Animals that I am oddly fond of

The Great Panda (Ailuropoda melanoleuca) is, genetically speaking, a bear. They have the digestive system of a bear, that is, best suited to a carnivorous diet. However the panda is not deterred by this and instead greatly prefers bamboo. This means that the panda almost entirely exists on a plant which it cannot digest well.

The Hippopotamus (Hippopotamus amphibius) or, to those of us who can bring the Greek, the River Horse, is really neat. I don't know why on this one, but it has something to do with being so very big and awkward. I think I like animals whose evolutionary protection against predators mostly comes down to "stomp on it". Bonus points for uncertain plurals.

The Platypus (Ornithorhynchus anatinus). If I were a creationist I would have no choice but to assume that God had some spare bits left over, so he put them in a box, shook them up, and beheld the might platypus. The name is silly. It's a mammal, but it's got a venomous stinger and lays eggs. The females have two ovaries, but only the left one works. They can sense electrical fields with their brain. They look like you took one part duck, one part beaver, and one part rat, and taped them together. Early white colonists called them Duckmoles. Plus, uncertain plurals.

Red Pandas (Ailurus fulgens), because oh god so cute!

Snails. No particular type, but they have an odd, slimy elegance to them.

Spiders. Two legs bad, four legs good, eight legs awesome.