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.”
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).”
@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.”
@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?”
@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.”
@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.”
@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.”
@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.”
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.”
@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.”
@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.”
@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.”
@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.”
@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?”
@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!”
@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?”
@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.”
@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.”
@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?”
@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?”
@MrDorkESQ:
“Looks like the bleach oxidized the metal parts of your sink.”
21) “What is this demonic looking creature?”
@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.”
@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.”
@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.”
@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.”
@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.”
@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?”
@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?”
@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.”
@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.”
@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.”
@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.”
@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”
@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?”
@Supraspinator:
“A feather star (crinoid), a relative of starfish and sea urchins.”
35) “Its made our of silver and the ball rotates.”
@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.”
@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.”
@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!”
@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?”
@Rockbreaker:
“Update: This highly upvoted tool from a month ago is a carpet stretcher.”
40) “It slid out of my cooked egg.”
@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?”
42) “Thing pulled out of a dog’s mouth, looks like a sandworm from Dune”
@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.”
@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.”
@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.”
@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?”
@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?”
@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?”
@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.”
@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?”
@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?”
@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”
@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?”
@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.”
@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.”
@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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