Still time to order an ugly cake

That's a photo from the official website of International Vulture Awareness Day, which is September 1st. How are you planning to celebrate?

Ugly animal fiction

If you're looking for some end-of-summer reading, my mystery The Sloth's Eye has finally appeared as an ebook for Kindle and Nook. Reasonably priced compared to the hardcover, and full of animals that are not conventionally attractive and the people who love them!

You can read more about it at my website.
Please support your friendly ugly animal writer!
-Wombat (No Relation)

Your belated ugdorable

It's a baby three banded armadillo at Busch Gardens Tampa via Zooborns. I could tell you some factual things about this animal, like that despite its scaly armor, it is a mammal. Or I could just leave it at this: This is the cutest kind of armadillo and one of my favorite animals. Enjoy!
-Wombat (No Relation)

Not your usual Monday ugly

I have been trying to start the week with cute-ugly animals when possible. I mean, Mondays are tough enough, right? Even ugly animal lovers need a dose of cute. But there has been a deluge of submissions (well, two) of this newly discovered cave spider, so here it is by popular demand.

If you read the article at Scientific American, you might find it hard to get past

The spider somewhat resembles the brown recluse, famed for its flesh-necrotizing venom—but at four centimeters is about twice as large

and the reference to "rapacious-looking talons," but you probably have nothing to worry about from this ugly animal. After all, you probably don't spend much time in caves. And also the scientist who discovered it says it is "not likely to be venomous to humans." Um, OK.... Oh wait: "is distinctly unaggressive and their main interest is escaping the light as quickly as possible." Yeah, that's better. What an interesting discovery, then!

Your Monday ugdorable

Meet Anzac and Peggy, an orphaned kangaroo and wombat who are reportedly best friends at a wildlife rescue in Victoria, Australia. Peggy, the wombat, is described by the Mail as "boisterous and cheeky," as if you couldn't tell from the photo.

 -Wombat (No Relation)

Ugly... and Not Safe For Work?

The LA Times put it best:

Biologists studying a drained river in Brazil have discovered a new species of amphibian that looks disconcertingly like a male organ.

Atretochoana eiselti is a caecilian. That's the family of amphibians that's jealous that frogs and salamanders get all the attention. The Times article concludes:

Tupan said the team believes the creature breathes through its skin and probably feeds on small fish and worms. They know nothing about its sex life.