Psycho Crustacean

Joe came across this pool in Flickr, and it holds a cache of diving photos that belong here. Take this crab eating a fish. Nothing too extraordinary about this picture at first glance - just your typical circle-of-life scenario. Until you look into the crab's eyes. Then you see mania and psychosis. Perfect. Welcome to Ugly Overload.

I'm not well-versed when it comes to crustaceans. Is this a crab or a lobster, or some other creature I don't know about?

Thanks for the link, Joe, and thanks for the photo, Calvin.

UPDATE: Both Chrissie and Rasmus have identified this as a Norway Lobster. I think they're correct.

Photo courtesy: Calvin Tang

I'm Thinking Baboon

I need to hone my primatology. Especially when it comes to developing my baby-monkey-identifying abilities. Now, that is a marketable skill set.

I'm thinking this one is a baboon. Any takers?

A lot of you are going to be upset that I posted on a baby, because you think I am disparaging this little one for being ugly. Mind you, he is ugly, but I'm fully aware that his large eyes, big ears, and endearing countenance are going to evoke your care-giving and 'aww' reflexes. It worked on me, too.

I'm just giving this baby some web time here, becuase I don't think your average cute animal site will give it the time of day. It just isn't in the same category as fluffy bunnies and floppy-eared puppies.

UPDATE: A reader has identified this as a baby macaque. My guess wasn't far that off at least. Thanks for the help.

Photo courtesy: Steve Evans

Watch Where You Step

The earthworm has been referred to, in ancient times, as The Destroyer, the subverter of monuments, and the leveler of empires. But don't let that prejudice you. Or the fact that they are slimy (especially in clumps like this), or that they are always squishing underfoot after the first rains.

Stop being a hater for a moment and give some thanks for this member of the Oligochaeta family. These worms help renew our topsoil and are indespensable in many agricultural endeavors. The next time you're enjoying some nice fruit juice, raise a glass for the earthworm. And watch where you step.

UPDATE: I need to have Rasmus edit my posts before I send them live. Oligochaeta is the class to which earthworms belong. The family is Lumbricidae. Thanks, Rasmus.

Photo courtesy: Ben McLeod

Crocodile Tail

How's that for a close-up of a crocodile tail? This tail comes in quite handy for these reptiles. When the eating's good, this is where they store a lot of their fat for when the eating's not so good. The tail's also useful for hunting you down in the water.

And don't think you'll be able to wrestle it Steve Irwin-style. The Nile Crocodile has been known to get as large at 20 feet long, and weigh over 2,000 lbs.

Photo courtesy: Knuttz

Ugly Bull

Any cattle wrestlers care to ID what breed this is? I don't dare to hazard a guess, for fear of getting some cowboys mad at me. I've already angered my share of cows, or 'domesticated ungulates,' as I like to call them.

Photo courtesy: Evil Monkey

Microwaved Hotdogs & Mole-Rats

I've posted on the naked mole-rat before (see this link), but I've recently received a couple of requests to invite them back. Katy sent me this photo, then Lani sent me this article, which has this to say about this rodent's appearance:

"Picture a hot dog that's been left in a microwave a little too long, add some buck teeth at one end, and you've got a fairly good idea of what a Naked Mole Rat looks like."

I love it. But you needn't fear running across one of these in the wild, unless you are one of my African readers. Even then, you probably haven't ever seen one. They live underground and never venture top-side.

The naked mole-rat makes for great children's book material. That's a good thing; we want our kids to know that ugly has its place, too.

Thanks for the links, Katy and Lani!

Photos (1 & 2) courtesy: Lisa

Set a New Fishing Record

I can't believe I haven't heard of the alligator gar before. Thankfully, I have alert and resourceful readers, like David, who send me photos like this one.

The alligator gar is so-named because of its size, its gator-shaped head, and because they've been known to take chunks out of swimmers. They get as big as 300 lbs, and are found in the Mississippi River Basin, from Ohio down to the Gulf of Mexico. They aren't fished for very often, though; their size is intimidating and they are hard to clean.

But, if you want to make set a new fishing record, go after one of these. There aren't that many on the books. That's how I intend to get famous. Or, if you are looking for new employment, local governments are hiring fishermen to catch these. So many possibilities!

Thanks for the photo, David.

Bathing Ferret

Anna sent in this photo of her pet ferret, Bonnie. Bonnie is an older ferret, and her less than comely appearance is exacerbated not only by the fact that she is in the bath tub (prime photo-taking-time for Ugly Overload), but she also has adrenal gland failure, which contributes to her sparse coat.

Although this malady is ultimately fatal, Bonnie is still expected to live out the normal life expectancy of her ferretdom, and she's in no pain. But, we're all about making lemonade out of lemons here. Her condition gives us one of the few ferret posts we'll ever have on this blog; despite being a relative of the weasel, the ferret is more often a resident of your cute sites.

Thanks for the photo, Anna. Your security in the loveableness of your pet, despite her appearance here, is an inspiration to us all.