Amazing animals — A look at the weird and wonderful species that live on our planet

The Asian golden cat is an elusive creature endemic to South and Southeast Asia. It is known to take down prey much larger than itself, including buffalo calves, baby deer and small muntjacs.

These deep-sea worms, which are 1% arsenic, are only found at the hottest hydrothermal vents in the western Pacific.

Pallas's cat is a small wild cat native to Central Asia with short legs and dense fur, making it look bigger than it really is — but the yelps it makes in stressful situations betray its size.

This swimming sea cucumber looks like a chicken carcass, eats poop floating in the water and uses defecation as a means of propulsion.

Aye-ayes are remarkable thanks to their extra-long, bony middle fingers, which they use to locate grubs and pick their noses.

Virginia opossums are the only marsupial species in North America.

This big-eyed rainforest mammal looks like a cross between a bat and a squirrel. It glides between treetops using a furry membrane that connects its limbs.

This flightless nocturnal parrot is only found in New Zealand.

Male Japanese quails produce a strange seminal foam that appears to enhance the chances of successfully fertilizing an egg.

The smallest species of whale tricks its predators by gushing gallons of red fluid into the water when under attack.