Digging in Caves, Again

Yahoo! is reporting that scientists have discovered a new species of crawdad in a cave in Israel. Don't they know that every species discovered in a cave is going to be ugly - remember, nothing that doesn't see the light of day is going to be an attractive animal. Also, why all this digging around in caves? It seems that new species are being discovered in our underground realm every few months.

Something You Didn't Want to Know

Going with a parasite is pretty much cheating when you are tracking down ugly critters. Can any of you find a good looking or cute bloodsucker? Consider yourself challenged.

Here is a famous parasite - the ban of many a toe or barefoot - the leech. This particular specimen - a hermaphroditic cousin to the worm - is one of the few haemophagic leeches, meaning they feed on blood. One of their main predators are other leeches that specialize in eating leeches. That might be one of the most gross and disgusting little factoids I have ever posted. I'm going to go vomit.

Photo courtesy: www.io.com

No Lifeguard on Duty

Here's a swimming hole you might want to avoid. Have you ever seen so many alligators in one place? At what point is one more alligator too many? Why does this farm stock so many? How do they feed so many?

It looks as if this enclosure is right up against the farmhouse. Can you imagine waking up to this each morning as you throw your curtains open? Are they noisy at night? If they are, how do you get them to shut up?

Ugh, so many questions.

Old Man Buffalo

Perhaps it isn't fair to post this particular cape buffalo on Ugly Overload. Afterall, his looks come from a long and hard life on the African savannah (check out those nitched ears!). Though, when you poke around online, you quickly come to understand that the merit of this animal doesn't come from their looks.

Although they are herbivores, they are known to be very aggressive. These beasts are believed to have killed more big game hunters than any other animal in Africa. They can take down lions, who only bother attacking sick or old individuals. If wounded, they have been reputed to have stalked and then attacked the foolish man who shot him. When they decide to throw their weight around - nearly one ton of muscle, bone, and horns - they are lethal.

The cape buffalo may not have any brains underneath those gnarly horns, but I'll respect it just the same. From a distance. Behind a strong fence.

Thanks for the photo, Vearl.

I eat pieces of $%!& like you for breakfast!

No, seriously. When this gorilla threatens you with that old line, "I eat pieces of [feces] like you for breakfast," he means it, literally. As if that look in his eyes wasn't enough ...

Did you know that a male silverback (one of them is staring at you right now) can stand at 5'6", weigh up to 500 lbs, and have an arm span of over 9 feet!?! Ya. They can literally tear us measley humans apart and not break a sweat. I'm just glad I have truly opposable thumbs and a larger brain. I'm sure that will impress the gorilla who gets his poo-stained hands on me.

I just hope it's his own product he's eating. I won't consider the alternative. Thanks for the great shot, Jeff.

Anyone ... hello ... ?

Okay, OKAY! Hold your horses. I know that the aardvark isn't exactly ugly (and that baby is cute, dang it), but will you concede that it is at least alien-looking? Huge claws, tube noses, funky ears - they look like a poorly designed alien creature from a bad sci-fi movie.
I did some research to justify putting this shot on this site. Did you know that 'aardvark' comes from a word meaning 'earth pig?' That' a good start; pigs are ugly. Also, the aardvark is from Africa. That's another strike against it - face it, Africa produces an disproportionally large amount of ugly animals. And then, what do aardvarks eat? Termites - using their sticky tongues that they stick inside termite mounds. That's gross, right? Anyone ... hello ... ?

Photo courtesy: Yahoo!

Gobble Gobble Wretch

Can you believe that turkeys - which are so very tasty - look like this? Check out that wattle and all those miscreant hairs! Just like with pigs, I ask, why does something so yummy look so ugly? Such questions have plagued humankind for eons.

Photo courtesy: rob.orangejack.com

U is for Ugly

Here is a baby bactrian camel, and here are some factoids about this animal: they are found in the desert and steppes of the Gobi desert (China & Mongolia), they have two humps comprised of fatty deposits, they can go months without water, but can drink about 15 gallons in one sitting, they live to be 40 years old, and can reach a top speed of 40 mph.

There are two basic categories of camels: the dromedary and the bactrian. How do you know which one has one hump and which one has two? Here's a trick: the Dromedary has one hump (picture a D on its side), and the Bactrian has two humps (think of a B on its side). How can we work a U in for ugly? I don't know.

Photo courtesy: Yahoo!

Lethal Drool

Here is a komodo dragon. These enormous lizards (10 feet in lenght!) are voracious eaters and accomplished hunters. If their bite doesn't kill you, their spit will. Their saliva is so infested with microbes and other microscopic nasties that anything they bite will eventually succumb to a lethal infection. Oh, mother nature had fun with this one.

Photo courtesy: www.robpaterson.com

Slowly, so slowly ...

Behold the tree sloth. They only come down from the trees once a week, and then only to defecate - so you can guess what this fellow is up to. They move so slowly that they actually grow algae on their fur (see that green tinge?).

A nightmare of mine would involve me being tied to the ground and watching this guy slowly, so painfully slowly, crawling towards me.

Thanks, Julie, for reminding us all of this freaky animal.

Photo courtesy: hollywood

The Spice of Life

Thankfully, the deep sea anglerfish comes in different varieties. Can you imagine a world with only one species? Not me.

Here we have the blackdevil anglerfish - the black sheep of an evil family. Variety truly is the spice of life.

Photo courtesy: oceanexplorer.noaa.gov

Hungry Hippo

I wonder who this fellow is trying to impress. Or is it just a yawn? Or is he feverishly trying to gobble up every marble that comes his way? Ah, such mysteries.

Photo courtesy: www.stlzoo.org

Uglyfest '06

Take a look at this! Have you seen such an eclectic gathering of abominations? Each of these animals has been featured on Ugly Overload. You'll see at least 24 African vultures, one hyena, and my new favorite, a marabou stork. What do all these animals have in common aside from being ugly? They are all carrion eaters. Hurray! Thankfully, the photographer did not include the carcass in the shot ...

Photo courtesy: www.exzooberance.com

Think On This

The tapeworm is one of the many banes of the intestinal tract. They come in many different varieties, but all of them are hideous. They creep into your guts and attach themselves to the lining of the intestinal wall, sucking nutrients from you. These parasites don't need mouths or digestive tracts of their own, since all their food comes predigested. Some specimens have been recorded at 80 feet in length!

I don't know if it is a blessing or a curse, but many tapeworm infections are asymptomatic - you may not even know you have one. Think of that the next time you feel unusually hungry or bloated.

Photo courtesy: www.micrographia.com & www.parasitology.co.uk

Island Style

In addition to being ugly, the Hawaiian Hoary Bat has the distinct honor of being Hawaii's only native land mammal. Yikes. If Hawaii produces this kind of mammal, let's be grateful the islands didn't produce any more.

Photo courtesy: www.morrocoastaudubon.org

Enough Said

Hairless. Rat. Enough said.

Photo courtesy: www.animalrentals.com

Certified Ugly

Ugh.

The marabou stork has all sorts of ugly going on. Look at that nearly bald head. Look at that enormous beak. These birds stand at over 4 1/2 feet, with wingspans that can reach 9 feet! Oh, and that's not all. It feeds primarily on carrion - always a guaranteed ugly-maker. And the clincher: it has the nasty habit of squirting its own exrement on its own legs.

Thank goodness they live in Africa. In terms of ugly, this bird has nothing on the condor.

Photo courtesy: True Bavarian

Maternal TLC

In honor of Mother's Day, it is only appropriate that we demonstrate that just because you have abominable looks doesn't mean you can't be a good mother. See how tenderly she clutches her freakish little one to her chest?

What is she looking at? Who is she trying to stare down? I wouldn't want to be in her sights.

Photo courtesy: www.timduru.org

Toothy, Pasty Grin

Alligators have it rough, especially in the looks department. They already have at least two strikes against them: they are reptiles and they are lurkers. If you add in some albino? Well, this is what you get.

Photo courtesy: www.freakyzoo.com

Slugfest

This ventures out of the realm of the merely ugly and into the downright disgusting. Ever wish you could see slugs feeding on an earthworm? Well, here you go. This worm never had a chance.

I want to call it a feeding frenzy, but slugs are ... well, too sluggish for that. Plus, it looks orderly. Look at those three lined up on the righthand side: "Hey, Mitch, pass some of that white stringy stuff, will ya?" "Sure, but you have to try this orange gooey gunk. It's fantastic."

Slugs typically only enter my life as garden pests and the occasional slip hazard. But if they have now turned to murder and active predation, well that is just plain freaky. Keep your salt handy. Thanks for the picture, Nancy.

Whole Lotta Ugly

Youngin's have a high tolerance for ugly. They haven't yet learned to flee it.

Here we have a walrus. These marine mammals can get to be 11 feet long and close to 2 tons in weight. That's a whole lotta ugly.

Photo courtesy: Yahoo!

A Cautionary Tale

See what happens, children, when you eat too many sweets and don't brush your teeth? You become hairy and ugly. Let this be a warning.

Photo courtesy: Yahoo!

My Namesake

This baby wombat will always hold a place in my heart. Not only is it my namesake, but this particular one is butt ugly. He's my special boy.

Photo courtesy: www.freakyzoo.com

Is It Worth It?

Yahoo! is reporting on a cat beauty show going on in Bucharest, Romania. You can see why this picture of a Sphynx kitten was chosen. Ugly. Ugly, ugly, ugly. This is a cat beauty show, people! But hey, you can't blame them. This little feline has the potential of bagging 1,000 euros for the lucky Romanian breeder. That is a fantastic sum when you consider that the average Romanian makes 150 euros a month. I'd breed all sorts of ugly cats for that.

A Useful Bird

The guinea fowl is perhaps one of the most useful birds you could ever have. Assuming you can abide their cacaphony and ugly appearance, that is. They specialize in eating small critters. If you get yourself a few guinea fowl, you will find your residence free of bees, yellow jackets, snakes, and a number of other pests.

The colors are pretty, but that head is just revolting.

Photo courtesy: www.wildlife-photos-online.com

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

Newly Discovered Uglies

Scientists took some time to trawl the tropical depths of the Atlantic ocean. Guess what they came up with? Hmmm. What might lurk in the pitch black, oceanic depths? Something ethereal and beautiful? Of course not. One maxim of ugliness is this; if it doesn't ever see the light of day, it has a 95% chance of being ugly. These photos of some of the newly discovered species prove it.

Photo courtesy: Yahoo!

Gladiator

The ostrich is listed as an endangered species by the USFWS. They once roamed through Arabia, Asia, and Africa. Now they are only found in the wild in Africa.

In ancient times, they were used in Roman gladiator arenas - to pull chariots, to ride upon, and to fight the gladiators. Quite a few gladiators met their end facing off against these birds. Like chickens, though, when decapitated, the ostrich is still able to run around and wreak havoc (their brains are smaller than their eyes). That undoubtedly provided some entertainment for the fans visiting the arenas.

Photo courtesy: Franz

Big Nose Revisited

I know I recently did a post on the proboscis monkey, but I stumbled across this photo and had to share it. Here is a quote about this primate:

"The male's [noses] are so large that they hang down over their mouths, reminding one of the old comic, Jimmy Durante. Sometimes they have to push it out of the way before putting something in their mouth. Their noses swell and turn red when they become excited or angry. They also make loud honking sounds as a warning when they sense danger, which make their noses stand out straight." - primates.com

I'm glad human noses don't behave in the same way.

Photo courtesy: www.primates.com

Molt

Okay, okay. This technically isn't an animal. But it is the molted shell of one. And it is ugly. It qualifies. I believe it once belonged to a cicada. Anyone care to identify it? Any entomologists at hand?

UPDATE: Thomas has confirmed that it is indeed a cicada. Thanks, Thomas.

Photo courtesy: Franz

Son of Sam

Though this is out of season, meet Peeps (image taken from the Sam blog). The blog identifies this ugly dog as the son of the infamous Sam. Could it be that they actually bred Sam? Or is this more of a passing of the mantle?