From ugly animals found in nature to freaky looking domestic pets, here are 15 of the
ugliest animals in the world.
Number 15.
Naked Mole Rat. It must be difficult to maintain a vibrant self-image if you're a bald blind
rodent. These animals live underground in insect-like colonies and they have little
need for good eyesight. Their hairless bodies are also an adaptation for their underground
environment. Interestingly naked mole rats are also among the longest living rodents,
living up to thirty years. They also have a remarkable resistance to cancer.
Number 14.
Red-Lipped Batfish. This fish gives the impression that it tried to compensate for an unusual
body by caking on the lipstick. They are better suited for walking along the ocean floor than
swimming. When they reach adulthood, they use their dorsal fin as a fishing lure to
attract prey and just sit around on the ocean floor waiting.
Number 13.
Aye-Aye. This gremlin-looking creature, called an Aye-Aye is actually a primate found in
Madagascar. Aye-Ayes have a number of unusual traits, including a long bony witch-like middle
finger that they use to pry insects and grubs from tree trunks. This allows them to fill
a biological niche much like a woodpecker. They are nocturnal and only coming out at night.
Number 12.
Canadian Sphynx. These cats were developed through selective breeding from the 1960s.
Known for its lack of fur and wrinkly skin, these cats may look freakishly ugly but they
are also known for being very energetic and affectionate to their owners. Typically displaying
dog-like behavior such as fetching things and greeting their owners at the door.
Number 11.
Monkfish. These unappetizing freaky looking fish are a commonly eaten delicacy. Monkfish
can grow up to three feet long and have super sharp teeth and very powerful jaws. However
because their teeth incline inwards and can be temporarily depressed, together with the
fact that they have enormous stretchy stomachs, they usually just glide into fish and can
swallow prey whole, even prey as large as the Monkfish itself.
Number 10.
California condor. One of the world's rarest birds and North America's largest flying land
bird, the California condor is a graceful animal when it's gliding high above the canyons
and deserts of the American West Coast. But up close this bird isn't so photogenic. Its
bald head is an adaptation for its lifestyle as a scavenger, since a feathered head would
become clotted with blood while the bird feeds on large carrion.
Number 9.
Horseshoe Bat. Like most insect eating bats, which use echolocation to catch their prey,
horseshoe bats have a warped appearance that looks more like an ear than a face. This adaptation
makes them more receptive to sound waves, which allows them to swiftly navigate through the air.
Number 8.
Proboscis Monkey. A human might run for cover with a nose like this but for the proboscis
monkey, the bigger the nose the better. It turns out that nothing turns on a female proboscis
monkey more than a big bulbous conk. Their big noses also help the monkeys to make loud
resonating warning calls.
Number 7.
Marabou Stork. Would you want your newborn delivered by one of these sickly looking storks?
Standing over 5 feet tall with a wingspan of more than 10 feet, these African birds
are scavengers of large carrion, which is why they have featherless heads. They also
eat other birds and have been known to consume flamingos.
Number 6.
Elephant Seal. With massive floppy trunks, these seals that resemble elephants are capable
of making loud roaring snorts, a handy tool in defending their territory. They are also
deceptively fast. Some elephant seals have been recorded wiggling over sand dunes at
speeds faster than the average human can run.
Number 5.
Philippine Tarsiers. Known locally as mawmag or mamag, these tiny little creatures can
fit in the palm of your hand and live in the Philippines. Their bulging eyes are bigger
than the size of their brains. Their eyes are also fixed into their skull, meaning they
cannot turn in their sockets. Instead a special adaptation in the neck allows its round head
to rotate 180 degrees.
Number 4.
Star-Nosed Mole. These moles might have the most bizarre noses in the animal kingdom.
Their weird whiffers are defined by twenty two fleshy appendages that act more like ultra-sensitive
fingers than a nose. The snouts are lined with more than 25,000 minute sensory receptors
that help the mole feel its way through its underground lair.
Number 3.
Celestial Eye Goldfish. Not every animal is as cute and cuddly as a giant panda or as
extravagant as a peacock. This double tailed breed of fancy goldfish are actually a direct
mutation of the Telescope goldfish. They have a pair of telescopic eyes which are always
turned upwards, with their pupils gazing skyward.
Number 2.
Blobfish. Perhaps it's unfair to judge a fish out of water but the Blobfish looks more like
a ball of slime than a living creature. Blobfish live in the ocean where pressure is exceedingly high.
In fact, the Blobfish's gelatinous appearance is actually a brilliant adaptation. Its gooey
pudding-like flesh allows it to stay buoyant at depths where gaseous bladders can't function.
Number 1.
Chinese Crested Hairless Dog. These bug eyed dogs are actually really popular. They have
hardly any hair on their body and normally only a small tuft of hair grows on their head.
Miss Ellie, a blind Chinese crested hairless dog, was the 2009 winner in the pedigree section
of the World's Ugliest Dog Contest.