Public Service Announcement

Don't think for a moment that we at Ugly Overload aren't mindful of our civic duties. The good folks at Caymannetnews.com are trying to identify this fish that washed ashore, and have asked their readers to help solve the mystery. We are more than willing to help out, and ask our own readers to participate in this cause.















A few things to note in this fish that might help us with the identification: it is ugly, it has a big mouth with needle teeth, it has bulgey eyes (maybe from decompression?), it is ugly, it has a long, eel-like tail, oh, ya, and it is ugly. Please help us identify this creature. Help science.

Knock Knock

Lemurs can be goofy looking creatures. The aye aye is one of the ugliest. This four-pound, nocturnal creature hails from Eastern Madagascar.

Take a look at those paws. See how one of the fingers is extra big, and one is extra skinny? That is because they roam around in the dark, knocking on tree trunks with those big fingers. Once they come across a hollow sounding spot, they dig their skinny digit in to extract grubs to grub on.















Photo courtesy: www.di-link.com.

Aye ayes are the only primate known to use ecolocation. They tend to live solitary lives, but are sometimes found in pairs. We believe that is a testimony to their ugliness. They cannot abide each other's appearance, even in the dark.

Why This Duck?

This is a muscovy duck. According to Feathersite, this species of duck is the only domesticated duck not of Mallard stock. Why, oh why, out of the many duck species, did someone choose to domesticate the ugliest one? Look at that warty, swollen face. Come on!

Supposedly, they make up for their ugliness by being personable and intelligent. Also, they are good eating. Okay, you are forgiven this time. But next time, please pick a better looking waterfowl to work with.
















Photo courtesy: www.livescience.com.

Gone Fishing

This alien beast is the deep-sea angler. It is most known for two things: 1) its abominable looks and 2) that dangly, bioluminescent appendage that lures unwitting prey into it's gullet. I imagine that most creatures actually die of fright at seeing the beast before the angler's jaws have a chance to snap shut.

Thankfully, they live in the deep sea realm. We only get to see them when our submarines can get some footage, or when tsunamis wash them ashore.

These creatures prove that it is easy to be ugly when you don't have to look at yourself int the mirror.

Photo courtesy: forums.fark.com.

Hold the Potatos, Please

Those in the know call it the Jerusalem Cricket. Most people call it the potato bug. We just call it ugly.
These nasties are one of the ugliest animals found in California (and elsewhere). They're big, too. I have seen them in action. If you hold one in your fingers, it starts lashing out with those hind legs. See the spikes? Once those prick you they cause beads of blood to form on your fingertips.
Many ugly creatures have redeeming qualities: personality, utility, being incredibly rare, etc. These have none of those. They should be eradicated.

We strongly recommend visiting www.potatobugs.com. We share their sentiments regarding this creature.














Photo courtesy: usgs.gov.

Meet Roland

This photo was brought to our attention by Rosiemobile. This cat's name is Roland.

See Roland. See Roland eat french fries. See Roland be abominably ugly.
This cat has so many things wrong with it. Where do we start? The hairless, wrinkly skin, the bat ears, the bony hips and shoulders, the rat tail, the oversized, green eyes, or the bleary-eyed, McDonald's-eating look on his face?
It's beyond me. I'm just glad we stumbled across him. Hopefully he is a nice cat, otherwise he is completely irredeemable.

For more ugly cats like Roland, be sure to visit www.meankitty.com.

Photo courtesy: meantkitty.com

A Mountain of Blubber

Yep, it's an animal. And yes, it appears to be mostly blubber. This elephant seal must be getting ready for the cold waters if he is eating enough to make him so huge. These guys make an impressive roar befitting of their enormous bulk.

Unfortunately, they are now an endangered species (which doesn't make sense; they're so ugly - who would hunt them?).

Photo courtesy: banoncom.com

Don't Let the Bedbugs Bite

Seriously, don't let them! This ugly little parasite is all too real. The one pictured below is engorged on human blood, as evidenced by the red color. Nice.
They have made the news recently because 'authorities' are claiming that these insects are becoming a global crisis.














One sign that you might have a bedbug infestation is if you discover orderly rows of red, irritated bites on your skin. They prefer to live in bedding and mattresses, so I think I will sleep on my sofa tonight.

One positive thing is that they aren't considered dangerous, because they don't readily spread disease. But they are considered ugly.

Photo courtesy: Yahoo!

Cheeky Monkey

Orangutan means 'people of the forest' in the native tongue of Borneo. These creatures' territory once spread across all of Southeast Asia and even up into southern China. Now their territory is restricted to Sumatra and Borneo.













This is a male orangutan, and a special guest to Ugly Overload. Did you know that they are 7 - 8 times stronger than the average male human? Like most apes, these creatures can get ugly, but few get as ugly as the males. See those cheek pads? That is what identifies a dominant male. They are meant both to attract females, and to intimidate males.

I can't speak for the attraction part, but the intimidation sure works on me. If one of these beasts stepped out in front of me in a dark alley, I would quickly empty my pockets and hand over my wallet, before he tore me limb from limb.

Photo courtesy: www.damisela.com.

Upchucking Monkey

It is very hard to find an image of an ugly baby anything, but especially of an ugly baby monkey. Luckily, this baby squirrel monkey was caught in the act of vomiting, and that is ugly.

OK, maybe not. It's just eating a special blend of squirrel monkey gruel, provided by its keepers at the Metropolitan Zoo in Budapest, Hungary.

These little creatures, which probably won't ever be featured on Ugly Overload again, are natives of South America. They eat insects and fruit and are cute. That's about it.

Hey, give us some credit for trying to find a good ugly baby monkey photo. Our quest continues ...

Photo courtesy: Yahoo!

Seriously, That's a Dog

No, we haven't switched to covering ugly janitorial supplies. We are still posting on ugly animals. That's right - this is a dog. This animal was brought to our attention by one of our readers, Joe. He encountered this breed, known as the puli, while in Hungary - which is where it was domesticated a long, long time ago.














Photo courtesy: kixit.dk.

This dog was bred to be a sheepherder. I'm not sure how even a sheep could respect an animal for which there is no identifiable front or rear end, no legs, and you can't even tell whether it is alive or dead. I guess we just have to trust our Magyar brothers when they speak with pride about this native ugly.

Quick, Throw It Back

This here is a monkfish, or, more specifically, Lophius. These abominations come in many different shapes and appearances (being a class of species), but one thing is certain: each is hideous.

Look at those teeth. And the leathery complexion. And the tail. Actually, look at the whole thing, and you will wet your pants.

Photo courtesy: myweb.dal.ca/harbour

Discovering More Uglies

The news is delivering all sorts of new ugly creatures lately. This pseudo-scorpion image was provided by Zara Environmental. It is one of 27 new animal species that have been discovered in the caverns of Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks, in Central California.

Have these people not been visiting Ugly Overload? Do they not see that we already have an abundance of ugly creatures? Do they really need to discover more? The report said that the other creatures found included new centipedes and spiders. SPIDERS? Come on. They are already ugly enough. I am terrified to see what subterranean, cave-dwelling versions look like. Oh wait ... that reminds me. Stay tuned ...

Photo courtesy: Yahoo!

Snow Cone

Poodles are already borderline animals. It takes an exceptional specimen of this species not to be ugly. But when you take the animal and to this to it, all hope is lost.

Pet grooming salons in Beijing, China, are booming right now. That's right, this woman isn't trying to undo the damage done to this dyed poodle - the owner paid to do have it done.

Why someone would pay to have their dog look like a snow cone is beyond me. I just hope this dog doesn't also smell like lemon and bubblegum.



Photo courtesy: Yahoo!

Ant. It's What's for Dinner.

Just how many crosses between different animals does this anteater look like? Some of them have an almost passable appearance; this one just looks like an ugly mutant.

As their name implies, anteaters eat ants by using that freakish snout/proboscis/nose/maw--what have you--to eat ants. Just ants. Maybe some other bugs, too.

So...an ugly diet and an ugly body.

Photo courtesy: http://www.cogsci.indiana.edu/

Southern California Style

This warthog has taken up residence at the San Diego Zoo. Evidently, this ugly has seen the pretty people of Southern California, and has become self-concious of his looks. To mitigate the effect his face has on his appearance, he has grown his hair out long and blonde, just like the people that come to oggle his hideousness.














Photo courtesy: Ashley.

Maybe he just feels bad because, as a male, he isn't allowed in the female-dominated sounder (that is what a society of warthogs is called) unless the ladies are in heat (in other words, until he are needed). Whatever the reason, this swine has an identity crisis.

Fruit Basket

You can always count on bats for some good, ugly images. Here is a colony of fruit bats. That's right, those gaping, tooth-filled jaws are NOT designed to rend human flesh. These little mammals prefer to dine on nectar and fruit.

There are a number of plants that depend on these critters for pollination or seed dispersal, including the banana, peach, avacado, fig, and cashew. Why these plants would choose to depend on such ugly animals is beyond me, but at least these guys serve a purpose.


Photo courtesy: www.livescience.com

Fluorescent Green Ugly?

This photo is making the rounds right now in the AP. Evidently, researchers at the University of Taiwan saw fit to inject fluorescent green protein into pig embryos. The result: they are the first to produce pigs (three males to date) that are thoroughly fluorescent from the inside out - their feet are green, their snouts are green, their teeth, eyes and skin are green - even their internal organs are green.




Photo courtesy: Reuters.




This isn't all, though. It turns out that they used jellyfish genetic material - which is why they also GLOW IN THE DARK when you shine a blue light on them.

Supposedly, these green pigs are going to help in human stem cell research. I fear, however, that they may have done no more than take an ugly animal and make it uglier.

To be complete, the Taiwanese should now produce some green chickens. Dr. Seuss would be so happy that we could then eat green eggs and ham, without contracting bacterial infections.

But wait, didn't they also use jellyfish genes in The Hulk? Great. Good job every one.

Swim at Your Own Risk

It is hard to find an ugly picture of one of the great cats. They tend to be regal and majestic. That is why we were so happy to locate this image.

This photo was taken at a wildlife park. Can you imagine being the little kid in the front row who got stared at like this? I wonder how much intensive psychotherapy the youngster has had to go through since then.




















Photo courtesy: www.strangezoo.com.

It is sad that tigers, especially of the white variety, are so endangered. But tigers should really be more mindful of the presence of cameras when they make a face like this. Photos like these don't help their cause.

Blind and Loving It

This creature, the greenland shark, was submitted by one of our readers, Kelly.

These are some of the few sharks that decide to stay in arctic waters year-round. Besides being ugly and freezing, these fish have some other noteworthy qualities.

To start: see those green things over its eyes, with the tendril? That is a parasitic crustacean. These sharks are famous for being slow moving and lethargic. That is why it was a mystery when salmon and seals, among other fast moving creatures, were found in their stomachs. Now it is understood that those parasites have a symbiotic relationship with their host. The parasite's motivation: they get to feast on shark cornea and make the fish permanently blind. The shark's motivation: the parasites lure food in close so they don't have to work so hard to eat.















Photo courtesy: http://www.willsmodels.co.uk.

This has worked so well that they have even found reindeer in these sharks stomachs.

Also, these sharks are highly toxic. When Inuit decide to cook one up, if they don't first boil the meat several times, in several different pots of water, they poisoned, similar to being intoxicated by alcohol.














Photo courtesy: http://www.grandmanannb.com.

As if that weren't enough, they also wreak of ammonia. These sharks have several strikes against them:
1) They are naturally ugly.
2) Those eye parasites add to the ugliness, and point out how lazy these fish are.
3) They are toxic.
4) They stink like cat pee.

Thank you, Kelly!

That's Some Pig

We need a 4H member, or a swineherd, to help us identify what kind of pig this is. If the official breed name doesn't include the word 'ugly', then they have failed us.

Pigs are supposedly even more intelligent than your average dog. This picture proves that. They seem to have gone out of their way to be ugly, and therefore unappetizing. Just seeing the rolls of skin, the grumpy grimace, those pointy ears, the wiry hair, and the muddied snout makes me rethink my love for bacon and ham.

Something tells me that if this were Wilbur, Charlotte might have spun her web to read something other than "That's Some Pig."

Me-ouch

At what point to you feel bad for a creature for being so ugly? Look at this poor thing. Is it simply old? Was it thumped with an ugly stick? Whatever the reason, be thankful it doesn't roam your neighborhood. If I looked out the window to see this feline crossing my yard I might have to leave town permanently.

Photo courtesy: Shaddowallured's photobucket.

Shrew-ed

This little guy is a tree shrew. Noticing the rather disturbing-looking snout, the gnarled ear, and the gigantic eyes, and it is clear that his ugliness is sufficient to kill. And those claws look like they could be wicked, as well.

Couple these disfigured traits with the fact that some shrews are, in fact, venomous (some with a toxicity capable of rendering around 500 mice lifeless), and this vermin, while small, suddenly doesn't seem so harmless.

Photo courtesy: http://www.ryanphotographic.com/

Australia Has Problems

Perhaps to counter-balance having cute animals like wombats, koala bears, and wallabies, Australia is the home of many oversized and ugly spiders and insects. Check out this wolf spider.




















This is but one of many spectacularly ugly photos of the wolf spider available on the net. We chose this one because you can really see the evil and malevolence in the eyes - all of them.

Photo courtesy: www.spiders.zacharoo.com.

Thankfully, That's Not Its Face

Yikes. You are looking at a star-nosed mole. When I first looked at it, I thought the...star...was its face, but it's "just" the nose, which is believed to let the mole detect electrical activity in prey animals due to its blindness (and since no proof exists for this theory, the only thing we can say for certain is that--whatever else it may be--the nose is very, very ugly).

Can you imagine if you saw one of these things clawing their way out of the ground? Most moles are ugly, but this is the stuff of nightmares.

Photo courtesy: http://home.cc.umanitoba.ca/~rmacarth/

A Dentist's Worst Nightmare

You are staring a common hippopotamus in the mouth. Their groups, called schools, are female dominated. This is surprising, since they spend so much of their day wallowing, fighting, and eating - activities found more frequently in human males.

This open-mouth posture is not a yawn, but a sign of aggression and a willingness to fight. These beasts are responsible for more human deaths in Africa than any other animal (save virus-bearing insects) - because they tend to stampede, and can run at a quick clip.

Their name means 'river horse.' If 'land' horses looked this ugly, I think human agricultural and military history would be quite different - certainly the images of the American cowboy or the knight on horseback wouldn't be the same.

Photo courtesy: animals.timduru.org.

Up to No Good

This gorilla has his home at the Bronx zoo. Just take a look at that face. If gorillas are genetically such close cousins to us, then this one must be more closely related to the criminal variety of humans. He has something ugly on his mind, and he isn't smart enough to conceal it from the cameras.














Photo courtesy: www.rovingrube.com.

Green Meanie

My scuba diving in Mexico involved a lot of run-ins with these uglies, and was the inspiration for this particular post. Behold the mug of the Green Moray Eel.
















What I like about these creatures is that they are honest about what they are. What you see is what you get. Can a virulent green, snake-like, fang-mouthed, tube-nostriled, cloudy-eyed creature that looks like a poorly-made hand puppet be anything other than an abomination? I think not.

Photo courtesy: www.bluebubble.com.

Playing Dead

Don't worry, this possum isn't dead. It is doing what all North American Possums are famous for - playing dead. Or, maybe it just caught a glimpse of itself in the mirror and has passed out.
















Regardless of its status, it is ugly. These marsupials can actually be cute as youngsters. At least, that is what I thought until I was bitten by one when I was young myself.

Naked rat tail, oversized head, pointy teeth, hissing noise when cornered, skulks around in the darkness, ends up as roadkill on a lot of U.S. streets - yep, a recipe for ugly.

Photo courtesy: www.opossumsocietyus.org.

One More Reason to Avoid the Desert

This post is in honor of the coalition troops serving in Iraq. Having to deal with this - a camel spider - in your tent should be worth extra hazard pay and leave by itself.

Despite the many myths out there, the camel spider is not a spider and has nothing to do with camels. It can deliver a painful, if non-venomous, bite and infests many hot, arid desert regions of the world.

It's true power lies in its utter ugliness. It is one more reason I steer clear of climates where humans shouldn't go anyway - like the desert and the jungle. Oh, there are so many ugly creatures in the jungle ...

Photo courtesy: www.nmpest.com.

The Baboon

Let us present our first primate addition to Ugly Overload. Here is the baboon. The most ugly feature is readily apparent.

This is a female baboon. Can you believe that that rear end is meant to attract males?

Photo courtesy: www.abc.net.au.






Here is a male baboon. No doubt, this one has just caught sight of that butt above and is quite interested. Need I say more about a creature who would find that attractive? No. Hideous looks for a hideous animal.

Photo courtesy: www.unc.edu.