime for defense. When attacked, it can rapidly produce enough slime to obstruct a predator's gills. The slime can expand 10,000 times in an instant and is softer than Jell-O. They can also eat by simply sitting inside a corpse and absorbing nutrients directly through their skin and gills. Their skin is actually more efficient at absorbing nutrients than their own intestines.

The Surinam Toad has a unique way of carrying its eggs. The female embeds them in pockets on her back, where they eventually develop into fully formed toadlets that burst out of her skin.

The Chinese Water Deer, a small deer species, lacks antlers but possesses long canine teeth for display and defense. Most of these deer reside in South Korea. Despite global endangerment, certain seasons allow the legal hunting of water deer in South Korea.

Madagascar's Satanic Leaf-Tailed Gecko mimics a dead leaf in appearance, including irregular edges and fake bite marks. Its distress call, similar to a child's scream, contributes to its name.

Dwelling in deep waters, the Frilled Shark features fringed gills, earning its name. It's often referred to as a "living fossil" due to its primitive appearance. It has the longest gestation period of any vertebrate, at up to 3 1/2 years. It is seldom observed because of its life so close to the bottom of the ocean until they rise to the surface before their deaths, a lifestyle that has caused the species to remain relatively the same for thousands of years.