Aquatic Azrael

In seeing this matamata turtle's nose, I was reminded of one of my favorite cartoons as a boy: the Snorks. It was an underwater knock-off of the Smurfs. I don't recall if there was an Azrael and Gargamel villain team in the Snorks, but the matamata would have been a good aquatic Azrael. That is, if matamatas were saltwater ambush predators, and not freshwater. But then, we are dealing with aquatic smurfs, so we can suspend reality to a certain degree, can't we?

Photo by Joachim Muller

New Discovery

I thought I had catalogued the majority of the world's ugly turtles with the matamata and snapping turtles (with the occasional giant tortoise). Wes, however, has proven me wrong with his photo of the Florida Softshell turtle. These guys are far more aggressive and ill-tempered than their better-protected cousins - they have to compensate.

With the softshell I have made a discovery that will no doubt rock the science world: the ugliest of turtles are aquatic (matamata, snapping, softshell). Nobel please?

Don't Let the Smile Deceive You

The matamata turtle is one of those creatures with a deceptively cheerful face. What truly lurks behind that smile is a cold-blooded (literally) killer. That snorkel of a nose and its serpentine neck allow it to lurk underwater for hours on end with nary a movement. Its neck and head a very sensitive to subtle movements in the water caused by swimming fish. And when it strikes, it does so by hinging open its cavernous mouth so fast that its prey is sucked in.

So, again, don't let the smile decieve you. The same can be said of smiles from salesmen and politician's smiles.

Photo by Joachim S. Müller

Baby Announcement

The matamata turtle has been a frequent guest on Ugly Overload. And I am happy to announce the first captive birth (well, breeding and hatching) of this species in the San Diego Zoo (see hatchling below).

The world needs more "it kills, it kills" turtles.

Photo source: AP Photo/Zoological Society of San Diego, Ken Bohn via Yahoo! News

Lying in Wait

It's been far too long since the matamata turtle reared its ugly head here. Everybody say hello and then let him get back to lying in wait.

Photo courtesy: Frank Wouters

Ugly Overload Turns One Year Old

That's right. It's been more than 365 images of ugly animals, many of them making their internet debut right here. A whole year of bats, sphynx cats, Sam, centipedes, hippos, elephant seals, matamata turtles, crocodiles, vultures, eels, deep-sea abominations, and many more.

Let me reaffirm the purpose of this blog. Cute and beautiful animals always get the spotlight. But the ugly are left in the dark, without a place to call home. This blog is devoted to them. Here the ugly critters of the world have their day in the sun, and the abominable beasts have a place to call their own. Here there is no shame, and no reason to hide.

Photo courtesy: Animal Planet



















I began this site featuring Sam, the world's ugliest dog. Let me begin year two with his possible successor (according to voters on Animal Planet). Meet Ellwood. He typifies what this blog is all about. He's proud, and rightfully so.

Of course, I'm well aware that beauty and ugly are in the eye of the beholder, and in the end I must be the final arbiter - at least for this blog. Bear in mind that we are all just having fun here. No animals are being condemned.

Thanks again to all of you. You have made this labor of love worthwhile. Come back often - I'll be rolling out new features in the weeks to come.

As always, your comments, suggestions, and submissions are always welcome.

Unique Technique

I can't get enough of the matamata turtle. This particular shot shows the grin, the tube nose, and those scaly danglies of this reptile so well.

These nocturnal hunters have a technique that is unique from other turtles. When they find something tasty - a crustacean, fish, frog, small mammal, or even a bird - they strike while opening their mouths and expanding their throats. This motion creates a vacuum which literally sucks their prey into their mouths.

Those snouts are flexible, like real snorkels. I almost wich I had one, too. It seems so handy. But I'll stick with the whole walking upright and opposable thumbs thing instead.

Thanks for the photo, Fons.

matamatamatamatamata

matamatamatamatamatamatamatamata
matamatamatamatamatamatamatamata
matamatamatamatamatamatamatamata

The flat head. The warped smile. The snorkel nose. The leafy, dangly things. Thank you matamata turtle.















Photo courtesy: www.sweb.cz

Matamatamatamatamata

I can't get enough of the matamata turtle. Yep, that's a turtle. Well, just it's moss-covered head. See it smiling below? Don't let the funky nose fool you. That's the smile it offers just before it kills.

Photo courtesy: True Bavarian

Smile

The matamata turtle is one of the ugliest animals on the planet. Though they are soft-shelled, they are accomplished hunters. That smile is so misleading. Good camouflage.

Photo courtesy: www.reptil-zoo.dk

I Kill

True Bavarian, a member of Flickr, is a gifted photographer. After stumbling across his work, I got his permission to post his pictures. I will be showcasing some of my favorites of his over the next week or so.

Check out his matamata turtle. These South American soft-shelled turtles lie in wait for passing prey. Their name means "I kill, I kill" in Spanish (mata mata). How do you say, "I die, I die" in Spanish? That's the kind of fish I would be if I saw this smiling face lunging at me.