Rare animals are groups of organisms that are few in number, and may even be going extinct. Some of these animals are rare because they are endemic to a certain region, or because their population has been driven down an invasive species, or human actions like deforestation. The rarest animals are mostly unknown to most people, and have trouble staying alive because of their small numbers.
Elephant Shrew
Elephant Shrew’s are small mammals native to Africa. They belong to the Macroscelidae. These shrews areone of the rarest animals but surprisingly can be found all over southern Africa. They are very few habitats they can’t be found in, from the Namib Desert to boulder strewn outcrops in South Africa. The small mammal is incredibly fast, and can be found travelling at speeds of 28.8km/h. They have long legs which allow them to jump around from place to place like a rabbit, because of this they are also called Jumping Shrews. The shrews are rarely seen, and almost impossible to trap. Their small size and fast pace makes it easy to run away, and easy to hide.
Angonoka Tortoise
The Angonoka Tortoise is an almost extinct species of tortoise that lives in Madagascar. It’s been spotted eating grass found in open rocky areas of bamboo scrub. It also eats shrubs, forbs, herbs, and has even been seen eating the dried poo of bushpigs, and other carnivores. The tortoise has to watch out for it’s main predator, the bushpig. The bushpig will feed on it’s eggs, and young. Tortoise begins to have sex around the age of 16. 54.6% of eggs hatch successfully, and each female tortoise will produce around 4.3 eggs. Males can be very aggressive towards in each other, and will often fight with each other to display dominance.
Roloway Monkey
Roloway Monkey is one of the rarest animals in the world. It’s an endangered type of Old World monkey found in a small part of the ivory coast, and the forest of Ghana. It has black fur, and a white beard, chest, and throat. Roloway monkeys live up high in rainforest trees. They sleep on the branches of primeval trees. They like to from social groups with between 15 and 30 members. They typically have 1 male, and 10 females, and their children. The Roloway monkey is one of the most endangered species in Africa, with their population declining by 80% over the past three generations.
Singapore FreshWater Crab
It’s a tiny type of crab that only grows to a size of 1.2 in wide. The Singapore Freshwater Crab is one of the rarest animals in the water. It likes to live in streams that run through forests. It stays hidden under rocks as the streams edge, or inside piles of leaves. It sleeps during the day and hunts during the night, where it looks for worms and detritus to eat. It lives outside the nature reserve at Bukit Batok. The species here is threatened by a lowering of the water table. Previous streams it used to inhabit became uninhabitable due to acidification, and many populations died out because of this.
Golden Tabby Tiger
A golden Tabby Tiger is a tiger born with an incredibly rare colour variation, caused by a recessive gene. The colour has never been observed in the wild, and only happens to tigers in captivity due to selective breeding. Most zoos aren’t aware that tigers can be born with this colour,a nd are normally quite surprised when it happens. Few zoos have specifically tried to create tigers with this colour. The colour comes from white tigers, and orange tigers breeding together to produce this type of tiger. The first golden tiger cub born in captivity was in 1983, it was born from two normal coloured Bengal tigers.
Sao Tome Shrew
The Sao Tome Shrew is a white-toothed shrew which can only be found on Sao Tome Island. The species is dangerously close to dying out because it’s habitat is being destroyed. We haven’t known about them for long, the first was only discovered in 1886. It’s one of the rarest animals in the world, because it can only be found on one island, and loss of habitat due to deforestation. New species of animals have been introduced their habitat, and are competing for food. The animals were introduced both accidentally, and intentionally. These new animals have also taken a toll on the species.
Okapi
The Okapi is one of the most fascinating and rarest animals in the world. It’s appearance gives some people the impression that it’s a mix of a horse and zebra. Although it’s closest relative is actually the Giraffe. It’s native to the Democratic Republic of Congo. The Okapi is about 5 ft tall, and 8 ft long. The Okapi spend most of their time alone, and only seek out other Okapis to breed with. The Okapi are peaceful creatures but the males are very protective of their territory. The leopard is the main predator for the Okapi. The Okapi have a plant based diet made mostly of grass, fruit, and fungi.
Tarsiers
Tarsiers used to be a commonly seen animal, but now they only live on the islands of Southeast Asia. One of the things that stand out the most about Tarsiers are the gigantic eyes they have. Amazingly each eyeball is as large as it’s entire brain. They adept at clinging and jumping. They have a strangely shaped skulls to help balance their large eyes and heavy heads, allowing them to wait in silence for prey. Tarsiers are primates who will eat birds, snakes, lizards, and bats, although they prefer insects. They catch their prey by leaping at them from a distance. Tarsiers are nocturnal creatures, although some Tarsiers are more active during the day.
The Bush Viper
Also known as Atheris they are a species of venomous viper only found in tropical subsaharan Africa. Bush Vipers spend almost all of their time in trees, and don’t often go down to the ground, this type of behaviour is known as arboreal locomotion. Atheris are opportunistic hunters, their diet mainly consists of rodents, birds, and lizards. They ambush their prey from a hanging position, they then wait until the venom takes effect and swallow their meal. They have a mysterious venom which is known to cause swelling, pain, and even brings some people close to death. Their bites can be fatal, and there is no known antivenom, so if you get bitten by one your chances are grim.
Clarion Nightsnake
The clarion Nightsnake was found once in 1936 on a small, remote island called Clarion. The island is so dangerous that it can only be visited with a military escort, making it hard to properly study. After one example of the snake was found, the species completely disappeared for several decades, and was only discovered again in 2013. For years they thought that the scientist who first discovered the species had misidentified it’s location. The snakes are brownish black in colour, this is partly what made it so hard to find. It’s dark colour, and secretive nature, made it near impossible to spot. The snakes are endemic to Clarion island, and have trouble surviving a growing population of wild cats, this combination has made it one of the rarest animals in the world.