10 Cute Animals That Are Just Merry Mix-Up of Other Animals

Have you seen a platypus? If so, then perhaps you've wondered what kind of animal is this. As if it's a duck with a body of an otter. But this is only one of those merry mix-up of other animals. Mother Nature has lots to offers us - animals that look hilarious and some a bit terrifying. Check on the list below to learn more about them.

1. Pig + Squid = Piglet Squid

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Gosh! I am a little bit at a lost for words upon seeing the photo of this odd piglet squid! The way I look at it, this cute little creature resembles a Disney Toon pig without legs or somewhat a luminous squid with an upside down snout sprouting on its forehead.

But the real fact is, it's a species of squid known by the scientific name Helicocranchia pfefferi. Though the species inhabit all oceans, it is rarely photographed. It prefers to lurk far below the ocean surface (greater than 100 m or 320 ft.) Its habit of filling up with water and the funny location of its siphone with a wild-looking ‘tuft’ of eight arms and two tentacles had prompted scientists to name it the Piglet Squid.

The Piglet Squid has a different body structure from other type of squids. The average mantle length of an adult one is about 100 mm (4 in.) It has a large funnel with tiny paddle-like fins. The funnel doesn't have valves. The arms have suckers in the middle. They have bands on the side of the mantle. The species have small tentacles above their eyes. Also, those large Anime-inspired eyes actually twinkle, since they possess light-emitting organs called photophores.

Marine biologists still have a lot to learn about this cute sea creature, but 2two things are sure; First, in the water, the Piglet Squid has the tendency of swelling up and the piglet squid swims upside-down!

2. Deer + Mouse = Chevrotain

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The photo above looks deceiving at first glance: Cover the lower half of the picture with your hand and it seems to resemble a squirrel-size rodent, but setting your attention on its hoofed legs and you'll see - it's a deer.

The truth is somewhere in between: The Chevrotain, or Mouse Deer, is the world's smallest hoofed mammal. Chevrotains, also known as mouse-deer, are several species of small hoofed mammals comprising the family Tragulidae (order Artiodactyla). The extant species are found in dense forests in South and Southeast Asia, with a lone species, Water Chevrotain (Hyemoschus aquaticus) found in the rainforests of Central and West Africa.

Depending on exact species, the Asian species weigh between 0.7 and 8.0 kg (1.5 and 17.6 lbs), and include the smallest ungulates in the world.[4] The African Chevrotain is considerably larger at 7–16 kg (15–35 lb). In addition, the Balabac Chevrotain (T. nigricans), which inhabits the tiny island of the same name in the far southwestern Philippines, is endangered.

Chevrotains are about 30 centimeters (12 inches) tall at the shoulder. The fur is reddish brown with spots and stripes of lighter color or white; the underside is pale. They are solitary or live in pairs, and feed mostly on plant material. Adult males have small, curved tusks protruding downward out of the mouth from the upper jaw.

Don't be fooled by this cute animal's appearance! This creature that's the size of a rabbit and resembles a merry mix-up of the two most timid animals on earth would be a pushover. Well, the adult males are equipped with a set of elongated, saber-like canine teeth. The males actually use these outsized fangs to fight with one another over territory and mouse deer ladies.

3. Monkey + Bat = Colugo

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It's a bird! It's a Plane... No Its a Colugo. My goodness, this creature looks like a vampire monkey in mid-transformation. Is this for real? Perhaps, it's just a monkey in a trench coat flashing gliding or some sort of kite made out of monkey flesh. Unfortunately, Colugo, also known as the flying lemur of Southeast Asia, is for real. For fact sake, Colugos closest relative isn't the lemur, not even the bat -- it's YOU!

Flying Lemur (Colugo) (order Dermoptera)are any of two species of tree-dwelling, gliding mammals found only in Southeast Asia and on some of the Philippine Islands. Both species are threatened by habitat destruction, and the Philippine Flying Lemur (Cynocephalus volanswas) was classified by the IUCN as vulnerable at one time.They are the most capable gliders of all gliding mammals, using flaps of extra skin between their legs to glide from higher to lower locations. While colugos are very agile gliders, they're really too heavy to fly efficiently.

Colugos measure about 35 to 40 cm (14 to 16 in) in length and 1 to 2 kg (2.2 to 4.4 lb) in weight. The head is small, with large, front-focused eyes for excellent binocular vision, and small, rounded ears.They have moderately long, slender limbs of equal length front and rear, a medium-length tail, and a relatively light build. The head is small, with large, front-focused eyes for excellent binocular vision, and small, rounded ears. They are shy, nocturnal animals that feed mostly mostly leaves, flowers, shoots, and fruits.

4. Prairie Dog + Armadillo = Pichiciego

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This cute animal is into Cosplay. Clearly, he's just a curious prairie dog that found the carcass of an armadillo and decided to try on the carapace and the claws. Ha, ha, ha...

But this one is for real too. This small animal is a Pichiciego (Chlamyphorus truncatus) or Pink Fairy Armadillo, from Argentina. This nocturnal creature is the smallest of all armadillos. The species is currently endangered due to human destruction of its habitat.

The Pink Fairy Armadillo lives in sandy plains, dunes, and scrubby grasslands. It feeds on insects, worms, snails, and various plant parts.

This cute creature is 90–115 mm (3.5-4.5 in) long, and weighs about 120 g (4.2 oz.) It has small eyes, a white silky hair and pale pink plates on the head and back. Also, the animal owns a flexible dorsal shell that is solely attached to its body by a thin dorsal membrane.

It has two massive sets of claws on its front and hind limbs combined with the peculiar formation of its carapace, help it to dig the burrows in seconds when it feels threatened.

5. Hamster + Pig = Honduran White Bat

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Look at this adorable hamster-like critter posing in front of a camera. Have you ever seen a pig nose on a little fuzzy creature before? Don't you want to hug it?

Actually, this cute animal is a freaking bat! The Honduran White Bat (Ectophylla alba) is a unique species of fruit-eating "tent" bat. So called for it has the ability to build its own home. It cuts the leaf off the bush it lives in and fold it over on top of itself, forming a tent, while it clings to the underside.

The Honduran White Bat has snow white to grayish fur and a yellow nose and ears. It is tiny, measuring about 1-2 inches (3–5 cm) in length and the weight is less than an ounce of .2 (6 grams). only 3.7-4.7 cm long. It lives in dense thickets of the rainforests in Honduras, Nicaragua, Costa Rica and western Panama. Honduran White Bat feed mostly on fruit.

6. Goat + Elephant = Saiga

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Quick, Go watch the new Star Wars film and get to know more about this creature. Ha,ha.ha... just kidding. But this cute animal that resembles a goat/elephant combo is for real.

The Saiga (Saiga tatarica) is a critically endangered antelope that lives in the Mongolian and Russian steppes. Hundreds of years ago, the species inhabit most of Europe and North America, but with a short lifespan of only six to 10 years, its number dropped drastically in the last couple of years. Saiga inhabits grasslands, arid, savannas, and desert areas. The herd grazes grass and eats different types of herbs and shrubs including some that are poisonous to other animals.

The Saiga averages 0.6–0.8 m (2 ft 0 in–2 ft 7 in) at the shoulder and between 36 and 63 kg (79 and 139 lb)in weight. It is recognizable by an extremely unusual, large nose (proboscis) that hangs down over the mouth. The body is covered with cinnamon-colored fur and there is a small mane on the underside of the neck. Saiga has long, thin legs and robust body. This odd creature is a very fast animal. It can run up to 80 per hour, especially when it is trying to escape from the predators.

It is a very fast animal. It can accelerate up to 80 km per hour just to out-sprint its predators. The species is listed as a critically endangered species with less than 50 000 animals left in the wild.

7. Rabbit + Kangaroo = Bilby

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If, for one reason or another, you decided to take the big floppy ears of a bunny, the spunky look of a kangaroo, and the poker face of a possum, then the result would be this cute animal.

The Greater Bilby (Macrotis lagotis),often referred to simply as the Bilby, is an Australian species of nocturnal omnivorous animal. They're members of the Bandicoot family. It lives in deserts, dry forests, dry grasslands, and dry shrubby areas in Australia. The range and population are in decline over the last 100 years due to habitat loss and competition with introducing animals.

Bilbies have long pointed snouts and compact bodies. Bilby measures between 29 and 55 cm in length and weighs between 1 to 2.4 kilograms (2.2 to 5.3 lbs). It has large ears, long silky fur and a long black tail. The coat is blue-grey with patches of tan and is very soft. The Bilby has strong forelimbs and thick claws. These marsupials are excellent burrowers. They are nocturnal omnivores that eat fruit, seeds, bulbs, insects and their larvae, and very small animals.

8. Ant + Bee = Velvet Ant

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As if regular ants weren't bad enough, science had to go and genetically merge them with bees to create this atrocity. Good thing, this cute animal won't try to steal your sweets because it can make its own honey. This is the Velvet Ant, and it's actually a wasp! Not a bee or an ant.

The Mutillidae are a family of more than 3,000 species of wasps whose wingless females resemble large, hairy ants. The males have two pairs of transparent black wings. A solitary wasp, this cute creature does not live in colonies or have a "nest". They are found crawling through lawns, digging around soil, or even in garages. Velvet ants are brightly colored. The male is half red and half black with dark wings, while the female is mostly red with some black. The adult velvet ants feed on nectar and water.

But we know what you're wondering: Can this thing sting me? They are not aggressive and will try to escape from you. However, females have a very painful sting if handled. This creature is nicknamed "the cow killer" because of the reputation of the female's sting. Studies have shown the sting is so painful that it could kill a cow. Many of the Velvet Ants can produce a squeaking sound when disturbed.

9. Snake + Anteater = Pangolin

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This is the kind of creature you only expect to see when you reach the end of the dungeon in a Zelda game. It resembles a snake that by some magic spell grew legs and a protective pine-comb-like shell -- you're probably going to need tons of bombs to kill this thing.

But, guess what, this is a real animal called the Pangolin-a mammal of the order Pholidota. Eight different Pangolin species can be found across Asia and sub-Saharan Africa. Pangolin eats termites and ants.

A Pangolin has large keratin scales covering its skin. Its scales have the texture of a toenail and grow like one as well! Also, it has a huge snakelike tongue that, when unfurled, can actually be longer than its entire body. This “scaly anteaters,” can extend its tongue by as much as 40 centimeters (16 in). When threatened, this cute creature curls up into a ball and can even roll away from danger. It has short legs, with sharp claws, which it uses for burrowing into termite and ant mounds.

The animal size differs by species, ranging from 30 to 100 centimeters (12 to 39 in) long and weighs between 1.6kg (~3.5 lbs) to a maximum of about 33kg (~73 lbs). Females are generally smaller than males. Species vary in color from light to yellowish brown through olive to dark brown. Pangolins are nocturnal animals who use their well-developed sense of smell to seek prey. Lifespan is 20 years.

10. Zebra + Giraffe = Okapi

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Our last entry is perfect for nursery coloring books. Imagine how cute this animal if the legs are colored red or green. But, this beautiful and unusual animal is for real too. With its white-and-black striped hindquarters and front legs, it looks like it must be related to zebras! But take a look at an okapi’s head, and you’ll notice a resemblance to giraffes. The okapi is indeed the only living relative of the giraffe.

The Okapi (Okapia johnstoni), also known as the forest giraffe, is a mammal native to the Ituri Rainforest of the Democratic Republic of the Congo in Central Africa. Okapis prefer altitudes of 500 to 1,000 meters. Okapi' most distinctive feature is its long prehensile tongue which it uses to grab onto leaves and branches. The tongue of the Okapi is in fact so long that they are one of the few animals in the world that are said to be able to lick their own eyelids and ear!

Okapis are 1.9 to 2.5 meters (6.2 to 8.2 ft) long (from the head to the base of the tail) and stand 1.5 to 2.0 meters (4.9 to 6.6 ft) high at the shoulder. They have 30to 42-cm-long tails. Their weight ranges from 200 to 350 kg (440 to 770 lbs). Okapis have long legs and robust body. They have reddish dark backs, with striking horizontal white stripes on the front and back legs. The body shape resembles that of the giraffe, except okapis have much shorter necks. Its sticky tongue is pointed and bluish-grey in color.

Okapis are classified as Near Threatened (NT) on the IUCN Red List. They are endangered by habitat destruction and poaching. The world population is estimated at 10,000 individuals left in the wild.