Aye-aye

Weirdness factor: Where to start? The aye-aye is a kind of lemur, with large round ears that rotate independently. How does it eat? There are no woodpeckers in Madagascar, but the aye-aye has evolved to feed like one, using its long middle finger to scoop out grubs in tree bark.

See it in: Madagascar (and the Bristol Zoo Gardens).


Proboscis monkey

Weirdness factor: The male proboscis monkey has a pendulous nose that is thought to amplify his calls to females (and his warnings to big-nosed rivals). The most dominant male usually has the biggest nose and can collect a harem of five to eight females.

See it in: Borneo (and the Singapore Zoo).



Naked mole rat

Weirdness factor: Almost totally blind, the naked mole rat is one of only two species of mammals that live in colonies with a caste system, like termites or ants. There's one queen and sometimes hundreds of workers and soldiers -which are expected to sacrifice themselves in battle should a snake appear (and not lose its appetite).

See it in: Ethiopia, Kenya, and Somalia (and Zoo Atlanta and the National Zoo).

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