Specialized Mole

Rare is the day when I see anything get the best of a centipede. That alone endears this creature to me (sorry, you invert lovers).

You're looking at the profile of a new addition to Ugly Overload: the marsupial mole. There are two species of these Australian marsupials, and not much is known about them.

They are the epitome of specialization. Anything that doesn't aid in digging has been disposed of, including eyes, external ears, and a tail (vestigial at best). On the flip side, it has some unique digging upgrades: the third and fourth digits on the front paws sport elongated claws (see photo), their marsupial pouches face backward (like the wombat) to keep dirt from getting inside, and their neck vertebrae are fused together to help them ramrod their way through sod.

I'm reminded of myself. I've stripped away anything that doesn't assist in accounting or blogging, including physical health, social grace, and pigment in my skin. On the other hand, my sack-of-potatoes body fits easily into any office chair, I have calluses on my blunted fingertips, and I absorb sustenance from the glare of my LCD monitor, photosynthesis-style.

Thanks for the critter, Mike. Once again, I find myself pining for the Outback.

Photo source: Animal Pictures Archive