5 ‘Ugly’ Animals Who Deserve More Love
“It’s official: The blobfish is the ugliest animal in
the world…
According to the Guardian, 3,000 people voted in an
online poll in favor of giving the blobfish this dubious distinction. The
campaign was organized by the Ugly Animal Preservation Society with the goal of
drawing attention to the needs of our less cuddly & fluffy- but no less
endangered- animal cousins…
I
decided to compile my own list of the top 5 ugliest animals…Here they are, in
no particular order:
1. Naked Mole Rat
…The
rats are mammals, but they don’t regulate their own internal temperature like
humans or dogs…A naked mole rat’s body temperature tracks the ambient
temperature.
Naked
mole rats were also the first mammals discovered to be eusocial…There is a
queen naked mole rat that breeds with only a few males, while the others in the
colony serve as workers.
…The
star-nosed mole is functionally blind, so it has to find food using its highly
specialized nose, which is crowded with very sensitive touch receptors.
It’s
also the fastest-eating animal. On average, it only takes 227 milliseconds for
a star-nosed mole to identify & consume individual items of food.
3. Goblin Shark
…The
goblin shark’s long snout is covered with electroreceptors called ampullae of
Lorenzini that allow it to sense tiny electrical fields emitted by its prey.
When prey is detected, the goblin shark pops its jaw out & chomps…
4. Anglerfish
…this
fish is glowy & terrifying.You might guess the source of the anglerfish’s
name – it’s related to how the animal hunts. The anglerfish grows a long spine
— actually a modified dorsal fin — with
a fleshy growth on the end. The fish wiggles that around in the water to
imitate another animal’s prey. Once the anglerfish’s prey is within reach,
chomp!...
5. Hagfish
…the
hagfish is…otherwise known as a slime eel for a reason. Even though it’s super
gross, the slime the hagfish produces is actually a pretty good defense
strategy.
When
the hagfish is captured or held, the 100 glands that run along its body spring
into action & produce a viscous mucus. When combined with water, this snot
can expand to over 5 gallons…
If the
deluge of mucus doesn’t result in their freedom, the hagfish have another trick
up their sleeve. They can tie themselves in a knot, which scrapes off the slime
& frees them from their captor…"
Mindy
Townsend
March 18/2018
care2.com
Cute Critter Pic
Weekly Chuckle
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