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Short-horned lizard: The inflatable 'horny toad' that squirts toxic blood from its eyesThis little lizard can fire blood up to 5 feet from its face, has spiky horns and inflates itself to choke predators.
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Alligator gar: The 'living fossil' that has barely evolved for 100 million yearsThis living fossil can grow as large as an alligator, has two rows of needle-sharp teeth, and such strong armor that it survived predatory dinosaurs.
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Siphonophores: The clonal colonies that can grow longer than a blue whaleSiphonophores are unusual animals made up of individual organisms called "zooids," which each have a distinct function — despite being genetically identical.
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Antechinus: The tiny marsupials where males have sex until they die — then females eat their corpsesAll species in the antechinus genus have the same frenzied mating system, where males have sex until they die from organ failure, then the females gobble up their corpses.
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Angular roughshark: The pig-faced shark that grunts when capturedAn angular roughshark pulled from the water near Elba, an Italian island near Tuscany.
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Giant oarfish: The 'doomsday' fish of legend that supposedly foreshadows earthquakesIn mythology, giant oarfish are said to foreshadow earthquakes, although evidence shows this is not the case.
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Thorny devil: The spike-covered lizard that sucks water from sand through its skinThorny devils have a plethora of defenses against predators, including a fake head and a weird jerky walk.
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Salps: The world's fastest-growing animals that look like buckets of snotIn just 48 hours, salps can reach maturity, making them the fastest-growing multicellular animals on Earth, with a significant impact on ocean health.
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Silky anteater: The tiny, boxing ball of furThe smallest species of anteater grows to just 14 inches, including its tail — but it packs a hefty punch when threatened.
