Tough question. It’s said that ‘Beauty is in the eye of the beholder’ and is subjective. However, there’s no getting around the fact that some animals have unique or unconventional appearances that some find less conventionally attractive, ie ‘Goddamn Ugly’.
Here’s my top 5 list of ugliest animals…
Blobfish (Psychrolutes Marcidus): The blobfish, found in deep waters off the coasts of Australia and New Zealand, has a gelatinous appearance and is often described as having a droopy, sagging face. Not a happy chappie…
(Ed: Not Fair! - the blobfish doesn't really look like this ... well... it's a 'fish out of water'. In its natural environment, this fella still has a bulbous head and a body that tapers towards the back, tadpole fashion, but looks very different to the specimen pictured below. When away from its high-pressure home, the creature suffers catastrophic decompression damage which deforms its body)
Naked Mole Rat (Heterocephalus glaber): Found in East Africa, naked mole rats are small (3 - 4 inches), hairless rodents with wrinkled skin and large front teeth. They are adapted to a subterranean lifestyle and have unique features that serve their ecological niche. Although hairless, they do have sensory whiskers around the face.
Proboscis Monkey (Nasalis larvatus): Proboscis monkeys, endangered monkeys native to Borneo and Sumatra, have large, pendulous noses that can be quite prominent, leading to their distinct appearance. The size of a male's nose has been linked to dominance with lots of opportunities to mate for this polygamous monkey... if it has the biggest nose.
(Ed: You didn't mention the male's permanent erection!)
Yeah - the male 'suffers' from a perpetually engorged organ AND it's bright red! Why this is an evolutionary advantage is still under debate,
Aye-Aye (Daubentonia madagascariensis): The aye-aye is a nocturnal lemur from Madagascar with an elongated, bony middle finger, used for tapping on trees to locate insect larvae. It was first described in 1788 when the primate was believed to be a type of rodent since its large incisors grow continuously.
Star-Nosed Mole (Condylura cristata): The star-nosed mole, found in eastern North America, has a bizarre-looking, star-shaped appendage on its nose used for sensing and capturing prey in dark underground tunnels. When they sense insects, it takes them around 8 milliseconds to decide whether they can eat it!
(Editor:
What may appear unattractive to some can be an extraordinary example of nature's ingenuity - the product of millions of years of evolution. Beauty is often found in the intricate adaptations and behaviours of animals, and many creatures are fascinating in their own right, regardless of their appearance).
Still ugly though …
Let me know what you think... Have I missed any unusual beasties?
