When we think of the color blue and nature, the ocean and the sky would instantly pop into our minds. Otherwise, this hue is relatively uncommon in nature and exceptionally rare when it comes to animals! That makes blue animals all the more amazing. Blue creatures are widespread throughout the world, even though they are quite uncommon.
Doing absolute justice to their unique appearance, most blue animals tend to be venomous or have fierce defence mechanisms. Their bright blue coloring is often a way to warn predators. If you’re curious about blue animals, keep on reading this article.
We’ve featured some of the best blue animals, along with some fun facts about them!
Coolest Blue Animals You Didn’t Know
1. Blue Tang
If you’ve seen ‘Finding Nemo’, you probably recognise this unique-looking blue fish. This fish is known for its vibrant color, black markings and yellow tail. Although they have gorgeous color, they are not born with it. A blue tang’s royal hue is a sign of stress and develops as they age. These fish live in coral reefs and eat a diet of plankton, algae and shrimp. They have sharp teeth that help them collect algae from rocks.
You may think this is a harmless fish, but blue tangs are venomous. They have sharp spines on their tail, which contain toxins. These toxic spines help protect this fish from predators that lurk in coral reefs.
The blue tang, along with other fish, plays a special role in keeping the ecosystem in check. They keep coral reefs from suffocating by cleaning any algae off them. Unfortunately, due to coral bleaching and other factors, this fish faces the threat of habitat loss. You can play your part in protecting coral reefs by recycling.
2. Blue Jay
This bird species is native to eastern North America and can be found in countries like Canada. It is known for its vibrant blue feathers, unique feather pattern and spiky crest. These birds have a distinct and noisy cal that can be easily recognised. They live on a diet consisting mainly of insects, fruit and but. Sometimes they may also steal and eat eggs from other birds’ nests. Their blue coloring isn’t the unique thing about them. The black markings on a blue jay also vary from bird to bird.
This helps them identify their family apart from other birds. But what really makes these birds amazing? Like most animals, blue jays also play a huge ecological role. They eat acorns, disposing of the seeds around their habitat. Oak trees grow as a result of this process.
Blue jays are also incredibly smart creatures. They often imitate other birds, like hawks, to confuse other birds. This tactic is used to keep their loved ones safe from predatory birds.
3. Blue Sea Star
This aquatic looks absolutely magical with its vibrant blue coloring and star shape. Blue sea stars live in shallow waters and can also be found in coral reefs. They are nocturnal creatures that prefer to stay hidden during the day and look for food at night. Although they may look harmless, blue starfish have a defender mechanism against predators. They secrete toxins that can harm predators if they attack. When it comes to their diet, this variety of starfish eats plankton and other invertebrates.
The most fascinating thing about these animals is the way they reproduce. Blue sea stars are known to decapitate their arms, and produce asexually. This means they don’t require another sea star to reproduce and can regenerate their arms if they lose one.
Another weird fact about blue sea stars is that they don’t have a brain. They have eyes and hundreds of little feet to help them glide across the sandy ocean floor.
4. Morpho
The morpho butterfly is a gorgeous creature known for its blue-colored wings. These butterflies are found in South American countries like Mexico and reside in forests. These butterflies are larger and can grow their wings up to 8 inches wide. Their wings are also iridescent, giving them a unique, shimmery appearance. They have a lot of predators like birds and other insects. To stay safe, the morpho butterfly stays on the ground when not in flight. They flip their wings up to confuse their predators. This works since the underside of their wings have eye-like patterns.
You may think butterflies are herbivores, but that’s far from the truth. While they eat a diet of fruit, they are also known to eat carcasses. Morpho butterflies can not chew, so they use their long mouths to sip their food.
They may not be endangered, but this butterfly species is often hunted for jewelry and decorative use.
5. Panther Chameleon
Although this animal can be found in many colors, most have bluish scales. The panther chameleon is definitely one of the most colorful animals out there. They are also known to change the color of their scales when searching for a mate. Their color-changing scales serve a special purpose. It can vary depending on a chameleon’s mood and stress levels. They may also change their color to help keep their temperature regulated. Although they may not look intelligent, panther chameleons know tons of useful skills.
Their tongue is an integral part of their body, not just because it helps them eat, but they also use it as a weapon. Their tongue is also super fast and has quite a bit of force to it too. It is covered in thick, sticky saliva.
Panther chameleons are also one of the few animals that have 360° vision. This is because their eyes rotate, helping them get a full view of their surroundings.
6. Blue Parrotfish
This fish resides in shallow water in subtropical parts of the world. Blue Parrotfish are known for their bright blue coloring and unique front teeth. Their teeth are fused together to form a beak, and they also have an additional set of teeth in their throat. This extra set of teeth helps them break down and digest coral. Apart from coral, a blue parrotfish diet consists of algae and rocks. These fish are significant for their environment.
They keep coral clean by eating algae off it, and the undigested coral becomes the sand you see on beaches. This unique fish also has another skill it uses. Parrotfish secrete butter mucus to mask their scent to stay safe from predators. They make a casing around their body with this mucus, adding some holes for ventilation.
Unfortunately, these fish are in danger due to coral bleaching and fishing. Some people attempt to eat blue parrotfish, but they can cause food poisoning or be deadly.
7. Asian Fairy-Bluebird
You can find this variety of bluebirds in tropical southern Asian countries. What makes Asian Fairy Bluebird unique is their royal blue feathers, beady red eyes and black markings. They have a loud call that can be heard for miles. While the male Asian fairy bluebird has a vibrant coloring, the females have duller feathers. These birds reside in forests, eating a diet of fruits and insects. Asian fairy bluebirds are a social species found eating with other birds.
When it comes to their nests, Asian bluebirds are neat freaks. They use roots to make a cup-shaped nest and moss to camouflage it from predators. Another cool fact about this bluebird is that they tend to live in pairs. They not only travel with their partner but live with them too.
The Asian bluebird can lay around 2-3 eggs at a time. Their eggs are small in size and have brown markings on them.
8. Blue Whale
The blue whale is the largest mammal on earth, and it can weigh up to 199 tonnes. They get their name from their light blue coloring. Not only is this the largest animal, but it is also the biggest animal to ever exist. Blue whales have a heart the size of a car and weigh more than 33 elephants. Their large size also makes them the loudest animal on earth. You can hear their calls from miles away, louder than a jet plane. Blue whales are carnivores, and they eat a diet of krill. Due to their size, they can consume around 4 tonnes of krill at once.
They do this by gulping large amounts of water at once. Their baleen, the fringed plates in their mouth, separates the water from the krill. But that isn’t the only fascinating thing about blue whales. If you look at this animal’s belly, you’ll find it covered in millions of microorganisms.
Unfortunately, this is another animal which is endangered due to pollution and other factors.
9. Poison Dart Frog
Bright colors on animals usually help warn us, and such is the case with the poison dart frog. This frog has radiant blue skin that is dotted with black markings. As its name suggests, this frog contains toxins that can cause nausea and paralysis. Their colorful skin is a sign for predators not to eat these small creatures. If eaten, they can cause unsavory side effects, including death. In fact, the skin of a poison dart frog is toxic enough to kill an army of mice.
But why are these frogs so poisonous? A big part of their poison comes from their diet of insects. Like other frog species, this frog also uses its long tongue to catch its prey. They eat a diet of fruit and insects such as termites.
Although they are poisonous, this frog species still has predators! They are mainly hunted by snakes. Unfortunately, poison dart frogs are an endangered species. This is due to the loss of habitat and being hunted by predators.
10. Blue Glaucus
Last on this list is this unique blue sea animal that looks straight out of a science fiction movie. The Blue Galucus is a part of the sea slug family, and it’s known for its defence mechanisms. These sea animals move by floating on the water, letting the waves carry them. The blue glaucus has an excruciating sting that can even be fatal in some situations. What’s cool about this animal is that it usually floats on its back. The cool blue pattern you see is their underbelly. They can float because of an air bubble in their stomach.
Their gorgeous blue coloring serves another purpose as they use it to camouflage themselves in the water. Blue Glaucus stores the stinging cells from jellyfish and blue bottles to use on their predators later.
If you ever see a blue Glaucus, make sure not to touch it, or you might get stung!
Wrap Up
Can you believe that there are so many blue animals out there? All of these animals are unique in their own way. Most of these amazing animals help our environment in different ways.
Hope this article helps you identify some cool animals you didn’t know about before. If you know about any other blue animals, feel free to share with us in the comments.
