On a planet full of diverse animals, it’s no surprise that they come in all shapes and sizes. Some animals survive solely by appearing to be menacing, while others mimic venomous species to trick predators. There are even predators who have invented visibility to lure prey to death. These 10 amazing animals look like plants and you will be amazed at their reasons.
# 10 Plant Like Animals: Satanic Leaf-Tailed Gecko
The last spot on our list is probably the most threatening, at least when taken out of the environment for which camouflage is intended. Satanic Leaf Tailed Gecko (Uroplatus phantasticus) is totally committed to his vegetal costume. This reptile has not only a leaf-shaped tail, but also horny brow ridges that look like branches, and the projections down the body resemble leaf veins. This particular species also improves its play compared to other leaf-tailed geckos around the world; their red, orange and brown color makes them look like a dead leaf, so even herbivores do not mistake them for possible food.
The main purpose of this gecko for plant mimicry is self-defense, and concealment is not the only defense mechanism relied on by the satanic tailed gecko. When threatened, they sometimes make a terrible cry, given their small size, in an attempt to scare away predators. The satanic leaf-tailed gecko, found only in the rainforests of Madagascar, is another unique species found in this island nation.
Due to the abundance of flora around us, some animals have adapted to use it for many purposes. Whether it’s to hide from a predator or prey, or just by chance, these 10 plant-looking animals represent a wide variety of animal types. Researchers continue to discover new species even today, and no doubt different plant-like animals will be found.
# 9 Plant Similar Animals: Mantis Orchid
Mantis Orchid (hymenoptera scrap) is another cunning predator on our list that uses beautiful camouflage to catch its food. Native to the rainforests of Southeast Asia, this mantis perches on branches and flowers to lure unsuspecting insects into its hands. Not only do the coloration of this species mimic the flowers for which they are named, their legs are actually shaped like orchid petals.
The mantis orchid is not categorized by the IUCN; however, they are so rare that it was only recently discovered that they actively use their appearance to attract prey, rather than just hide from it. Their remote habitat, first discovered in the 1800s, makes exploration extremely difficult.
# 8 Plant Like Animals: Walking Stick
The canes of the Phasmida order have more than 3,000 different insect species. Found everywhere except Antarctica, these bugs survive by trying to hide from predators in plain sight. Walking sticks don’t just look like a stick, some species do sway back and forth to simulate a branch in the wind, but that doesn’t work with all predators. Bats that hunt with echolocation will not be fooled by these tricks.
# 7 Plant Like Animals: Coral
Coral reefs are made up of hundreds and hundreds of thousands of individual animals called polyps. These small organisms have only one hole in their body, surrounded by tentacles. These tentacles contain nematocysts that allow corals to sting and kill their prey, which can be anything from microscopic plankton to small fish, depending on the size of the polyp. They eat their food and then expel all waste through their mouth. The hard corals that most people think of are in shallow water, but that’s just one species. Other species are soft or deep water.
6. Animals similar to plants: the star-nosed mole.
Star-nosed moles (Condylura cristata) is the only species of moles that live in swamps and marshes, and a real treasure trove of interesting abilities. When viewed from the forehead, the star-shaped nose, which served as the inspiration for their name, gives the impression of a strange flower. The nose of this mole consists of 22 antennae called rays, and it is much more than just an organ of smell. Star-nosed people have terrible eyesight, and they navigate in their underworld mainly by touch. They touch the ground with their noses more than 10 times per second and receive detailed information about the environment. This allows them to find the insects they feed on and consume them in an astonishing 0.25 seconds, which is the fastest in the world.
Star-nosed moles spend more time above the ground than any other species of moles and do not hibernate at all. These moles burrow deeper into the ground to combat colder winter temperatures, but biologists are unsure how they can avoid damaging the sensitive nose in extreme cold. In addition, these moles are the only known mammals to smell underwater. They do this trick by blowing air bubbles out of the nose and sucking them back in.
# 5 Plant Like Animals: Flower Hat Jelly
Jelly Flower Hat (Olindias formosus) is our next ocean-dwelling invertebrate with striking plant characteristics. Unlike any other rankings on this list, the flower hat jelly doesn’t look like a plant outright, but more like a fancy hat covered in plants. This jellyfish is also unique among other jellyfish in that it spends quite a lot of time just sitting on the bottom of the ocean.
The flower hat jelly has a traditional bell shape, but also has tentacles of varying lengths and colors, some of which curve towards and into the bell. This gives it the look of the floral hat for which it is named. These curved tentacles can be quickly deployed to catch prey. Given their bottom-dwelling tendency, these floating tentacles also help them merge with the algae and algae that they spend a lot of time with.
# 4 Plant-like animals: sea cucumber
Back underwater for our next plant-like animal, we have regular sea cucumbers of the Holothuroidea class. Species in this class can vary greatly in size from less than 1 “to over 6 feet in length and look exactly like lumpy cucumbers. Using their tubular feet for both locomotion and feeding, these marine invertebrates move along the seabed and consume algae or any other invertebrate species that get too close. These legs are used to push any food they get into the mouth.
Sea cucumbers can be found around the entire ocean, from shallow waters to very deep regions. Some species even exorcise their internal organs and nudge them towards predators as a defense mechanism. These organs are toxic to other creatures and eventually grow back without causing long-term harm to the cucumber.
# 3 Plant-like animals: pale butterfly.
Bumpy pale butterfly (Callitheara pudibunda) is the first land animal to make this list, and for good reason. Like other butterflies, the pale hummock has a caterpillar and a final butterfly shape, and both of these iterations of the butterfly appear to be different plants. The caterpillar has a pale green hummock with tufts of spiky hairs on the back and a brightly colored head. This allows the moth to hide in gardens where it is often found. The adult form of the butterfly has fluffy brown and gray wings and a head that allows it to blend in with the bark of shady trees in its native regions of Great Britain and Ireland.
# 2 Plant-like animals: sea anemone.
Another type of marine invertebrate that looks like a plant is the sea anemone. These animals are often found on the seabed or coral reefs in tropical waters. They use tentacles and venomous stings to grab unaware prey and force it into their tubular mouth. At the sight of a harmless flower, it’s no surprise that crabs, fish and plankton fall prey to a false sense of security around them. One larger type of anemone called dahlia anemone (Feline urticaria) large enough to hunt starfish and jellyfish.
# 1 Plant Like Animals: Sea Fan
Sea fans, sea whips and sea paddocks are all related species of marine invertebrates that are strikingly similar to plants. These species form colonies on the seabed that branch out several feet across. Some types of sea fans can even reach several feet in height. One kind of sea fan (Tauroprimnoa vulgaris), which was recently discovered, lives in the cold seas around Antarctica.
This is unique in that most other species of sea fans and sea whips inhabit tropical temperatures. Like the plants they mimic, these animals use photosynthesis to obtain nutrients.
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