Sand cat

Cute as your favorite funny cat videos are, none can compare to the impossibly cartoonish, wide-faced Felis margarita. Sand cats live in the deserts of North Africa and Southwest Asia and get most of their moisture from their prey, rather than drinking water.

Siberian flying squirrel

You wouldn’t think a tubby little fluff ball like this could go very far in the air, but flaps of skin by their legs help them glide between trees. You can catch a glimpse of Siberian flying squirrels in Russia, China, and other northern areas of Asia and Europe. Tourists get especially excited to see them in Hokkaido, the only island in Japan with the furballs.

Pika

American pikas are related to rabbits and hares. They might be small, but they’re still tough—the little critters can survive harsh weather without burying holes.

Fennec fox

There’s a reason fennec foxes make you say ‘aww’: the North African animals are the world’s smallest canine species. Fennec foxes also have the largest ears relative to their body size, which help them give off heat and hunt prey.

Gundi

If you thought guinea pigs were cute, try looking at a gundi without squealing. The Northern African rodents’ toes have tiny bristles that help them clean their fur.

Japanese raccoon dog

These cute critters—also known as tanuki—are more closely related to dogs than raccoons. They’re monogamous, and the papa and mama Japanese raccoon dogs work together to raise their pups.

Chevrotain

These tiny creatures look straight out of a fairytale forest. It might look like a deer, but the hooved chevrotain stands at only about a foot tall at the shoulder. Instead of antlers, the male ‘mouse deer’ have tiny fang-like tusks.