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​From frilled lizards to Mandrills: 5 cool animals that stand out from the others​

etimes.in | Last updated on - Dec 16, 2025, 22:00 IST
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From frilled lizards to Mandrills: 5 cool animals that stand out from the others

Animals are one of the most versatile creatures found in nature that mesmerise with their unique traits and tactics.

What makes these animals unique is their wild colours, special acts, or just attitude that does not let viewers take their eyes off them.
They strut, flash, and sometimes also glow in the dark.

Be it ocean depths to treetops, they remind us nature's got style in spades, mixing beauty with brains.

Here are 5 of the coolest animals that stand out in the crowd

2/6

Mandrill

Mandrills, the world's largest monkeys, have rainbow-like faces that pop like living graffiti with blue, red, and purple hues that intensify with excitement or health. Males flash these vivid mugs to woo females and intimidate rivals in African rainforests. Their bold look signals strength and genes worth passing on. Weighing up to 77 pounds, they live in troops, using face power for social dominance.

3/6

Peacock

Peacocks steal the show with iridescent tail feathers fanning into a massive, shimmering wheel of blues, greens, and golds, with eyes spots that look like hypnosis during courtship struts in Indian forests. Only males grow these 200-feather trains, shaking them to attract peahens while risking predators. Evolved for mating selection, the display screams genetic fitness. During breeding, one bird can dazzle dozens, making them feathered rockstars.

4/6

Cuttlefish

Cuttlefish mesmerise with skin that flashes waves of colour and patterns, changing in milliseconds to hunt, hide, or flirt in coral reefs. Using chromatophores, or pigment cells, they copy rocks, prey, or rivals, fooling eyes with hypnotic pulses. Masters of disguise yet bold performers, males battle with pulsing displays. Found in Indo-Pacific waters, their brainpower rivals octopuses.

5/6

Flamingos

Flamingos flock in thousands, their hot-pink feathers and upside-down feeding poses creating a rosy river spectacle in salty African and South American lakes. Beta-carotene from shrimp diets fuels the glow, signaling health to mates. One-leg stands conserve heat, while group marches sync for safety. Males and females match vibrancy during dances, turning lagoons into living pink parties.

6/6

Frilled lizard

Frilled lizards in Australia and New Guinea have a neck frill that looks like a superhero cape, yellow with black spots flares wide to scare predators or charm mates. Running on hind legs at speeds up to 15 mph, they add acrobatics to the show. This lizard's hiss and open-mouth threat amplify the drama, deterring foes bigger than their 3-foot frame.

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Copyright © Jun 2, 2026, 06.04PM IST Bennett, Coleman & Co. Ltd. All rights reserved. For reprint rights: Times Syndication Service