Some rodents are enormous – like the cat-sized Indian giant squirrel – while others have impressive adaptations, from star-shaped tentacled noses to webbed feet.
One even holds the title for the most mating sessions in the animal kingdom. Whether they fly, swim or even defy ageing itself, these unusual rodents are anything but ordinary.
Weirdest rodents in the world
Indian giant squirrel (Ratufa indica)
Better known as the ‘rainbow squirrel’, the Indian giant squirrel (or Malabar giant squirrel) is unusual both forr its size and (you guessed it) its rainbow-like multi-coloured colouring.
Weighing four times as much as a grey squirrel, the rainbow squirrel is about the same size as a domesticated cat.
Star-shaped nose mole (Condylura cristata)
As with the rainbow squirrel, the star-shaped nose mole’s name speaks for itself. This hamster-sized rodent has a tentacled snout that is super sensitive, packed with nearly 50 per cent more sensory adaptors than the human hand. It can identify anything it touches seven times faster than a human can blink, which makes it the most sensitive organ in the animal kingdom.
We named the star-shaped nose mole in our round-up of blind animals that can survive in complete darkness and the world’s weirdest animals.
Gunnison’s prairie dog (Cynomys gunnisoni)
Despite its name, the Gunnison’s prairie dog is not a member of the canine family – it’s actually considered to be a rodent. However, they take their name from the sound they make, which is said to sound like a dog bark.
Naked mole-rat (Heterocephalus glaber)
One of the weirdest rats in the world the naked male-rat is the world’s only cold-blooded mammal and can survive 18 minutes without oxygen and feel no pain. They also live like insects, with colonies ruled by a single breeding queen which produces dozens of offspring several times a year. Fascinatingly, the naked mole rat also defies ageing and disease. While mice live to around four years of age, naked mole rats can live up to 30, remaining fertile until the end.
We named the naked mole rat as one of the weirdest animals in the world.
Ezo flying squirrel (Pteromys volans orii)
Surprisingly, the ezo flying squirrel is just one of about 44 species of flying squirrels worldwide, so this really is just the beginning.
Shaw’s jird (Meriones shawi)
This North African desert rodent was observed mating 224 times in two hours, making it one of the animals that has the most sex.
Capybara (Hydrochoerus hydrochaeris)
The capybara is the largest rodent, and although they live in social groups, they’re also welcoming of other species. It’s not uncommon to see capybaras with birds perching on their backs. They’re consdered unique because of their semi-aquatic lifestyle, spending much more of their time in water than other rodents. Because of this, they have developed adaptations such as webbed feet, nostrils, eyes and ears located high on their heads so they can look out for predators while they’re submerged.
Fun fact: they also eat their own dung, in order to extract maximum nutrition (time and again) from their food).
Maned rat (Lophiomys imhausi)
Predators beware! The world’s deadliest rat carries enough toxin to kill an elephant.
The maned rat – which also goes by the name of the crested rat (or the African crested rat) – is considered to be the only poisonous rat. It’s also the only known mammal to sequest plant toxins for use as a defence mechanism.
Southern grasshopper mouse
It is largely immune to the venom of the Arizona bark scorpion (Centruroides sculpturatus) and will even turn to cannibalism when food is scarce.
This article by Freya Parr was first published by Discover Wildlife on 22 March 2026. Lead Image: A Siberian flying squirrel glides between the trees during the day in a park in Hokkaido (credit: Getty Images).
What you can do
Protect wildlife by making a monthly donation as little as $5.
It only takes a minute!
Leave a Reply