Gallery: Ambiguous animals
To celebrate International Red Panda Day, we thought we'd pay tribute to some animals that have long lived in the shadows of their much more famous namesakes. To make matters worse, these animals aren't even related to the animals they share their names with!
Red panda
The red panda was once thought to be closely related to the giant panda, but apart from a love for eating bamboo, it's the raccoon and weasel families that this little guy belongs to.
Sea lion
The king of the jungle, the most feared and powerful mammal in the wild...is not this guy. With a face like this, it's hard to imagine anyone could be scared of the mighty sea lion.
Prairie dog
If you were expecting a dog, you've come to the wrong place. The prairie dog is a ground dwelling squirrel, whose name comes from their dog-like barking calls, used to communicate when a predator is nearby.
Ladybird
Is it a bird? Is it a lady? Nope, it's a beetle. Ladybirds are very common in Britain and in particular the 'seven-spot' variety which are red and black. In their year-long lives, seven-spot ladybirds consume 5000 aphids, which make them very popular amongst gardeners.
Polecat
They do have whiskers and they do give birth to kittens, but the polecat actually belongs to the same family as badgers and weasels. Over the last 100 years the polecat has made a remarkable comeback in Britain, so they should be celebrated just like their feline counterparts!
Horned toad
This prickly character is also known as the horned lizard and that's exactly what it is. Its toady alias comes from the fact that it shares a similarly shaped face to its amphibious namesake.
Guinea pig
Who you calling a pig? The poor guinea pig is one animal who can't shake its piggy moniker and as the two animals have very little in common, nobody quite knows for sure where the name came from in the first place!
Seahorse
You don't need to be a marine biologist to know that the seahorse is not a breed of horse. Although they are classified as fish and live completely underwater, the unique body shape of the seahorse means that they're not the best of swimmers.
Bearcat
Neither bear nor cat...the bearcat (also known as the binturong) has a special trick up its furry sleeve. It is one of only a handful of mammals with a prehensile tail, which basically means it can use its tail to grip or hold onto objects, so its kind of like having an extra limb.
Komodo dragon
Unlike the mythical beast with which it shares its name, the Komodo dragon doesn't have wings, they can't fly and they certainly can't breathe fire! However as the largest lizards in the world, they are certainly no less impressive than their mythical counterparts.
Which of these animals is your favourite? Comment below and let us know!