When it comes to animal anatomy, noses come in all shapes, sizes and downright bizarre forms. From the tentacled snout of the star-nosed mole to the mighty trunk of the elephant, evolution has crafted some truly extraordinary olfactory tools.
Some noses are precision instruments, others double as strength-based appendages – and a few serve as social showpieces. Whether sniffing out dinner, lifting heavy objects, attracting a mate or making a racket, these unusual noses reveal just how inventive nature can be.
Weirdest noses in the animal kingdom
Star-nosed mole
The freakish, tentacled snout of the star-nosed mole (Condylura cristata) may look funny, but it’s nothing to laugh at. It could be the most skilled sniffer under the sun – even when underwater.
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Its nose is used more as a super-sensitive spare paw with 22 toes. The pea-sized organ is extremely perceptive, packed with over 25,000 sensory receptors – compared with 17,000 in the human hand. The mole can identify anything it touches seven times faster than a person can blink. This makes it the most sensitive organ in the animal world.
Elephant
When it comes to noses, it's probably no surprise to learn that no vertebrate is more generously endowed in the nasal department than an elephant. Indeed, an elephant's trunk is the nose to which others aspire: elephant seals, elephant fish and elephant shrews are all named for their impressive schnozzes.
An elephant’s trunk is a remarkable organ capable of feats of both strength and precision: it can lift logs weighing more than 300kg. It can also remove a peanut from its shell, blow the shell away and transfer the nut to the mouth.
Containing tens of thousands of individual muscles (many more than in the entire human body), the trunk is also equipped with the nasal equivalent of opposable thumbs, in the form of the ‘trunk tip fingers’ (Asian elephants have one, African elephants, two).
Proboscis monkey
Also known as the long-nosed monkey, the proboscis monkey is easily recognised thanks to its enlarged facial features. Research shows that female proboscis monkeys are more likely to be attracted to males with larger noses, so it’s clearly appealing to some…
We named the proboscis monkey's nose as one of the strangest animal appendages in the world.
We explain why proboscis monkeys have such big noses .
Hammerheaded bat
The largest bat in continental Africa, this species certainly looks like a bruiser – and the giant schnoz doesn't help! As with proboscis monkeys, the large nose is unique to males, with females looking very different (and much smaller in general).
These noses are actually resonating chambers stuck to the front of their faces – large air sacs that allow them to produce very loud honking sounds. Although it might make them look like gargoyles, the ability to be very loud helps them get attention from females and ultimately aids reproductive success.
Giant anteater
Giant anteaters are easily recognised by their unique appearance, especially their strange elongated, tubular snouts. Their head measures about 30cm long, with the cylindrical snout dominating most of its length. This remarkable nose is not just for show: it is a highly specialised tool for finding food. Equipped with an exceptional sense of smell, giant anteaters can detect insects like termites and ants from impressive distances.
- This bizarre-looking animal swims, climbs trees and is toothless – and can even fight off pumas and jaguars if necessary
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Trumpet rat
Elusive, aquatic and wonderfully odd, the Pyrenean desman (Galemys pyrenaicus) is one of Europe’s most mysterious mammals. And although it might not be a household name, its nose easily earns it a spot among the animal kingdom’s strangest.
Slender, incredibly muscular and surprisingly flexible, the nose terminates at a slightly bifurcated tip and two prominent nostrils. All this gives the animal its alternative (and brilliant) colloquial name of trumpet rat.
That nose is the most peculiar thing to see in action. The desman catches prey on the stream bed – primarily aquatic insects, crustaceans, worms and small molluscs – and brings it to the surface to consume. Its nose is almost prehensile, bending and prodding in conjunction with the front limbs to manipulate a meal. Watching a desman dispatch and dismember a large stonefly nymph is quite something.
The Pyrenean desman’s nose is a masterclass in evolutionary weirdness.
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