Misfits of the Animal Kingdom

I created these weird creatures last year as part of my personal project and not many people got to see them so I thought I'd share them now. I might revisit some of these characters at some point because I think now I could draw them better. My favourites are the meercaterpillar and the kangarooster!

Frogtopus

Found in large lakes

The frogtopus lives underwater and its huge eyes are ideal for seeking out bugs up above. It uses its eight legs to spring up to the surface and catches its food using its long sticky tongue and toes. This method is so successful that it only has to feed once a day.

Giratte

Found worldwide

Girattes are very greedy creatures. They are mainly vegetarian and their long necks enable them to graze over large areas without having to move. This often results in girattes getting very fat. Their markings are good camouflage so they are difficult to spot. However, you can often track where they have been due to the high holes they have gnawed to hide food out of reach of smaller animals.

Kangarooster

Found on open plains

The kangarooster likes wide open spaces where it can exercise its powerful legs. It can cover vast areas at great speed. Although they are solitary animals, they can communicate with distant kangaroosters by crowing loudly and flapping their colourful wings.

Koalligator

Found in swampy areas deep in the jungle

Koalligators are happiest when they are swimming. They are equally at home in the trees thanks to their excellent gripping claws. They can often be seen clinging to trees drying out their fur. They try to look cute to lull their prey into a false sense of security but they should not be crossed- they are known to bite.

Meercaterpillar

Found in warm climates

Meerkaterpillars are very sociable creatures so tend to be found in large groups. They spend most of their time climbing, running and playing. As their legs tire in old age, they develop wings. When it comes time to hibernate, they dig themselves burrows and spin themselves blankets to sleep in.

Porcupython

Found on forest floors

The porcupython has no claws to catch its prey. Its spines stick up when it is hungry and it then crawls along the ground catching everything in its spines. Using its tongue as a fork, it then preens itself to eat. It will eat absolutely anything.

Rhinocehorse

Found in zoos

The rhinocehorse is a naturally clumsy animal yet it thinks it is fast and agile. It constantly attempts to jump over fences. Despite developing a thick skin to minimise the damage done when spiking itself with its horn, numbers have decreased to such a level that it is facing extinction. They are no longer found in the wild.

Spideer

Found in mountainous forests

Spideer live in large numbers deep in the forests. They are very difficult to spot as they are extremely private creatures. They are famous for their mating ritual of spinning silks on their antlers. These beautiful silks are greatly sought after, resulting in the development of spideer farms where their silks are harvested.