Most of the animals that we come across in our life are pretty cute and friendly. However, not all animals are lucky, and some look pretty ugly. Some consider them simply terrible, although some are not dangerous at all. 

Such animals are found in different parts of the world. Below we have presented a list of the twenty ugliest animals on Earth. The animals listed are renowned for their strange-looking appearance; some are even on the red list of threatened species (conservation status).

Table of Contents

1. Blobfish

blob fish - ugliest animals
Animated blobfish image| Illustration by Adobe Stock

Blob Fish is the Ugliest Animal on Earth whose existence has been found. These fish are made of jelly, which allows them to float on the water’s surface. 

BlobFish lives in the deep waters of the South Pacific Ocean at about 1,189 meters, where the pressure is 118 times greater than at sea level.

This fish has neither a skeleton nor any muscles in its body. It is mainly found in Australia, the coast of the Green Continent, and Tasmania.

In 2013, the British Society for the Conservation of Ugly Animals, founded by Simon Watt, chose the fish as a mascot. The ugliest fish species with a sad facial expression then scored 10,000 votes, overtaking the nosed monkey, the world’s most giant frog living on Lake Titicaca, the flightless kakapo parrot from New Zealand, and the aquatic monster axolotl.

Scientific NamePsychrolutes marcidus
HabitatAustralia

2. Naked Mole-Rat

Naked mole rat - ugliest animals
Naked mole-rat| Photo by Scitech daily

This hideous-looking underground creature, a close relative to normal rats, lives in African countries: Ethiopia, Somalia, and Kenya, especially semi Desert arid Savannas. 

The naked mole-rat is a long-liver among rodents – it lives for about 30 years and hardly spends a day on the surface. 

The animal surprised scientists with several characteristics: it does not drink water and is insensitive to pain, cuts, and burns. It easily tolerates a large concentration of carbon dioxide, and it is not susceptible to the formation of cancerous tumors.

The specific appearance results from the rodent’s adaptation to underground life, the purpose of which is to dig, dig and dig again. 

A quarter of the muscle mass in naked mole rats is in the jaw muscles. They have poor eyesight, sharp claws, and a bald elongated body of 10 cm long.

Their teeth are separated from the oral cavity by special outgrowths of the lips so that the Earth does not enter their body during underground work. Curiously, these animals live in colonies like ants and play different roles depending on their size. 

The oversized mole rats protect the colony from predators, and the smallest are engaged in foraging and raising young.

They maintain a complex tunnel system up to 3-5 km in length. In the colony, there is one queen, she mates with only two or three males and can give birth to up to 900 cubs in a lifetime.

Scientific NameHeterocephalus glaber
HabitatAfrican countries: Ethiopia, Somalia, and Kenya

3. Probosci’s Monkey

Proboscis Monkey - Ugliest animals
Probosci’s Monkey, Sandakan, Borneo| Photo by Charge the globe

Probosci’s monkeys are long-nosed monkeys found in Borneo, Indonesia. The characteristic feature of this species of monkey is its long nose. They are born with blue faces and small noses, but their faces and noses get bigger and bigger over time.

This feature is much more prominent in male probosci’s monkey, although female also possesses this feature. It is probably an advantageous feature for the males as it increases vocalizations, thus making males more attractive to females who prefer louder screams.

Probosci’s monkeys consume food in leaves, seeds, and raw fruits, but sometimes these animals prey on insects and are found on the Island of Borneo.

For more than 40 years, Probosci’s monkeys have experienced a decline in population due to deforestation, climate crisis, and climate change that have reduced their natural habitat.

Scientific NameNasalis Larvatus
HabitatBorneo Indonesia

4. Warthog

warthog - Ugliest animals
Warthog Grazing and digging| Photo by Nel Botha

The warthog is perhaps the ugliest member of the pig family. Its flattened head is covered with growths resembling warts, and repelling fangs up to 60 cm stick out from its mouth.

Its hair grows unevenly: a semblance of a mane of stiff and sparse bristles covers only the back of the head and ridge. 

It loves to dig in the mud and always looks dirty; it has big calluses on its limbs from constant digging. The not common warthog is cautious and fearful; in case of danger, it raises its tail, for which it received the nickname, Radio Africa.

When male wild boars fight, they bang their heads against each other. They generally eat plants and grass and use their snout to dig roots, and they can run very fast when their situation is threatened.

Wild Boars can run up to 48 kilometers in one hour. They can survive a long time without water in dry weather. When there is water, they immediately soak in it.

Scientific NamePhacochoerus Africanus
HabitatAfrican Sudan and Ethiopia

5. Star-Nosed Mole

star-nosed mole - ugliest animals
Drawn depiction of star-nosed mole| Illustration by Merriam Webster dictionary

The star-nosed mole is a somewhat frightening animal and is particularly ugly. This mole native to North America has 22 tentacles in place of the muzzle, which gives it the appearance of a monster straight out of our nightmares. 

These tentacles are its eyes and smell, and they seem particularly effective since the star-nosed mole are the fastest-eating animals on the planet.

They have a swift movement that is rarely visible by the human eye. Scientists were able to calculate that this animal can examine up to 13 small objects per second with its tentacles with the help of advanced cameras. 

Two of the 22 tentacles of the star snout do not bend but are always directed forward. Although it can also live on land, it likes to spend most of its life in water. The Star Nosed Mole can be found in the wetlands of Eastern Canada and northeastern America.

Scientific NameCondylura cristata
HabitatEastern Canada and northeastern America

6. Aye-Aye

Aye-Aye - ugliest animals
Weirdest primate Aye-Aye| Photo by world wildlife

The Aye-Aye is a lemur that lives in Madagascar, with a rather unusual and unkempt appearance. As the largest nocturnal primate, Aye has particular characteristics, including continuously growing teeth and a distinctive middle finger.

This finger is, in fact, about three times longer than the other fingers and very thin, looking very similar to a stick. 

The Aye-Aye uses its third finger to tap on tree trunks and see any insects inside. If it finds them, it promptly cuts the wood with its teeth, making a small incision in the timber, and sticks its middle finger into them to catch the coveted prey.

Its body and long tail are covered with brown or black fur interspersed with white hairs. The spoon-shaped ears of the aye are susceptible. Louis J.M. Daubenton discovered this animal in 1780, and the scientists placed the animal in the order of semi-monkeys. 

The development and urbanization of Madagascar have led to a decrease in the population of Aye Aye. There were only fifty of them left in 1972. 

There are sixteen restoration reservations in Madagascar, where the Aye Aye could live and reproduce in peace. 

Scientific NameDaubentonia madagascariensis
HabitatMadagascar

7. Monkfish

monkfish - ugliest animals
Edible monkfish promoted by an online vendor in the UK| Photo by The wright brothers

This underwater monster lives in an abyss 1000 and 3000 meters from the Atlantic Ocean. The male monkfish is small compared to the female monkfish, with measurements of the male fish at 3 cm and the female fish at 20 cm.

It has an organ on the head that emits light, traps its prey, and seduces a female. The astonishing fact is that the male fish to reproduce, clings to the female and then merges with her.

It was only possible to capture the monkfish in its natural environment at the end of 2014: with the help of an underwater robot in Monterey Bay.

American scientists made rare footage of one of the varieties of this terrible fish – the black anglerfish Johnson. Angler fishes, 1.5 m in length, swallow their prey whole even though they have a powerful jaw with razor-sharp teeth.

Scientific NameLophius piscatorius
Habitat Atlantic Ocean

8. Marabou Stork

Marabou stork - ugliest animals
An assembly of Marabou stork| Photo by Blessed Issac Olupot

Due to its appearance and habits, the marabou is an ugly, evil, and insidious bird. The marabou has a bald head, a massive beak, and a fleshy leathery bag hangs on its chest, the purpose of which is still unknown to scientists. 

The head and neck are plucked like those of vultures. The beak is very long and massive. Marabou is the most prominent member of the stork family, performing a scavenger function.

The bird can grow from 100 to 150 cm with a 210 to 250 cm wingspan. This bird feeds on carrion, but it can eat eggs and baby crocodiles and eat its relatives – birds.

The digestive system allows marabou to digest even large bones. Marabouts are gregarious animals, nesting in colonies in humid regions and building large nests of twigs in trees.

They are mainly found in the American Jungles of Senegal, Ethiopia, Namibia, and South Africa. Another peculiarity of marabouts, they fly with their necks retracted like a heron, while most waders fly with their necks extended.

Scientific NameLeptoptilos Crumenifer
HabitatAfrican nations like Senegal, Ethiopia, Namibia, and South Africa

9. Horseshoe Bat

Horseshoe bat - ugliest animals
Rhinolophus ferrumequinum – Greater Horseshoe bat| Photo by Nils Bouillard

Horseshoe bats have a strange muzzle with a nose similar to an ear. They are very susceptible to sounds, and their habitat is tropical and temperate latitudes of Southeast Asia’s temperate forests, Eurasia, Africa, and Australia. 

Their skin is brownish, but sometimes bright red individuals are also found. The body size ranges from 3.5 to 11 cm, and the weight is 5-30 g. 

It takes its name from the sheet-like skin formation in the form of a horseshoe that surrounds its nose. 

These special skin flaps are used to amplify the sounds of the animal. The mating season begins from August to September, when the young animals have weaned from their parents. 

In addition to mating, the animals begin to prepare for the upcoming winter dormancy. During the winter dormancy, which starts around the end of October, the animals reduce their body temperature to almost the ambient temperature.

They sleep until the spring months of March-April, in tunnels, caves, or suitable resting places. The animals feed on a fat reserve, which only serves to have enough energy to wake up from hibernation and raise the body temperature back to average. 

Scientific NameRhinolophus Hipposideros
HabitatEurasia, Australia, and Africa

10. Axolotl

male axolotl - ugliest animals
Male Axolotl| Photo by La Dame Bucolique

Axolotl is another ugly and strange animal at risk of extinction due to the very particular habitat in which it lives. Its main feature lies in the larval state in which it completes its entire life cycle.

Therefore, it is defined as neoteny to reach adulthood without transforming into a terrestrial animal.

This particular amphibian is equipped with the typical dorsal fin of tadpoles, maintained in the adult specimen. Unlike other salamanders, it lives only in an aquatic environment.

These salamanders are distinguished by their small dark eyes, tiny limbs, and a tail fringed with fins, which acts as a rudder and allows the Axolotl to move through the water. 

To distinguish males from females, look at the cloaca. It is a male if it is pretty pronounced and has the so-called cloacal swelling. If it is flat, it is a female. Another extraordinary virtue of this creature is regenerating parts of its body, such as limbs.

Axolotl can reach up to 30 centimeters in length and live up to 15 years feeding on mollusks, larvae, worms, and crustaceans in the lake bed. Sometimes the Axolotl also eats its offspring and small fish. 

Its average life expectancy is around 15 years, but even known specimens have reached the age of 25. On average, the minimum life expectancy is between 8 and 10 years.

Alexander von Humboldt discovered the first specimen in the early 19th century and brought it to Europe.

Scientific NameAmbystoma Mexicanum
HabitatLake Xochimilco, Mexico City

11. Yeti Crab

Yeti crab - ugliest animals
Top view of hairy Yeti Crab| Photo by fact animal

In March 2005, scientists at the California Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute (MBARI) found an unusual world’s ugliest sea creature, specifically a HAIRY Crab, south of Easter Island.

It was almost 15 cm, blind, white, and fluffy! Attributing it to any family of crabs was problematic. Then the scientists decided to create their own family – Kiwaidae. 

In Polynesian mythology, Kiwa is the goddess of all marine mollusks and crustaceans, and in Maiori mythology, Kiwa is the guardian god of the sea. “Hirsuta” in Latin means “hairy.”

It lives at a depth of about 2200 meters, where pitch darkness reigns and eyes are useless. Instead of eyes, it has a leathery membrane. 

Fluffy Kiwa receives information about what is happening with the help of hairs on the claws. These whitish hairs are not fur, as it seems at first glance, but unique bristles.

They are a kind of filter that purifies the water around the crab. Cleaning is carried out by certain bacteria that live in colonies in their bristles.

Without such filtration, the crab could not survive since the water is highly saturated with toxic gases near the geothermal sources where this crab lives. And it is practically inedible because its body is flooded with sulfur compounds. 

Scientific NameKiwa Hirsuta
HabitatPacific Antarctic Ridge

12. Shoebill

shoe bird from Uganda wildlife conservation
Sushi, a Shoebill from Uganda wildlife conservation| Photo by Mellissa Askew

At first glance, it’s a bird that might not seem like much of a scary thing, but it’s a gigantic carnivore, four feet tall (some have been recorded as reaching five feet tall), known to eat turtles, fish, and young crocodiles. 

The height of an adult is about 1.2 m; the wingspan reaches 2.3 m. Despite its impressive growth, the shoebill weighs mainly up to 7 kg. 

It has long, thin legs and a disproportionately large head and beak. It inhabits the swamps of East Africa and has been found to decapitate its prey before eating it. 

In the shape of a beak, the bird’s discoverer resembled a whale’s head, reflected in the generic name Balaeniceps – whale head. 

The German diplomat and explorer Ferdinand Wayne was the first European to learn about the beautiful bird with a massive beak. 

In 1840, during an African expedition in search of the source of the White Nile, Wayne found himself near Lake No, one of the many reservoirs of the Sudd swamp, located on the territory of modern South Sudan. 

The explorer’s guides told him about an unusual bird the size of a camel and a beak reminiscent of a pelican, except perhaps without a specific bag. 

Ten years later, the collector Mansfield Perkins brought two shoebills to the UK so local zoologists could study the wonderful bird. 

In 1851, naturalist John Gould presented to the British Society of Zoologists the first official description of the king heron, based on Parksins’ specimens.

In addition, the location of the eyes also differs from most feathered shoebills. Its golden eyes are in the front of the head and not on both sides of the skull, as in most birds. 

This feature gives the royal heron all the delights of binocular vision; that is, the shoebill sees the world in three-dimension

When they have offspring, they focus their attention only on the elder. If two eggs hatch, the parents reject the younger hatchling, and in some cases, the older one tries to kill the sibling. 

The younger offspring are supposed to act as a backup if something happens to the older one. It is believed to be a form of energy conservation, but it isn’t very kind.

Scientific NameBalaeniceps Rex
HabitatAfrica

13. Japanese Spider Crab

Japanese long-legged crab
Scary-looking Japanese spider crab| Image from Wikipedia

Japanese spider crabs live, as their name implies, only near Japan’s coast, in the Pacific Ocean waters. In the land of the rising sun, they are highly valued from a culinary perspective and are expensive because they are pretty tricky to catch.

The span of the front pair of limbs can reach 3 meters, and the body can reach 70-80 cm in length. The mass of the most prominent individuals ever caught was very close to the mark of 20 kilograms.

It is known to be one of the giant arthropod motifs in the world. It is an invertebrate whose body is covered by an exoskeleton consisting of linear segments.

It is an entirely blind crab, but this will not cause any problems for the animal. It has a powerful, highly developed hearing to survive in an environment where it cannot see. It is an excellent predator, and in it, the claws are a deadly weapon so that few preys can escape its feet.

The Japanese crab spider is believed to be the main long-liver among all crustaceans. On average, it lives for 50-60 years, but the age of some individuals, according to scientists, exceeds 100 years.

By about 10-12 years old, Japanese spider crabs reach body sizes close to the limit, and since then, their growth has slowed down sharply. But their legs continue to grow throughout their lives, so the older the individual, the more it looks like a real spider.

Scientific NameMacrocheira Kaempferi
HabitatJapan

14. Dumbo Octopus

dumbo octopus
Dumbo octopus, named after Dumbo, a famous Disney character| Photo by aquarium of pacific

Dumbo Octopus got its second name – Dumbo, in honor of the famous Walt Disney character (elephant). The shape of the ears unites a real creature and a fictional character, which in the first one act as fins. 

Some refer to it as the cutest, but millions find it ugly. The reason might be people are used to a big-eared flying dumbo elephant instead of finding octopuses slimy and weird.

More than 37 species of this octopus; inhabit all the world’s oceans but are rarely seen because they live in abyssal depths (between 3 and 7 thousand meters below the sea surface). 

They are small, 20 centimeters long, and are found in the coastal waters of New Zealand, the Philippines, Australia, and off the northwestern coast of the United States. 

The color of the octopus is varied and impressive; it can be red, brown, or even pink. Its ability to mimic is known – to change the shade of its skin and adapt to the environment. 

The eyes of individuals are significant, but they do not allow Dumbo to see well. Scientists believe that the creature only distinguishes between shadows and is more oriented thanks to the organs of smell and touch.

The basis of the diet of individuals is made up of small marine inhabitants – various worms, mollusks, and crustaceans, the body length of which is not more than 2 mm. 

For movement, this octopus uses funnels and tentacles, through which it passes water into itself and then spews it back. The fins are a means of coordination, allowing soft soaring and slow descent through the water column.

Scientific NameGrimpoteuthis
HabitatDeep waters of the Atlantic and Pacific oceans

15. Blue Glaucus

blue dragon
Blue Glaucus discovered in South African beach| Photo by Maria Wagener

The legendary creature Blue Glaucus is a small-sized blue-colored sea slug species known scientifically as Glaucus atlanticus. Its distinctive blue color has garnered it plenty of attention in recent years. Because of this distinguishing characteristic, it got its name as a blue dragon or blue angel of the ocean.

Physical Characteristics and Color

Additionally, the species has a flattened, tapered body, along with six appendages that branch out into finger-like cerata–eighty-four to be exact. A flattened and tapered body structured Blue Glaucus uses long Cerata to sting when hunting or threatened. These Cerata branch out to 84 finger-like structures from six appendages with teeth resembling a knife’s serrated edge.

Lifespan & Reproduction

These creatures can live from one month to one year. These fantastic creatures are hermaphrodites as they can produce both sperms and eggs. However, the feature doesn’t help the slug to be independent; it still has to mate with another of its kind to produce workable eggs.

Their copulating habits resemble their hunting habits: the animal simply floats along until they find a partner. They may get stung by their mate during the copulating act, so they must be careful during the process.

Scientific NameGlaucus atlanticus
HabitatIn all oceans

16. Sea Pigs

sea pig
Sea Pig| Image by Wired

The sea pig is one of the animals that still hold many mysteries for biologists. As they live at the bottom of the sea, these marine animals are little known in environments that can reach kilometers deep.

Swedish zoologist Johan Hjalmar Theel discovered the species in 1882 during an expedition on the HMS Challenger. He chose the name sea pig for its shape and skin tone.

On the other hand, the animal is also known as a sea cow. That’s because the double tubular structure on the upper part of its body resembles cow horns.

There are other ugliest creatures whose names are derived from other animals, like Snake necked turtles from Roti Island and male elephant seals often visiting the shores of Australia and Tasmania. Both of them can be rarely seen as zoo animals.

They measure between 3 and 10 cm and live in abyssal areas of the oceans (3 or 4 thousand meters). Sea pigs are social creatures that live in large groups. However, these groups’ size depends on the animals themselves, like the Roti Island snake-necked turtle. 

For example, groups of more than a thousand creatures tend to have smaller individuals. On the other hand, more giant creatures are found in around 100.

The formation of groups is essential, especially in places with excess food. It happens in areas where other marine animals have corpses as they feed on decomposing creatures. 

Their primary food source is often the bodies of large dead whales on the seafloor. They move by walking along the seabed with five or seven pairs of tubular feet. These feet are appendages that can inflate and deflate to move. 

The sea pig has structures that look like antennae but are feet on the top of its head. These upper appendages are modified tubular feet, just like those used for walking. 

However, their upper feet can help them propel themselves along the ocean. They are also believed to have a sensory function to detect the chemical trail of food in the surroundings.

Scientific NameScotoplanes globosa
HabitatIn profound areas of all oceans

17. Yellow Striped Tenrecs

yellow stripped tenrecs
Yellow stepped tenrecs from madagascar| Image by Ottawaaction

Madagascar is an island full of curious animals. The little tenrec is just one more on the list, and perhaps the smallest of them all. 

Tenrecs were first described in the 19th century, and they were so unusual that they were immediately identified as a separate family.

Different types of these world’s ugliest animals live on the ground and in trees, leading to a semi-aquatic or semi-underground lifestyle. 

Along the way, they became similar to hedgehogs, mice, moles, and even otters, although they have nothing to do with these animals. 

In general, tenrecs are an excellent example of convergent evolution. As a result, organisms that are unrelated to each other, living in the same or similar conditions, become identical. 

The striped tenrecs are 14 cm and weigh from 80 to 150 g. The detachable thorns are a defense tool. And a curious feature is its ability to emit high-pitched sounds (stridulation) through the friction of its spines to communicate with others of its kind.

They are distinguished from other family species by yellow-black stripes (the yellow stripe on the muzzle is especially pronounced).

A unique charm is given to them by long yellow spines that can rise behind the ears of the animal, crowning them with a crown.

Scientists called tenrecs “living fossils,” and for a good reason: the ancestors of tenrecs ended up in Madagascar in the Eocene epoch, about 30 million years ago. 

Since then, they have lived in almost unchanged climatic conditions and have changed little themselves. This high resistance to evolutionary change is called phylogenetic inertia

Striped tenrecs live in small groups in burrows they dig in the ground. They do not see very well, so they rely entirely on their keen sense of smell and hearing while hunting for their favorite food – earthworms. As for now, these animals are not listed as threatened creatures.

Scientific NameHemicentetes semispinosus
HabitatTropical forests in the east of the island of Madagascar

18. Sea Lamprey

sea lamprey
Sea Lamprey kept in the tank| Photo by Joanna Gilkeson

When we see animals of this type, it becomes easier to understand where horror movie directors have inspired their monstrous creatures. 

Sea lampreys are visually terrifying. With their mouths, they stick to fish to suck their blood. The sea lamprey is neither a snake nor a fish but a representative of a separate class of animals – cyclostomes

They are probably the predecessors of fish, but they have no scales and paired limbs; instead of an actual spine, they have a notochord and a round or oval mouth equipped with unique leathery teeth. 

The respiratory organs of the animal are the gills, which open with seven holes on the head behind the eyes. Mouth plates with many horny teeth are visible at the tip of the lamprey’s tongue. A small gap separates its two dorsal fins. 

Despite the small fins, sea lampreys move well in the water due to their eel-like body shape. The coloration of the sea lamprey may vary. 

It varies from light gray to brown and greenish-brown with irregularly shaped spots. The sea lamprey reaches a length of 120 cm and a mass of 2.5 kg.

All adult lampreys are external parasites of fish. Once attached to its prey, the lamprey can torment it for several weeks. There is a desperate struggle for life! 

Although the lamprey does not kill the victim, it can introduce a dangerous infection into the wound, or the fish will die from blood loss. Lamprey larvae feed on small invertebrates – insects and mollusks. 

The sea lamprey is a unique animal that is one of the possible ancestors of ancient fish. Wherever the sea lamprey lives, deep sea or shallow water, it is not numerous. 

Hydro construction and severe pollution of spawning rivers can lead to the fact that these animals will soon disappear from the face of the Earth.

Scientific NamePetromyzon marinus
HabitatNorth Atlantic Ocean, Mediterranean Sea, and Great Lakes (the USA and Canada)

19. Kakapo

kakapo chicks in Newzealand
Chicks of endangered kakapo chicks during the record-breaking baby boom in Newzealand 2019| Photo by Andrew Digby

Kakapo is an exceptional and unusual bird of the parrot family. Kakapo is endemic; this flightless parrot lives exclusively in the forests of New Zealand. 

Outwardly, the kakapo resembles an owl, which is why it is also called an owl parrot. The bird’s plumage is yellow-green with brown or black specks. 

Near the large and powerful beak is many whiskers that help the parrot navigate in the dark. Kakapo exclusively feeds fruits, fruit juice, seeds, pollen, and flowers.

Kakapos are nocturnal parrots that can weigh up to 3.5kg. Kakapo is the only parrot that can’t fly, so it spends all the time on the ground. 

However, kakapo can climb to the highest branch and glide from there, spreading its wings up to 50 meters, but no more. Most likely, the inability to fly is due to the lack of predators in the natural habitat of the owl parrot.

Kakapo can be attributed to long-livers in the bird kingdom. The average age of a bird is 95 years.

Another unique ability of a parrot is that it emits a strong but pleasant aroma, similar to the smell of flowers and honey. What this is connected with is not known. Perhaps, with the help of smell, they transmit some signals to their fellows.

They are defenseless creatures; even when the enemy attacks them, they do not defend themselves but are frozen, dutifully waiting for the blow. Indeed owl parrots rely on their plumage, which is similar in color to bright New Zealand moss.

Scientists believe that kakapo will partially take on the role of mammals in the ecosystem, performing some of their functions. Human intervention is called the critical reason for the extinction of birds. There are now 208 Kakapos in the world today.

Scientific NameStrigops habroptilus
HabitatNew Zealand

20. Titicaca Frog

Titicaca frog in Peru
Titicaca frog of Peru| Photo by DW-news

Telmatobius coleus, commonly known as Lake Titicaca water frog or Titicaca whistler, is a giant endangered frog. It is endemic to Lake Titicaca; it is not found anywhere else in the world.

The Titicaca water frog is the largest in the world. In the early 1970s, an expedition under Jacques Cousteau reported a frog reaching 50 centimeters in length and weighing 1 kg. 

Unfortunately, the times of these giants have sunk into oblivion, and now it is almost impossible to meet such a prominent individual.

These amphibians have large, flat heads with round noses and large eyes. Coloration varies significantly between individuals and can be olive green, dark green, black, and even marbled, with the underparts being pearl white in most cases.

The most distinctive feature of the water frog is the highly loose skin that dangles from its neck, legs, and abdomen in bizarre coattails and folds.

Indeed, this frog looks like it has pulled on a jumpsuit that is several sizes too big. Lake Titicaca is the world’s highest navigable lake, at 3,812 meters above sea level. 

High levels of ultraviolet radiation, unfavorable temperatures, and rarefied air make life at this altitude, to put it mildly, not very comfortable. The numerous folds on the skin help the water frog survive.

For years, the locals respected this frog who thought it could make it rain. They took a frog, put it in a jar, and left it on top of the hill. 

Another belief is that the water frog positively affects potency; its soup helps with dementia. It helps treat various diseases, from simple fever, epilepsy, asthma, anemia, and prostate problems. 

In addition, the amphibian is a crucial ingredient in the “frog juice,” an aphrodisiac sold at food markets in the Peruvian capital. 

Loss of habitats, fishing by residents, pollution of the lake with household and agricultural waste, and invasive species (trout eating frog eggs) have taken their toll, and this fantastic amphibian is currently on the verge of extinction. 

Over the past decades, the number of Titicaca whistlers has decreased by 80%. There are many programs to breed this frog in captivity, both around the lake and in US zoos, but unfortunately, these programs have not yet had positive results. 

Scientific NameTelmatobius culeus
HabitatLake Titicaca, Bolivia, and Peru

So these are the world’s top twenty ugliest animals, but they are beautiful in their way. There are still some ugly but unique such as elephant seals (northern elephant seals) and giant salamander (giant Chinese salamander).

They carry their unique traits, which separate them from the rest of their similar animal kingdoms. They are helping our ecosystem in their way. It is not good to judge the book by its cover; these animals have their uniqueness, which enlisted them in the list of top ugliest creators.  

(Last Updated on August 31, 2022 by Sadrish Dabadi)

Ankur Pradhan holds a bachelor’s degree in education and health and three years of content writing experience. Addicted to online creative writing, she puts some of what she feels inside her stormy heart on paper. She loves nature, so she is trying to motivate people to switch to alternative energy sources through her articles.