5 Animals With Hilariously Misleading Names

 You know the saying, "Don't judge a book by it's cover?" Well I guess you can't judge an animal by it's name either. While some animals are appropriately named others seem to be far off the mark. Here are five animals with hilariously misleading names.

1. Asian Bearcat

Despite its name, this animal is not related to a bear or a cat. I suppose those who named this creature chose it based on its appearance rather than its relation. With a face of a cat and a body of a black bear it is not hard to imagine where the name derived from.

2. Killer Whale

Again, this animal's name is misleading because Killer whales are not whales at all. Instead they are a member of the dolphin family — just a less friendly kind. So I guess this name is only half misleading, while they are not whales they are definitely apex predators and killers. In fact, they even take down large whales.

3. Star Fish

Next on our list of animals with hilariously misleading names is the starfish. I am sure by now you have recognized the pattern occurring. The star fish is not actually a fish.  Reader's Digest describes the difference between the two beautifully. They write, "Starfish are marine invertebrates with rays or arms that surround a central disk, while fish are limbless vertebrates with fins and gills that live in the water." However like the killer whale, the first part of their name is accurate. Additionally, if you refer to them as their other name — sea star — then their name is not misleading at all.

4. Flying Fox

I won't lie, this one makes me chuckle. I just imagine a literal fox soaring through the air. However, that is not the case. Like the other animals on this list, you cannot trust this animal's name. The flying fox is actually a bat species. It got its name from its fox-like appearance. With their adorable face and orange tufts of fur I can see how people arrived at that name.

5. Red Panda

Ahhhh, the last animal on our list of animals with misleading names is one of my favorites — the red panda. The red panda has to be one of the cutest animals in the world. I am seriously obsessed with these adorable little creatures. However, like all the others on this list, their name is misleading. Red pandas are not related to the pandas. So why do they share a name with their giant white and black bear friends? Honestly it is probably because they have similar markings around their eyes and eat bamboo like a panda? However, Reader's Digest shares that "The red panda is actually the only living member of its taxonomic family, Ailuridae." Where as "Pandas are a part of the Ursidae family. "