The most terrible animals in the world - names, descriptions and photos. The most terrible animals in the world: names, photos and descriptions

The diversity of the animal world of our planet is so great that it sometimes amazes and surprises with its richness and abundance. Among the creations of nature, there are not only cute and cute creatures. There are rare specimens that are repulsive with their unattractive appearance, and are quite worthy of starring in horror films.

Made it to the top 10 the most terrible animals in the world, a list of which is presented below.

Madagascar bat

Opens the top ten ugliest living creatures, also known as aye-aye. This is very rare species animals listed in the Red Book. Aye-aye lives in tropical forests Madagascar. The length of the animal can reach no more than 45 centimeters, and it weighs about 3 kg. The tail exceeds the length of the body and is 60 cm. The Madagascar monkey has huge eyes and equally large hairless ears. The animal feeds on insects, which it extracts from tree bark using its claws.

It ranks ninth on the list of the ugliest animals. The habitat of these individuals is considered to be the coasts of Tasmania and Australia, where they live at a depth of 600 to 1200 meters. The fish can reach 30 centimeters in length. The peculiarity of these sea creatures is the absence of a swim bladder, which helps other fish stay afloat. Instead of a bubble, this function is performed by the gelatinous body of a drop fish, which has a lower density than that of water. These sea ​​creatures They rarely move, waiting for the moment when the prey itself swims past.

Long-horned sabertooth

The eighth place among the most terrible animals is occupied by predatory fish. These are quite small individuals, reaching a length of 15 cm and weighing no more than 120 grams. The predator has a large head, but it’s good developed jaws have numerous, terrifying fangs. The habitat of the fish is the Pacific, Atlantic and Indian Oceans. They live at a depth of 500-700 meters. The sabertooth's diet consists of fish, squid and crustaceans.

Refers to the most unattractive living creatures on earth. They live mainly in Madagascar. A special feature of geckos is their protective coloring, which can change and adapt to surrounding objects. Adults can reach a length of more than 30 centimeters. Lead by forest dwellers exclusively night look life. They have huge eyes that do not have eyelids. Geckos use their tongue to clean their organs of vision. Animals feed on insects, which they get from the ground.

Matamata giant tortoise

It ranks sixth among the ugliest animals in the world. These bizarre individuals can reach a length of 50 cm and gain weight up to 15 kg. What makes the turtle unattractive is its triangular head with a proboscis and long neck with numerous growths. Matamata is quite common and chooses standing waters as its habitat. The diet of the individual mainly consists of fish. It loves warmth very much, so it chooses bodies of water where the water has a temperature of at least +28 degrees. Under suitable conditions, it can live in captivity.

Goblin Shark

In fifth place among the most terrible animals in the world is the deep sea. The largest individuals of this species can reach 4 meters in length and weigh 200 kg. Such sharks are common from Australian waters Pacific Ocean to the Atlantic. They live at a depth of more than 200 meters. They feed on fish, squid and crabs. Goblin sharks have sharp and long front teeth, and their back teeth are adapted for crushing shells. Since the animal lives on great depth, then it does not pose a danger to humans, since the chances of encountering it at sea are negligible.

Monkfish

The fourth place in the list of the most unattractive animals is occupied by fish. Gigantic sea ​​monster can reach a length of 2 meters and weigh up to 57 kg. Monkfish refers to edible fish. Dishes made from its meat are especially popular in France. The habitat of the monkfish is quite wide, but most often it can be found off the coast Atlantic Ocean. The depth at which sea ​​creature Capable of living ranges from 18 to 550 meters. The animal feeds mainly on fish. The predator hides at the bottom, and when the prey swims up, it swallows it along with the water. Thanks to the hand-like pectoral fins monkfish can creep up to the victim unnoticed or even jump, catching him by surprise.

sea ​​lamprey

Star-nosed

Some of the ugliest creatures on the planet include star-nosed. The mammal of the mole family is capable of scaring away with its appearance anyone who meets on its way. It's all about the ugly growths on the animal's face, which together resemble a star. Hence the name star-nosed. These grow up underground inhabitants up to 13 centimeters in length. The weight of an adult, as a rule, does not exceed 85 grams. The growths on the animal’s face serve as an organ of smell. Using it, he determines the suitability of the product for food. You can meet the starfish in the east North America. Individuals lead an active lifestyle, both during the day and at night. They feed on earthworms and sometimes small fish.

Naked mole rat

Tops the ranking of the most terrible animals. The ugly rodent has a number of features: it is not sensitive to certain types of pain and has good immunity to cancer cells. Life expectancy is on average 30 years. The body of a naked mole rat, including its tail, most often does not exceed 14 centimeters, and they weigh no more than 80 grams. Underground animals have very powerful, developed jaws, which help them bite into solid soil, and very acute hearing. Bare, wrinkled skin, on which there is practically no hair, has pink sometimes with yellowish tints. Their habitat is considered to be dry savannas and semi-deserts of Somalia, Kenya, and Ethiopia. The mole rat feeds exclusively on root crops and does not drink water. These rodents live in colonies, which can consist of 80–300 individuals. The length of the tunnel occupied by one colony is 3-5 km.

Planet Earth has become home to so many living beings that it is simply impossible to list them. Nature has endowed some with intelligence, some with strength and the ability to adapt to any conditions, some with beauty or attractiveness, and some with ugliness. In this article we will try to look at the ugliest animals on our planet.

Photos of the ugliest animals

Blob fish

You can rightfully start our top parade with the amazing, unusual and even scary creature- this is a drop fish. The creature belongs to the family of sea bottom Psycholutes. This fish, due to its strange appearance, is often called the ugliest creature depths of the sea. It is assumed that the drop fish lives at a depth of 700-1300 m near the coast of Tasmania and Australia, where today it is most often pulled to the surface by fishing nets. It should be said that this species today it faces extinction.

The ugliest animals in the world, in the person of the blob fish, can rightfully star in horror films without any director’s additions, so to speak “in pure form" Her smooth head resembles human face, in length it reaches no more than 30 cm. On the head there is a process similar to a nose, on the sides of which there are two eyes. The dullness of the expression “face” is given by the fact that the interorbital space, compared to the diameter of the eyes, is much wider.

Naked mole rat

The top "ugliest animals in the world" can rightfully continue with a small creature called the naked mole rat. It’s certainly true that appearances are deceptive - at first glance, such an absurd and outwardly stupid character in American animated series. Moreover, the longer you look at this rodent, the stupider it seems.

The animal's front teeth give it the appearance of a confusedly smiling creature. However, it only seems so. The naked mole rat can even pass through concrete with its teeth. It costs him nothing to make a hole one meter wide in a concrete wall. His teeth are as hard as diamonds. And the effect is enhanced by the fact that 25% of his muscles are aimed at working the jaws (in humans only 1%).

The naked mole rat, as the second participant in our list of “the ugliest animals in the world,” can also be called the most because a third of its brain is aimed at only one action - gnawing, gnawing and gnawing again. It’s scary to think what kind of animal it would have turned out to be if nature had just as actively worked on its other physical capabilities.

Madagascar aye-aye

And closing our review of “the ugliest animals in the world” will be the Madagascar aye-aye. Looking at the photo of this creature, you won’t believe that the animal exists in reality.

This animal is more like a character from a mystical film. He is cute, awkward, and scary at the same time. The animal lives in the forests of Madagascar, due to active deforestation of which the species is on the verge of extinction.

Today, bats (their second name) are caught from forests and introduced into lemur reserves. Colonies are also being created outside of Madagascar. Little arms, in appearance, are truly perceived as the ugliest animals on the planet; their body length is about 40 cm, and together with the tail can reach a whole meter. Nocturnal primates are born 16 centimeters in length, always only in one copy, once every three years.

Especially for Halloween, the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) Russia has compiled a list of the 13 most terrible animals in the world. We present to your attention this selection.

1. Sickle-winged leaf-nosed bat


The flat muzzle of this animal is a little reminiscent of a pig's. The sickle-winged leaf-nosed bat lives in Cuba and Haiti. It is harmless to humans. The prey of the leafworm is mainly wild figs. Apart from this, almost nothing is known about this animal - it is one of the most mysterious species bats.

2. Lesser Angolan fruit bat


Fruit bats are not bats- they are called flying dogs. Unlike bats, fruit bats rely not on echolocation, but on vision and hearing when moving. That's why their eyes are so big.

3. Aye-Aye


Aye-aye lives in Madagascar and is a bit like Dobby the House Elf from the Harry Potter books. Nature gave this primate teeth like a rodent and a long middle finger, with which he obtains food for himself in the same way as a woodpecker with its beak. Aye-aye is in danger - not only because the forests in which he lives are being destroyed, but also because of the prejudices of the local residents. An ancient Malagasy legend says that the aye-aye is a symbol of death, and a person who encounters an aye-aye in the forest faces death.

4. White shark


The main character of the film "Jaws" is the most dangerous shark for humans. Its length usually exceeds four meters, and the power of its jaws combined with sharp teeth makes its bite fatal to most victims. However, as is known, more people More people in the world die from using a toaster than from any sharks. At the same time, she herself white shark is rapidly dying out: only 3,500 individuals remain.


Note You need to understand that the shark does not specifically hunt people - their meat is simply tasteless to it, and people are not included in the shark food chain.

5. Lemon Shark


Not the largest (up to 3 meters) shark, but one of the most powerful.

The good news is that she is not interested in people! However, like any other shark.

6. Wolf


During a chase, a wolf can reach speeds of 65 km/h. At the wolf's strong jaws with sharp fangs and so-called carnivorous teeth, with which it tears and chews meat.

The wolf's jaws are so powerful that it can break a moose's thigh in 6-8 bites.

7. Long-horned sabertooth


Coal-black rough skin and a gigantic head with many fangs. Some people think this predatory fish the most terrible animals in the world. Meanwhile, the weight of an adult is only 120 grams.

8. South African mountain viper


There is not even an article about this snake on Wikipedia - neither in English nor in Russian (note: in fact there is). It is so small in number. There are only two small populations in South Africa. WWF has a photo of it because one of the populations lives in nature reserve De Hoop, assisted by the South African branch of the World Fund.


Like many other African vipers, this snake is distinguished by horn-like growths on its head. Those who have seen the viper in person note that there is something devilish in its appearance!

9. Tailed viper


Another “horned” viper. It is poisonous, and its bite is dangerous to humans, but not fatal.

10. Tiger


Many people adore tigers. But this animal is one of the most dangerous predators planets. Now tigers have become an endangered species. Some people kill them for their body parts - there is a naive superstition that tiger medicine makes a person as strong as a tiger. Someone kills for a beautiful skin. If you want to help save the tiger from extinction, join WWF at wwf.ru/tiger.

11. Polar bear


The length of the largest land predator on the planet reaches 3 meters, and weight - 1 ton! When an unsuspecting sea animal pokes its head out of the sea, the bear stuns it with its paw and drags it onto the ice floe. This predator can also attack on land.

Bears are of little interest to people, but due to climate change, these animals are increasingly forced to climb onto land in search of food, and they are beginning to enter villages. Therefore, WWF created the “Bear Patrol” - teams of local residents who drive bears away from villages in order to save the lives of both.

12. Labyrinth Spider


This spider spins a flat, plate-like web that is connected to a web corridor. He hides in this tunnel, waiting for his victim. Just like in the plots of hundreds of adventure films, where the hero has an unexpected encounter with an arthropod in an underground labyrinth. By the way, the labyrinth spider lives in Europe, including Russia.

13. Man


Man cuts down forests, builds dams, emits greenhouse gases into the atmosphere, and pollutes the air and water. Gradually, man turns into an “ecological debtor,” spending much more resources than the Earth can provide. Every year, approximately 7 million tons of garbage are dumped into the seas and oceans. Large industrial countries produce 400 million tons annually toxic waste. Every second, more than 1.5 hectares of virgin forests disappear on Earth, and in total, humans have destroyed more than 65% of virgin forests...

But those same people can be brave and noble. Not only in relation to each other, but also to smaller brothers. People risk their lives to protect tigers from poachers, nurse orphan elephants, and rescue forest fires hedgehogs, millions of trees are planted, and a wide variety of living creatures are treated for diseases and wounds.

This was a list of the 13 scariest animals in the world, prepared especially for Halloween by the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) Russia. Well, don’t forget: there are no ugly animals.

Everyone loves animals - cats, dogs, hamsters and other cute animals, but you are unlikely to want to have one as a pet one of the creatures of nature presented in this collection. Not all creatures living on our planet look beautiful and aesthetically pleasing, but even the strangest and nastiest of them have the right to life, because evolution continues for millions of years, and each of these animals takes its own place under the sun (or in the depths of the ocean) .

The Ugly Animals Protection Society recently announced a competition for the most ridiculous and strange animal to become its mascot. Here you will find 12 “applicants” for this honorable position.

1. Drop fish

The Latin name of this sea creature is Psychrolutes marcidus (it is also called “psychrolute goby”). The blobfish lives off the coast of Australia and Tasmania, usually at depths of 600 to 1200 meters - its jelly-like body allows it to withstand enormous water pressure. Due to increasing cases of illegal fishing, this not very attractive sea creature is in danger of extinction.

2. Proboscis Monkey

The proboscis monkey (lat. Nasalis larvatus) lives on the island of Borneo, and in addition to its huge, ridiculous nose, it is known for its extremely shrill and nasty voice. Big nose only males can boast, for whom this physiological feature, as well as loud screams, is a way of attracting females during the mating period.

3. Two-clawed turtle (pig-nosed turtle, lat. Carettochelys insculpta)

These inhabitants of the fresh waters of Australia and New Guinea are the only representatives of their kind soft shell turtles, related to living fossil animals. Long nose, similar to a pig's snout, allows turtles to breathe while underwater.

4. One-humped jumping slug

At first glance, the slug that lives on the American continent and reaches six cm in length is unremarkable, but nature has rewarded it unique ability: When a slug senses danger, it can jump very high to avoid the threat.

5. Titicaca Whistler

This soft-bodied frog, living in Lake Titicaca, is the largest amphibian on Earth that never comes onto land. These animals grow up to 15 cm in length, and the structure of the surface of the skin allows the whistler to absorb oxygen directly from the water, so the frog appears on the surface only occasionally.

6. Axolotl

Under unusual name hiding a creature belonging to the amphibian class amphibian species. In fact, the axolotl is a neotenic larva, that is, these animals reach sexual maturity at the larval stage of development, without turning into an adult. In addition, axolotls are known for their ability to regenerate lost body parts.

By the way, translated from the Aztec language, axolotl means “water toy.” These unique animals live in the reservoirs of Mexico City, and currently their numbers are rapidly declining due to environmental degradation.

7. Bats

These winged mammals are considered one of the most disgusting-looking creatures of nature, which is why 18 species are vying for the title of mascot of the Society for the Protection of Ugly Animals. The photo shows one of the most striking representatives of the order Chiroptera - the great horseshoe bat.

8. Toad lizard

Strange creatures, more like ugly toads than lizards, are distributed from the southwestern United States and northern Mexico to Guatemala and Central America.

Nature has endowed some of the species of toad-shaped (or, as they are also called, horned) lizards with interesting defense mechanism: when threatened, a reptile can squirt a small portion of its own blood from its eyes into a predator, which has a sharp, unpleasant odor.

9. Kakapo (owl parrot)

As a rule, when hearing the word “parrot,” many people imagine cute, bright birds capable of reproducing human speech. However, not all parrots can pronounce words, and, for example, kakapo, or owl parrots (lat. Strigops habroptilus), inhabiting the forests of New Zealand, do not even fly and do not have a particularly outstanding appearance.

10. Common river eel

The unsightly appearance of a resident of the fresh waters of Europe cannot mislead poachers - the meat of river eels tastes excellent, so lately The predator is being mercilessly exterminated - in 2008, the European eel was included in the Red Book as a species on the verge of extinction.

11. Pubic louse

That's already more three million For years, these insects have lived side by side with people, or rather, in human hair. Few things in themselves can be more disgusting than finding such a “guest” in one’s hair, so humanity is taking all measures to protect itself from such a “neighborhood.” As a result, the number of lice around the world has sharply decreased, and scientists have sounded the alarm - one of oldest species may disappear from the face (and hair) of the Earth.

12. African dung beetle

An animal sacred to the ancient Egyptians, known as the scarab, spends its entire life literally in shit, or rather in elephant and bull dung. IN recent years The population of African dung beetles has declined greatly, as as a result of improved sanitary conditions in cities, it is becoming increasingly difficult for them to find a suitable pile of dung, the quality of which scarabs are very demanding.

The beetles roll dung into balls and are able to travel quite significant distances with such “baggage”, and the dung is used not only as food, but also as an air conditioner - the evaporation of wet dung allows the scarab to effectively cool itself by climbing onto its ball.

By the way, earlier scientists discovered that in their movements dung beetles are able to navigate by Milky Way, Sun and Moon, so as not to go astray.

Some animals are so cute that your first reaction will be to run up to them and hug them. Other animals can be so scary that one glance is enough to understand that you need to run away (even if they are not so dangerous to people). The most terrible animals also do not have the same features. Some animals may look huggable, but we all know they'll tear us to pieces the first chance they get. And then there are monsters, lurking in the shadows, watching and waiting for us to take a wrong turn. Whether you're ready for it or not, here are the 25 scariest animals you should run from!

25. Phryn

What is unique about the phryne, or flagellated spider, is that it is not actually dangerous to people, but it looks so creepy that running away is the only option.

24. Tarantula Goliath

Photo: commons.wikimedia.org

The tarantula Goliath is the most big spider in the world. It can reach 30 cm. This fact alone should make you rush away from it. In addition, spiders are poisonous and can produce fine hairs that will leave marks on the skin that itch for several days. Plus, the spider has fangs that can bite through the skin of an elk.

23. African honey bee

Photo: commons.wikimedia.org

Most people try to stay away if they see a swarm of bees in the area where they are, but the African is a completely different breed. They are invasive and much more likely to attack, especially in large quantities. If they perceive you as a threat, they will attack you.

22. Giant African snail

Photo: commons.wikimedia.org

Photo: commons.wikimedia.org

Fortunately, land dwellers like us don't have to worry about it too often. Tiger fish Goliath. However, if for some unknown reason your legs are knee-deep in the Congo River, you will want to run faster than the wind when you see this creature heading towards you. These fish are fast, they have sharp teeth and they even feed on small crocodiles.

20. Crested baboon

Photo: Pixabay.com

The crested baboon may not be the largest animal, being the size of a small dog, but their bizarre appearance and the sharp teeth may make you think twice before approaching.

19. Lesula

Photo: commons.wikimedia.org

The newly discovered Lesula primate species looks like old men in a monkey costume, which is creepy enough to make you stop in your tracks and head the other way. They will most likely do the same and you can pretend nothing happened.

18. Tiger

Photo: Pixabay.com

Tigers are beautiful and majestic creatures. They are also effective and predatory killers. According to Tigers of the World, between 1800 and 2009, 373,000 people were killed by tigers. And these are probably only the numbers that we know.

17. Shoebill

Photo: commons.wikimedia.org

Shoebills are not to be trifled with. It's got a scary-looking rear end and eyes that say "I want to kill you," so it doesn't take a genius to figure out that it's best to run if you encounter it. Of course, they usually don't have people on their menu. Shoebills mainly eat fish and eels. Oh yes, and little crocodiles!

16. Japanese giant hornet

Photo: commons.wikimedia.org

The Japanese Giant Hornet will come at you and take no prisoners, and since it is the size of your palm, it would be wise to run away from it. They are believed to kill 40 people every year in Japan.

15. Polar bear

Photo: commons.wikimedia.org

They are very funny on the Coca-Cola children's poster, but this image is deceptive, these Arctic inhabitants are aggressive, ferocious and will not hesitate to feed you to their young. According to a study published in the Wildlife Society Bulletin, attacks on humans are on the rise.

14. Lobster moth caterpillar

Photo: commons.wikimedia.org

If you don't feel shaky in your legs after seeing a lobster moth caterpillar, you're a brave soul. As you might expect, her appearance is designed to to a greater extent more to ward off predators than anything else, but you should know that these caterpillars will defend themselves if necessary.

13. Green anaconda

Photo: commons.wikimedia.org

Look at the Green Anaconda and cry. This “hippopotamus” can grow up to 8 meters in length and 30 cm in width. Anacondas hunt wild pigs, deer and even jaguars. No animal is theoretically too big for a snake to slowly squeeze, swallow and digest.

12. Star-nosed mole

Photo: flickr.com

All you have to do is take one look at the star-nosed mole and you'll wonder if you're alone on this planet. With giant claws and a creepy-looking nose, it digs easily into the ground and, being practically blind, senses the road by touching everything around it with its nose.

11. Amazonian giant centipede

Photo: WikipediaCommons.com

The Amazonian giant centipede is the largest centipede in the world, reaching 30 centimeters or more. To top it all off, this stomping nightmare has a powerful toxin that can kill most animals and seriously injure humans. They are also quite aggressive.

10. Leo

Photo: commons.wikimedia.org

Do we really need to convince you that lions are scary? You might think they are harmless and avoid people, but in Tanzania alone they can kill up to 100 people every year. Over the years, several man-eating lions have emerged that have a penchant for human flesh. They are fast, cunning and chase their prey like... serial killer. If you ever see a lion in wildlife, hope and pray that you can escape quickly enough. The sad fact is that you can't do this.

9. Scorpio

Photo: commons.wikimedia.org

A relative of spiders and ticks, the scorpion is one creepy crawly caterpillar you don't want to find in your bed. Firstly, because their appearance is terrible, and also because of their tail part of the metasoma body, at the end of which there is a poisonous sting.

8. Marabou stork

Photo: commons.wikimedia.org

The Marabou stork does not give birth to children, it eats them. You heard correctly. This bird does not waste time on trifles. Natural scavengers, they eat everything. So think twice before approaching one of them.

7. Gorilla

Photo: Pixabay.com

While gorillas are generally peaceful and well-behaved, if provoked, things can take a turn for the worse. Gorillas are big, strong and relatively fast, so you'll never want to dance with one. If they ever get a hold of you, they may bite off a large chunk of your flesh or drag you around like a rag doll.

6. Portuguese man of war

Photo: en.wikipedia.org

When you look at the Man of Portugal, you'll probably say it's a jellyfish. But in fact, this animal consists of a colony of organisms. Despite this, its tentacles can kill an animal and cause an extremely painful wound to a person.

5. Komodo dragon



Photo: commons.wikimedia.org

Komodo dragons are the largest, heaviest and most venomous lizards in the world. They can also see 300 meters. So they will most likely see you before you see them. By the time you see a dragon, you'd definitely better get away, or you'll become its next meal.

4. Black Mamba

Photo: commons.wikimedia.org

Named for the color of the inside of its mouth, the Black Mamba evokes a certain fear in anyone who hears its name or sees it in real life. She is fast, smart and deadly. Two drops of this snake's venom can kill a person.

3. Nile Crocodile

Photo: commons.wikimedia.org

Reaching up to 6m in length, these shrewd, carnivorous descendants of dinosaurs boast tough hides, razor-sharp teeth, and, unlike alligators, hunt humans. Crocodiles native to the Nile are responsible for 300 attacks on humans per year.

2. Aye-aye

Photo: commons.wikimedia.org

Aye-aye's big eyes and long black fingers are enough to cause real horror. But it doesn't end there. It has sharp teeth strong enough to chew concrete and one tiny, creepy finger that it uses to catch prey.

1. Grizzly bear

Photo: commons.wikimedia.org

Gigantic, vicious and waving his claws as if on his paws sharpest knives, the grizzly bear is one scary animal that you definitely don't want to encounter in the forest. If you've seen the movie The Revenant, you know what we're talking about. Grizzlies can weigh up to 385.5 kg, and their maximum speed is 56.3 km/h. So good luck running the race.