- [Narrator] You may have assumed that since all an egg has to do is provide protection and
food to an animal embryo before it can survive on its own, they would all look very
similar but you'd be mistaken. For various interesting reasons, the eggs in this video
are far more bizarre than any average chicken egg. From octopus to birds,
we're going to look at some of the world's weirdest eggs. (video game music) Number ten, octopus and squid. A breed of octopus that is truly bizarre is that of the argonaut. Not only do the males
have a detachable penis that swims itself to mate with females, females also build a crib onto themselves where they keep their eggs. While most octopuses lay their
eggs in caves and crevices, the open swimming argonaut
has no such luxury. To protect her babies, she
continually builds her shell with the mineral found in her arms. One species of argonaut
can build an egg case of up to 300 millimeters, where as the smallest species only build one to about 67 millimeters. This floating egg case resembles a basket, holding the eggs when laid, make it easier for her to
clean and oxygenate them. Generic octopus eggs themselves
look like tiny grapes attached to vines stuck onto rocks and up close, they appear
as clear, deflated balloons. With squids, they have a hidden ink sac, which is tucked away under their gills. This sac acts as a protective
shell for the eggs. Thousands of eggs can be
produced by one squid. Some species can have over 70,000, like the red flying squid, that produced a massive
car-sized ball of eggs just off the coast of Turkey. That's a load of eggs. Also, it's never been documented how or when squid eggs hatch naturally. It is believed that when eggs have reached a certain maturity, the mother is able to
trigger their hatching in response to any potential threat. Number nine, American robin. The American robin lays bright blue eggs. The coloring of the eggs
is due to biliverden, a pigment that is put on the eggshell when it's laid by the female. Tests have proven that males
use the color of the egg to determine whether his mate
will produce healthier babies. Eggs laid by a healthier female encourage the male to spend more daddy time with their babies, feeding them twice as much
as unhealthier offspring. Not only does it make the
males more interested, it also protects the embryo from potential damaging UV radiation. Number eight, green lacewing. To protect their eggs, the green lacewing hangs them off plants individually by a slender line of silk. This is to reduce the likelihood of cannibalism by sibling larvae. Eggs start off green when first laid and will become darker
before it's time to hatch. What hatches from the
egg may be to some people the stuff of nightmares. Once out of the egg, it immediately takes
itself on a feeding frenzy. Their mothers will
specifically have sought out a prime eating spot for them, laying them as close to
source of prey as possible. All the larvae's senses, apart from touch, have not fully developed and will attack anything living it comes across. Once they have their prey, they will inject a digestive fluid. This can liquefy an
aphid within 90 seconds. Number seven, kiwi. New Zealand's native bird, the kiwi, has an unusual world record to its name. They lay the biggest eggs in
relation to their body size of any bird on the planet. It takes about a month for
a mother to produce one egg with it taking up approximately
20% of her own body weight and can measure up to 12
centimeters in length. Compare that to the Verviann Humingbird, which lays the smallest egg by any bird, and you'll be amazed. One of their eggs measures
less than 10 millimeters. In the final days before
a kiwi egg is laid, it takes so much space
inside the mother's body that she is unable to eat. Kiwi chicks require limited parental care. Once they have hatched, they
use up all the nutrients that is stored in their yolk sac. The average bird's egg is 35 to 40% yolk but kiwi eggs are 65% yolk, meaning that they hatch fully
feathered and independent. Number six, yellow headed jawfish. Many parents complain about
having their hands full but the yellow headed jawfish
may be able to top that. This dad crams his mouth
full of his offspring. The yellow headed jawfish
is a mouth brooder, with the males taking responsibility
of tending to the eggs. Females lay the eggs and
after fertilizing them, the males collect them in
their mouths and incubate them. Incubation takes about seven to nine days with the day having from 300
to 500 eggs to look after. During this time, males do not eat, meaning they are
underweight and very hungry by the time the eggs have hatched. Number five, knobbed whelks. Commonly found in the north Atlantic, these large predatory sea snails lay about a hundred eggs
in a gel-like material. These eggs are connected
together by spiral capsules that create an almost
paper chain-like effect and are known as mermaid necklaces. Each capsule on the spiral can contain 25 or more teeny, tiny baby
whelks in their teensy shells. Baby whelks start off being
about four millimeters long and can grow up to about 305 millimeters. They can hatch anytime, between
three months and 13 months. Number four, ceacilian. If you don't like slimy things, then the ceacilian is not for you. Ceacilians are a group
of serpentine amphibians that have no limbs. When it comes to laying eggs, only a quarter of the
200 species lay eggs, whereas the others give
birth to live offspring. The eggs themselves are
transparent, like tiny marbles. Not only do the moms guard the eggs, but she feeds her young by
allowing them to harvest off the outer layer of her own skin, which has ample fats and nutrients for a baby ceacilian,
fully equipping them. The skin they eat is
replaced every three days. Eating like this can make the babies grow 10 times their original body
size in less than a week. Number three, hoopoes. Hoopoes are a colorful bird
found across Afro-Eurasia. When it comes to their eggs, these birds paint them with a smelly
brown fluid from a gland, called the uropygial gland,
near their rear ends. Typically the oil secreted
from a bird's uropygial gland is used to preen and protect feathers but during breeding season, a hoopoes' gland becomes
exceptionally large, creating an oil that is full of bacteria and smells like rotting meat. They use this sticky fluid to reduce the amount of
harmful germs inside the eggs, acting as a shield. The oil also changes the color of the egg from a blue-grayish
color to a brown color. Number two, ants. These small little insects
do not have it easy. After mating, the princess
ant becomes a queen ant and is ready to start her own colony. Before she starts, she
must first go on a hunt for a suitable nesting site. Once she has found the most ideal spot, she can lay up to 300,000 eggs. While laying, she lives off
the fat already in her body and the moisture around her. She may even resort to
even eating her own wings as a source of protein to keep her alive. Ants are protective mothers
and will not leave their nests until the firstborn worker ants
are able to search for food. Initially, eggs have
two sets of chromosomes and because the queen ant
is particularly badass, she can choose what
hatches out of the egg, depending on which one she fertilizes. Unfertilized eggs grow
into male drone ants, whose only job is to mate with the queen, whereas fertilized eggs
become female working ants. She can also decide which female eggs will become future queens
to start their own colony. Queens that live in mature ant colonies can lay thousands of eggs a day. Number one, horn and ghost sharks. These sharks have some
seriously strange looking eggs. The horn shark's strange
spiral-shaped eggs consists of something very similar to your hair or fingernail and forms as a means of protection. After laying their eggs, female sharks pick them up in their mouths and wedge them into gaps in rocks, which is made easier
by its corkscrew shape, hidden away from predators and protected from the ocean's current. Once that's done, she takes off, leaving the babies to fend for themselves. Other strange eggs are
released by chimeras, which are cartilaginous fish,
better known as ghost sharks. They look something found
more so in an Alien movie than in the sea. Originally starting as the
color yellow when first lain, ghost shark eggs become
black prior to hatching. These eggs have also adapted to survive in cold, dark environments with minimal care from their
parents remaining in place in the deep, deep waters
surrounded by monstrous predators. Which egg did you think was the weirdest? Let me know in the comments below. Thanks for watching. (calm music)
