The animal kingdom is an incredible paradise where you can find colorful creatures with amazing features and different personality traits that will definitely conquer your soul. Unfortunately, many species of animals are on the verge of extinction and the saddest part is that some of them are still mysterious to many of us.

According to animal experts, there are about 8.7 million different species living on this planet – which means that there is a completely unique animal for every person who lives in New York City, can you believe it?

So, here are some of the most uncommon and rarest animals in the world! Read on for more and enjoy it!

Cuban snail (Polymita picta)

Cuban snail or Polymita picta is a species of a land snail a terrestrial pulmonated gastropod mollusk in the family Helminthoglyptidae. As the name suggests, this colorful snail lives in Cuba and is collected by poachers to sell their shells as jewelry. They were listed as endangered in 2012.

These beautiful snails use their shells to attract their partner and during the mating behavior, they spear the partner with a calcareous dart. The Cuban snail mainly feeds on lichen, moss and on fungal biofilms present on bark and leaves and their life cycle lasts around 15 months.

This snail has female and male reproductive organs (hermaphroditic) and it is unable to self-fertilization.

Greater bamboo lemur (Hapalemur simus)

As the name suggests, the greater bamboo lemur is the largest of the bamboo lemurs at over five pounds and – as you already know – can be found in Madagascar. Moreover, you can recognize them due to their greyish brown fur and white ear tufts.

The greater bamboo lemur feeds almost exclusively on the bamboo species of Cathariostachys madagascariensis, preferring the shoots but also eating the pith and leaves. Unfortunately, this species of lemur is one of the world’s most critically endangered creatures. 

Bearcat (Arctictis binturong)

The bearcat is native to South and Southeast Asia and is also on the verge of extinction. The binturong can be found from India, Nepal, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Myanmar, Thailand, Malaysia to Laos, Cambodia, Vietnam and Yunnan in China, and from Sumatra, Kalimantan and Java in Indonesia to Palawan in the Philippines. This creature is omnivorous, feeding on small mammals, birds, fish, earthworms, insects and fruits. It also preys on rodents.

Saola (Pseudoryx nghetinhensis)

This beautiful animal called saola was discovered in 1992 in Vietnam. The appearance of a saola is akin to an antelope because they are genetic cousins. Both male and female, have two parallel long, straight, pointed horns that have been measured to reach up to an amazing 20 inches, twice the size of their head. These creatures are considered the ‘Asian Unicorn’ because they are really mysterious and illusive, therefore information about them is limited.

Golden-rumped elephant shrew (Rhynchocyon chrysopygus)

This interesting creature is a small African mammal classified as endangered. According to animal experts, the Golden-rumped elephant shrew is monogamous and females give birth to one baby that becomes independent in the wild after only five days. They feed on invertebrates such as earthworms, millipedes, insects and spiders.

Northern bald ibis (Geronticus eremita)

The Northern Bald Ibis has a very distinctive appearance, with a bare red face, neck with throat and long, narrow feathers projecting from the back of the head and neck. According to animal experts, the Northern bald ibis is the rarest bird in the Middle East.

Being a migratory bird, it can be found in Morocco and Syria. The Northern bald ibis feeds on lizards, insects, or other small animals, but unlike many other ibises, they breed on undisturbed cliff ledges, and forages for food in irregularly cultivated, grazed dry areas such as semi-arid steppes, and fallow fields.

Resplendent Quetzal (Pharomachrus mocinno)

This fascinating and colorful creature is a bird of the trogon family and can be found in Chiapas, Mexico and western Panama. The Resplendent Quetzal was sacred to Maya and Aztec people, whose “royalty and priests wore its feathers during ceremonies,” according to National Geographic.

Nevertheless, depending on the light, their feathers can shine in a variety of vibrant colors, making them one of the most beautiful birds in the world. Their known predators are the ornate hawk-eagle, golden eagle, and other hawks and owls as adults, emerald toucanets, brown jays, long-tailed weasels, squirrels, and the kinkajou as nestlings or eggs.

Angel shark (Squatina squatina)

The angel sharks are a group of sharks in the genus Squatina of the family Squatinidae, and unfortunately, are considered critically endangered. Nonetheless, it can be found in the Northeast Atlantic from Norway, Sweden, Morocco, and the Canary Islands, to the Mediterranean and Black Seas. They bury themselves in sandy environments and stay camouflaged until their prey appears. The angel shark preys on fish, crustaceans, and cephalopods.

Ploughshare tortoise (Astrochelys yniphora)

This gorgeous ploughshare tortoise can be found in Madagascar around Baly Bay, but unfortunately, this species is on the verge of extinction because of the illegal pet trade. Sadly, only about 400 of these species are left in the wild. In 1996, around 75 ploughshare tortoises were stolen and sold in the Netherlands.

Males are larger than females, reaching a carapace length up to 17 in. Ploughshare tortoises eat shrubs, forbs, and herbs, dead bamboo leaves, dried feces of bushpigs and carnivores. 

Sumatran Rhinoceros (Dicerorhinus sumatrensis)

The Sumatran rhino is a rare member of the family Rhinocerotidae and the only one with two horns, the males having larger horns than the females.

Unfortunately, just like many other beautiful creatures including its cousins, the Sumatran Rhino is on the verge of extinction with only 80 species remaining in the wild.

The Sumatran rhinoceroses are solitary creatures except for when pairing before mating and during offspring rearing and they are also most active when eating, at dawn, and just after dusk.