Sunday, May 29, 2011

Dugong aka Sea Cow

As wiki says
The dugong (Dugong dugon) is a large marine mammal which, together with the manatees, is one of four living species of the order Sirenia. It is the only living representative of the once-diverse family Dugongidae; its closest modern relative, Steller's sea cow (Hydrodamalis gigas), was hunted to extinction in the 18th century.
These sirenian marine mammals normally feed off sea grass in Australia's northern coastal waters. It is believed that mermaid myths were born from pirates and sailors sighting dugongs.

The dugong has been hunted for thousands of years for its meat and oil, although dugong hunting also has great cultural significance throughout its range. The dugong's current distribution is reduced and disjunct, and many populations are close to extinction.

A dugong reaches sexual maturity between the ages of eight and eighteen, older than in most other mammals. Mating behaviour varies between populations located in different areas. In some populations, males will establish a territory which females in heat will visit. In these areas a male will try to impress the females while defending the area from other males, a practice known as lekking.

Ugly Animals - Sea Cow






Monday, May 23, 2011

Warthog

Weird name it has and weird looks too. I am guessing a Warthog is what you get when you cross a hog with a toad and mix in a little rhino just for fun. A Warthog is also called as Phacochoerus Africanus (African Lens Pig).

Warthogs are considered to be non-endangered and are commonly found roaming Africa’s savanna grasslands for young green shoots and tubers. Their “warts” are actually bony protrusions on their skulls, more prominent in males where they are used to fight with rivals. Warthogs also have several pairs of tusks – actually overgrown canine teeth that curve wickedly like sabers. Impressive, yes. Attractive, no.

Warthogs range in size from 0.91 to 1.5 m (3.0 to 4.9 ft) in length and 50 to 75 kg (110 to 170 lb) in weight. A warthog is identifiable by the two pairs of tusks protruding from the mouth and curving upwards.

Ugly Animal - Warthog






Sunday, May 22, 2011

MonkFish

As Wikipedia says,
Monkfish (also known as Headfish or "Poor Man’s Lobster") is the English name of a number of types of fish in the northwest Atlantic, most notably the species of the anglerfish genus Lophius and the angelshark genus Squatina. The term is also occasionally used for a European sea monster more often called a sea monk.
It is a type of fish inhibits in the northwest coastal Atlantic area. It can grow up to a length of 5ft or more but the species with the length of 3ft are more commonly seen. It weights between 7 to 15 pounds but can also reach a maximum weight of 50 pounds. Its body is composed mainly of a huge, gaping mouth attached to a muscular tail.

There is an uglier thing when compared to these Monkfish. Wanna know what? Okay, Do a Google Search for Monkfish Recipes and there are plenty of results. YUCK! I wonder how can someone eat these fishes. I would die starving than eating these fishes Lol

BUT, I will tell you a "Monkfish as Food" fact - The only edible portions of the monkfish are its muscular tail and its liver. The tail meat of the monkfish is delicious: dense, sweet, and very similar to lobster tail meat in both flavor and texture. Like many fish, monkfish is an excellent low-fat, low-cholesterol source of protein and B vitamins. Monkfish liver is quite popular in Japanese cuisine, usually served as sashimi (Ankimo).

Ugly Animals - Monkfish






Saturday, May 21, 2011

Dobsonfly

Friends, I know you probably must be angry on me for not updating this blog in the past few months but guess what? I am engaged :) So, I have been busy doing stuffs around (you know what it would be Lol). However, I told myself that I will (try atleast Lol) to keep this blog going. As I always say, these weird creatures make me wonder a lot. It is not that I do not like them or something but I really feel somewhat intrested to know more about them. May be, I should join Geography Channel? Lol Enough ranting, now back to the Ugly Animal of the day - DOBSONFLY!

DOBSONFLY is also called as "The King Bug". Any bug must be ugly, isn't it? The ugliest part of this Dobsonfly is its larva viewed under a scanning electron microscope with the enlargement power of 10 to 500 times from its original size. Through the high powered microscope, humans have viewed some shocking scenes that the human eye itself is limited to seeing.

Dobsonfly inhibits throughout the Americas, particularly in the north and central part of America, and in Asia, Australia and Africa. This insect can be rather weird and frightening in its appearance. Both male and female Dobsonflies can grow up to the length of 5 inches (12.5cm), and have long antennae. When they do not use the wings, they will be folded along the length of their walking stick-like bodies. The female can breed between 100 to 1,000 eggs on a branch or on rocks near a stream.

Now, isn't that awesome? YEAH, still ugly though! :)

Ugly Animals - Dobsonfly Larva



Male Dobsonfly


Female Dobsonfly