The animal kingdom is mysterious and exciting. Most of the times it is beautiful, but sometimes it is downright ugly. While we may be tempted to pet the wildest of tigers simply because they are so majestic and mesmerizing, there are animals in this world which have taken several beatings from the ugly stick. I think you will all agree that the 10 ugliest animals in this list are the most disgustings things that you have ever laid your eyes upon.

8. The Naked Mole Rat

If you are into wrinkled, naked animals, you should definitely think of adopting a naked mole rat). These creatures don’t only look freaky, they also act freaky. Nature has definitely not been generous with them, because besides the fact that they are naked, they also have poor vision and an inability to feel pain. This creature has actually been featured by Hollywood, under the form of Rufus, a pink (in a good way) naked mole rat that can chew through metal, do martial arts and fix appliances.

7. The Sphynx Cat

Since we are on the topic of wrinkled animals, here’s another ugly fellow: the Sphynx cat. I know that there are some who actually love them, but who would ever want to wake up in the middle of the night with such an ugly cat starring at them? It is actually suspected that Yoda from Star Wars was inspired from their peculiar appearance, since the wedge-shaped head, large years and heavyset bodies are so similar.

6. Monkfish

Monkfish are so ugly that they are often confused with the legendary sea monster called the Sea Monk. Irrespective of their looks, they are considered a delicacy by fish lovers.

5. The Goblin Shark

The first time I saw one of these hideous creatures I thought it must be photoshopped. There’s no way in hell that something as ugly as this could exist. I was wrong. The Goblin Shark is without a shadow of a doubt a creature of nightmares. Like other contenders on our lists, it is also pink. Of course, not that marshmallow pink that we all like, but rather that feverish, rash-like pink which comes from lack of pigment. Besides being ugly, it also has some ugly feeding habits. When they come in contact with pray they create a comparative vacuum in their expanded mouths and suck fish into it. Escape is near-impossible and resistance futile.

4. The California Condor

Rare doesn’t always mean something wildlife observers would like to see. The California Condor is one of the words most endangered flying land birds of the American West Coast. From a distance you can almost say that it’s beautiful, but up close it’s not the prettiest sight. Its bald head and blotted neck with, you guessed it, pink skin, give a whole new meaning to the world ugly.

3. The Star-Nosed Mole

Number two on our ugliest animals list is this “pretty” fellow. The Star-Nosed Mole is positively grotesque. Like the Goblin shark, it’s something you would expect to see in a cheap alien invasion movie. Its ugly buck made from bizarre, fleshy, star-shaped nasal tentacles is absolutely alarming. The only good news is the fact that it’s only the size of a monster. On the other hand, it was recognized as the fastest eater in the world (it can consume a tasty morsel in less than 120 milliseconds).

2. The Blobfish

We might have featured this in previous posts, but it’s just too ugly not to mention. As a matter of fact the Blobfish looks more like a mass of slime than a fish. Nevertheless, its appearance is actually an ingenious adaptation to the pressures of the ocean, where it can stay bouyant easily.

1. The Tongue-Eating Louse

This disgusting creature might remind you of the one in Alien vs. Predator, mainly because the movie was actually inspired by it. Behold the tongue of the parasite from hell. If you wish to never encounter the “Organ Replacer” make sure you stay as far away from the Gulf of California as possible. But why exactly does it have such an “odd” looking mouth? What it basically does is inserts itself in the mouth of a fish and sucks out all the blood until it atrophies an dies. In the end, the tongue of the fish will be replaced by the parasite which will live on the rest of its life feeding on its muscles, blood and mucus.

So that was our top 8 ugliest animals on the face of the Earth. What do you think?