They said the perception of beauty does not exist in any way but rather created by the one observing. One beauty standard might be acceptable in some cultures but not in others. In this article, however, you will discover a list of creatures that people in all cultures agree they are ugly or bizarre- looking, regardless of the beauty criteria. Animal lovers cast their votes, and we have listed down the most bizarre creatures ever existed!
Here are the 8 Ugliest Creatures Ever Existed in the kingdom of animals
- Tardigrade
Tardigrade is a microscopic organism that has a segmented body and four pairs of legs with claws. Its tubular mouth resembles a water cap bottle with sharp dagger teeth. Thanks to its microscopic size, you may not be able to see its flaws at a glance without a microscope! This creature was discovered by a German zoologist known as Johan August Ephraim Goeze in 1773. Scientists usually call this organism “Water Bears” because of its physical resemblance to a bear and being a water-dwelling creature. Some also call them “Moss-Piglet” for being fond of the moss as their habitat and its physical resemblance also to a piglet. Although Tardigrades have a fearful appearance, these creatures are gifted with superpowers. Tardigrades are known to outlived dinosaurs, they existed many years ago. This is because Tardigrades are extremophiles, which means they can survive in life-threatening environments such as extreme heat and cold (temperature), pressure, and even radiation such as gamma rays and UV rays. Not surprisingly, they do not bother the climate change on Earth, because they can outlast other planets’ extreme environments too.
- Naked Mole Rat
A pink wrinkled-naked body with few hairs is what you can expect with Naked Mole Rat. This creature was first documented in the 19th century by Eduard Rüppell, a German naturalist. Naked-mole rats can spread their front teeth apart to use them as a pair of chopsticks. These creatures spend their lives digging and burrowing soil to consume part of a plant root or tuber. But another fascinating thing about them is that they eat and roll at their own poop! Yes, they do eat their poop for a good reason of maximizing the nutrient intake came from the previous meal-which in this case, the poop! It is like enjoying two meals for the price of one! They also do roll-down on their poop for an identity check. All naked mole rats must roll onto their poop to have a significant smell apart from the intruders. These creatures really embodied their name-naked and fearless!
- Anglerfish
Nobody has the right to get grumpy as this creature for living on the lonesome and darkest sea bottom. Anglerfish bears its name for its appearance of angry-like fish with sharp teeth and an alluring luminescent fin ray. A species of Anghas first washed ashore in Greenland in 1833. It was later taken to Johannes Christopher Hagemann Reinhardt, a zoologist. Anglerfish is a predator, which means they do eat live prey. But oftentimes, part of their diet is eating dead marine creatures too. When these sink at the bottom of the sea where it lives, it gets the chance to feed on them. Although Anglerfish looks vicious and grouchy, it has the power to shed light on one of the darkest parts of the Earth.
- Aye-Aye
Do you believe that in the primate group (the same group of species that humans belong to), another ugliest creature existed? Yes! And that, my friend, is the Aye-aye. Aye-ayes are dark brown to clack mammals with wide eyes, bushy tails, slender fingers, and large sensitive ears. They are commonly misidentified from raccoons and rats for their appearance. These creatures can be found in Madagascar. Like Tarsiers, Aye-Ayes are nocturnal and use echolocation to find food. That is not quite surprising for having large eyes and ears at the same time!
- Blobfish
We cannot blame this creature for its sad-like look from having a saggy and droopy appearance, right? Blobfish, from its name, appears to be an overweight fish with no skeleton and true muscles. Mr. Blob fish was discovered in 2003 by a group of scientists during their expedition in New Zealand. Despite its ugly appearance, its physical characteristics are its tools to survive the pressure on the ocean floor. Their appearance is designed for deep-sea creatures. In another way around, you cannot capture Mr. Blob fish to make as a pet. They cannot survive on shallow ocean’s pressure, they immediately die when exposed to the surface. So it is a “no, no” to make Blobfish as a pet and expect them down on the restaurant menu list either. It is like eating Mr. Blob fish in double dead. That might not be a yummy meal, right?
- Proboscis Monkey
Whether this monkey lies so much for having a long nose like Peter Pan’s, it is without refuting that Proboscis Monkey is one of the ugliest primates ever existed. Proboscis monkeys are typically found in the jungles of Borneo. If Peter Pan can fly, this monkey can swing through tree branches and swim through rivers.
- Matamata Turtle
When people talk about turtles, we usually thought of how cute they are. But on the other side, there is one turtle species that crossed out in red. Matamata turtles are freshwater turtle species found in the Amazon and Orinoco basins. Its name came from the Spanish word “Mata-Mata” which means “kill, kill”. The bizarre features of the Matamata turtle help them camouflage from predators and lure its prey. They look like leaf heads and resemble a piece of bark.
- Star-Nosed Mole
Although its name bears the word “nose”, its unique appearance has nothing to do with the sense of smell but rather with its powerful sense of touch. A star-nosed mole is a small creature found in moist, low areas in the northern parts of North America. It has a star-shaped nose armed with 100,000 thousand nerve endings that made it the most sensitive touch organ in the animal kingdom detecting electrical impulses from its prey. They targeted earthworms and aquatic insects.
Though these species are considered as one of the ugliest creatures ever existed, their purpose in our environment made them a beneficial part of the ecosystem. Without them, there could be no balance in most food webs. Characteristics that made them the ugliest are the same characteristics that made them one of the most amazing and powerful creatures ever existed.
