Anybody who’s been to India knows that this place is truly one of a kind. But it’s not just the land of spices, Bollywood, and bizarre world records. India is also home to some of the most unusual (and cutest!) animals on the planet.
1) Mouse Deer: Indian Spotted ChevrotainThese absolutely mind-boggling animals are also called mouse deer. It’s no wonder since they’re the smallest hoofed animals in the world! The Indian Spotted Chevrotainis a little under 2 feet in length and weighs just 7 pounds, making it somewhere between a Chihuahua and a Jack Russel Terrier in size. But don’t let that tiny stature fool ya– the Chevrotain’s long sharp fangs can put Dracula to shame! The little mouse deer use them while fighting for mates and territory. Again, I’m sorry, but I just can’t imagine something so cute as being scary or combative. But maybe I’d be singing a different tune if I were a tiny mouse deer stepping in on this guy’s territory! By the way, here’s a fun fact: “Chevrotain” means “Little goat” in French. A tiny mouse/goat/dear-like creature with Vampire Fangs. Now I’ve seen everything!
2) Flying Dragon: Take, for instance, the mythical-sounding… Flying Dragon, LizardDragons don't exist, and lizards don't fly, right? Well, in southern India, you'll find a lizard that both looks like a tiny dragon and can fly!
No, it’s not a Game of Thrones-style dragon, and it doesn’t technically fly – the lizard glides from tree to tree. But that doesn’t make it any less extraordinary! The reptile manages this unprecedented feat with the help of special membranes that most of the time look like loose skin hanging from the sides of the animal's body. When a lizard decides it's time for a change of scenery, it leaps from a tree and catches air with its sort of air pockets. Then, this skillful critter stretches its hind limbs and also uses its tiny neck flaps to stabilize itself during flight. And even though the lizard doesn't exactly "fly," it can travel a distance of over 190 feet in the air from one tree to another!
3) Pygmy Hogs: Just look at this cutie and say hello to the smallest pig species in the world! There were once lots of pygmy hogs in India, Bhutan, and Nepal, but nowadays only about 150 of them remain in the wild. The pygmy hog is usually only about 2 feet long and weighs around 20 pounds – yeah, a mini pig no bigger than a medium-sized dog! These little guys also eat pretty much everything they see: from seeds and roots to insects, eggs, and small reptiles. While female pigs live in small groups, males prefer to lead a life of solitude. But when mating season comes around, male hogs start to compete for the attention of females by trying to intimidate and scare other males away. Can you imagine this little guy trying to look intimidating? Aww, cute!
4)Rusty Spotted Cat: Rusty-Spotted when I say wild cats, what’s the first thing that comes to mind?
Lions, tigers, panthers? How about a tiny little feline that could easily be mistaken for a kitten?
The rusty-spotted cat lives only in the grasslands of India and the mountain forests of Sri Lanka, and it’s one of the smallest members of the cat family. In fact, this wild kitty is the tiniest cat in Asia and probably two times smaller than your common house cat! The rusty-spotted cat only gets up to 19 inches long and weighs a mere 3 pounds on average. Unfortunately, since 2016, the rusty-spotted cat has been listed as Near Threatened because its habitat is being destroyed by deforestation.
5) Sloth Bear: BearSo, it’s a really Slow Bear then? That’d be a relief if one happened to cross your path! But, alas, it’s a bear – not a sloth or some hybrid of the two. You see, back in the 1700s, people mistakenly classified this species as sloths due to their long claws and the fact that they live in trees. We now know that was a blunder, but I guess the name stuck around! This bear isn’t all that big, but at 5 to 6 feet in length, it might stand shoulder-to-shoulder with you! These animals have thick shaggy coats that vary in color from black to rich auburn, with a distinctive white V on their chests. Interestingly enough, the sloth bear has the longest tail among all bear species – it can get up to 7 inches in length! Also, when these bears eat, they suck up grub and ants with their super-long lips and make funny vacuum-cleaner-like sounds while doing it! But a pretty scary thing about this bear is its paws. Disproportionally large, they’re decorated with well-developed, albeit blunt, 4-inch claws! Ok, the standing shoulder-to-shoulder thing just got a little bit scarier. Think I’ll keep my distance!
6) Indian Flying Fox: We started with flying lizards, and now we’ve come to flying foxes? India really is a magical land! Does it have 2 tails, though? Ok, jokes aside, this creature is also called the greater Indian fruit bat, and it lives in other countries of South Asia too. But it is India's largest bat, as well as one of the biggest bat species in the world. The Indian flying fox only weighs about 3½ pounds, but it’s that wingspan that’ll drop your jaw – from tip to tip, it can get up to 5 feet across! That’s about as big as that sloth bear we just talked about!
But don’t worry, this giant bat isn’t after your blood – you can probably understand from the name that flying foxes feed mainly on fruit. Unfortunately, it sometimes gets them into trouble with local farmers, who come up with different unpleasant ways to save their harvest. By the way, Indian flying foxes are very different from other bat species in that they don’t use echolocation. Instead, they rely on good old’ fashioned eyesight and scent to find their meals!
7) Shekru: which is another name of the Malabar Giant Squirrel, will stand out in any crowd thanks to its luxurious multi-colored coat. Usually, one squirrel has two or three shades of different colors in its fur. But these colors can vary from creamy-beige, buff, and tan, to rust, seal brown, and even purple and blue! But the most amazing thing about the giant squirrel is that it's, well, giant! When the animal stretches out, it reaches a whopping3 feet long!
Does that mean if it stands on its hind legs, this squirrel will be up to my waist?!
No, not quite, because it’s the Malabar's breathtaking brilliant blue bushy tail that makes up most of the animal's length. On the other hand, weighing a little over4 pounds, giant squirrels are pretty heavy! It might seem like being multi-colored and bright wouldn’t help an animal in the wild since they’d stand out to predators. But the giant squirrel’s colorful coat actually helps it blend in with the forest canopy and hides them from their main enemies: leopards and different birds of prey. Therefore, with the help of their wondrous coat, Malabars are pretty good at keeping out of danger’s way! Also, they aren’t too fussy about their food. They eat almost everything they manage to find: bark, seeds, flowers, bird eggs, insects, you name it! Malabar giant squirrels aren't listed as an endangered species…yet. Unfortunately, the squirrel’s population is steadily declining, mostly because of human activity. In some areas, they’ve already disappeared. But if you visit the most evergreen Forests of Peninsular India, chances are you'll see this rainbow-colored rodent scurrying through the trees!
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