Extremely Strange Animal Feet
Tip-toe tapir Tapirs, which are native to South America and parts of Asia and are closely related to rhinos, are known for their prehensile, elephant-like mini-trunks. But their feet are also very unusual.
Gravity-defying geckos Geckos can run up walls and even hang upside down not because their toes are sticky, but because they're covered with hundreds of tiny hairs, known as setae, which branch off into even tinier filaments.
Mountain-climbing alpacas The sturdy toes and furry feet of alpacas help them navigate their chilly, high-altitude Andes mountain range homes in South America.
Dainty rhinos Rhinos have surprisingly dainty feet. These imposing animals can measure up to 15 feet long (4.6 meters) and weigh as much as 5,000 pounds (2,400 kilograms), but their bulky heads and enormous bodies are supported by legs and feet that seem downright puny by comparison — especially when compared to the sturdier limbs of other large land mammals such as elephants.
Scaly mosquitoes A photo that went viral on Reddit in November 2017 had people scratching their heads over what it might be — emerging from a shingled stalk, a pinkish moustache-shaped object rested among bizarre whorls and swirls and curlicue structures, all of which made the object's identity impossible for most viewers to guess.
Venomous platypuses What isn't weird about the platypus? These duck-billed mammals look like they were stitched together by a rogue taxidermist from the body parts of unrelated animals, as a prank. They have flattened, beaver-like tails, sleek and furry bodies, webbed feet and a bill that could have been borrowed from a mallard.
Two-toed ostriches Perhaps because ostrich feet are so large and powerful, they invite comparisons to the feet of extinct meat-eating dinosaurs that lived millions of year ago. Ostriches — which are living dinosaurs, as are all modern birds —are the only birds to have two toes (all other birds have three or four toes).
Water-walking basilisks The basilisk's remarkable ability to seemingly walk on water has earned it the nickname "Jesus lizard," though it crosses bodies of water not by walking but by running, relying on the speed and peculiar scooping motion of its unusually-shaped feet to skitter over a watery surface.
High-flying eagles With its crest of dark feathers framing a pale gray face and a steely golden-eyed glare, the harpy eagle (Harpia harpyja) is an impressive sight, and they are the heaviest and most powerful birds of prey, according to the San Diego Zoo.
Clawed armadillos The giant armadillo (Priodontes maximus), biggest of all the armadillos, is a walking armored tank, with hinged bony plates of tough skin covering its body, and 80 to 100 teeth in its mouth — more than any other mammal, according to the Encyclopedia of Life.