What are the origins of this fun-filled festive custom?
Just like the starfish, jellyfish aren’t actually fish. Instead, they're invertebrates, or animals that lack backbones.
Names can often lead to confusion when they're given in relation to a physical characteristic, such as size. This is true of the whale shark, which is not a whale, just as big as some.
Neither related to a wolf nor an aardvark, the aardwolf is actually a hyena. It gets its name from the Afrikaans word meaning "earth-wolf."
Sources: (Reader's Digest) (Mental Floss) (Live Science)
See also: Animals with the most ridiculous names
These little creatures do light up, but not because they have fire in their backsides! Also, they aren't flies; they're actually beetles.
Clearly, this isn't a real dragon, but a massive lizard. The Komodo dragon is named for Indonesia's Komodo Island, but its forked tongue was thought to resemble that of mythical dragons.
No, there's no such thing as a flying fox. And this bat has no ancestral history in the fox family. But based on this bat's fox-like face and tufts of orange hair, you can see how it got its name.
Being neither from Guinea nor a pig, these little rodents got a really misleading name. One theory is that they were brought to England via Guinea, leading people to believe that they were from there.
The only cat-like features these sharks embody are elongated eyes, sometimes tiger stripes or leopard spots, and night vision. However, it's not a "cat" you'll want to pet!
The only thing starfish and fish share is their aquatic habitat. Starfish are marine invertebrates with rays or arms that surround a central disc, while fish are limbless vertebrates with fins and gills.
The honey bear, or kinkajou, is doubly misleading. Not only does it come from the raccoon family, but it doesn't even really eat honey.
Sea lions are what are known as pinnipeds, which means they're marine mammals that walk on their flippers.
A seahorse might slightly resemble a horse, but it's really a fish that belongs to the Syngnathidae family.
These desert creatures aren't toads. They're actually 14 species of different lizards covered in sharp horns, spines, and scales.
Many people are aware that koalas aren't actually a type of bear. In fact, just about the only thing the two creatures have in common is that they’re both mammals.
Also known as rakali, this Australian creature is a rodent that lives in water. It has no relation to the black or brown rat.
These rhinos are grayish-brown, not white. And it's actually the shape of their lips that makes them different from other rhinos, not their color.
Like guinea pigs, prairie dogs are rodents, and have nothing in common with domesticated dogs. Their name comes from the fact that their call sounds like the bark of a small dog.
Once abundant across several Caribbean islands, the mountain chicken is only found today on Dominica. In regard to its misleading name, one theory says locals used to eat it and that it tasted like chicken. Others say it sounds like a chicken squawking.
This South American canine isn't a wolf, nor a fox. In fact, it has its own genus, Chrysocyon, which translates to "golden dog."
Native to parts of Asia and Africa, this feisty animal might look like a badger, but it belongs to a different subfamily, Mellivorinae. Its common name come from its love of honey.
The truth is that flying lemurs can't fly. Much like the flying squirrel, they glide and swoop. Also, this isn't a lemur, either. It's a completely separate creature, occupying its own order (Dermoptera) and family (Cynocephalidae).
These sea dwellers aren't shrimp or mantises. They actually occupy a unique order of marine crustacean, Stomatopoda. With a complex optical structure, they have a more sophisticated comprehension of color than any other known animal.
Orcas, also known as killer whales, aren't whales at all. They're actually the largest members of the dolphin family!
There's actually no such thing as an American buffalo, as this furry beast is a bison. The real buffalo in the genera Syncerus and Bos originate from Central and Southern Africa and the Indian subcontinent.
Native to North America, the mountain goat is close enough in relation to the common goat to forgive its misleading name. But true goats belong to the genus Capra, whereas the mountain goat is the only species belonging to the genus Oreamnos.
The king cobra is technically not a true cobra. It's actually the only snake in the genus Ophiophagus (true cobras belong to the genus Naja) and probably got its name because its main food source are other snakes.
Looking nothing like its much larger black-and-white namesake, the red panda isn't related to pandas. This Himalayan omnivore occupies its own family, ailuridae, and its closest relatives are weasels, raccoons, and skunks.
Not an eel at all, this creature is a type of knifefish, which earned its name due to the snakelike appearance it shares with eels.
Binturong is the proper name for this animal, which isn't related to cats or bears. Its closest living relatives are fellow branch-dwelling mammals like the civet and the genet.
The animal kingdom is filled with wonderful creatures. However, they can be equally confusing due to their misleading names. When it comes to animals, a variety of characteristics can be wrapped up in a common name, including where they live, what they eat, their color, or, more broadly, what they look like. But sometimes all of these categories can become misleading. For example, did you know that flying foxes aren't really foxes at all?
Intrigued? Click on to discover some of the animals with the most misleading names around.
The animal kingdom is filled with wonderful creatures. However, they can be equally confusing due to their misleading names. When it comes to animals, a variety of characteristics can be wrapped up in a common name, including where they live, what they eat, their color, or, more broadly, what they look like. But sometimes all of these categories can become misleading. For example, did you know that flying foxes aren't really foxes at all?
Intrigued? Click on to discover some of the animals with the most misleading names around.
Animals with misleading names
Some of these names can actually lead to confusion
LIFESTYLE Wildlife
The animal kingdom is filled with wonderful creatures. However, they can be equally confusing due to their misleading names. When it comes to animals, a variety of characteristics can be wrapped up in a common name, including where they live, what they eat, their color, or, more broadly, what they look like. But sometimes all of these categories can become misleading. For example, did you know that flying foxes aren't really foxes at all?
Intrigued? Click on to discover some of the animals with the most misleading names around.