10. Takin - the beast with the "golden fleece
Where does it live: Northeast India, Tibet, Nepal, China.
The takin is one of the most beautiful animals in the world. It is close to goats and rams in its systematic position, but looks more like a small golden bull. It has a shaggy, whitish skin with a golden hue that is sometimes compared to a "golden fleece."
There are about 25,000 in total, and despite protection, numbers continue to decline.
9. Red wolf: in the pack strength
Habitat: Asian countries and Russia (Far East and Siberia).
For its red color, the red wolf is often confused with the fox. It also has signs of a coyote, causing scientists to think that it came from an interspecies mating between the gray wolf and the coyote. But in 2019, researchers at Florida State University determined that the red wolf is a separate species.
The animals keep packs of five to 30 individuals, which makes them successful at hunting even buffalo.
8. The dwarf anteater is a disgusting smeller.
Where it lives: Central and South America.
The pygmy anteater is the smallest representative of the species: of the 36-45 cm total length, the tail is 18 cm, which helps it perfectly climb trees. And a special secret allows this rare animal of the world to scare away enemies. The smell they emit is five to seven times stronger than that of the skunk, and in the ranking of scientists at the University of California at Berkeley it ranked among the top six most disgusting.
7. The vilorhoe is one of the fastest-footed
Where it lives: the prairies of North America.
Among the most interesting animals in the world is also the oldest representative of ungulates in North America - the viloroagus.
Its excellent eyesight allows it to spot predators at a distance of 6 km! To inform its congeners of the approaching danger, the vilorhoe ruffles a white six around its tail. When it sees the sign, the others flee, reaching speeds of up to 90 km/h. The vilorhoe is one of the fastest animals in the world, second only to the cheetah in speed.
6. Guanaco - the highland camel
Where does it live: South American countries.
The largest herbivore in South America and one of the rarest animals in the world belongs to the camel family, although in proportions similar to antelope or deer.
Because of its highly developed respiratory system, guanaco lives at altitudes of up to 5,500 meters above sea level, where many others find it difficult to breathe because of the thin air. Moreover, below 3000 m these rare animals feel out of place.
Where does it live: the islands of Southeast Asia.
Zoologists around the world call these very rare animals living fossils, because they have hardly changed in the last 45 million years.
The huge eyes on the background of the tiny body of the tarsiers rank among the most unusual animals in the world: a 12-cm specimen has eyes as large as 1.5 cm in diameter. Such large visual organs allow these rare animals to see perfectly in the dark. And in 2012, scientists at Dartmouth College discovered that these unusual animals can also send and receive ultrasonic signals.
4. okapi - half-zebra, half-horse, half-giraffe
Where does it live: Democratic Republic of Congo.
This part-human is as if created from several animals: the legs are black and white like a zebra, the size and structure like a horse, and the forehead has two short horns like a giraffe.
Since okapi are very shy and secretive, and also live in a country where there has been a civil war for many years, there is little information about them. And the first picture was made only in 2008 - 107 years after the report was received about the animals. And it was thanks to a camera trap.
3. the Amur tiger - the most northern tiger
Where does it live: Russia (Far East) and China.
The Amur tiger is not only one of the rarest animals, but also the biggest tiger occupying the northernmost part of its range.
It is also one of the few animals in the world where the father takes part in rearing the offspring. This was recorded by photo traps in the Lazovskii State Reserve named after L.G. Kaplanov. L. G. Kaplanov in 2016. It turned out that males communicate with the family visually and with the help of odor tags left on trees.
2. The Javanese rhinoceros is the rarest rhinoceros
Where does it live: Indonesia.
Once widespread in Southeast Asia, the Javanese rhinoceros is now one of the rarest animals. The main reason was poaching - its horn is used to make traditional Chinese potions.
As of September 2020, the worldwide population of the animal was 74, all living in Ujung Kulon National Park on the island of Java.
1. Saola - the rarest animal
Where does it live: Vietnam, Laos.
The Saola was discovered in 1992, but is already on the verge of extinction. According to a rough estimate, the population ranges from a few dozen to two hundred individuals. Scientists can not say more precisely, because the animals of this rare species lead a secretive way of life. Based on genetic analyses, it was only possible to accurately determine that the saola belongs to the hartebeest family.
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