There are actually multitudes of mysterious animals that have never been proven real by anyone. But some mythical creatures or better known as cryptids, are not always so mythical. Many mythical animals that people have once believed were imaginary were proven real. But considering how weird-looking these are, we cannot blame people for doubting their existence.
You might think that if an animal existed, humans would know about it. But in fact, scientists are discovering new species all the time. There’s a lot of life out there, and some of it is pretty bizarre. These are 7 of the mythical creatures that actually exist in nature.
1) Vampire Deer
Picture: Wikimedia
The fanged creature is known as the Vampire Deer, and it’s native to the Himalayas of northern India, Pakistan’s Kashmir region, and northern Afghanistan. Only the male Vampire Deer have fangs and they would use them during mating season to compete for females.
2) Tardigrades
Picture: Live Science
Tardigrades are known colloquially as water bears or moss piglets. They are actually a phylum of eight-legged segmented micro-animals. They were first described by the German zoologist Johann August Ephraim Goeze in the year 1773, who called them little water bears. In the year 1777, the Italian biologist Lazzaro Spallanzani named them Tardigrada which means ‘slow steppers’.
3) Narwhal
Picture: Technology Network
The narwhal is a medium-sized toothed whale that possesses a large ‘tusk’ from a protruding canine tooth. It lives year-round in the Arctic waters around Greenland, Canada, and Russia. It is one of two living species of whale in the family Monodontidae, along with the beluga whale.
4) Gerenuk
Picture: The Safari World
The gerenuk is also known as the giraffe gazelle. It has a long-necked antelope found in the Horn of Africa and the drier parts of East Africa. The sole member of the genus Litocranius, the gerenuk was first described by the naturalist Victor Brooke in 1879. It is characterized by its long, slender neck and limbs.
5) Black Lions
Picture: Africa Freak
Melanistic big Cat of South Africa and West Asia. Their physical description would be completely or partially black color of a Lion. This may have been related to the Barbary lion which is larger than African lions and famed for their extensive black manes stretching from chest to groin.
6) Giant Squid
Picture: Syfy Wire
The giant squid is a species of deep-ocean dwelling squid in the family Architeuthidae. It can grow to a tremendous size, offering an example of deep-sea gigantism: recent estimates put the maximum size at around 12–13 m for females and 10 m for males, from the posterior fins to the tip of the two long tentacles.
7) The Maned Wolf
Picture: National Zoo
The maned wolf is a large canine of South America. Its markings resemble those of foxes, but it is neither a fox nor a wolf. It is the only species in the genus Chrysocyon. It is the largest canine in South America, weighing 20–30 kg and up to 90 cm at the withers.
Sources: YouTube Facts Junkie.
