People generally agree on what makes an animal adorable, and there’s a good reason for that. What we consider cute is determined by our evolution, which ensures we pay attention to human babies. This has spilled over into other animals, and for the most part, baby animals of all kinds tend to attract our attention. Whether it’s due to a disproportionately large, round head, or large eyes that capture the heart, these ten animals take full advantage of a human’s need to love babies.
1. Slow Loris
Image Source
Image Source
If you’ve ever seen those plush toys with impossibly large eyes, that’s one of the ways toy manufacturers use our innate desire for cuteness to entice a purchase. One of the animals that don’t need any help in that area is the Slow Loris. They have a small snout and nose and enlarged eyes, which check multiple boxes on the baby schema. As a result, most people who see them consider them to be cute, but their cuteness should not entice anyone to approach these tiny primates.
2. Meerkats
Image Source
Image Source
Meerkats are small mongooses native to southern Africa, and they are some of the cutest social animals on the planet. A typical Meerkat has a broad head, enlarged eyes, small outer ears, and a pointed snout. All of its facial features make it cute. While the adults have their appeal, meerkat babies are disturbingly cute — more so than most baby animals. Because of their size, their heads are enlarged, and so are their eyes. They grow into their bodies as they mature, but the babies often evoke an awe response from most people.
3. Koala
Image Source
Koala Bears are cute, and cuddly. It’s generally accepted that these marsupials endemic to Australia are considered cute by most people. Still, koalas are another animal that is cute but should be avoided. This is due to their sharp teeth and claws, which they are more than ready to use if they feel threatened. One of the main features we find adorable in koalas is their large, round heads and small features. These mirror the heads of our own babies, which goes a long way in attracting people to their plight.
4. Flapjack & Dumbo Octopodes
Image Source
They are bright pink, have stubby tentacles, and large eyes. Flapjack octopuses aren’t the only species of octopus that people consider to be cute. The so-called Dumbo octopus shares similar traits, but has large flaps that look like the large ears of the Disney character. Speaking of Disney characters, the adorable little octopus, Pearl, from Finding Nemo was based on Opisthoteuthis California, another species of flapjack octopus, though she was arguably cuter than the real thing.
5. Piglets
Image Source
Pigs are an interesting animal for this list due to the fact that a piglet is cute, but a pig is anything but. They have short snouts with enlarged noses, large heads and eyes compared to the rest of their bodies, and they have a rounded face.
6. Fennec Fox
Image Source
When it comes to cuteness where humans are concerned, they are prized by people for their massive ears, which are the largest ear to body ration in the canid family. That’s an important distinction, as the Fennec fox is the world’s smallest canid in the world. Their maximum weight has them at between 2.9 to 4.3 lbs. (1.3 to 1.9 kg).
7. Red Panda
Image Source
Red Pandas are considerably smaller than the giant panda, which makes sense, as they aren’t closely related. Their long fuzzy tails are another feature people like, but they are an endangered species despite their widespread appeal. Their main threats are habitat loss from competition with domestic livestock, deforestation, and human harvesting, both alive and dead.
8. Sea Otters
Image Source
Sea otters are some of the cutest animals in the world, and while that has a lot to do with their features, their social behavior is what brings most people to zoos to see them. They have large noses and eyes sitting in a rounded face, which are all within the baby schema that attracts people to other animals.
9. Quokka
Quokka is small marsupial in the same family as kangaroos and wallabies native to south-western Australia. They are widely known worldwide due to their unique facial expression, which looks very much like a smile, and this is something humans have spread online in recent years. Quokkas are so beloved for their expressions; most people who find them in the wild do exactly what they shouldn’t: they take a selfie with them. This has resulted in scores of adorable pictures of people posing with wild animals, but it has also resulted in several bites because they’re wild animals. While they are definitely cute, they shouldn’t be interacted with in the wild, as they are currently listed as vulnerable and are in need of protection.
