Realistic Animal Design Inspiration

THE COELACANTH (PRONOUNCED SEEL-uh-kanth) is an enormous, bottom-dwelling fish that is unlike other living fishes in a number of ways. They belong to an ancient lineage that has been around for more than 360 million years. Coelacanths can reach more than six feet long and weigh about 200 pounds, and they're covered in thick, scaly armor. It's estimated they can live up to 60...

Maned lizards belong to the family of flying lizards, a class of lizards that are active during daytime, mainly in the hot and arid deserts and wildernesses of eastern Australia. They have a sturdy body, about 40 cm in length, and their head and sides are covered with spiny scales, making them look very powerful. After years of artificial breeding and selection, the maned...

Dugongs are cousins of manatees and share a similar plump appearance, but have a dolphin fluke-like tail. And unlike manatees, which use freshwater areas, the dugong is strictly a marine mammal. Commonly known as "sea cows," dugongs graze peacefully on sea grasses in shallow coastal waters of the Indian and western Pacific Oceans. Dugongs range in length from about 2.2 to 3.4 metres (7...