Happy Valentines Day, Ugly Animals

Happy Valentines Day to some of the awesomest ‘ugly’ animals ever. We salute you.

Happy Valentine’s Day, Blobfish.

Photo: Science.Discovery.com

This poor wee thing was voted to become the official mascot of the Ugly Animal Preservation Scoiety. It skulks around on the bottom of ocean floors, hoping no-one will notice it.

Happy Valentine’s Day, Aye-Aye.

Photo: Getty Images

How could anyone think this poor little aye-aye is ugly? It’s a wee creature from Madagascar which is currently endangered because it’s seen as a bad omen and killed whenever it’s seen. Fortunately it’s able to defend itself with its soft vulnerable little body and total lack of aggression towards large omen-fearing predators. And thus… endangered.

Happy Valentine’s Day, Star-Nosed Mole.

Photo: Kenneth Catania

Yes, this is a mole. It’s a sort of Cthulhu mole that only comes up from beneath the ground when the stars are right. His cute wee nose is made up of tentacles which are so sensitive they can even detect electricity. MOLE, MOLE YOU ARE AMAZING, MOLE.

Happy Valentine’s Day, Soft-Shelled Turtle.

Photo: Conservation International

What even is this? It’s the most relaxed turtle that ever existed. It’s a rare species from Cambodia that couldn’t be bothered to do the whole shell thing and just hung loose like some kind of reject from Alex Garland’s ‘The Beach’. It wasn’t even discovered until 2007. It was kind of averse to the hassle of being found.

Happy Valentine’s Day, Hairless Sphynx Cat.

Lots of people when they see a Sphynx cat go “eurgh eurgh eurgh eurgh eurgh”. Then they go “can I touch it”. If the cat is willing, this is the correct response. More people should touch Sphynx cats because they feel like soft chamois leather and are genuinely lovely things.

The Ugly Animal Preservation Society is a comedy act rather than an actual preservation society, but they’re worth following on Twitter because they help to raise awareness that it’s not just photogenic pandas who need our help if they’re to get off the ‘endangered’ list.

Happy Valentine’s Day, all you animals!

Roses are red
Lesula monkeybums are blue
Animals are ace
Regardless of shape, size or hue