These Naturally Purple Animals Are Absolutely Stunning

Color plays an integral role in the animal kingdom. Naturally, purple animals are hard to come by because mammals can’t create that pigment. Even the birds and insects that display shades of purple do so due to structural coloration, not because of actual purple pigment. Animals display different shades of purple to attract attention. In some cases, this coloration attracts pollinators, while in others, it serves as a warning to potential predators. Within a species, a bright violet hue can also help attract a mate. Let’s take a look at some of the rare purple animals that naturally exist.

1. Violet-Backed Starling

The violet-backed starling displays metallic shades of purple across its feathers, though this coloration is typically seen in males. The purple is used to attract females, who are mostly brown with some flecks of neutral tones. Since females lack violet in their feathers, they can more easily remain hidden from predators. The violet-backed starling is a sexually dimorphic species; they can reach a length of about 7 inches and are a stunning violet color. The female is mostly brown, however, the males are vibrant, like in many other species of birds. These incredibly eye-catching birds are typically found in woodland or grassland areas in Africa. To find the violet-backed starling, you’d have to travel to sub-Saharan Africa.

2. Purple Starfish

The purple starfish is a sight to behold, found deep in the water. Animals that reside a couple of meters below the surface are often hidden by the lack of light. Purple is one of the easiest colors to see at certain depths, unlike red and orange, which disappear about 15 meters below the surface. The only color that can be seen as easily is blue, which remains visible up to 60 meters below the surface. These naturally purple animals want to be seen. However, their use of violet isn’t meant to attract a mate. Instead, it warns predators to stay away.

3. Indian Purple Frog

The easiest place to find the Indian purple frog is in the Western Ghats of India. At six to nine centimeters long, these frogs aren’t known to be poisonous, although their deep shades of purple and gray often lead people to assume they are. Locals in some regions have consumed the tadpoles of the Indian purple frog for generations, believing they have medicinal properties, although these benefits have not been scientifically proven. The purple frog has a large, bloated body with short limbs. It is, as mentioned, dark purple to greyish in color. This frog can reach about seven centimeters long and has a small head in comparison to its body and other frog species. In addition to a small head, it also possesses an unusually pointed snout. Its short forelimbs have hard palms to aid it in burrowing underground. Most of their lives are spent underground, mostly eating termites in the rainforest.

4. Violet-Crowned Woodnymph

The violet-crowned woodnymph is part of the hummingbird family, often found in subtropical or tropical habitats. At 10.2cm long, the adult features a violet crown that matches its upper back, shoulders, and belly. The female, however, is bright green instead. It is, however, closely related to the Mexican woodnymph (Thalurania ridgwayi), and green-crowned woodnymphs are usually lumped together as the crowned woodnymph. Although they are usually placed together in a group, they are considered different species. Often, the shades of purple or green don’t fully develop until the bird is older.

5. Purple Grenadier

The purple grenadier is a type of finch that typically lives in eastern Africa. Male purple grenadiers develop their vibrant purple-blue feathers as they mature, while females have much less or sometimes no purple feathering at all. The males usually have more color, attracting females when it is time to mate. The combination of colors—chestnut brown and a muted violet—makes these rare purple animals quite a sight to see.

6. Costa’s Hummingbird

Costa’s hummingbird is the second purple hummingbird found on this list. These naturally purple animals follow the same pattern as other birds, only displaying purple in the males’ feathers with shades of white and green as well. The purple makes them easy to spot by females during mating. Costa’s hummingbirds can be found in the Sonoran and Mojave Deserts, especially from February to June.

7. Magnificent Sea Anemone

Magnificent sea anemones are rare purple animals found in the Indo-Pacific region of the world. Though the flared oral disc and the tentacles tend to be light beige or white, the column is where the true beauty is. Though many images have been recorded with purple columns, they can also be found in blue, green, red, or pink. Rather than serving as a warning to predators, the color of the magnificent sea anemone primarily depends on the type of algae present around it.

8. Glutinous Snail

The glutinous snail is a freshwater snail that is both beautiful and incredibly delicate. Though the snail itself is practically translucent, the shell features a beautiful purple hue. Since purple is such a rare natural color, people in Ancient Rome used to source their dye from snails. To make it, the dye-maker had to crack open their shell to get the mucus before exposing it to the sun. To obtain even an ounce of dye, up to 250,000 snails could have been required, but the resulting color was long-lasting.

9. Spanish Shawl

The Spanish shawl, a sea slug, is vibrant with both violet and orange to decorate its body. Typically, they are found along the eastern Pacific coast from British Columbia, Canada, to Baja California, Mexico. The colors of their body all come from a carotenoid pigment called astaxanthin. The reason for their colors is twofold. While the orange gills help them to camouflage while eating prey, the brightness of their entire body tells predators to stay away. It is an indication that they either taste bad or are poisonous to the predator.

10. Longhorn Beetle

The longhorn beetle is more of a greyish purple than a vibrant color like other rare purple animals on this list. Also known as longcorns, these beetles are an invasive species. While longhorn beetles do not bite or sting humans, some species, such as the invasive Asian longhorned beetle, can cause significant damage to trees and wooden structures. Instead, the purple hue seems to primarily be due to exposure to different lighting, sometimes turning blue as well.