What do bright purple lights in the sky, a metal pill box hidden in a tree trunk, a tea kettle with a rather large opening, and clear dog poop all have in common?

They’re all part of this list of 55 strange, weird, and totally random things that people were hard-pressed to identify at first sight. That is, until savvy Redditers stepped in and provided the answers like it was common knowledge!

1) “Saw this cat in Texas. First thought it was a domestic cat but when we got closer that seemed less likely.”

That right there is a rare black bobcat! They’re also known as cougars or mountain lions, but they’re all the same not-so-cuddly wild kitty.

2) “I saw this in my yard. Is this just a type of worm? Or is there a parasite on it? (I saw it breathing/have some sort of heartbeat, so it’s alive).”

If worms make you squirm, then you won’t like the answer to this one. What you’re witnessing is the worm equivalent of “the missionary position.”

@DDatapod:

“That’s two worms making more worms.”

3) “Found this small kettle years ago. Tried searching for a similar one but have always come up with nothing. Anybody have an idea why this has this unique shape? Wallet for scale.”

Uh, please tell us you didn’t make any tea with that! It’ll definitely give your Earl Grey a rather odd aftertaste.

@Brokella:

“Ummmm isn’t that a portable men’s urinal for bedbound patients?”

@itsgrimoopnorth:

“Indeed it is a urinal…Should be safe if you’ve properly cleaned/sterilized it and a novel talking point to shock/disgust guests.”

4) “What is this random structure I found in the middle of the forest?”

This old relic shows just how scary war can be. But, it’s also an amazingly cool piece of history!

@ElliottCoe:

“Looks to me like a ww2 one man bomb shelter.”

@lunex:

“Can confirm, there is one on display at the Deutsches Museum in Munich.”

5) “4in by 4in scissors. Uncomfortable to hold, in either hand, two or four fingers.”

You’ve heard of co-parenting, right? Well, this is sort of like that, but with fingers.

@codece:

“They’re children’s training scissors. Like for pre-schoolers. The extra holes are so a grown-up can co-scissor and help the kid.”

6) “This was found by a cleaner hidden under my dresser in my bedroom (she told me very discreetly about this which has me concerned), I’ve tried to google it to no avail. Please help.”

The answer to this one is actually pretty frightening! Everyone needs to know about this nefarious little gadget.

@grovethrone:

“Voice recorder, doesn’t transmit using wireless though so whoever placed this thing there will be back. If this was on your home chances are there are cameras as well.”

7) “Scanning family slides from 1964 – this was over my parent’s house in Texas.”

Even though it’s too far south to be the Northern Lights, Texas has it’s own version of pretty night skies. This one comes courtesy of a rocket ship.

@whyd_I_laugh_at_that:

“This looks very much like the residue of a rocket launch from Vandenberg that I saw in the 80s. It was done right at sunset so the sun lit the vapor/exhaust trail from underneath and the colors were just like this.”

8) “Found in my dads room, really hoping its not a sex thing.”

Lucky for you (and everyone else reeling from the thought of their dad and sex things), it’s about as un-sexy as you can get.

They’re called yak tracks and you can buy them at your local sporting goods store. You slip them over your shoes so you don’t slip on the ice.

“This is correct. My mom uses them to get extra grip after she fell on the ice. They have similar ones for canes and walkers too.”

9) “This purple sky in Southern California seen at 1:30am and lasted for only about 5 minutes before fading away.”

The answer to this one has nothing to do with rockets, solar flares, or little green men. But, it’s still very much green and “spacey” when you get right down to it.

@raineykatz:

“It’s…related to a commercial pot growing operation. That’s the color of grow lights.”

10) “My friend just moved in to a new flat and this is her neighbours garden.”

If your friend has kids or a sweet little pup that they realy love, they might want to considering moving to another neighborhood. That’s some pretty dark juju going on right there!

@eridani0x:

“My witchy friend says it’s a Voodoo altar, with the central figure being a ‘Dark ancestor.'”

@Iggy:

“Might I suggest some voile curtains to let the light in and keep the nightmares out?”

11) “This just trundled across the road in front of me, zoomed down the sidewalk before I could get a better look at it. Spotted in Melbourne Australia.”

Why more people aren’t stopping these little robots and throwing them in the back of their pickup truck is beyond me. Are people really that nice?

@irlnpc:

“Food delivery bots have been lurking for several years now. It’s happening. We are officially in the future.”

@Tallands:

“I’m keen as to use this so I can minimise human interaction even further.”

12) “Silver capsule camouflaged inside a wooden container hanging in a tree in a public park.”

This is part of a a fun little orienteering game that people started playing after GPS devices became so cheap that everyone and their grandma could afford to buy one. The real reward lies in your ability to track down the “treasure.”

@Azure Adams:

“A small geocache and a well camoed one too. It’s a fun hobby to get into. Check it out.”

@PolakOfTheCentury:

“Judging by the size, it’ll likely only have a list inside for people to sign that they found it. Cleverly hidden though!”

13) “Noticed this weird urinal in a brauhaus bathroom in Cologne Germany.”

In a country that’s known around the world for its Oktoberfest celebrations, it makes total sense to have one of these in the restroom! But, it’s even more disgusting than a men’s urinal.

@MiPok24:

“Yes, it is for vomiting. You often find these things in German pubs or party locations. (Not that often, but they are somewhat common in Germany). The two handles next to the metal plate are to hold yourself while vomiting.”

14) “What is this fish with strange writing?”

Back in the day, mineral deficiencies were so commonplace in developing countries, people had to be tricked into taking their pills. But instead of eating these little iron fish pellets, folks were taught to do something else with them.

@Gunsandgoodcoffee:

“The solution was to boil chunks of iron with food to increase the iron content but many were skeptical and hesitant to cook with chunks of metal in their food. The iron was shaped into a ‘lucky fish’ that would provided addition health benefits when you boiled water with the fish in it.”

15) “20 years of research and reddit is my last hope!”

This fossil belongs to a creature that can swallow whole oysters and spit out gravel. Now, that’s some pretty strong choppers, especially for a fish that has pebbles for teeth!

@SouthernJeb:

“Man that’s a drum fish jaw. Get em all the time west coast of Florida.”

16) “What is the purpose of this chain?”

Lucky for you, it’s not something that could be used to chain you down in a slasher flick re-enactment. The real answer is nowhere near as exciting, except for when a squirrel decides to use it as a ladder.

@CCo93:

“I believe it is a rain chain, an alternative for traditional downspout of a gutter system.”

17) “What are these perfect sets of beach holes? Flip flop for scale.”

Although this may look like a maritime version of crop circles, there’s nothing mysterious about these holes. You can place all the blame for this on science

@papa_higgins:

“Y’all clam commenters were right. That was the remnants of a scientific clam survey.”

18) “We had a party the other night and found this on the kitchen counter in the morning. It has white powder in it and the cap just comes off, it’s not secured in any way. Bottle cap for size reference.”

With those two little nostril-like nubs sticking out of the container, it almost looks like a clever way to take your cocaine “to go.” The fact that these were found after a party only adds to the intrigue! But, a seamstress is the only one who will appreciate the wonders of this white powder.

@lovellry:

“It’s a refill container for a marking tool used in sewing. The tool dispenses a fine line of powdered chalk when drawn across fabric. I have some in several colors.”

19) “Falling out of the sky?”

While it’s cool to think that this is the result of dragons battling for supremacy over our domain, the reality is much quite mundane. About 20,000 of these things take flight in our skies every single day, but we don’t always get to see them from this unique point of view.

@LPHuston:

“Contrails from a passenger plane. Being close to sunset, the vapor clouds are taking on the same color as any other cloud would have under the same late-day sun.”

20) “My mother left bleach in her sink for about a week while we left on vacation, and we came back to this. Is it mold?”

It kind of looks like something from the La Brea Tar Pits is bubbling up through your pipes, but this is actually all your mom’s doing. While the two of you were on vacation, the bleach she left in the sink did its job a little bit too well.

@MrDorkESQ:

“Looks like the bleach oxidized the metal parts of your sink.”

21) “What is this demonic looking creature?”

Thankfully, it’s not here to claim your firstborn. But, it is on a mission to persuade some females to join him in a friendly romp!

@spooky_spaghetties:

“Male Creatonotos gangis moth with its scent glads out to attract females.”

@boxjellyblues:

“Scent glands out? Where do they go when they retract?”

22) “What is this? Found it by my toaster. Please don’t tell me it’s some kind of cockroach molt.”

Uh, dude, you’re going to wish that crispy castoff is cockroach molt. The owner of this thing is probably hiding under your bed, getting ready to strike at your feet the first chance it gets!

@shadow_squirrel:

“It is 100% rattlesnake rattler. What’s interesting is that it’s actually broke. So at one point it was most likely longer than that. It came off a pretty decent sized rattlesnake.”

23) “What in the absolute f*** is ON MY CAR.”

Ah, this crazy world of ours! You’ll probably wish it was just pretty bird poop. The real explanation is quite…unsettling.

@Sal9002:

“A Spiny Oak-Slug Caterpillar covered in eggs from a parasitic Braconid Wasp.”

@iChickk:

“Wow. Thats insane! I’ve never seen anything like it. I didnt even know wasps use caterpillars to stick their eggs on. Wtf?”

24) “Relative found these eggs in her yard in Georgia, hanging from a tree.”

Ewww! How does a person even know these things? And why do these scenarios even exist in our world?

@CWreck:

“I’m betting a bird of prey caught itself a pregnant snake and had started tearing into it but flew off with the rest of the snake and this Uterine Tube fell out due to the weight of the eggs.”

25) “A coworker found a hive on her balcony. She is convinced that is a beehive. I am not but I don’t know what insect it is.”

These buzzworthy little guys aren’t afraid to work out in the open. And if you treat them right, they’ll reward you with something sweet in the end.

@Maj_LeeAwesome:

“Amateur beekeeper here. Those look very much like dwarf honey bees, and their open nest structure almost certainly confirms it. Somewhere in Asia I’m guessing?”

26) “Odd square metal embedded in a rock.”

Since microchipping rocks isn’t really a thing, there’s another explanation for this strange rock. It’s actually pretty astounding when you stop to think about all the ducks and planets that had to line up for mother nature to get this creation just right!

@GreenStrong:

“Pyrite. Fool’s gold. Forms perfect cube crystals, fairly common mineral. Yours appears to be embedded in slate.”

27) “Found this on a beach in New Zealand- there were thousands of them at the high water mark. What is it?”

Although it looks so delicate and ethereal, when it’s attached to the rest of its body, it can be quite fatal. If you happen to spot one of these, DON’T TOUCH IT!

@FelixFelicisLuck:

“It’s part of a siphonophore, looks awfully like a man o’ war sail with the tentacles broken off.”

@CLuz11:

“My friend’s kid d picked up a man o’ war on the beach because it was pretty. It stung him. Then his dad peed on his hands, which did not help the sting. Kid was traumatized twice in one day.”

28) “Reddit, I need your help! What is this?”

While it might be fun to joke that this is poo from an invisible dog, it should still serve as a reminder not to pick up strange things with your bare hands. It’s kind of gross when you stop to think about what she’s really holding in her hands.

@FreelanceBadass:

“These are egg masses laid by the predatory Conical Snail that live in the sand, each containing hundreds of snail eggs.”

29) “Super small mini flask? The ‘needle’ screws into the flask.”

I kind of like the mini flask idea! But, a drop of booze won’t get you into bed nearly as fast as a drop of just the right pheromones.

@creesa:

“It’s a pendant for perfume. Typically worn on a necklace.”

@anonymous:

“In Victorian England women would often dab a bit of perfume on a handkerchief and hold it up to their nose and mouth, not only to block the scent of feces and industrial waste, but to protect themselves from diseases.”

30) “Took this weird bean home, now it’s opening up and has me more puzzled.”

These strange little red buds look like they’re begging to be eaten, but don’t let their berry-licious looks fool you. Although birds and squirrels can munch on them like candy, they’re mildly poisonous to us humans.

@theprintmaker:

“Magnolia seed head”

@Valve00:

“Back when I was a kid my brother and I would pull the cones off of a magnolia tree and get handfuls of those red seeds and shotgun blast each other with them.”

31) “Found this guy freezing to death in southern Michigan this morning.”

Well, freezing to death isn’t actually in their blood. These guys produce a chemical that’s similar to anti-freeze to help keep them warm during the winter months.

@the_doughboy:

“It’s a Blue Spotted Salamander.”

@toolguy8:

“I have found this species melting out of a snowdrift in the spring, put him in the sun and he was fine.”

32) “White circlet with purple dots on top of a headdress.”

At first glance these nuns almost look like they’re part of the bus seats, but their unique headdress gives them away. The red dots on the white crown symbolizes Christ’s suffering on the cross.

@Zostarius:

“These ladies are wearing the Crown of the Five Holy Wounds, worn by nuns of the Bridgettine order.”

33) “Green alien thing that grew on my band aid”

Well, the explanation for this is quite technical! It’s probably just easier to think of them as first aid sprinkles.

@PantsuitNixon:

“My guess…is that the acrylate in the adhesive has absorbed too much ambient moisture over the last five years…and is precipitating out of the adhesive solution that keeps a bandaid stuck to your skin. The green is likely a result of that precipitation leaching some component of the bandage color that’s green at the right pH.”

@PantsuitNixon:

“Edit: Or they’re sprinkles.”

34) “What did I catch?”

Despite its scary appearance, it won’t latch onto your face and suck out your brains. And even though I like to think of it as something a mermaid uses for underwater basket weaving, it’s not that either.

@Supraspinator:

“A feather star (crinoid), a relative of starfish and sea urchins.”

35) “Its made our of silver and the ball rotates.”

Is it a giant baby rattle? A glitter dispenser for disco parties? Nah, it’s just a gloried fire starter that was all the rage back in the 1970’s.

@Kanadark:

“Table cigar lighter.”

@twoVices:

“It’s a freaking cool/bizarre thing. It incorporates an animal horn, fire, and a self-righting device. It ticks so many check boxes!”

36) “Any idea what these metal light weight hollow things could be? Largest one is about 5 inches.”

Uhhhh, you really don’t want to go there. But, since you asked, they plug holes and stuff.

@cucutano:

“Pretty sure that they are medical dilators, for an orifice yet to be determined.”

37) “Found in an earth pot at work, was growing in the dark as had a lid on it.”

Some things should never be unearthed! Put the lid back on so we can forget that hairy tentacle-looking thing ever existed.

@Eliiza:

“To me it looks like a Field Horsetail with fungus on it.”

38) “Is this the beginning of a Stephen King novel? This mystery blob just appeared in my remote Maine cabin. There are also signs someone has been in here since I’ve been away. Help!”

If you weren’t a fan or rodents before, you’re going to be even less of one after you find out what this oily slick is. Apparently, mice are drippy goo factories!

@NemoNomenMeum:

“…it turned out to be some kind of mice goo. I had a contractor take the wall apart. He said there was a huge nest in the wall, and the gunk was probably faeces that had dripped down. Gross, but could have been worse.”

39) “What is this tool?”

Whatever it is, it looks like a multi-use tool. Anyone care for a back scratch and then a scoop of ice cream?

@Rockbreaker:

“Update: This highly upvoted tool from a month ago is a carpet stretcher.”

40) “It slid out of my cooked egg.”

It looks like chicken, it came from a chicken, so does that make it chicken meat? Yep!

@MrDorkESQ:

“It is an exceptionally big meat spot.”

@emuulay:

“Neat! I had no idea a meat spot was a real thing, but it turns out I’ve been picking them out of my egg for the past few months. Looking at the wiki, they’re not typically found in commercial eggs–I don’t think I ever saw one when I lived in the States. But I’m living in South Korea now and the eggs I get are fresh, and I tend to get little meat spots in every other egg.”

41) “For a friend…what is this thing?”

After butter is churned and the buttermilk is drained away, what you’re left with are gooey chunks of nearly-ready butter. This “butter worker” tool helps the fragments of fat form into a solid lump of buttery goodness!

42) “Thing pulled out of a dog’s mouth, looks like a sandworm from Dune”

The birds know better than your dog and won’t touch this thing! Even though it’s not really a worm, it still has a crazy cool name.

@batbrat:

“Some sort of Sphinx moth caterpillar. Maybe a Waved or Carolina Sphinx.”

43) “I know this is uranium glass but what is it used for. The top comes off.”

Don’t mind the uranium bit. Since it’s low grade, the only side effect is glowing in the dark until you’re done. Totally reasonable.

@raiaken:

“It’s a “bottoms up” shotglass. It’s not obvious from this angle, but the lumps are a nude female rear in the air. It’s designed to require to to down the shot in one because you can’t put it down.”

44) “My mom saw these on a car in Southwest Florida, not sure what they are.”

The fact that this was found in Florida, a popular retirement destination, is the first clue. But, maybe the car just wanted to get in on some cosplay and look cool!

@unreqistered:

“Bumper guides is the more correct term, although they look DIY’ish.”

@gumburcules:

” I’m guessing that when looking out the windshield they are at such an angle that they appear to mark the front corners of the hood to make parking easier.”

45) “Found in my backyard pond. Floating by that sack filled with fluid.”

Eww, put it back in the pond! Let the wild critters fight over its fate.

@noroyce:

“I think it’s a very full swim bladder found in fish.”

@bellyfold:

“My uncle tosses these out of the boat when he guts fish (along with the rest of the insides). These always float to the top and look kinda like misshapen jellyfish to me.”

46) “I’ve met an old man in Germany and he sent me these little coat of arms, telling me to visit each of this location before I die. What are these exactly used for?”

Getting a box of these mini coat of arms is a total win! It’s like you’ve been given a mysterious quest that you must fulfill.

@mightyfrog:

“Walking stick medallions”

@Ramazotti:

“You can buy them at many locations commonly located on walking tracks. They go on your walking stick.”

47) “An old Samsung PC keyboard… What is the coffee cup key for?”

I’m totally on board with a button on our keyboard that orders coffee. Where’s that little Australian robot that delivers food?

@Skaldy77:

“It activates the screensaver. Presumably, the coffee cup is to symbolise that you use it if you’re going to leave your computer for a while like to get a coffee.”

48) “Obvi pine needles and paper – but why? I came home yesterday to find this tucked in my door. Anyone have a similar experience?”

This means you’ve been marked, or rather, blessed. It’s all good, my friend!

@Traveller22:

“A pine branch hung over the door will invite joyful energy inside and a pine branch hung over a bed will ward against illness.”

@PaleosaurusRex:

“If they’re actually Wiccan it won’t be a bad spell, Wiccans follow the threefold rule, whatever they send out, they get back 3x as strong, bad or good. So unless they are prepared for bad things, it won’t be bad.”

49) “I was off-roading with my kids today and found this in the path blocked by a giant rock. Any ideas? This is in Israel so it could be 200 years old or 2000 years old. I’m guessing closer to the latter.”

What an amazing thing stumble upon! It’s not blocking your path, it’s showing you the way to an amazing piece of history.

@Mr_Xorn:

“I actually work in archaeology in Israel. Good find! What you are looking at is indeed quite old. And two different things. The part closer to us is a mosaic floor. The square rock with the hole in it up top right is a column base. This could be anywhere between 100BC-7th C AD, and could have been continuously used much later on. Look around you next time, there is probably a lot more stuff around you.”

50) “I found this ring in my backyard while doing gardening. After cleaning it, it doesn’t look like a normal ring. Any ideas?”

The good news is that you don’t have to worry about turning invisible and seeing Sauron’s flaming eyeball every time you put it on. But, the history behind it may make you want to cry.

@batbrat:

“It’s a Georgian/early Victorian mourning ring. The initials belong to the lost loved one. They were typically made from gold (18k+) and enameled in black. Yours looks like it was made around 1820s-40s.”

51) “What is this big hole that is usually found on milk cartons?”

The indentation acts like a pressure relief valve. It keeps milk from exploding all over the place when your roommate goes away on vacation and leaves the milk on the counter for weeks on end.

@AtomixSpark:

“This is actually a measure to keep the milk contained if it’s suddenly dropped, or frozen. Makes the cap pop out if so.”

52) “Tooth? Found at Myrtle Beach, SC”

That’s quite a lucky find! And yes, that’s one big, badass tooth that you’re holding in your hand.

@Squibblezombie:

“That’s a broken megalodon tooth. Great find!”

@EFIW1560:

“I live on the coast of North Carolina and if you go out to the beach after a hurricane or even just a good thunderstorm you can find these big uns.”

53) “This weird wrapped car. The lights were wrapped in cloth. Serial numbers all around. Anything significant or just tacky?”

Yes, it’s very weird and definitely tacky! But, there’s a secret reason why the car looks like it’s wrapped in plushy wallpaper.

@brock_lee:

“It obscures the car while being test driven, so the yet-to-be-released models are not photographed and published. The random “wave” patterns effectively hide the body contours and lines.”

@1cecream4breakfast:

“I’m from metro Detroit and seeing these there is a near daily occurrence. When I saw this on this sub I was like, “How does everyone not know this?” And then I remembered not everyone is from the motor city.”

54) “In a multi storey car park. Is it a passage for rats? There are also small holes in the floor and ceiling with a tiny ladder connecting them.”

No, these aren’t secret passageways and ladders for an army of rodents plotting to take over car parks. It was actually developed by John Pym as part of a public art scheme called “Secret Industry.”

@TheMightyGoatMan:

“The stairwells and lift lobbies of multistorey car parks are not usually areas where people pause to admire the architecture, so John Pym used this to his advantage. The artist sees it as a reward for those who look more closely at their surroundings.”

55) “What is the purpose of this mirrors? I came across them in Trosa, Sweden, near the river. They are on almost every house.”

Apparently, there’s a longstanding peeping Tom tradition in Scandinavia. These mirrors are for the super lazy ones who can’t even be bothered to get up off the couch for a look-see!

@wonderboy544:

“In Denmark they are called a “gadespejl” It is an old invention, basically a mirror that made it possible to view the street from the comfort of your couch.”

@norieeega:

“”Skvallerspegel” is what I’ve heard them called in Sweden. ‘Gossip mirror.'”

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