Whether you call them ugly animals or simply aesthetically challenged creatures, there’s a vast array of, shall we say, intriguing wildlife on Earth. While fluffy kittens and doe-eyed puppies easily capture human affection, there are many species out in the wild, from the forests to the oceans, that have what we humans might consider less conventional looks.
Of course, we’re biased because of evolution. Thanks to a concept scientists term ‘baby schema’, most people are drawn to animals with childlike features – think big eyes, small noses, round faces. It’s a response that has evolved to ensure we care for our own young, but it also influences how we perceive animals.
Since so-called ‘ugly animals’ don’t trigger our built-in nurturing response, many are unfairly overlooked. And that’s a problem: animals that aren’t conventionally ‘cute’ often get less attention and protection, even though many have amazing abilities.
Don’t believe us? Check out the most extraordinary ‘ugly’ animals in the world below.
Aye-aye
With its long fingers, black and white fur, rodent-like teeth, and bulging orange eyes, the aye-aye certainly has a distinctive look.
Native to Madagascar, it’s the world’s largest nocturnal primate. It’s also a secret genius: by tapping on hollow trees up to eight times per second, the aye-aye uses percussive foraging, a technique similar to echolocation, to find hiding grubs.
Sadly, the aye-aye is endangered, as its forest home has been drastically felled. The aye-aye has also been hunted because of local superstitions that portray it as a harbinger of death and evil. In fact, the species was once thought to be extinct before being rediscovered in 1957. Today, specific laws are in place to protect it.
Proboscis monkey
The proboscis monkey is one of the most distinctive primates in the world, and not just because of its rather large nose, which can grow up to 17cm (7in). It has nice shades of fur, too – red on the head with a light brown body, and grey on its limbs, giving the creature a rather dapper appearance.
The proboscis monkey is also an excellent swimmer, thanks to its webbed feet, and has even been known to evade crocodiles in the water.
This monkey might not make for the most polite dinner party guest, though – it burps regularly as its chambered stomach ferments its food.
Male proboscis monkeys have significantly larger noses than females, and the bigger the nose, the more attractive they appear. A large nose serves as a sign of health and strength, increasing a male’s chances of securing a mate.
Naked mole rat
The naked mole rat has a wrinkly body and huge yellow teeth, so it’s probably not going to win a cuteness award anytime soon.
But judging this rodent by its looks alone would mean overlooking some of the most fascinating aspects of this small creature. For instance, the naked mole rat rarely gets cancer even as it ages and can live a very long and healthy life compared to other rodents. This is partly down to its low respiratory rate and ability to lower its metabolic rate in harsh conditions.
Also, the naked mole rat doesn’t need to drink water, getting all the hydration it needs from its food.
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Blobfish
Calling the blobfish ugly might be unfair, considering it wasn’t meant to live outside of water. Most images, like the one above, depict it on land, where its appearance is drastically different from its natural underwater form.
It usually dwells in the Midnight Zone of the ocean at depths of between 600 to 1,200m (2,000 to 3,900ft), meaning that in order to survive in such conditions it has evolved to be squishy with very small muscles and soft bones. This means that when taken out of water its body collapses into a heap, losing its shape in the process.
Goblin shark
A living fossil that is the stuff of nightmares, the goblin shark is incredibly rare and has a lineage that dates back over 125 million years.
Its blade-like snout houses a powerful extendable jaw, which can thrust out in a flash to catch prey. Most of the time, the jaws (which can extend the goblin shark’s body by up to a tenth) remain tucked away, hiding an array of super-sharp teeth arranged in multiple rows.
This deep-sea shark is most commonly found off the coast of Japan, though it has been observed in various locations worldwide. Because it tends to live at great depths – 100 to 1,300m (330 to 4,300ft) – it is difficult to study, but the goblin shark is not considered endangered.
Purple frog
We’ll just say it: the purple frog, or pig-nose frog, has a huge rear end. But for good reason. Its muscular posterior gives it the power to dig deep into the soil, where it spends most of its life. Unlike most other frogs, it needs powerful legs for digging, not jumping.
Living underground also means the pig-nose frog doesn’t need amazing vision – hence the small eyes. And the odd shape of its head is perfect for foraging through the damp, moist earth in search of termites.
Male pig-nose frogs also have a unique call that they use when emerging from their underground burrows to attract females. It’s been described as sounding like a chicken on helium.
Sadly, even though this species was only discovered in 2003, its numbers have declined, and its status currently stands at ‘near-threatened’.
Warthog
The warthog may not be the most beautiful animal in the world with its warty protrusions that give it its name, but its tusks do at least keep it safe from predators. Despite being equipped with these weapons, the warthog is not aggressive and mainly feeds on bugs and berries.
Like Pumbaa, the warthog in The Lion King, this creature lives in the open grasslands of Africa and is on the menu of lions, leopards, hyenas and humans. Surprisingly, it can run up to a speed of 48 km/h (30mph) – which comes in pretty handy for escaping the big cats.
Bald uakari
No, it’s not embarrassed and hasn’t been in the sun too long – the bald uakari naturally has a red face, and the redder the better.
This small monkey inhabits the forests around the Amazon River basin and is characterised by its distinctive red face, bald head and long hairy coat. Unlike humans, its bright red face is a sign of very good health and is used by other individuals to judge potential mates. However, the bald uakari is susceptible to malaria, which gives it a paler face and makes it less desirable.
The bald uakari is listed by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) as a vulnerable species due to deforestation, and more needs to be done to protect these striking monkeys.
Hammerhead bat
The fittingly named Hypsignathus monstrosus is the largest bat in mainland Africa, and the third-largest bat in the world.
The male is much bigger than the female, with a much larger head. It also calls with a very unusual low-frequency honking sound, amplified by large resonating chambers on its head and fluted lips and nostrils. While this doesn’t make the male bat the most beautiful creature, it does increase its chances of attracting a female.
The hammerhead bat is the only species of bat to operate this ‘lek’ mating system of showing off to find a mate. It mainly eats fruit and flies and lives in lowland rainforest areas.
Alligator snapping turtle
With its armoured carapace sporting prominent spikes, its pointed head and hooked beak, the American alligator snapping turtle looks like something out of Jurassic Park.
It’s the largest freshwater turtle found in the USA and features super-strong jaws for feasting on fish and small mammals, using a worm-like appendage on its tongue to lure prey before crushing it with a snap. While not the most attractive animal, it’s a good example of adaptation and evolution in action.
The species is considered threatened as populations are declining due to habitat loss and hunting.
Marabou stork
The marabou stork is a curious-looking large wading bird, often found around landfill sites in countries in middle and southern Africa. It has gained the nickname ‘undertaker bird’, thanks to its hunched posture, long legs and huge black wings that look like an ominous cloak.
This stork is a supremely opportunistic bird, seeking out wildfires and preying on fleeing animals. It is also a notorious scavenger that can and will eat anything that even remotely resembles animal matter – even faeces.
Walrus
The walrus is one of the most instantly recognisable animals on the planet, with its distinctive tusks and huge, blubbery body. Males can weigh over a tonne, and its skin is some of the thickest of any animal.
The thick, bristle-like whiskers on the face of the walrus are incredibly sensitive and are used to seek out buried food on the sea floor.
Despite its size, a walrus can be easily spooked by loud sounds. So if you are close to one, keeping the noise down is probably a good idea.
Chinese giant salamander
The Chinese giant salamander is the largest amphibian on the planet and can grow to be the same size as an adult human. It’s thought to date back over 170 million years to the time of the dinosaurs.
The baggy skin may give it an ungainly appearance, but this provides the salamander a greater surface area that allows it to absorb more oxygen. The Chinese giant salamander has very poor eyesight and uses sensory nodes on its nose and head to locate food.
Saiga antelope
The Saiga antelope has an unusually large nose that hangs over its mouth, which is thought to be supersized to filter out dust in arid summers. This incredibly hardy species is one of the smaller antelope (about the same size as an adult goat) and inhabits the grassland plains of steppe country in southwestern Russia, Kazakhstan, and Mongolia.
Its numbers were in decline and it was considered critically endangered, but a determined conservation effort made over the last 20 years has resulted in the number of antelope recovering to over two million individuals in Kazakhstan.
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Great hammerhead shark
The most distinctive of all sharks with its peculiar flattened and expanded head, the great hammerhead is an apex predator with a massive row of teeth that resemble the blade of a wood saw.
Its large head, known as a ‘cephalofoil’, contains electrical receptors that help it seek out prey such as stingrays and cephalopods on the sea floor. It also provides extra lift and manoeuvrability, and wider eye separation.
The great hammerhead is distinguished from other hammerhead sharks by the large indentation in the middle of its head. This amazing animal is not preyed upon by other species but targeted by commercial fisheries for its large fins.
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California condor
Like the Marabou stork, the California condor is a notorious scavenger and has been known to feed on beached whales. However, this unusual-looking bird has a more fun side to its personality – it enjoys playfighting with other California condors.
As well as its curious face, the California condor has huge wings – with a wingspan of three metres, it is the largest land bird in the USA and outstrips a golden eagle.
This amazing bird is critically endangered, and the penalty for killing one is a huge fine and jail time. In the 1980s, all remaining wild birds were caught and placed into sanctuaries to save them from extinction.
Vietnamese Pot-bellied pig
The baggy skin and wrinkled face give the Vietnamese pot-bellied pig a grumpy look, but it’s calmer than a farm pig, and its diminutive size has meant it was once popular as a pet – although don’t think it’s cute and cuddly.
Its large, low-hanging belly, combined with its short legs, give it a round, pot-bellied appearance. Once incredibly popular and numerous, thanks to being bred for its meat (which apparently has a unique flavour), it has since been in decline and is now sadly classified as an endangered species.
Red-lipped batfish
The bright, scarlet-coloured lips of the red-lipped batfish make this creature stand out from the crowd. It’s thought that this species has evolved striking red lips to aid identification by others during spawning.
Found off the coast of the Galápagos Islands in the eastern Pacific Ocean, this species is not known for its swimming prowess, rather preferring to walk across the seabed instead.
Giant swallowtail caterpillar
Imagine spending a large proportion of your life looking like a bird poop. Before the eastern giant swallowtail transforms into a beautiful butterfly, it does exactly that.
The caterpillar’s disguise is very successful. But if a predator is fooled by this masquerade, the caterpillar can employ its v-shaped osmeterium (scent organ) to try and defend itself from attacks.
Star-nosed mole
The star-nosed mole might be a strange-looking little creature, but the distinctive feature on its face is incredibly impressive. It contains 25,000 sensory receptors that can detect anything from food to seismic vibrations.
As this species has only very tiny eyes, it relies on this constantly moving appendage (known as Eimer’s organs) to navigate on land and underwater.
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