Icefish
Nature never runs out of creativity, and evolution is her most whimsical artist. While you may already know about the immortal jellyfish and the axolotl’s regeneration powers, the animal kingdom still has a trove of weird and wonderful traits waiting to be admired. From blood that doesn’t freeze in sub-zero temperatures to a clawed frog, here are eight more curious cases of creature quirks that will stretch your definition of “normal.”
Let’s start in the icy waters of Antarctica, where the icefish (Channichthyidae) glides along without hemoglobin. That’s right—its blood is colorless. This translucent lifeblood allows it to survive where oxygen is scarce, aided by antifreeze proteins that keep its circulatory system from freezing solid. It's as if the icefish decided, "Red? Too mainstream."
Meanwhile, the shoebill stork of East Africa offers a masterclass in stillness. Standing nearly five feet tall with a beak shaped like a Dutch clog, this bird can remain motionless for hours before striking like a prehistoric statue come to life. Its death-stare and deliberate movements make it feel like a bird designed by someone who plays a lot of horror video games.
Venturing underground, the naked mole-rat continues to break all biological rules. These wrinkly, buck-toothed mammals don’t feel pain the same way others do, are highly resistant to cancer, and can survive up to 18 minutes without oxygen. Add to that a eusocial colony system akin to bees—with one queen—and you've got one of the strangest mammals on Earth.
Need an animal with a party trick? Enter the lyrebird, Australia’s vocal impressionist. Not only can it mimic dozens of other birdcalls, it can replicate camera shutters, chainsaws, and car alarms with unsettling accuracy. Think of it as nature’s most convincing soundboard—evolution's prankster with feathers.
On the smaller side of the spectrum, the horned lizard of North America has a shocking defense: it can squirt blood from its eyes. This high-pressure ocular emission can confuse predators or deliver a nasty-tasting surprise. You could say it literally sees red when threatened.
In the amphibian category, meet the hairy frog of Central Africa. During mating season, males grow what look like hair tufts on their legs—actually dermal papillae likely used for better grip underwater. Even weirder: when threatened, this frog breaks its own toe bones to produce sharp claws that pierce through its skin. A self-arming amphibian? Evolution, you’ve outdone yourself.
Our tour ends in the skies with the oilbird, a nocturnal, cave-dwelling frugivore that navigates via echolocation. While bats are known for this, the oilbird is one of the only birds that uses this technique—clicking through the darkness with an almost spooky sonar. It's like a feathered submarine running on fruit and moonlight.
The more we peer into the animal kingdom, the more it reminds us that nature doesn’t care much for our idea of “normal.” Every adaptation is a solution to a very specific problem, and sometimes the solutions are so bizarre, they're brilliant. So the next time you’re feeling a little odd, remember: somewhere out there is a frog stabbing itself with its own toes—and thriving.