10 of the Ugliest Animals We Share a Planet With
Whether you subscribe to the theory of evolution or the theory of intelligent design, there’s one thing we can all agree on – there are some ugly ass animals on this planet. I know, beauty is in the eyes of the beholder, but I’m sure you’ll find it hard pressed not to agree with us on this list. So let’s check out ten of the ugliest animals the world has ever seen:
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Mata Mata Turtle
Image: http://realmonstrosities.com
This freshwater turtle is found predominantly in the Amazon and Orinoco basins in South America. It has distinguishable and very peculiar features which differentiates it from other animals of its own species. Luckily for the mata mata, though it might be ugly, it is still highly skilled predator, camouflaging underwater and sucking prey in as they pass by. At least it won’t starve.
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Horseshoe Bat
Image: http://www.ecohealthalliance.org
Bats, fearsome creatures of the dark night have never been particularly considered to be cute. But the horseshoe bat is a very special kind of ugly. Their distinct appearance is due to a leaf like protuberances on their noses through which they make their echolocation calls. So while it’s nose servers a functional purpose, it’s not graceful to look at in the slightest.
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Star Nosed Mole
Image: http://youtube.com
Moles have always been considered to be dirty creatures. This one is no different with a star shaped nose that looks like as if its mouth has been ripped open to the flesh. This can send the shivers down any of its prey which can fall dead just by having a look at it (I kid, I kid). However, these moles are expert swimmers and have the capacity to swim even in the ice-covered streams in the Northern American and Eastern Canada regions.
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Sloth
Image: http://wikipedia.org
These omnivorous animals inhabiting Central and South America have a peculiar quality in that, unlike other mammals, their hair grows in a direction opposite to that of their extremities. Maybe this is due to the fact that they usually hang upside down and this is nature’s way of protecting even the ugliest creatures from predators.
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Naked Mole Rat
Image: http://wikipedia.org
*Shudders*. This is a desert mole rat that is native to parts of East Africa. They are underground burrowing animals and have adaptive features to suit their style of living. They have tiny slits for their eyes which makes their eyesight very poor. But their habitat are usually pitch dark areas so it’s not like they have much need for them anyway. To make their ugliest worse, their lips are sealed behind their protruding teeth which enable them to dig through the soil without filling their mouths with dirt. But still, *shudders*.
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Axoloti
Image: http://okjdiscoveries.files.wordpress.com
The Axolotl looks like a creature straight out of a Pokemon game. Get your pokeballs ready.
It to the salamander family and is usually found in the regions around Mexico. They have huge heads as compared to their bodies and have lidless eyes. It’s not yet been observed what they evolve into.
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Tarsier
Image: http://wikipedia.org
The tarsiers have enormous eyes (with disproportionately small pupils) and extremely elongated tarsus bones, which is where they got their name from. Their ugly looks are amply compensated by their extreme agility with which they are able to capture even birds in motion while jumping from tree to tree. Consider it nature’s balancing act.
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Hagfish
Image: http://wired.com
Having eel like bodies and paddle like tails, there have been debates whether the hagfish qualifies to belong to the fish family. Regardless, they are creepy. They exude copious quantities of sticky mucus every time they are caught which turns stickier when combined with water. They also have a unique way of cleaning their bodies of this slime by tying themselves into knots and working their way down as it scrapes off the slime. Doesn’t matter, still ugly.
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Aye-Aye
Image: http://wikipedia.org
Aye aye captain! This endangered native of Madagascar combines rodent like teeth with a long and thin middle finger which is used to scrape wood from trees in a manner similar to that of a woodpecker. It is considered to be the world’s largest nocturnal primate.
And for the number one spot…
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Blob fish
Image: http://sciencenews.org
Good lord that’s ugly. This absolutely lazy creature takes the honors as far as ugly looks are concerned. It inhabits the deep waters off the coast of Australia and Tasmania and is rarely seen by humans. Its flesh is made of a gelatinous mass which makes it float along the current of the water. It does not move on its own, instead swallowing any edible matter which floats by in front of it.
It is objectively ugly.
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