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Earth is home to an immense variety of living beings and animals, many with qualities which make them very rare and special. If you go looking, you will come across all kinds of insects, fish, birds and mammals which will fascinate you, and sometimes even make you shiver with fear.

In fact, the mankind’s relationship with such species goes back thousands of years. Many of these animals whom we consider exotic today used to be pets for our ancestors. To tell you the truth, there are some exotic animals which people still actually keep in their homes. Regardless, let’s acquaint you with the four most exotic animals that mankind has ever come across.

Mandarin Duck
Found in Russia, Japan and China, Mandarin Duck was first introduced in Europe and is considered exotic because of its immense beauty. The male duck has a phenomenal variety of colours like orange, fuchsia, cream, brown, blue and green. These ducks normally inhabit in areas close to lagoons, ponds and lakes. Having them in the vicinity is considered good luck in various parts of Asia. Many also consider their presence as a mark of conjugal love and affection. In some countries people also offer Mandarin Duck as a gift to the groom/bride during weddings!

Slow Loris

A primate that is found mainly in Asia, Slow Loris is a sort of Internet celebrity. The evolutionary history of this animal remains a mystery. What sets it apart is the way it protects itself from the predators. It has a gland in its armpits which possesses poison and becomes active whenever it licks that area. The female Slow Loris even apply this poison as a coating on their young ones to protect them. Apart from the deforestation problem, this species is threatened with extinction by none other than the human beings. You can often find people involved in illegal trade of this small mammal in the underground market.

Pink Grasshopper
You must have seen green, brown and sometimes even the white grasshoppers. But Pink grasshoppers are a rarity as they are a result of a recessive gene which is not found in majority of the species. There is only one in 50,000 grasshoppers which has this colour. As is evident, the exotic nature of this species is because of its colour, which also makes it unattractive to its predators.

Pangolin
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It’s a kind of mammal which has large scales and is found in the tropical regions of Africa and Asia. Although pangolin doesn’t have any specific body weapon which it can use against its predators, its legs are so powerful that it can dig the ground very quickly. Such is the force of its legs that it can even break the human leg with one hit.

The Pangolin wards off its predators by emitting a very foul smell or by digging quick holes into the ground. You will find them living in pairs or alone. It’s not uncommon to find Pangolin meat in China as there is excessive demand for it in the country.

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