Superheroes are people with extraordinary abilities who are usually motivated by a desire to protect people from danger. There have been many types of superheroes throughout history, including Superman, Batman, and Spider-Man, each possessing a unique power that differentiates them from the rest of the human race.
While these fictional stories are some of the most popular in the world, we often overlook the real-life superheroes within our very own animal kingdom. Here are some impressive animals with unique superpowers.
Thorny Devil Dragon Lizard: Special Body Adaptions
A thorny devil dragon lizard is a type of Australian lizard that is covered in spines. It has an eight-inch body with a spiky tail at the end; it also has a false head on its back so it can move around to appear to be looking in different directions.
The false head is used as a decoy to draw attention away from the lizard’s actual head and protect it from potential predators. This lizard can also puff itself up to appear larger as another defense mechanism to avoid predators.
The thorny devil is an obligate myrmecophage, which means it only eats ants. These “sit and wait” predators wait near feeding sites and can consume thousands of ants every day. Meanwhile, the thorny devil’s spikes keep their skin from drying out. Between the grooves are microscopic water channels, which help them to concentrate and drink the dew that condenses on their body overnight. It also allows them to absorb environmental moisture via the skin.
Rhinoceros Beetle: Super Strength
The rhinoceros beetle is a large family of beetles found all over the planet (excluding Antarctica), most often in Japan, Korea, Eastern China, and Taiwan. They are often called the “saber-toothed beetle” due to their distinctive front pair of horns.
These beetles are typically black, grey, or green with red markings on their wing cases and can grow up to 10cm in length. Rhinoceros beetles have a life expectancy of only 16 months, with a year spent in the larval stage. In the remaining four months of life, the beetle must find a mate and produce offspring for the species to survive.
What makes the rhinoceros beetle extraordinary is its incredible strength; it can carry 30 times its own weight with no sign of exhaustion and 40 times its own weight for at least ten minutes. Scientists have also determined that these incredibly strong insects can lift 100 times their own weight.
Alpine Ibex: Awesome Climbing Abilities
The Alpine ibex is a mountain goat with long, curved horns on its forehead. These horns can grow up to 55 inches long; the males’ horns are generally longer and more curved than the females’. This goat species is found in the Eastern Alps and Pyrenees of Europe. The ibex comes from the same region that the Great Pyrenees calls home.
There are a few reasons why ibex goats can climb mountains and walls so easily. First, their hooves have a unique shape that allows them to grip the rocks and get a better foothold. Second, they have sharp claws which enable them to dig into the rocks. Third, they have hooves that act like suction cups to help them grip rocky terrain. This means they can jump more than two meters into the air.
These animals were once on the brink of extinction when fewer than 100 were left in the wild, but thankfully they are currently classified as least concern. The ibex goat has evolved to be able to survive in harsh environments and can climb up steep slopes with ease.
Cuttlefish: Masters of Disguise
A cuttlefish is a type of marine animal that belongs to the class Cephalopoda. They are related to squid and octopus but have a rounder head and two long tentacles covered in suckers to help them catch their prey.
Cuttlefish are masters of disguise. They can change their skin patterns and textures to camouflage themselves from predators. This is done by activating pigment cells in their skin to change the color and pattern of their skin. Sometimes, they can create 3-D patterns that mimic other objects like rocks or seaweed on the seafloor. This skill is awe-inspiring because cuttlefish are colorblind but can match their surroundings regardless, even in total darkness.
And that’s not the only special skill of the cuttlefish; these incredible creatures have three hearts, two of which pump blood, while the final one circulates oxygen through the bloodstream. They have good vision in dim light, can detect polarized light, and even see what’s behind them.
Wood Frog: Freezing Abilities
Wood frogs (not to be confused with toads) are amphibians that live in the eastern United States and Canada. They can be found in various habitats but prefer moist, cool locations such as ponds, wetlands, and forests. These unique frogs have many adaptations not found in other amphibians.
Wood frogs are one of the few creatures that can freeze their bodies and survive through winter. This process is called “freezing” or “torpor.” During this process, the frog’s body temperature drops to between -1 and -6 degrees Celsius, its heart stops beating, and it enters a state of suspended animation.
Once spring arrives, the frogs thaw from the inside out until they regain full consciousness. To do this, the frogs produce their own antifreeze through a mixture of glucose and urea that prevents ice crystals from forming inside their body. If you pick a wood frog up during this phase, it will seem completely frozen, but only around 65% of its body is frozen.
Mantis Shrimp: Super Sight
The mantis shrimp lives in the subtropical waters of the Pacific and Indian oceans. Despite their name, these sea dwellers aren’t shrimp; they are stomatopods that are distantly related to lobsters and crabs. They are among the most vibrant animals in the world, with a bright coloration of greens, blues, reds, and oranges.
Their superpower comes from their magnificent sense of sight, and they have the most complex set of eyes in the animal kingdom. Each of their eyes contains 12 photoreceptors allowing them to detect variations in color types. This means they can see the entire spectrum of light, including UV rays, leading some to believe that a mantis shrimp may view the world in a kind of psychedelic brightness of colors that we can only imagine.
A mantis shrimp’s punch is so powerful that it can break through a clamshell or lobster exoskeleton. Their “fists” spring from their bodies at a speed of 50 mph, possessing a similar pace to a 22-caliber bullet. They really are one of nature’s oddities!
