Marabou stork
Marabou storks are indigenous to Africa and are one of the biggest birds in the world. Like vultures, Marabou storks are scavengers that feed on carcasses.
Their heads and neck are feather-free and they have engorged throat sacs, which make them unpleasant to look at. The Marabou stork has the nickname of ‘undertaker’ due to its evil appearance.
Naked mole-rat
Rats as a general species are not thought of kindly by most humans, but the naked-mole rat has it even worse, despite not even technically being a rat.
The naked-mole rat is more closely related to porcupines and guinea pigs. As its name suggests, the rodent is virtually hair-free and looks very freaky.
Bald uakari
Part of the monkey family, the bald uakari has a reputation for being one of the uglier species.
Tarring with the ugly stick is a little harsh however, as their only real offense is that they look like they have really bad sunburn.
Aye-aye
The Aye-aye is another creature that doesn’t fully earn its ugly status. Strange looking, sure, but ugly seems like a very cruel way to describe the nocturnal primate.
Aye-ayes are more creepy than ugly, and yet they routinely rank on ugliest animal surveys. It’s likely that the wild eyes and sinister long middle finger clouds people’s judgement.
Sea pig
The name sea pig conjures up visions of a cute little micro pig with water wings. The reality, however, is that a sea pig is actually related to sea cucumbers.
The sea pig is another oddity that lives far beneath the ocean surface. Little is known about the creature other than it looks like a blob of jelly.
Yeti crab
Found in the South Pacific, the yeti crab is, as the name infers, a hairy crab. Whilst normally, fur makes an animal cuter, in this instance it does not.
They are considered a delicacy in some parts of the world, but many would struggle to get past their weird appearance.
Lappet-faced vulture
With its bald head and wrinkled pink skin, the lappet-faced vulture is definitely up there as one of the ugliest birds.
To make matters worse, the animal also stinks due to its fondness for eating food that has been dead for a while.
Wolffish
There seems to be a common trend that the further beneath the ocean's surface you venture, the more ugly the animal you will uncover.
One such ghastly creature lurking down below is the Wolffish, a fish with canine front teeth that look strange and sinister in their mouths.
Proboscis monkey
Also known as the long-nosed monkey, the proboscis monkey is famed for its long and thick nose, a feature which is far from flattering.
The monkey’s chunky nose is the subject of much amusement as the snout is reminiscent of the comedy noses available in costume stores.
Saiga antelope
Antelope are usually seen as rather majestic and beautiful creatures. However, sadly for the Saiga antelope, the looks ran out when it was their turn to be made.
The Saiga antelope has a humped nose that hangs over its mouth. The nose is functional, filtering out dust kicked up by the herd, but it's also not the most aesthetically pleasing.
Hyena
Those that grew up with The Lion King will know that hyenas are an unpleasant animal. More than that though, they are pretty ugly to look at.
Hyenas don't breed for looks, they breed for sturdiness. They have been around since the prehistoric age, making them one of the oldest species on the planet.
Giant Chinese salamander
The giant Chinese salamander is the world’s largest amphibian, and it’s also one of the ugliest. Some will argue that their appearance is cute, but far more people disagree.
The salamander has a wrinkled appearance, which many find unpalatable. Sadly though, the species is on the verge of becoming extinct.
Horseshoe bat
The horseshoe bat is a curious looking creature. From afar it looks like any other bat, but once you get a close view, it is easy to see why some call it ugly.
In the middle of the horseshoe bat’s face is what appears to be a third ear. It is in fact, its nose.
Snake necked turtle
Indigenous to the Indonesian island of Rote, the snake necked turtle has exactly what the name suggests - a long snakelike neck.
As well as making the turtle look odd, their long necks are too big to be retracted back into their shells. Instead, like a snake, they coil up.
Viperfish
The viperfish sounds like a fish that could do a lot of damage, and its hinged skull makes it sound even more terrifying.
Thankfully, the viperfish lives far beneath the ocean surface, and its lack of contact with people is a blessing - as it has a face only a mother could love.
Lamprey
Lampreys genuinely look to be the stuff of nightmares. Their eel-like bodies are full of sharp teeth, making them an intimidating creature from the deep.
Lampreys are not only ugly in appearance, but also behavior. The animal is part of the parasite family and latches onto other sea creatures to feed off of their flesh.
Star-nosed mole
On paper, having a star-shaped nose should look super cute. However, the animal is far from Disney princess side-kick levels of adorable.
The nose is ringed with 22 fleshy ‘rays.’ The star-nosed mole uses this appendage to feel its way through the world, and, boy, is it ugly to look at.
Californian condor
The Californian condor is one of the most endangered birds on the planet. Unfortunately, due to its aesthetically unappealing appearance, people are less inclined to donate to their survival cause.
It is the Californian condor’s bald, multi-colored, wrinkled heads and necks that people find most troublesome to look at.
Golden snub-nosed monkey
As with the Proboscis monkey, it is the nose of the golden snub-nose monkey that makes it so visually unappealing.
Instead of noses, snub-nosed monkeys simply have nostril holes in the middle of their head, making them look like walking skeletons.
Pig-nosed turtle
Sometimes when naming an animal it is easiest to simply say what you see. In the case of the pig-nosed turtle, this is especially true.
The turtle’s nose is shaped like a pig snout which the turtle uses like both a snorkel and a motion sensor to sense prey.
Chinese water deer
Native to both China and Korea, the Chinese Water Deer is a small species of deer notable for its long, sharp tusks.
These tusks detract from the deer's beauty and make the animals look far more fearsome and ferocious than they actually are.
Southern elephant seal
It seems that in the animal kingdom, the quickest way to become known as ugly is to have a peculiar looking nose.
Another victim of the odd snout brigade is the elephant seal, whose large nose can be likened to an elephant's trunk.
Proboscis bat
Over centuries of evolution, the Proboscis bat, native to South America, has developed a long, tubular and straw-like nose.
This appendage is used by the bat to feed on flower nectar, with the species being one of the few examples of a primarily vegetarian bat.
Warthog
Despite Pumbaa's positive PR spin, most people don’t see the appeal of Warthogs. They don’t have the most pleasant name and unfortunately their appearance matches it.
They look a lot like pigs, but their faces have a clump of wart like bumps atop their snouts. Their wiry hair further contributes to their ugly visage.
Red-lipped batfish
Unlike many ugly animals of the world, the red-lipped batfish has at least tried to make an effort with its appearance.
The strange fish looks as though it is wearing red lipstick. Sadly, the rest of it is less than desirable to look at.
Giant isopod
Giant isopods have 14 limbs, 4 mouths, reflective eyes, and can grow up to 20 inches in length. They are an odd looking creature that most would run away from.
The appearance of sea-dwelling giant isopods is similar to some insects on land, which instantly turns those with an insectoid aversion off of them.
Blobfish
As of a 2023 survey, the blobfish is officially the ugliest animal on the planet. It's a sad title to hold, but it's all the creature has going for it.
The blobfish does indeed resemble a blob, a horribly gelatinous and engorged pasty one. Sorry, blobfish - you more than earn this title.
Chinese crested dog
Whilst most pups are adorable, the Chinese crested dog does not have the usual cute factor like other breeds.
This type of dog is virtually hairless, with little tufts of hair sprouting up on their head, tails and paws. They look like they might be sick, which turns potential owners off.
Tapir
Although there are some tapir fans in the world - director James Gunn for one - most people don’t understand their appeal.
Tapirs look like a dumpy elephant with their tiny trunk, but in reality they are more closely related to the horse and rhino.
Goblin shark
Known for its pinkish color and protruding snout, the goblin shark is one of the oddest looking members of the shark family.
Their strange appearance certainly marries well with the goblin moniker, and somehow makes them even less appealing than the deadly great white shark.
Purple frog
Most frogs are already pretty ugly, but the purple frog, found in the Western Ghats in India, blows the rest of them out of the water.
Despite its name, the frog is much more of a muddy brown color, and, much like the blobfish, the creature appears to have collapsed in on itself.
Axolotl
In recent years, a trend has emerged of people buying axolotls as pets. Given their odd appearance, they definitely aren’t purchased for their cute factor.
Also known as the walking fish, axolotls are technically neotenic salamanders, but the amphibians do actually look like fish with legs - pretty gross.
Dong Tao chicken
If you think that all chickens look the same, you’ve clearly never seen a Dong Tao chicken, aka the dragon chicken.
The distinguishing feature of the chicken breed is their crusty cankles. As well as being ugly, the feet can make it hard for the hens to lay eggs, meaning they often require... assistance.
Wildebeest
The poor wildebeest is dinner for a number of prey in the African wilderness, and they're also not cute, with spindly legs and a chunky chest.
Wildebeest also have gingery beards and patchy hair. Their ungainly appearance makes them far less appealing than cattle and buffalo.
Japanese spider crab
The Japanese spider crab is not only ugly, it also looks like it has emerged from some kind of terrifying hell dimension.
Their distinctive spidery legs mean that arachnophobes break into a sweat just looking at a picture of them. That they can grow up to 3 meters wide, which makes them even more terrifying.
Black rain frog
Like the purple frog, black rain frogs don’t have any separation between their heads and their bodies, and so they're as blobby as they come.
Their jet black coloring and bumpy skin textures does the frog no favors. The species is also known for its grumpy demeanour, preferring to live in solitude.
Monkfish
Monkfish are one of the ugliest deep sea beasts. They have exceptionally large heads in relation to their bodies, which gives them a grotesque look.
Their overgrown mouths are accompanied by what appears to be bloated lips, giving them a pout that trouts would be jealous of.
Yellow striped tenrec
Tenrecs are small mammals found in the forests of Madagascar. Although a distant cousin of the humble hedgehog, they are definitely not as adorable.
Their elongated snout turns some people off, not to mention their aggressive yellow and black coloring that screams 'leave me alone!'
Hammer-headed bat
Although the females have narrower, fox-like faces, the male hammer-headed bat is considered one of the ugliest creatures on the planet.
As the name suggests, they have broad hammer-head like faces that are disturbingly large, with a massive gaping snout in the middle of it.
Anglerfish
For years the Anglerfish was considered top of the most hideous animals lists. Sadly, it lost its title to the blobfish, and now it just lurks in the ocean looking ugly.
The Anglerfish is located in the deep depths of the ocean in an area so dark that it has to dangle its own bioluminescent light to attract prey.