15 Cute animals you've never heard of
BY READERS DIGEST
1st Jan 2015 Animals & Pets
There aren't many animals that aren't cute. Most animals have an inbuilt innocence that lends itself to hitting the 'aaaw' centre in our brains. But there are plenty of cute animals you've almost certainly never heard of before, unless you've studied everything Sir David Attenborough has ever made. Not all of these are balls of fluff, not all of them will fit in your pocket, but they are all seriously cute in their own way.
1. Red crested tree rat
Starting the list with a rat may not sound super cute, but this furry little critter from Colombia ticks all the right boxes. It gets its name from its bright red head.
2. Sugar glider
This nocturnal, gliding possum is found throughout Eastern Australasia. A marsupial, this super cute little omnivore certainly looks like butter wouldn't melt.
3. Patagonian Mara
This chilled looking, large South American rodent lives in communities underground, and spends 46% of its day eating.
4. Parrot fish
Found in the Western Atlantic Ocean, as well as the Caribbean Sea, this slightly dopey looking fish is named after a parrot... for obvious reasons.
5. Golden brush tailed possum
This Australian, nocturnal marsupial's Latin name translates as 'little fox', and it's easy to see why with a tail that size.
6. Amazonian royal flycatcher
This little bird's name says it all; we know where it's from, and what it eats. What it doesn't tell us is that it has an amazing red, orange or yellow plumed crest.
7. Gobi jerboa
This cute, desert dwelling, Asian rodent has some interestingly large, Dumbo like ears.
8. Potto
The potto is a primate from central Africa, and looks like it could give a good cuddle. We're not so sure if that's recommended though.
9. Glaucus Atlanticus
ref: https://www.flickr.com/photos/87895263@N06/8599051974
Commonly known as the sea swallow, or blue angel, this is actually a type of sea slug, and it has a strikingly beautiful appearance.
10. Klipspringer
This cute little South African antelope's name translates as 'rock jumper' from Afrikaans.
11. Owston's civet
The Owston's palm civet is native to South China and Vietnam. Very little is known about these mysterious little animals, especially in the wild.
12. Numbat
Also known as the banded anteater, the numbat is another Australian marsupial. Measuring only 35-45cm in length, these cute little critters are on the endangered list.
13. Southern right whale dolphin
These small mammals are the only dolphins in the Southern Hemisphere without dorsal fins. This gives them an extremely like-able, slender profile.
14. Tufted deer
Apart from their menacing looking teeth, this Asian deer species are especially cute. They all live more than 4,500 metres above sea level, making studying the habits of these little wanderers extremely difficult.
15. Pika
Saving the best for last, the little pika is so cute it hurts. No, these are not kids' cartoon characters, they are in fact small mammals, not dissimilar in appearance to a chinchilla. There are many different types of pika, but they all score high on the cuteness scale.
