8 of the World's Ugliest Animals.

Every animal has a purpose, and every creature matters, even if they don't all have the same adorable or flamboyant appearances as a peacock or a large panda. Some organisms can endure in difficult conditions because of unattractive features, and studying them can improve our understanding of ecosystems. Finding the causes of a creature's appearance may even be essential to conservation efforts.

1. Proboscis Monkey

However, for the proboscis monkey, a bigger nose is preferable. A human might flee in fear if they saw this nose. Unsurprisingly, a large, bulbous nose is what a female proboscis monkey reacts to the most. A male proboscis monkey's vocalizations are thought to be affected by his huge nose in such a way that it simultaneously entices females and intimidates rival males.

Due to their webbed hands and feet, these curious-looking monkeys are actually fantastic swimmers. They actually adore the water, as evidenced by the fact that they spend their entire lives in trees near rivers (never farther than 600 meters, or 0.37 miles) and that they often spend the night right by the water in large groups known as bands.

2. Star-Nosed Mole

Perhaps the most peculiar animal nose belongs to the star-nosed mole. The 22 fleshy appendages that make up their peculiar whiffers function more like ultra-sensitive fingers than a nose. The mole uses the more than 25,000 tiny sense receptors along these snouts to navigate through its underground burrow.

The nose of this mole is among the most sensitive in the animal kingdom because of all of its sensory receptors. That means the star-nosed mole is an exceptionally good hunter. The inner sensors determine if the prey is edible after the outer tentacles search for potential meals.

3. California Condor

The California condor, one of the most endangered species in the world and the biggest flying land bird in North America, soars gracefully over the canyons and deserts of the American West.

This bird isn't particularly photogenic up close, though. A feathered head would become clotted with blood as the bird eats on huge carrion, therefore the bald head is an adaptation for its lifestyle as a scavenger.

4. Naked Mole-Rat

A bald rodent must find it difficult to keep a positive sense of who they are, but the naked mole-rat doesn't have this problem. They are nearly blind, which is undoubtedly beneficial. These animals don't require high vision because they dwell underground in complex burrow networks. Additionally, their almost hairless bodies are an adaptation to their underground habitat.

Surprisingly, naked mole-rats are not closely related to either moles or rats, but rather to porcupines, chinchillas, and guinea pigs. Additionally, despite what their name suggests, they do have hair. Additionally, there are hairs between their toes that allow them to move soil behind them when they are moving, and there are roughly 100 tiny hairs on their bodies that act as whiskers to let them sense what is around them.

These aged rodents are known to speak dialects unique to each colony and are known to reside in big groups (average 70, although up to 295 have been observed). As they must close together to stay warm—their hairless, paper-thin skin isn't exactly insulating—their extremely gregarious behavior may serve a number of objectives.

A surprising fact about naked mole-rats is that, despite their small size, they have among the longest life spans of all rodents, with a lifespan of almost 30 years.

5. Blobfish

These elderly mice live in large groups and are reported to have dialects specific to each colony (average 70, although up to 295 have been observed). Their unusually gregarious habit may serve a variety of purposes because they must huddle together to stay warm—their hairless, paper-thin skin isn't exactly insulating.

Naked mole-rats have one of the longest life spans of any rodent, with a lifespan of approximately 30 years, which is a startling finding given their little size.

6. Warthog

As wild members of the pig family, warthogs 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 actually have two pairs of tusks: the upper tusks emerge from their snouts making a semi-circle, and their lower tusks are situated at the base of the other set.

Warthogs' bodies are covered in bristles, and they're distinguished by their disproportionately large heads and those wart-like pads that offer protection.

They don't create an image of beauty, but these physical characteristics make warthogs well-adapted to their savanna and grassland habitats and the burrows they like to occupy.

7. Monkfish

These unappetizing, freaky-looking fish are a common food delicacy, but for years, people didn't want to eat the fish because it was so ugly. Chefs eventually realized that its looks were deceiving, and now it shows up on the menus in all sorts of fine restaurants.

With mottled skin, an unsightly overbite, and a bizarre figure, monkfish are undeniably ugly. And because of their huge heads filled with razor-like teeth, they look awfully mean as well.

8. Horseshoe Bat

Horseshoe bats have a twisted appearance that resembles an ear more so than a face, like other insect-eating bats that use echolocation to capture their prey. This modification increases their susceptibility to sound waves, enabling them to move quickly through the air.

The fleshy tissue that surrounds the bat's nose, known as its "noseleaves," gives the animal its name. The lower portion has a horseshoe form, and the upper portion is pointy. The bat uses its unique size and shape of its nose as a form of sonar beam to help it detect its surroundings.