Long-Neck Assassin Spider
Discovered:Bay of Baly National Park, Madagascar
Less than one-eighth of an inch long, assassin spiders are—millimeter for millimeter—among the most ferocious predators on Earth. Unwary prey are stabbed by venomous jaws ten times longer than those of similarly sized spiders. These absurdly proportioned fanglike appendages are made even weirder by their position atop an elongated “neck.” Spiders, of course, don’t have necks. In fact, their head and thorax are fused into a single region known as the cephoalothorax that, in this case, is freakishly stretched. Eriauchenius lavatenda is found nowhere on Earth except Madagascar.
Fried Eggs Worm
Archipheretima middletoni is remarkable not only for its beautiful coloration but also because it doesn’t burrow into the soil like most earthworms. Instead, it moves about in the open on the forest floor. The worm’s spots most likely offer protective camouflage effects either because they resemble patches of reflecting light on leaf litter, or because they make the outline of the worm’s body difficult to see.
According to its discoverers, Brookesia micra represents a “striking case of miniaturization” and “an extreme case of island dwarfism.” B. micra males have a maximum length of only 0.63 inches (excluding the tail).
Wilson’s Blue-Eyed Cuscus
In 1992, scientists photographed Spilocuscus wilsoni living as a family pet on the island of Biak in Papua, New Guinea, and noted it was most likely an animal new to science. It is the only species in its genus that has extraordinary blue-green eyes, making it one of the prettiest animals to be described this century. It’s also extremely rare and may be critically endangered. S. wilsoni was not seen in the wild during an extensive mammal survey conducted on the island in 1992, nor was it collected during major scientific expeditions in 1962 and 1976.
Ausubel’s Mighty Claw Lobster
Discovered: Island of Luzon, Phillipines
In a world in which most animals are bilaterally symmetrical, the development of such a hugely unequal pair of claws in Dinochelus ausebli is remarkable. Studying lobsters may one day help us extend human life, since lobsters show fewer signs of aging that most animals. They do not appear to become slow or weak in old age, and older lobsters are actually more fertile than the youngsters.
Siau Island Tarsier
Discovered: Siau Island, Indonesia
Small enough to sit in your hand, tarsiers are nocturnal, arboreal, and completely carnivorous. Tarsius tumpara was first captured in 2002 on Siau, a tiny, remote Southeast Asia island dominated by Mount Karengetang, which is one of the most active and dangerous volcanoes in Indonesia. The vast majority of Siau’s population—including 50,000 humans and T. tumpara—is crowded onto the island’s southernmost tip to avoid the dangers of the volcano, and unfortunately, the human population may be hunting T. tumpara to extinction.
Mache Mountains Glass Frog
Discovered: Riachuelo La Ducha, Ecuador
Glass frogs can have skin with such complete transparency that bones and internal organs can easily be seen from their ventral (under) side. In fact, glass frogs are so clear that they can virtually disappear in their leafy environments, enabling them to be almost invisible to both prey and predator. Cochranella mache is one of the most beautiful glass frogs of the approximately 147 known species, found from Mexico to Argentina.
Denise’s Pygmy Horse
Hippocampus denise is truly a master of disguise. This seahorse seems to be able to match any color of the soft coral and gorgonian sea fans among which it lives. Pygmy seahorses escaped notice due to their size and extraordinary camouflage until 1969. Since that time, nine species have been discovered, and it’s likely that more species will be found.
Double-Hooked Angler Fish
Discovered: Eastern central Atlantic Ocean
With a head that's more than half its length, an enormous mouth, hooked teeth, and, of course, the esca—an elongated growth that is dangled and wiggled like live bait on a line to attract prey—Lasiognathus amphirhamphus is just plain bizarre. The species was discovered at a depth of some 4,000 feet off the coast of Madeira Island. The tip of its esca is home to special bacteria that emit light to help attract prey in the total darkness of deep-sea waters.
Exquisite Sea Urchin
Discovered: New Caledonia
Almost a third of a mile beneath the surface of the south Pacific lives Coelopleurus exquisitus, an urchin distinctive for its beautiful coloring and rather large mouth, which takes up more than half of its body’s horizontal diameter (excluding the spines).
For more of the coolest critters discovered in the last decade, check out What On Earth? 100 of Our Planet's Most Amazing New Species
Imagine a chameleon so tiny it can fit on your thumbnail. Or a worm with markings that look an awful lot like fried eggs. In their new book What On Earth?, Quentin Wheeler and Sara Pennak corral 100 of the most amazing species discovered in the last decade. Here, 10 of the coolest, cutest, and strangest among them.