Welcome to the Top Ten List! Each edition we will break down a top ten list. This edition will focus on the Top Ten Coolest Animals! These animals are not only unique and important to the world’s ecosystem, they have amazing abilities. So, let the debate begin! From land to the sea, these are our top ten!!

1.The Blue Dragon 

As you can see, the Blue Dragon looks like a blue dragon, but underwater. It is referred to as the blue dragon, because the color of this animal is blue, and has wings that help it travel through the water. The blue dragon is a man o’ war species.  The blue dragon has a devastatingly effective sting, that you want nothing to do with! It is a newly found species, discovered off the coast of Padre Island National Seashore in Texas. The Blue Dragon can live up to almost a year if treated correctly, but overall, it is a new and cool animal to be found in the ocean.

2. The Axolotl

Axolotl is a world-wide popular animal. It is considered, by many people, as one of the coolest animals, because of it regenerative ability along with looking like a Pokémon! The Axolotl may be smiling at you, but it has been found is lakes around Mexico. The Axolotl is amphibious, but strictly lives its adult life in the water. Sadly the Axolotl is considered an endangered species, falling prey to predators and the urbanization of their ecosystems. The Axolotl is capable of regenerative ability, not only able to regenerate limbs, but also spines, jaws, and even parts of the brain with no sign of scarring. Scientists have studied these creatures for years, trying to figure out how they do it. WOW! Isn’t that cool?!?

3. The Honey Badger 

The Honey Badger is part of the weasel family, related to skunks, otters, ferrets, and other badgers. The Honey Badger’s favorite food is…you guessed it; HONEY! But, what these honey badgers are actually looking to eat are the bee larvae found in the honeycombs. Honey badgers are native to areas of Africa and Asia, from southern Morocco to Africa’s southern tip, and the western Asia’s Caspian Sea, Turkmenistan, Afghanistan, Nepal, and Western India. They live mainly in dry areas, but are also found in forests and grasslands. The Honey Badger is as tough as a they come. It will literally fight any animal. Honey badgers have a stocky, flattened body, with short strong legs, along with long claws on the front feet for digging and defense just like any critter. Also the honey badger has a gland at the base of its tail that stores a stinky liquid; which is used as a message, “This is my Area, Stay Away!” The honey badger has a lot of interesting features, which is why it’s cool

4.Tigers

Tigers are a very cool animals who have a majestic stance. Many people use tigers to help them represent elegance and leadership. It is the largest of all cats. Their homelands are located in: Turkey, Asia, Russia, and many other parts of the world. Tigers are fierce and powerful creatures; the stripes that help define the tigers also come in different colors. Tigers are animals who have a lot in common with the commonhouse cats. They play, rest for most of the day, and get a kick out of catnip. One difference between tigers and house cats is, the love of water. Tigers are known to swim up to five miles a stretch. However, most tigers are endangered and only about 3,900 still exist in the wild. We’ve seen a 96% decline in their range, 40%  of which happened in the last decade. Tigers are very cool, but you don’t want to get too close to them.

5.Red Panda

Pandas live in the Eastern Himalayas and in the Southwestern portion of China. Although they are the smallest cats in the cat family, its size is about the same size as most of the domestic cats. Red Pandas feed on bamboo, eggs, insects, and several other small mammals.  TheChinese word for them is Hunho; meaning a fire fox. Sadly however, they are listed as endangered species by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). They are being poached for their fur, which are becoming increasingly popular in the pet trade. Another threat to this species is deforestation, which eliminates nesting sites, sources of food, and isolates populations into small fragments.

6. Narwhals

Narwhals are from the whale family Monodontidae. They live in the waters around Greenland, Canada, and Russia. They can live up to 50 years and commonly die from suffocation by being trapped under the ice. WOW! Although, they name narwhal comes from the Norse words “nar” (corpse) and “hval” (whale), they are medium-size marine mammals known for their tusk that resembles a unicorn’s horn. These animals are very cool, because they have tusks. However, sometimes narwhals lose their tusks- which is uncool….

7. Shoebill

Shoebills are abnormally tall birds, which could grow over 4 feet. The Shoebills are highly effective predators due to their long legs. Their legs are perfect for traversing shallow waters, where they prey on reptiles, rodents, and fish.  They are found in freshwater swamps of central tropical Africa. They are known as: shoebills, whale-heads, whale-headed storks, or shoe-billed storks. They get their names from their enormous shoe-shaped bills. Shoebills are very cool birds and their heights are awesome.

8.Glass Frog

Frogs, just as the name implies, are extraordinary glass like frogs. Each of them have lime-green/transparent skin which makes their organs visible to the naked eye. The glass frogs are founded in South America. Equally amazing are their spotted backs, which scientists speculate are meant to resemble eggs – so that predators going after their offspring would get confused. Unfortunately glass frogs are endangered animals, due to their arboreal nature. Their habitat loss from deforestation and human activity are also a threat. Glass frogs are small, but still are very cool, with a great name.

9.Mantis Shrimp

Shrimps are ancient and fierce. They are dated back to 400 million years ago, and don’t look like any other shrimps. They are so freakishly strong that their appendages, called “clubs,” can smash crab shells and bust open clams. Mantis Shrimps clubs can also be used to dish out around 500 punches in under a second, delivering enough force to break glass. They also have amazing eyesight; they can see two directions at once, which lets them strike with pinpoint accuracy. They are found near marine Crustacean. They inhabit tropical and subtropical waters in the Indian and Pacific Oceans, between Eastern Africa and Hawaii. WOW, these little fierce animals!

10.Markhor

Markhor are exotic wild goats, also known as, “screw horn goats,” due to their heads being adorned with long, corkscrew-shaped horns. Markhors strike a majestic pose. They also have long beards that demonstrate wisdom. Markhors eat grass, leaves, and shoots on the ground, trees, bushes, and other shrubbery. Markhors are also listed as endangered animals, but they are still very cool due to their horns and as a symbol of wisdom.