What is the ugliest animal according to National Geographic?

  • Thread starter Ivan Seeking
  • Start date
In summary, the National Geographic magazine shows a picture of a naked mole rat. This is an ugly and pathetic looking animal. Some people didn't spot the article online but found another image that better conveyed the idea. There are other favorite animals that we have not mentioned yet.
  • #1
Ivan Seeking
Staff Emeritus
Science Advisor
Gold Member
8,142
1,756
A recent National Geographic magazine shows a picture of a naked mole rat. This is about the ugliest and most pathetic looking animal I think I've ever seen. I didn't spot the NG article online, but I found another image that conveys the idea. Do we have any other favorites?

http://img72.exs.cx/img72/8599/molerat3sp.jpg
Compliments of Cornell University at
http://www.news.cornell.edu/highres.cgi$http://www.news.cornell.edu/photos/mole-rat.300.JPEG
 
Last edited by a moderator:
Physics news on Phys.org
  • #2
oh yes, please keep it clean folks. :biggrin:
 
  • #3
Naked mole rats?
 
  • #4
Thanks for posting the picture :yuck:
 
  • #5
On the plus side, it does have the strongest jaw muscle for any mammal its size.

You win some you lose some...
 
  • #6
hypatia said:
Naked mole rats?
Yes, they usually wear the traditional mole rat costume, and as you can see from the photo, it's best if they keep their costumes on.
 
  • #7
I was going to say the ugliest things I've ever seen, but couldn't decide on:

1) This rash that won't go away (or maybe a boil on...?)
2) The guy next to me when I woke up this morning (Boy I had too much to drink last night!)
3) What I saw last night:

http://img20.exs.cx/img20/9164/nicecrack2xx.th.jpg
 
  • #8
actually i wasnt repulsed by this at all..

i think i might go into biology after physics in the end.. :rolleyes:
 
  • #9
brewnog said:
On the plus side, it does have the strongest jaw muscle for any mammal its size.

FYI, they also use the Earth's magnetic field for navigation. The NG article showed them holding their little compasses. :biggrin:
 
  • #10
SOS2008 said:
http://img20.exs.cx/img20/9164/nicecrack2xx.th.jpg

I hear that more and more women are working as plumbers.
 
  • #11
Ivan Seeking said:
I hear that more and more women are working as plumbers.
Well that one had better stay away from my pipes. :yuck:
 
  • #12
Good God has that woman no friends? Surely someone would tell her that her ...ummm Grand canyon has excaped?
 
  • #13
hypatia said:
Good God has that woman no friends? Surely someone would tell her that her ...ummm Grand canyon has excaped?
Grand perhaps, but it sure ain't great.
 
  • #14
hypatia said:
Good God has that woman no friends? Surely someone would tell her that her ...ummm Grand canyon has excaped?

Well, you'd think she'd notice the draft! :bugeye:



Ivan, is that mole rat in the center pregnant?! It really seems to be bulging in the middle quite a bit. That, or it's got some horrid tumor. None of the others seem to be shaped quite that way. It's a good thing they're moles; when you look like that, it's much better to be blind. :rofl:
 
  • #15
brewnog said:
...it does have the strongest jaw muscle for any mammal its size...
Is it a female that talks alot?
 
  • #16
is it me or those rats are dead??
 
  • #17
cronxeh said:
is it me or those rats are dead??

Well, you don't seem dead either. No, they're not dead, they do look all piled up, probably staged for the photo, but they're supposed to be that ugly.
 
  • #18
2CentsWorth said:
Is it a female that talks alot?
Since you're new here, I'll excuse your redundancy.

Cronxeh said:
:approve: is it me or those rats are dead??
Must be you... but I was going to blame it on Brewnog's aftershave. :uhh:
 
  • #19
Moonbear said:
...they're supposed to be that ugly.
The Naked Truth about Mole-Rats
by Jill Locantore
Endowed with pinkish-gray, wrinkly skin, scant hair, and long buck teeth, naked mole-rats (Heterocephalus glaber) aren’t likely to win any beauty contests. Some might refer to them as downright ugly, resembling an overcooked hotdog with teeth. Nonetheless, biologists and zoogoers are enchanted with these bizarre rodents.
Endowed? Well that's one word...
Naked mole-rats spend virtually their entire lives in the total darkness of underground burrows. Ensconced in the arid soils of Africa, these three-inch-long creatures must continually dig tunnels in search of sporadic food supplies and evade the deadly jaws of snakes. Within this formidable environment, naked mole-rats have broken many mammalian rules and evolved an oddly insect-like social system.
They don't need to be concerned about appearances, because no one sees them--they don't even see one another (good thing, for mating purposes, and talk about mothers who think their babies are cute).

As for the other photo, I haven't found data on this species yet, so can't make a "wise crack" at this time...
 
  • #20
2CentsWorth said:
Is it a female that talks alot?

:mad: Okay sisters, which method should we use for torturing this one? I think Hypatia brought up the topic of boiling in oil recently. I don't think we've done that one yet. :devil:
 
  • #21
<overhears Moonbear and sneaks rapidly back to another thread before being detected>
 
  • #22
Danger said:
<overhears Moonbear and sneaks rapidly back to another thread before being detected>

You'll get yours too, don't worry. I'm thinking we may need to arrange for a few surprises in the cancer clinic.
 
  • #23
Danger said:
Must be you... but I was going to blame it on Brewnog's aftershave. :uhh:

Sorry bud, that's 100% au naturelle.

Next time you need an excuse for a smell, give me 24 hours notice and I'll be sweatier than a nun in a cucumber factory.
 
  • #24
Moonbear said:
we may need to arrange for a few surprises in the cancer clinic.
:shy: Oh goodie! :smile: I like surprises! (Will there be cake too?) :tongue2:

Brewnog said:
Next time you need an excuse for a smell, give me 24 hours notice and I'll be sweatier than a nun in a cucumber factory.
:rofl: :rofl:As much as it galls me to admit defeat, I got nothin' to top that.
 
  • #25
Moonbear said:
You'll get yours too, don't worry. I'm thinking we may need to arrange for a few surprises in the cancer clinic.
Uh-oh. I guess I should stay in the weeds for awhile too... Maybe make ammends by working at the cucumber factory?
 
Last edited:
  • #26
2CentsWorth said:
Maybe make ammends by working at the cucumber factory?
Just make sure you're careful in there, and watch where you're going. If they're anything like the blind lesbians in the fish market, those nuns'll trample you to death.
 
  • #27
Re Moonbear: Yes, I should have mentioned that the large rat in the center is pregnant.
 
  • #28
Moonbear said:
:mad: Okay sisters, which method should we use for torturing this one? I think Hypatia brought up the topic of boiling in oil recently. I don't think we've done that one yet. :devil:
Skip the tourture. I've just cleaned my bazooka. Wanna test it out? :biggrin:
 
  • #29
Tsu said:
Skip the tourture. I've just cleaned my bazooka. Wanna test it out? :biggrin:
Yes, please! Teach me how to use it?
 
  • #30
Math Is Hard said:
Yes, please! Teach me how to use it?
Down, girl! It's not what you think... :biggrin:
 
  • #31
what the... HEY.. is that what you Canadians call a bazooka now?!
 
  • #32
cronxeh said:
what the... HEY.. is that what you Canadians call a bazooka now?!
No, not us. I figured, from MIH's enthusiastic reaction, that she misunderstood. I forgot about her being a Texan though; I suppose she could get that excited over a weapon... :rolleyes:
 
  • #33
Math Is Hard said:
Yes, please! Teach me how to use it?
Okey Dokey! First, open the car door (yes, that's your bazooka mounted on the roof :biggrin:) and sit in the drivers seat. See that little glowing dial next to th CD player? Push the buttons on the edge of the dial (up, down, left, right) until what you want to blow away is in your 'sights' (see camera to the right of the dial). Then just push the little button in the middle of the dial and hang on to that steering wheel! - especially if you're using it on that gas-guzzling SUV in front of you on the freeway! :biggrin: (thanks for overusing a limited resource and jacking up the prices again! :grumpy: you big BOZO! Push the button NOW, Math! /rant :biggrin: :rofl: ) Now, if you're not driving during use, you don't REALLY have to worry about hanging on to the steering wheel. But it's a good habit to get into... :rofl: :rofl: :rofl:
 
  • #34
Danger said:
No, not us. I figured, from MIH's enthusiastic reaction, that she misunderstood. I forgot about her being a Texan though; I suppose she could get that excited over a weapon... :rolleyes:
Oh, yes. We of The Sisterhood LOVE our weapons. :biggrin: :wink:
 
  • #35
This is SO awesome! Yee haw! I don't know who to aim at first.

Thanks, Tsu! Dang, I love the way you've tricked out the RV!
HONK! HONK!HONK! HONK!

Hey, mo fo! Cutting me off was a very bad choice! See you in hell, tough guy! :devil: :cool: heh hehe ...

shhooomm ...BLLAMMMM!
 

Hot Threads

Recent Insights

Back
Top