Have you ever come across a mysterious object that made you scratch your head in confusion? Perhaps you'd never seen it before, or maybe it just didn't seem to serve any particular purpose. Well, as they say, there's a Reddit thread for that! The Reddit community has been created to identify unknown objects and artifacts, and it seems as though the people of the internet know their stuff. Check out some of the most bizarre things ever posted there, and what their real purpose was.
A Strange Gift From a Seagull
You probably don't need us to tell you that seagulls are a nuisance. From stealing your ice cream to pooping on your clean shirt, these sea birds are pretty antisocial. But it seems as though these animals aren't always bad. When the person who took this photo gave a bird some bread, the seagull then dropped this strange object next to the generous human. But they didn't understand why, or what this object was.
The internet then confirmed that the seagull was actually giving them a gift in return for the bread! In fact, many species of birds have been known to give gifts. Crows especially.
A Dog Walk Discovery
There's nothing quite like a dog walk along the beach. And while it's normally a relaxing experience, sometimes the strange and unusual animals in the ocean have other ideas. When this woman took her dog for a walk along the beach in England, she and her dog were pretty confused when they discovered this mystery object. Of course, she had no idea what it was, so her boyfriend decided to ask the internet.
The comments quickly confirmed that the woman and her dog had actually stumbled upon the spine of a dolphin! And while that's pretty amazing, we also need to take a moment to appreciate what a good boy the dog is.
A Fingerprint on a Penny?
See a penny, pick it up. All day long you have good luck, right? Well, the person who found this penny didn't exactly feel lucky when they came across this particular coin. Instead, they were confused. They had never seen a coin with a fingerprint embedded in it before and wondered what on earth could have caused such a phenomenon. Thankfully, the internet confirmed that it wasn't as creepy as it seemed.
One Reddit user explained that some humans have more corrosive skin oils than others. In the case of this penny, it must have been touched by someone with extremely corrosive skin oils.
A Bird of Many Colors
There are so many amazing birds found in nature. From the albatross with its giant wingspan to the colorful peacock with its impressive tail feathers, most people assume that they're familiar with these impressive creatures. However, the person who took this photo was stumped when this colorful bird turned up in their parent's backyard. They had absolutely no idea what it was, and they'd never seen anything quite like it before.
Thanks to a quick post on the internet, they soon discovered that this was, in fact, a golden pheasant. Although they're native to the mountains of China, they can now be found across the globe.
Figurine Found Under a Tree
Sometimes people find strange and mysterious objects when they least expect it. And the person who took this photo found this figurine while they were walking in Alberta. They spotted it under a tree and knew that it wasn't just a strange-shaped rock. Upon closer inspection, they realized that their discovery looked incredibly old, and was obviously designed and made for a purpose. But what was that purpose? And who made it?
According to the people of the internet, this person stumbled upon a piece of indigenous First Nations art. Let's hope they took it to their local Historical Society instead of taking it home with them.
The Holy Grail?
It's not uncommon to see unique doormats outside people's homes. They're becoming more and more popular, and they're a great way to add a spark of personality to what would normally be a very boring and mundane entryway. However, it's fair to say that this delivery driver was a little confused when they delivered a package to this apartment. After all, the doormat was asking them questions they'd never even considered before!
Utterly bamboozled by this doormat, this delivery driver needed answers. It turns out that this doormat is actually a reference to the 1975 British comedy film 'Monty Python and the Holy Grail.'
Thank You for Clarifying
When you're told not to do something, it instantly makes you want to do it. And when a sign offers you some kind of information or rule, you instantly want to question it! That was certainly the case when this person stumbled upon a box of strange-looking objects that looked suspiciously rude. Although the sign seemed to suggest that it wasn't what they thought it was, they still had questions that needed answers.
However, the reality of these bizarre objects is that they're not rude in the slightest. They're actually kubotans, a self-defense keychain weapon that was popular during the 1960s. But they're still used today.
A Questionable Flag
Many people choose to fly flags on their property. Whether they fly an American flag on the flagpole outside their home or whether they fly another inside their window, it's not an uncommon sight. But the person who spotted this flag knew that they'd need the internet to help them out. That's because they just couldn't place the red, white, and black triangle logo, and had no idea what it meant.
Of course, 'Star Trek' fans are probably shaking their heads at the screen right now! That's because this flag is actually the Klingon flag, and so their neighbor just happens to be a Trekkie.
A Neighborly Gift
Some people have friendly neighbors, while others have never even shared eye contact with the people they live near. But even though the person who received this strange gift from their Chinese neighbor didn't speak the same language as them, they still communicated with them through the art of gift-giving. The only problem was that this person had no idea what they'd be given. All they could assume was that this was some kind of plant.
It didn't take long for their post on Reddit to garner answers, and they quickly realized that they'd been given Zizania Latifolia - often called Manchurian wild rice. It's a wild rice plant found in Asia, and apparently tastes delicious!
A Mysterious Tree Animal
The natural world is full of amazing animals, and humans have barely scratched the surface of what's really out there. In fact, the average Joe will rarely see these mysterious creatures with their own eyes as this honor is reserved for experts who go looking for them. But sometimes you can stumble upon something without even realizing it, and this person found this unusual creature by a tree on their daily walk.
Although they had no idea what this animal was, the internet soon taught them that it was a southern flying squirrel. One Reddit user even guessed that it was roughly two weeks old!
The Creepiest of Crawlies
Have you ever come across an animal so bizarre you had absolutely no idea what it was? Well, that's exactly what happened when this person stumbled upon this strange collection of animals on the river banks of the Brahmaputra in India. At first glance, it looked as though this was one large animal. But on closer inspection, they realized that it was hundreds of animals all moving together as one unit. So, what are they?
These creatures are actually millipedes, and they walk like this to cover a large distance in a short space of time. In fact, they're constantly cycling through their own momentum.
A Slithery Visitor
There's a reason why so many people are scared of snakes. These animals are creepy, they're slithery, and they're potentially deadly. And while there's a variety of venomous and non-venomous snakes found in nature, it's hard to know what you're looking at if you don't have a deep knowledge of these creatures. That's why this person knew that they had to ask the internet about their slithery and potentially dangerous visitor.
Thankfully, they soon realized that the snake-like creature in their yard was just a slow worm - and if you look closely, you might be able to see their extremely small vestigial legs!
A Banging Backyard?
If you have outside space on your property, there's a high chance that you have absolutely no idea what lies underneath the ground. It's only when the rain washes away the top layer of dirt that certain things are uncovered, and one woman in Brisbane, Australia uncovered a strange artifact in her yard after the rain. At first, she thought it might have been a turtle or tortoise shell. But something just didn't seem right.
After posting on Reddit, it soon became clear that this discovery was much more sinister. That's because this is actually a hand grenade! Thankfully, she called the authorities and they took it away.
Have You Ever Seen a Turkey Like This?
Most people have seen a turkey at least once. Whether that's in the wild or on television, everyone knows that these turkeys are normally dark in color, with a bronze-green iridescence on their feathers. That's why someone in western North Carolina was so confused when they stumbled across this bird. After all, it certainly looked like a turkey in terms of its overall shape and size, but the colors were all wrong. So, what was it?
Actually, this is still a turkey. But it doesn't have the tell-tale colorings of a common turkey because of a rare genetic disorder called partial albinism. In fact, it's so rare that only one in 100,000 turkeys are thought to have it.
The Neighbor Strikes Again
We've already seen a strange neighborly gift, and it seems as though they're not the only neighbor to share their creations with those living near them. The person who posted this photo online shared what their Asian neighbor gifted them, but once again they were confused. Although they assumed that this was some kind of vegetable, they had no idea what it was or what it could be used for. Luckily, the internet knew.
In actual fact, this is a bottle gourd and was grown by their neighbor in their own home! However, even people who knew about this vegetable were astounded by its size.
Brains in the Water?
What would you do if you were having a leisurely stroll along the beach and came across this bizarre discovery in the water? At first glance, these brain-like structures make us think of giant whale carcasses - or even the mushroom virus in 'The Last of Us.' But after posting this strange photo on Reddit, the person who came across these mysterious objects discovered that they weren't creepy at all. In fact, they're pretty useful.
These things are actually 3D-printed reef tiles, to enable coral to grow in an ever-changing underwater landscape. With more and more coral dying every single day, these things serve as an artificial reef.
An Unwelcome Home
As you use your front door every single day, you'd probably notice if something was amiss, right? That's exactly why the person who lived here noticed the strange device covering the lock of their front door when they returned home. Confused and worried about the unusual addition they'd never seen before, this person decided to ask Reddit if they knew what it was - and whether it was safe to remove it.
Thanks to the internet, they learned that this was an anti-lock device that burglars use to gain entry to a home. On this occasion, the device didn't work and thankfully the thieves weren't able to enter the home!
The Unidentified T-Shirt
Thrift stores are full of random items with amazing backstories. And while most of the people who buy these items rarely uncover these stories, the person who thrifted this T-shirt knew that they needed to discover the truth - especially because they couldn't read what the shirt actually said. So, they asked the internet to help them understand what it said while asking if anyone had any information anyone had about it.
Amazingly, the person who actually made this T-shirt responded! He made it for his old band called Pariah and, strangely, they only ever made two of these orange shirts. Somehow, one of them ended up in a thrift store.
The Camoflage Isn't Working
If you love hiking, there's a high chance that you've seen a lot of unusual trees over the years. But have you ever seen anything like this? The hiker who took this photo had never seen a tree quite like this before, which is why they decided to snap a photo of the strange protrusion on this tree trunk. To make matters even more confusing, it was the only tree in the area with such a protrusion.
The internet quickly confirmed that this strange lump is actually a burl! This normally appears when a tree is invaded by a fungus or bacterium while in the midst of a growth spurt.
A Medieval Torture Device?
Sometimes strange artifacts can appear in the most random of places - and nobody would expect to find a thing like this in their grandparents' kitchen. But that's exactly what happened when this internet user paid a visit to their elders. As they were rifling through the drawers, they came across what looked like a medieval torture device, mainly for men! They wanted to get confirmation on this, though, which is why they asked Reddit.
Hilariously, this artifact is actually much more innocent. It's not a torture device but is a 'topper' for soft-boiled eggs. By placing this around the egg, you can peel away the shell with ease.
A Rather Uncomfortable Bench
You can find all kinds of things in stores and thrift shops around the world. And sometimes, you buy things even when you're not 100% sure what it is! This was the case for one father, who found himself in the possession of this mysterious object. At first glance, it looks like a rather uncomfortable bench - but even after asking everyone who turned up to his house what it was, this dad still didn't know.
After his son asked the internet, he uncovered the answer: it's a coconut shredder! Once you've broken a coconut into two halves, you can grate it against the serrated edges of the blade.
A Yard Invasion
Taking care of a yard is hard work. You have to make sure that the grass is mowed, you have to remove the weeds, and you have to take care of any plants you may have. It's also important to keep your yard clear of anything else that might harm it, whether that be slugs or poisonous mushrooms. But this person had no idea what to make of this weird discovery in their yard.
This strange yellow, orange, and black thing was unlike anything they had ever seen, but a smart person on the internet told them that it was a stinkhorn! And while this fungus isn't fatal to humans, it can be dangerous for dogs.
Why Was This Found in a Pillowcase?
If you've ever left something behind in a hotel, then you're not the only one. Most hotels are full of lost property, and it's down to hotel workers to gather these items together in the hopes that the owners will retrieve them. But one hotel worker found themselves a little bemused when they stumbled across this in the stairwell of the hotel. To make matters even stranger, it was in a pillowcase!
After his girlfriend asked the internet what this mystery object was, they were amazed to discover that it was a tool for making counterfeit credit cards! Yes, that's pretty suspicious to find in a hotel.
Sympathy for the Devil
There are countless languages and methods of communication around the globe. Of course, most people either know one or two - and it's fair to say that most of them don't know morse code. That's why the person who found this in a hotel knew that they needed to get to the bottom of this morse code mystery. What they didn't expect was to be pushed in the direction of The Rolling Stones.
This morse code note actually says "Pleased to meet you hope you guess my name" four times over. And all of the 'Sympathy for the Devil' fans will know those lines well.
A Fluffy Mystery
One of the things we love most about this planet is all of the weird and wonderful animals found in nature. And while we've seen pictures of a lot of them, seeing them in the wild is a whole other story - especially when you come face to face with a fluffy creature you've never seen before. The person who took this photo stumbled upon it while walking in South Wales in the UK, but didn't know what it was.
After posting on Reddit, he learned that the animal he'd actually seen was an elephant hawk moth caterpillar! When this caterpillar grows into a moth, it'll actually be pink and green.
Weird Prehistoric Present
Have you ever received a gift and had to fake gratitude? This might be because you don't like the gift, or because you just have no idea what the gift is - and that's exactly what this person had to do. When they were given this strange metal dinosaur, they had to pretend as though they loved it even though they didn't understand its purpose. In the end, they took to Reddit to help them out.
Amazingly, it didn't take long for the internet to let her know that it was, in fact, a bookmark! You put the long metal part inside the book, and the dinosaur hangs out the top.
An Egg Yolk in the Apple Juice?
There's nothing more refreshing than a cold glass of apple juice when you're on your morning break at work. And that's exactly what this person thought they were going to have when they whipped this bottle out of the refrigerator. But their excitement was overpowered by confusion when they made this strange discovery. Yes, it really does look like there was an egg yolk in the bottle! But there wasn't.
Although they were relieved to learn it wasn't an egg yolk, they were intrigued to learn that it was a SCOBY or Symbiotic Culture of Bacteria and Yeast. It's not harmful but doesn't taste nice.
Unidentified Neighborhood Food
Everyone loves free food, right? Free food is even more of a bonus when it's homemade, and this person thought they were extremely lucky when their Muslim neighbors surprised them with a dish full of food. The only thing was, the person who received the food didn't quite know what they were looking at. They could tell it had rice, milk, walnuts, and lemongrass in it... but what was it?
After asking the internet, they learned that this dish was kheer - a type of rice pudding. Although most people eat it warm, it can also be eaten cold if you prefer it that way!
This Is a Terrifying Tool
If you've ever been to your grandma's house and had a look through her kitchen drawers, you'll probably know that grandparents have the strangest appliances and tools. Normally, they're incredibly old and mysterious and most younger people would have no idea what they are. This was the case for one grandson, who came across this mysterious object in his grandma's house. But after spotting it, he couldn't forget about it.
In a quest to find answers, he discovered that it was a flour duster. The idea is that you dip the duster in flour, and then sprinkle it across your kitchen work surface.
A Growth Like No Other
Unfortunately, it's impossible to keep every inch of your house free from moisture, mold, or dust. These things seem to appear out of nowhere, and while efforts can be made to remove these things, they almost always come back. Of course, most people are pretty used to this now - but there's no doubt about the fact that this homeowner was alarmed when they spotted this growing in the crawlspace of their house.
Not only is this stuff fluffy, but it also has amber globules all over it! After a quick internet query, they learned that it's a type of fungus called the orange bleeding tooth fungus.
A Strange Border
Although most people don't spend their days looking at maps, anyone who does take the time to look at the border between the Pacific and the Philippine Sea might notice that there's a little mystery around it. After all, why is the border not just a straight line? Why does it go sideways, up and down all at the same time? Well, one person decided to ask Reddit, and they finally got an answer.
This is actually the international date line, which is normally straight - apart from here when it makes an exception around the Line Islands so that they can be on the same 'day' or time zone as Kiribati.
Covering up the Suspicious Trees
We're used to seeing trees flourishing all around us. The leaves can grow and fall as they wish, and they're normally left to their own devices. That's why the person who took this photo was confused when they came across this mysterious situation. In this car park, it looked as though the trees were all wrapped up - but why? Well, it turns out that they were wrapped up because they were sprayed with insecticide.
Although insecticide is used on a daily basis, in this situation they accidentally killed thousands of bees because the trees were dropping toxic sap. So, they decided to wrap them up to stop this from happening.
Anyone Know What This Is?
If you're unlucky enough to find a mouse or a rat in your house, you've probably had to call professionals out to help you. But when the person found this animal in their home, they didn't know what to do. That's because, first and foremost, they didn't know what they were looking at! They knew it wasn't a mouse, and they knew it wasn't a rat. The internet knew what it was, though.
This is actually a pygmy shrew, and those with cats may have seen one before. Apparently, cats like to catch them, but they don't eat them as they don't taste very nice.
Trillions of Tiny Feet
The ocean is pretty terrifying. It's full of creepy creatures, mysterious objects, and all kinds of sunken treasures. Unlucky for us, sometimes these things wash onto the shore - and this person found something on the beach that they'd never seen before. It was purple in color and seemed to have trillions of tiny spores coming out of it. To make matters even worse, these spores seemed to be moving.
The person who found this discovered on Reddit that this is actually a sand dollar, which is a flat, burrowing sea urchin. The spores are actually tiny feet it uses to move, just like a starfish!
A Freaky Four-Legged Fish
We probably don't need to tell you that most fish don't have feet. Sure, they have fins and gills, but they don't walk out of the water and onto the land. Instead, they stick to swimming in the water and floating about their day. So, you can imagine the shock on this person's face when they spotted what looked like a four-legged fish in the marshes of the United States. Is that what it is, though?
Well, not quite. According to the people of Reddit, this is actually a western tiger salamander and not a four-legged fish. They're pretty common in the United States, and it's even the state amphibian of Kansas.
Secret Oven Compartments
Although Airbnb seems to be going out of fashion again, some people still enjoy the home comforts of staying in one of these properties instead of a hotel. But every home is different, and this guest worked that out for themselves when they tried to use the oven in their Airbnb. As they pressed buttons and turned knobs, they also came across this secret compartment. They just didn't know what its purpose was.
The internet quickly informed them that this compartment is used for people who want to add a steam element to their baking. All you have to do is add some water into the hole.
Strange Flashing Lights Across the City
There might be some things in your city that you've seen so many times, but do you know what they are really for? If you don't, why not ask Reddit? That's what this person did when they made this strange discovery. They saw these lights hanging above each traffic light in their city, and they just couldn't understand what their purpose was. Especially as they only flashed whenever an ambulance drove past.
Well, these things actually pick up on the strobe lights on ambulances, fire engines, and other emergency vehicles. By flashing, they alert the drivers in these vehicles that the lights ahead of them are green, and all other directions are red.
Attack of the Weird Eyelashes
The weirdest things can be found in nature. You just have to look at this bizarre photo to know that. This discovery was made by someone in Pawtucket, Rhode Island during a walk through the forest. Although it looks like an attack of weird eyelashes, they assumed that this was some kind of fungus growing on a dead log. But they wanted to confirm this with the people of Reddit.
Although this does look like a fungus, it's actually slime mold! These are single-celled organisms that eat bacteria, and there are around 900 different variations of slime mold found in nature.
Found on the Beach in Normandy
It's common for mysterious objects to find themselves washed up on the shore. Every beach around the world has welcomed shipwrecks, fossils, animals, and more onto their sand - but this passer-by in Normandy, France wasn't expecting to see this thing on the beach when they were walking past. Its vivid purple and blue color was unlike anything they had ever seen before, but what they didn't realize is that this animal is very dangerous.
This is actually a Portuguese man o' war. Although it's similar to a jellyfish, it's a siphonophore that can be deadly to humans if you get stung. So, it's best to avoid them at all costs!
A Bejeweled Secret
We all love gifts, right? There's nothing better than knowing that someone thought about you enough to buy you something you'd enjoy. However, this person didn't know what to make of the strange gift that they received. At first glance, it looked as though it was a bejeweled rock of some kind. Then they realized that if they twisted it, a hook would come out of the base and open up.
Reddit quickly confirmed that this is, in fact, a hook to hang your handbag on. By placing the jewel on the table, you can hang the bag from the hook underneath it. That's smart!