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Unless your job is directly related to discovering, studying, or tending to exotic wildlife, it is safe to say that most of the time, you only see unique animals on TV. The thing is, there is way, way more to discover, and that’s the good news! With hundreds of thousands of species inhabiting our planet, there will always be a new friend to meet and learn about. 

What is a Unique Species?

Strictly speaking, every species is unique. It is one of its kind, isn’t it? But of course, if we talk about the size of their population, animals that are very specific to one medium-sized area, or even strange animals that don’t look like anything else you have seen before, it is safe to say there are some truly unique animals in the world we live in. 

What is the Most Unique Animal?

So, if we had to make a list, which species would top the charts of unique animals? Well, the answer to that question depends on the criteria you apply to your query. If we are talking about numbers, the rarest animal known to humankind today is a vaquita. However, if you are looking for weird animals that look like no other species in the world, the answer will be completely different. 

However, one thing that can be said for certain is that unique animals have some of the cutest babies one could imagine. And if there is one scientific fact we could all agree upon, it is that cute baby animals make your day infinitely better just by looking at them. So, to give you your daily dose of cuteness, we prepared a whole collection of unique animals and their babies.

#1

Baby Tree Kangaroo

Baby Tree Kangaroo In Her Mothers Belly

Perth Zoo Report

#2

Baby Fennec Fox

Baby Fennec Fox Running Thorough The Dessert

ahmed elkadirii , IN CHERL KIM Report

#3

Baby Dumbo Octopus

Baby Dumbo Octopus Swimming Through Water

Report

#4

Baby Axolotl

Three Baby Axolotl In An Aquarium

Report

#5

Baby Pangolin

Baby Pangolin On Mothers Tail

Firdia Lisnawati , KermitTheSnail Report

#6

Baby Quoll

Baby Quoll With White Spots In Humans Hand

YoureNotAGenius Report

#7

Southern Pudu Fawn

Southern Pudu Fawn In A Forrest With Lifted Leg

wcs Report

#8

Baby Tapir

Baby Tapir With His Tongue Out Posing

Amiee Stubbs / Nashville Zoo Report

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#9

Baby Elephant Shrew

Baby Elephant Shrew Posing With His Tongue Out

Black Zack , manchestereveningnews Report

#10

Fluffy Honduran White Bat Baby

Fluffy Honduran White Bat Baby In Humans Hands

James Storer , Hernani Oliveira Report

Want to Know Some Cool Facts About Unique Animals?

The smallest, the strongest, the rarest — do you know all of them? But besides these characteristics, there are a lot of interesting things you can learn about the unique animals of our planet.

  • The largest animal on Earth is the blue whale. This 190,000 kg, 30 m (98 ft) giant’s heart weighs as much as a small car. Moreover, its arteries are big enough for an average-sized person to swim through!
  • Axolotls are widely believed to be the most unusual animal known to mankind. For starters, they are supposed to be salamanders, but unlike other species of this group, they remain aquatic even as adults. They play a huge cultural role in Mexico, where they originally come from. These funny alien-looking creatures were called after Xolotl, the Aztec deity of fire and lightning. 
  • Scientists estimate that currently, there are only ten or even fewer vaquitas left in the world, which makes them the rarest species in the world. With their name translated from Spanish as “little cow,” vaquitas belong to the aquatic mammals. Interestingly, they were fully described as late as 1985. 
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#11

Orphaned Baby Eastern Quoll Being Cared For At Bruny Island

Baby Eastern Quoll Eating From A Small Bowl

Syyraxus Report

#12

Adorable Baby Sugarglider

Baby Sugarglider Hugging Humans Finger

loopdeloops Report

#13

African Bat-Eared Foxes

Three African Bat-Eared Foxes In A Dessert

theafricanphotographer.com Report

#14

Baby Dik-Dik

Baby Dik-Dik Snuggled Up In A Blanket

Barcroft Animals Report

#15

Baby Gundi

Hairy Baby Gundi In A Dessert

Joachim S. Müller Report

#16

Baby Tarsier

Baby Tarsier In A Treen Holding A Branch

maragtas75 Report

#18

Baby Okapi

Baby Okapi Laying On The Ground

Brookfield Zoo Report

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#19

Patagonian Mara Babies

Two Patagonian Mara Babies And Their Mom

Artis Royal Zoo Report

#20

Baby Armadillo

Baby Armadillo In Woman's Hand

Cynthia Report

#21

Baby White-Nosed Coati

Baby White-Nosed Coati Looking To The Camera

Alea Christine Report

#22

Chacoan Peccary Baby

Chacoan Peccary Baby Being Sniffed By His Mother

Depositphotosalgar Report

#23

Baby Sunda Colugo

Baby Sunda Colugo Hanging On A Branch

Hendy Lie Hendy Lie Report

#24

Baby Aardvark

Baby Aardvark With Closed Eyes In A Grass Field

Andrew Bowden Report

#25

African Wild Dog Puppy

African Wild Dog Puppy Playing With Other Dogs

travel4wildlife.com Report

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#28

Gerenuk Calf

Gerenuk Calf Laying On The Ground

Tyler Corder , Mike Wilson Report

#29

Baby Mouse Deer

Baby Mouse Deer Looking Straight In A Dark Environment

Chester Zoo , Chester Zoo Report

#30

Sumatran Rhino Baby

Sumatran Rhino Baby Walking In The Forest

AP , Susie Ellis/International Rhino Foundation Report

#31

Baby Takin

Baby Takin Climbing The Rocks

San Diego Zoo Report

#32

Baby Bactrian Camel

Grey Baby Bactrian Camel Laying On The Ground With His Tongue Out

Mark Dumont Report

#33

Greater Bilby Baby

Greater Bilby Baby Laying In Humans Hands

ABC Gold Coast, Damien Larkins , Perth Zoo Report

#34

Baby Civet

Baby Civet Looking Scared In Humans Hands

Duci86 Report

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#35

Baby Lowland Streaked Tenrec

Small Baby Lowland Streaked Tenrec On A Table

Cliff Report

#36

Baby Sifaka

Baby Sifaka In Humans Hand

The Maryland Zoo Report

#37

Baby African Bat

Human Holding Baby African Bat Between His Fingers

MICHAEL CURRAN AND MIRJAM KOPP Report

How Cute is That?

No doubt, looking at photos of cute animals, especially their babies, is one of the most therapeutic experiences. It might be your first time meeting this lot today, but they will surely put a smile on your face every time you see them. As always, nature leaves us in awe of its creations.

#40

Baby Proboscis Monkey

Baby Proboscis Monkey And Her Mother In A Tree

Phaterry Phaterry , Petr Bambousek Report

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FAQ About Unique Animals

No matter how much you learn about all the different life forms around you, there is always more to learn. Some facts help you to understand the wildlife better and actively help preserve it; others are just fun to know. Below are three interesting things people always seem to wonder about.

Do Rare Animals Only Have One Baby?

Well, not necessarily. Most of the time, the number of babies depends on the size of the animal (larger mammals are more likely to have one baby per birth), but it also often happens that rare animals do not actively reproduce, which leads to a decline in population. This is what happened to pandas, who were too lazy to mate, and scientists had to interfere to save them from extinction.

Why Do We Love Cute Animals?

There is actually science behind that fuzzy feeling you get when you see those furry little creatures. First of all, we are designed by nature to like our babies so that we can take care of them. And baby animals have a lot of features in common with human babies; that’s why we find them equally adorable. What makes us like all things cute are chemicals that flood our brain during the experience. 

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Is It Okay To Own Rare Animals As Pets?

While there might be some extraordinary cases, the short and sweet answer is no. Rare animals are seldom domesticated, which means that at some point, they could attack other beings living in the household, even if just out of self-protection instinct. Also, their care will be significantly different from your pet’s care. Sometimes, you can find rare animals in shelters where wildlife specialists take care of them, but this is meant as a measure of protection and maybe attempts to save them from extinction, not just to have them as household pets.