Some of the cutest animals in the world

Wombats, Australia

Wombats are muscular pint-size marsupials(сумчатый) with short legs. They are actually heavier than they look, weighing between 44 and 77 pounds. (1 pound = 400g )

Slow loris, Southeast Asia

Look at those big eyes! But don’t be fooled(одураченный). Slow lorises are the only known venomous(ядовитые) primate.

Red panda, Eastern Himalayas

These little fox-like cuties(милашки) use their long bushy tails(пушистые хвосты) to keep themselves warm during the winter months. Red pandas are incredibly acrobatic and tend to stay up in the trees.

Quokka, Australia

You may have heard of these little guys in the context of selfies. Known as the “happiest animal in the world” because of their friendly appearance(внешний вид), quokka selfies became somewhat of a trend in Australia just a few years ago.

Axolotl, Mexico

The “Mexican walking fish” isn’t a fish at all but actually a salamander. Unlike other amphibians, which usually lose their dorsal fins(спинные плавники) and external gills(внешние жабры) after they grow out of the tadpole phase, the water-bound axolotls keep those features through adulthood, which explains why they’re one of the most adorable animals.

Chevrotain, Southeast Asia and West Africa

These tiny creatures(крошечные создания) look straight out of a fairytale(сказочный) forest. It might look like a deer(олень), but the chevrotain stands at only about a foot tall at the shoulder. Instead of antlers, the male “mouse deer” have tiny fang(клыки) like tusks(бивни).

Fennec fox, North Africa

There’s a reason fennec foxes make you say “aww”—the North African animals are the world’s smallest canine(собачий) species. Fennec foxes also have the largest ears relative to their body size, which helps them give off heat and hunt prey.

Siberian flying squirrel, North Asia and Europe

I’m sure you can see how this is one of the cutest animals in the world. You wouldn’t think a tubby(бочкообразный, полный) little fluff ball(пушистый комочек) like this could go very far in the air, but flaps of skin(лоскуты кожи) by their legs help them glide between trees. You can catch a glimpse(мельком заметить) of Siberian flying squirrels in Russia, China, and other northern areas of Asia and Europe. Tourists get especially excited to see them in Hokkaido, the only island in Japan with the furballs(меховые комки).