Not every animal is as cuddly as a giant panda or as extravagant as a peacock, but every animal has its role to play and every organism is important.
1. California condor
One of the world's rarest birds and North America's largest flying land bird, the California condor is a graceful animal when it is gliding high above the canyons and deserts of the American West Coast.
But up close, this bird isn't so photogenic. Its bald head is an adaptation for its lifestyle as a scavenger, since a feathered head would become clotted with blood while the bird feeds on large carrion.
2. Aye-aye
This gremlin-looking creature, called an Aye-aye, is actually a primate found in Madagascar.
Aye-ayes have a number of unusual traits, including a long, bony, witch-like middle finger that they use to pry insects and grubs from tree trunks. This allows them to fill a biological niche much like a woodpecker might. They are nocturnal, only coming out at night.
3. Red-lipped batfish
The red-lipped batfish gives the impression that it tried to compensate for an unusual body by caking on the lipstick.
Interestingly, they are better suited for 'walking' along the ocean floor than swimming. When they reach adulthood, they use their dorsal fin as a fishing lure to attract prey instead of for swimming.
4. Blobfish
Perhaps it's unfair to judge a fish out of water, but the blobfish looks more like a ball of slime than a living creature.
Blobfish live deep in the ocean, where pressures are exceedingly high. In fact, the blobfish's gelatinous appearance is actually a brilliant adaptation — its gooey, pudding-like flesh allows it to stay buoyant at depths where gaseous bladders can't function.
5. Elephant seal
With massive, floppy trunks, these seals that resemble elephants are capable of making loud, roaring snorts, a handy tool in defending territory.
They are also deceptively fast. Some elephant seals have been clocked wiggling over sand dunes at a speed faster than the average human can run!
6. Hyena
With a hunching, bear-like gait, these scavengers of the savannah aren't the prettiest animals on the planet, but at least they have a sense of humor. Occasionally referred to as "laughing hyenas", their calls are often described as haunting and witch-like.
Though they look like wild dogs, they are more closely related to civets, mongooses and meerkats.
7. Monkfish
These unappetizing, freaky-looking fish are a commonly eaten delicacy.
Monkfish are so grotesque that they have been confused with the legendary sea monster called a sea monk.
8. Naked mole rat
It must be difficult to maintain a vibrant self-image if you're a bald rodent, but it's not an issue for the naked mole rat. These animals live underground in insect-like colonies, and they have little need for good eyesight. Their hairless bodies are also an adaptation for their underground environment.
Interestingly, naked mole rats are also among the longest living of all rodents given their size (they can live for nearly 30 years), and they have a remarkable resistance to cancer.
9. Star-nosed mole
These moles might have the most bizarre noses in the animal kingdom. Their weird whiffers are defined by 22 fleshy appendages that act more like ultra-sensitive fingers than a nose.
The snouts are lined with more than 25,000 minute sensory receptors that help the mole feel its way through its underground lair.
10. Warthog
These wild members of the pig family have the characteristic pig nose, tusks protruding from their mouths, a wart-like curvature to their faces and a nappy mane of hair that cascades down their backside. They aren't an image of beauty, but they are remarkably well-adapted to their harsh environment.
11. Marabou stork
Would you want your newborn delivered by one of these sickly looking storks? Standing over 5 feet tall with a wingspan of more than 10 feet, these African birds are scavengers of large carrion, which is why they have featherless heads. They also eat other birds, and have even been known to consume flamingos.
12. Proboscis monkey
A human might run for cover with this nose, but for the proboscis monkey, the bigger the nose the better! It turns out that nothing turns on a female proboscis monkey more than a big, bulbous schnoz.
The big noses also help the monkeys to make loud, resonating warning calls.
13. Horseshoe bat
Like most insect-eating bats — which use echolocation to catch their prey — horseshoe bats have a warped appearance that looks more like an ear than a face. This adaptation makes them more receptive to sound waves, which allows them to swiftly navigate through the air.
1. California condor
One of the world's rarest birds and North America's largest flying land bird, the California condor is a graceful animal when it is gliding high above the canyons and deserts of the American West Coast.
But up close, this bird isn't so photogenic. Its bald head is an adaptation for its lifestyle as a scavenger, since a feathered head would become clotted with blood while the bird feeds on large carrion.
2. Aye-aye
This gremlin-looking creature, called an Aye-aye, is actually a primate found in Madagascar.
Aye-ayes have a number of unusual traits, including a long, bony, witch-like middle finger that they use to pry insects and grubs from tree trunks. This allows them to fill a biological niche much like a woodpecker might. They are nocturnal, only coming out at night.
3. Red-lipped batfish
The red-lipped batfish gives the impression that it tried to compensate for an unusual body by caking on the lipstick.
Interestingly, they are better suited for 'walking' along the ocean floor than swimming. When they reach adulthood, they use their dorsal fin as a fishing lure to attract prey instead of for swimming.
4. Blobfish
Perhaps it's unfair to judge a fish out of water, but the blobfish looks more like a ball of slime than a living creature.
Blobfish live deep in the ocean, where pressures are exceedingly high. In fact, the blobfish's gelatinous appearance is actually a brilliant adaptation — its gooey, pudding-like flesh allows it to stay buoyant at depths where gaseous bladders can't function.
5. Elephant seal
With massive, floppy trunks, these seals that resemble elephants are capable of making loud, roaring snorts, a handy tool in defending territory.
They are also deceptively fast. Some elephant seals have been clocked wiggling over sand dunes at a speed faster than the average human can run!
6. Hyena
With a hunching, bear-like gait, these scavengers of the savannah aren't the prettiest animals on the planet, but at least they have a sense of humor. Occasionally referred to as "laughing hyenas", their calls are often described as haunting and witch-like.
Though they look like wild dogs, they are more closely related to civets, mongooses and meerkats.
7. Monkfish
These unappetizing, freaky-looking fish are a commonly eaten delicacy.
Monkfish are so grotesque that they have been confused with the legendary sea monster called a sea monk.
8. Naked mole rat
It must be difficult to maintain a vibrant self-image if you're a bald rodent, but it's not an issue for the naked mole rat. These animals live underground in insect-like colonies, and they have little need for good eyesight. Their hairless bodies are also an adaptation for their underground environment.
Interestingly, naked mole rats are also among the longest living of all rodents given their size (they can live for nearly 30 years), and they have a remarkable resistance to cancer.
9. Star-nosed mole
These moles might have the most bizarre noses in the animal kingdom. Their weird whiffers are defined by 22 fleshy appendages that act more like ultra-sensitive fingers than a nose.
The snouts are lined with more than 25,000 minute sensory receptors that help the mole feel its way through its underground lair.
10. Warthog
These wild members of the pig family have the characteristic pig nose, tusks protruding from their mouths, a wart-like curvature to their faces and a nappy mane of hair that cascades down their backside. They aren't an image of beauty, but they are remarkably well-adapted to their harsh environment.
11. Marabou stork
Would you want your newborn delivered by one of these sickly looking storks? Standing over 5 feet tall with a wingspan of more than 10 feet, these African birds are scavengers of large carrion, which is why they have featherless heads. They also eat other birds, and have even been known to consume flamingos.
12. Proboscis monkey
A human might run for cover with this nose, but for the proboscis monkey, the bigger the nose the better! It turns out that nothing turns on a female proboscis monkey more than a big, bulbous schnoz.
The big noses also help the monkeys to make loud, resonating warning calls.
13. Horseshoe bat
Like most insect-eating bats — which use echolocation to catch their prey — horseshoe bats have a warped appearance that looks more like an ear than a face. This adaptation makes them more receptive to sound waves, which allows them to swiftly navigate through the air.
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