With finals coming up, everyone could use a little stress relief. While people usually look at pictures of cute puppies to relax, I think it’s time we mix it up and recognize some of the more obscure cute animals of the world.
1. Quoll
The quoll is a nocturnal animal that can be found in Australia, New Guinea and Tasmania. They are marsupials and there are six different species.
2. Pudu
The world’s smallest deer, the pudu, can be found in South America. They only grow to be 13 to 17 inches tall!
3. Dik-dik
Named for one of the sounds the female makes, the dik-dik comes from Africa and only grows to be around 15 inches tall — with the females actually being larger than the males.
4 Maned wolf
Though they look similar to both wolves and foxes, the maned wolf is actually the only species of its genus (Chrysocyon). They have very long legs in order to navigate the tall grass of their homeland, South America.
5. Gobi jerboa
Only discovered in 1925, the Gobi Jerboa can be found in the Gobi Desert of China and Mongolia. Classified as a rodent, it looks similar to both rabbits and mice — if you crossed them with a kangaroo.
6. Klipspringer
The Klipspringer can be found in eastern and southern Africa. The color of their fur is used as camouflage in the rocky habitat of their home.
7. Pika
The pika prefers cold habitats and resides in Asia, North America and Europe. They tend to live in mountains or to burrow underground. It seems that pika have developed different dialects, and there are currently around 30 living species.
8. Golden Brushtail Possum
Golden brushtail possums are a genetic variation of common brushtail possums, though they are only found in Tasmania and near Sydney, Australia. Their tails are prehensile and can be used to grab food they wouldn’t be able to reach otherwise.
9. Caracal
Often confused for lynx, the caracal is a wild cat with tufted ears that lives across Africa, the Middle East, Persia and India. They are able to live in many types of environments, and have been tamed for hunting purposes since the time of ancient Egypt.
10. Ring-tailed Coati
Native mostly to South America, the ring-tailed coati is about the size of a large cat, though males grow to be about twice as large as females. They are reputed to be intelligent and communicate through chirping, snorting, grunting and gestures.
We hope that these cute animals made studying a little easier!
Photo Credit: 1