Imagine owning a pet with ninja powers, now that would be pretty amazing but what if the world was suddenly hijacked by animals that turned out like the teenage mutant ninja turtles or super dog? Wouldn’t that creep you out? But believe it or not, there are several animals in the world that have been blessed with incredible genetic gifts like spiders who know how to fly and frogs that can freeze solid. Check out this incredible video of 12 rarest animals with superpowers, but watch till the end because that is something which will show you how nature is nothing short of amazing.
15. The Lily Trotter
The Lily Trotter, better known as the African jacana (Actophilornis africanus), is a bird with the magical illusion of walking on water lilies. Its superpower lies in its extra-long toes and wide feet, which distribute its weight evenly across floating vegetation. This allows it to elegantly stride across lily pads and aquatic plants as if defying gravity. Native to sub-Saharan Africa, the jacana is also a remarkable parent — with males taking on the role of incubating eggs and carrying chicks under their wings. Its balance, grace, and nurturing instincts make it a symbol of adaptability and lightness in the wetlands it calls home.
14. The Dung Beetle
The dung beetle may seem humble, but it wields a superpower of cosmic navigation and Herculean strength. Capable of rolling dung balls up to 1,000 times its body weight, it’s one of the strongest creatures on Earth relative to size. Even more impressively, some species navigate using the Milky Way galaxy, the only known insects to do so, orienting themselves by starlight to move in straight lines. This combination of brute strength and celestial navigation has fascinated scientists and inspired metaphors of purpose and perseverance — showing that even the smallest beings can follow the stars and carry immense burdens.
13. Jesus Lizard
The Jesus lizard, also known as the common basilisk (Basiliscus basiliscus), possesses one of nature’s most astonishing superpowers — the ability to run on water. Found in the rainforests of Central and South America, this reptile uses its long toes fringed with specialized scales to slap the water’s surface fast enough to generate lift. Moving at nearly 5 feet per second, it can sprint across ponds and streams for several meters before diving underwater to escape predators. Scientists have marveled at this feat of biomechanics, which combines speed, surface tension, and agility — earning the lizard its divine nickname referencing Jesus walking on water.
12. The Horned Lizard Squirts Blood
A blood squirting lizard is the last thing you or any other animal will ever want to come across. Its mottled skin and horns make it look like a creepy little dinosaur, but there is more to this little guy which is its amazing power of squirting blood from its eyes. The Horned lizard has pouch shaped ocular sinuses that fill up with fluid which it uses to flush out foreign particles, but when threatened with predators, the same fill up with blood with such pressure that the blood shoots out as a defense mechanism and that is enough to scare even the fiercest animals away. Don’t mess with this mini little Smaug because it clearly looks like the vampire of the wild and Let me tell you, this thorny guy doesn’t really bite. Mess with it and you’ll end up with a stream of foul-smelling blood.
11. Sea Cucumber Turn into Liquid
Wouldn’t you like turning to liquid each time you’re locked up, just so that you can slip beneath the door, or even regenerate like the evil terminator? The sea cucumber can actually turn into a puddle and this creature is pretty amazing. Sea cucumbers look like slimy caterpillars and can transform their solid tissue into liquid especially when it wants to slip under rocks and cracks in the sea bed. But if you think that was all, let me tell you another bizarre ability this frightful creature has. On first glance, it may look very non-descript but once it is threatened it will turn its organs inside out…ewwww. Now that’s something gross and a real rocky horror show for you but if you thought that was it, believe me when I say that this creature can even eject its organs and regenerate them later. They literally spill out the yucky stuff from their butt along with toxic chemical that engulfs a predator who isn’t going to stay for more. That’s basically pooping their guts out.
10. Pistol Shrimp Shoots Burning Hot Water
Don’t even think of trying to touch a pistol shrimp or irritating this guy unless you want a stream of boiling water as hot as the sun burning your skin. That’s exactly why this pistol shrimp is so aptly named because of its ability to shoot out a stream of water so hot, it can instantly kill or stun its prey which is usually small fish in the ocean. A regular Butch Cassidy, the pistol shrimp is a crustacean also called a snapping shrimp that is found in seagrass beds and coral reefs of tropical regions. A heartless outlaw of the sea, it shoots its prey indiscriminately with the superhot jet stream often described as faster than a speeding bullet, now that’s pretty neat don’t you think. I mean, I had no idea the sea was hiding a little gunslinger like the pistol shrimp, but hey!! This isn’t all you know! The pistol shrimp has another weapon in its armory. It can also create a sound of 200+ decibels which basically works like a stun gun that it uses to stun fish. The pistol shrimp carries all its loaded weapons in its large claws which grow to half the size of its body. It shoots out the Jetstream like bubbles speeding at 60 mph and the snap that it makes can reach 210 decibels which is louder than a gunshot. Now is that amazing or what?
9. Scuba Spider
This is one little web slinging ninja that exists with an amazing power that I’m still finding hard to believe. In days before oxygen tanks existed, people used diving bells to explore underwater that trapped air so that divers could breathe. The diving bell spider uses this exact same method but it goes one step better than humans by building its own diving bell from its web. The spider can spin a dome shaped web which it attaches between underwater plants. After that it rises to the surface and with the help of the fine hairs on its legs and belly will trap bubbles which it transports to the web. It then releases and fills the web dome with air. The spider carries on its bubble filing trips till a bubble exists inside the web so large it enables it to breathe.
8. Flying Spiders
The flying spider doesn’t exactly fly per se but uses a ballooning device which it fashions from its own web. The flying spider uses a process also called kiting where it releases several gossamer threads to form a parachute that will catch the wind taking it soaring high in the sky. Scientists have found how the spiders are so intelligent, they use electric force to get lifted into the air. Flying spiders have been known to travel over large distances ranging from a few meters to hundreds of kilometers where ships in mid ocean have found instances of spider landings. The phenomena of flying is mostly observed by spiderlings which climb on to high points, create a parachute and then stand on raised legs to catch the wind.
7. Wood Frog Freezes its Blood
Scientists call them the living dead, some call them zombie frogs, but the wood frog is the strangest creature on earth. They are the only creature on the planet that can turn into a frogcicle, and in winter, they can make their hearts stop beating, they even stop breathing and 70% of their body freezes solid. Yet they don’t die and can come back to life in spring. Maybe they should have been named the Dracula frog because that sounds quite like the abilities of a vampire if you ask me. Wood frogs are found a lot in North America and when winter comes, they can’t travel far enough to escape the harsh winter so what do they do? Nature has given these guys an awesome survival strategy where their blood freezes solid. The frog will first dig into the ground or under leaves and then produce a special anti-freeze made from glycogen and glucose. The antifreeze enters into each and every cell keeping them strong and preventing their blood turning into ice. The frog will then freeze its body solid in this state where it stops breathing turning into a state of natural suspended animation. While humans spend billions on cryogenic freezing, frogs are practicing it under leaves. The wood frogs again spring back to life once it gets warmer. That is definitely some mean super power right there.
6. Porcupine Fish
The Porcupine fish can look pretty mean when it comes to a standoff with predators but let me warn you, it can emit a toxic substance that can cause a lot of irritation. Porcupine fish contains a nasty toxin in their ovaries and some internal organs which it releases whenever it is threatened by a predator, especially those with big mouths like sharks. And to give you some perspective, the neurotoxin called tetrodotoxin is 1200 times more powerful than cyanide. One mouthful of this and a predator is in for a nasty surprise where smaller ones can easily get paralyzed. To add to its defense, the porcupine fish can also inflate itself to double its size making it difficult for predators to take a mouthful. The spines on its body which gave it the name, are also a third line of defense making this little guy a warmonger ready for any undersea battle.
5. Dragon Millipede Emit Poison Gas Clouds
Check out the dragon millipede, a creature like some magical Jet Lee which can shoot a cloud of hydrogen cyanide as its line of defense. Found in wetland areas of Laos, it is in fact a new species discovered. The Dragon millipede can often be spotted like small moving spots of yellow around 2 inches long. Also called the almond scented millipede, or cyanide millipede, its bright yellow coloring is a clear warning to predators not to mess around. Try picking one up and see what happens, it will curl up into a ball and then emit a cloud of hydrogen cyanide that smells like toasted almonds. While it may not harm you, it can lead to skin irritation, itching and blistering. One whiff of this lethal dose is enough to kill a pigeon or a beetle, its worst nemesis.
4. The Peregrine Falcon
Now here is one brilliant creature than can also be called death from above when it concerns its prey. The peregrine falcon is one of the most majestic birds on the planet with a superpower that pretty much makes it the ‘Flash” of the skies because it can fly at speeds faster than 200 kmph during its hurtling dives. And get this, the top speed of a Maserati is 190 mph, now how’s that for perspective. The peregrine falcon is also called a duck hawk and is a common bird of prey found worldwide. It holds the record for the world’s fastest bird and the world’s fastest animal. Woah!! Did you think the cheetah was the world’s fastest animal, it’s not even close where the cheetah’s top speed is 80-90mph. that’s nowhere near the Peregrine falcon whose sheer speed and strong talons is enough to kill its prey on impact.
3. Frilled Lizard Increases its Head Size
Lizards can be intimidating creatures and if I didn’t know better, I’d say dinosaurs didn’t go extinct, they might have shrunk to lizard size. And let me show you why. The Frilled Lizard is also known scientifically as Chlamydosaurus Kingii, which even makes it sound like a dinosaur. It gets its name from the frills around its neck that stays folded like a cape on its shoulders when it is not threatened. The moment it is confronted by a predator or danger, it will stand on its hind legs, mouth wide open, and spread out its frills making its head appear ten times larger than its size. I’m sure even humans would be intimidated at such a sight making the creature look like a mini dinosaur straight out of Jurassic Park, but does it deter predators? Yes! and once that happens, the lizard won’t hesitate to even leap and strike out because of its camouflaging advantage.
2. Lyrebirds are Masters of Mimicry
Have you ever heard about a lyre bird, leave alone seeing one? But hey, these guys have a pretty cool defense mechanism and no it isn’t ninja skills, but mimicry. Yes, as remarkable and incredible as it sounds, the lyre bird could easily enter the X factor or America’s Got Talent with its vast range of mimicry skills. The Lyre bird is Australia’s most famous bird and sound producing organs with skills that are nothing short of astounding. The Lyre bird can mimic sounds like a chainsaw, a car alarm, wing beats, songs, beak claps and even a camera shutter. It can also mimic the sound of other birds that it can deliver in quick succession. Lyre birds have three pairs of syringeal muscles in comparison to other birds that have four. This gives them the awesome ability to mimic almost any sound that it hears.
1.Cuttle Fish Can Turn Invisible
Cuttle fish by far are the most amazing creatures in the marine kingdom when it comes to camouflaging skills. Believe it or not, these little things can distort their bodies to unbelievable proportions and transform their bodies to look like any aquatic shape as a camouflage to blend into their surroundings and to hide from predators. The cuttle fish have sacs on their skin that are filled with natural-colored pigments which they change according to the camouflage desired and what’s pretty darn cool is that they can do it instantly. This incredible cocktail of colors possessed by the cuttle fish is a pretty complex phenomenon say scientists. The marine species can lock hundreds of tiny little structures beneath their skin that gives it a texture and ability much like Mystique of the X Men. In fact, this mysterious ability of cuttle fish has been recently discovered proving them unique.
Hi, I’m Andrew, and I come from India. Experienced content specialist with a passion for writing. My forte includes health and wellness, Travel, Animals, and Nature. A nature nomad, I am obsessed with mountains and love high-altitude trekking. I have been on several Himalayan treks in India including the Everest Base Camp in Nepal, a profound experience.
