Top 10 Ugly Animals (Prepare To Be Surprised)

If you’re on the lookout for weird and wonderful creatures with unique traits, this list of the top 10 ugly animals is a great place to start!

The animal kingdom is full of fascinating species of all shapes and sizes. Ugly animals are by no means any less impressive than their prettier counterparts, although they often get negative reactions.

Organizations like the Ugly Animal Preservation Society work hard to change public perception, but progress takes time.

Although this is a list of the top 10 ugly animals, we won’t be insulting their appearance. We don’t want to make fun of these marvelous creatures, and we hope you don’t either!

Top 10 Ugly Animals

1. Naked Mole-Rat

First on our list of the ugliest animals is the naked mole-rat - a hairless rodent native to East Africa. In certain parts of Africa, it’s also known as a sand puppy.

This little creature is a burrowing rodent with an unusual set of physical and behavioral traits that allow it to survive and thrive in a harsh underground environment. It uses its surrounding temperature to regulate body temperature and also lacks pain sensitivity in its skin.

Interestingly, naked mole-rats hold the record for longevity in rodents of their size - an astounding 32 years. They are also one of the few cold-blooded mammals - yes, you read that right - in the world!

With a eusocial societal structure similar to ant colonies, one mole-rat serves as the queen and mates with up to three mates. The worker mole rats are sterile, and the non-reproductive females do not have developed ovaries, suppressing reproductive desire.

2. Proboscis Monkey

Next in line of the ugliest animals is the odd-nosed Proboscis monkey. This unusually long-nosed monkey is native to southeast Asia on the island of Borneo.

The species experiences sexual dimorphism, meaning the male and female take on different characteristics. For example, the prominent nose for which the monkey is best known appears different between males and females.

Tragically, the Proboscis monkey is an endangered species. In the past 40 years, the total population has decreased by 50%. This is due to the species' status as a food delicacy. It’s also used in certain Chinese traditional medicines.

Because of this, the species is protected along with most of the land they inhabit. Hopefully, time will see the breed flourish once again.

3. Star-Nosed Mole

The star-nosed mole is a small animal found in the slightly damper areas of North America. For perspective, it’s similar in size to most guinea pigs.

As expected, this creature’s distinctive feature is its large, star-shaped nose. While it’s made it onto the list of ugliest animals on earth, many actually find its strange appearance charming and cute.

Despite their noses being only 1cm in length, they contain around 25,000 sensory organs. People call these sensory organs Eimer's organs. These help the mole to burrow underground and compensate for its poor eyesight.

Star-nosed moles can even smell underwater. They can pick up smells by blowing a bubble onto a scented object and inhaling it. This, along with their long claws, makes star-nosed moles surprisingly dangerous hunters.

4. Aye-Aye

The aye-aye is a long-fingered lemur native to Madagascar. Its small, sharp teeth grow perpetually, and it has a unique thin middle finger. In case you hadn’t guessed already - its bulging eyes are the reason it’s considered one of the top 10 ugly animals.

Aye-ayes have a peculiar way of finding food. They tap on tree trunks to find insects inside. They then gnaw holes in the wood and use their narrow middle fingers to pull out the grubs.

The species was once thought to have gone extinct around 1933, but it resurfaced in 1957. While their population is larger than expected, it is still endangered.

Many old superstitions claim that the species is evil, and many farmers don’t like them as they can destroy crops. Some people actually kill them on sight.

Deforestation is a danger to many species as well - aye-ayes included.

5. Elephant Seal

Another uniquely ‘nosed’ animal - elephant seals are large, oceangoing, earless seals. They are the largest extant carnivorans (mammals that have evolved to be flesh-eaters) and can weigh up to 9000 lbs.

Sexual dimorphism is present in this species, too, with males weighing up to 10 times more than the female elephant seals.

Similar to the monkey above, male elephant seals have a prominent proboscis, which looks like an elephant trunk. This proboscis is also the reason people consider the elephant seal one of the ugliest in the animal world.

There are two species of elephant seals - northern and southern. In times gone by, poachers hunted them to the point of being critically endangered, but thankfully their population has recovered. Today, the main predator of the elephant seal is none other than the great white shark.

6. Babirusa

The babirusa is a large pig native to several Indonesian islands. Their appearance can vary from brown or black fur to completely bald.

Closely related to the pig family, the babirusa has the characteristic pig nose you would expect. However - the species boasts another strong feature that helps it stand out. Babirusas have large tusks.

Notably, the ugly appearance of the babirusa inspires many Indonesian demonic masks. But the animals themselves are sometimes offered as gifts to visitors.

7. Giant Chinese Salamander

This terrifying creature is the world’s largest amphibian. Even compared to other giant salamanders, the giant Chinese salamander never fails to impress.

Its large, flat head and horizontal pupils make it one of the top ugly animals on our list. Its other physical characteristics help it blend in underwater, making it more effective at camouflage.

Due to pollution and habitat loss, the giant Chinese salamander is critically endangered. Farmers keep them as livestock, but breeding is uncommon. Most salamanders on farms get captured in the wild. Unfortunately, these amphibians are a delicacy, and restaurants will pay exorbitant prices for them. This is despite their protected status.

8. Blobfish

The blobfish is possibly one of the most famous ugly animals on this list.

When out of the water, the blob fish resembles a sad-looking cartoon face with a bald head. Images of this strange creature became viral on social media, earning it the infamous reputation it sports today.

However, viewing the blobfish in its natural habitat, the deep waters of the sea floor, reveals something interesting. The fish takes on a different shape, much more similar in appearance to the other animals deep below sea level. It is one of the most intriguing animals in the world.

9. Californian Condors

The Californian condor is the largest North American land bird. Characterized by its unattractive bald head and yellowish skin, the Californian condor is very distinct in appearance.

It boasts the longest wingspan of any North American bird and can live up to 60 years. This carnivorous bird feeds on large carrion and carcasses.

Despite these impressive traits, the condor is an endangered species, and people consider it one of the rarest bird species in the world.

At one point, only eight Californian condors were known to exist. Since then, their population has grown enough to improve their chances of survival.

10. Marabou Stork

The famed marabou stork with its scraggly head and inflatable throat pouch is a large wading bird found south of the Sahara in Africa. The marabou stork is massive. Its tall, thin legs allow it to grow as tall as 5ft - it can have a wingspan of around 12ft.

People consider it ugly because of the large Gular Sac (throat skin) at its neck. The small tufts of hair around its head also make it appear geriatric in a way.

Due to its role as a scavenger, its somewhat unsightly featherless head provides an advantage. It helps keep blood from sticking to it as it feeds.

The marabou stork has few enemies and lives an impressive 40-plus years. Unfortunately, humans use marabou downs (feathers) in items such as fishing lures.

Conclusion

Well, folks - that’s our list of the world’s ugliest animals. We hope you’ve learned some interesting new facts about these unique animals and that you understand there’s more to these creatures than meets the eye. Despite how these animals look, they deserve to be protected at all costs.

To learn about more amazing animals that live on our planet, check out Phreeque.com.