# Identify these "awful" animals (with pics!)
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/identify-these-awful-animals-with-pics/522790
**Category:** Factual Questions
**Created:** [December 28, 2009, 11:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/identify-these-awful-animals-with-pics/522790 "2009-12-28T11:45:07Z")
**Posts on this page:** 20
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@psychonaut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/psychonaut)
#### Post date: [December 28, 2009, 11:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/identify-these-awful-animals-with-pics/522790/1 "2009-12-28T11:45:07Z")
I recently found a page called “[The most awful creatures in nature](http://izismile.com/2009/01/06/the_most_awful_creatures_in_nature_44_pics.html)”. It’s a collection of photos, with no labels or accompanying commentary, of strange-looking creatures. Some of them I recognize and some of them I don’t; some of them I suspect may be photoshopped or models of extinct creatures. Can you help me identify all the photos?
Here’s a list of the photos in order, with the ones I recognize in bold:
[ol]
[li]limpetty thing with a tail[/li][li]**[Japanese spider crab]([http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Japanese\_spider](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Japanese_spider) crab)**[/li][li]spiky lizard thing[/li][li]**[horseshoe crab](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/horseshoe_crab)**[/li][li]bird with a huge wattle[/li][li]**[baboon](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/baboon)**[/li][li]some kind of salamander[/li][li]**[axolotl](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/axolotl)**[/li][li]**[aye-aye](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/aye-aye)**[/li][li]**[mudskipper](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/mudskipper)**[/li][li]**[Belgian blue cattle]([http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Belgian\_blue](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Belgian_blue) cattle)**[/li][li]sharky thing with fin on nose[/li][li]**[coconut crab](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/coconut_crab)**[/li][li]**[colossal squid](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/colossal_squid)**[/li][li]**[colossal squid](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/colossal_squid)**[/li][li]caterpillar with huge horns[/li][li]transparent polka-dot marine creature[/li][li]blimpy cyan and pink cephalopod[/li][li]puffy yellow cephalopod[/li][li]cattle with impossibly large horns[/li][li]fish with viper’s head[/li][li]**[gharial](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/gharial)**[/li][li]**[gharial](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/gharial)**[/li][li]unicorn sharky thing with spiky teeth[/li][li]sluggy thing with spiky teeth[/li][li]ugly chicks[/li][li]**[aye-aye](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/aye-aye)**[/li][li]**[ocean sunfish](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ocean_sunfish)**[/li][li]some kind of arachnid[/li][li]some kind of centipede[/li][li]**[camel spider](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/camel_spider)**[/li][li]**[naked mole rat]([http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/naked\_mole](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/naked_mole) rat)**[/li][li]pink snaky thing with legs[/li][li]**[giant marine isopod]([http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/giant\_marine](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/giant_marine) isopod)**[/li][li]dirty arachnid[/li][li]stripey blue thing with feathery limbs[/li][li]primate with a cavernous nose[/li][li]possibly **[hog-nosed turtle](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/hog-nosed_turtle)**[/li][li]another large crab; possibly another **[Japanese spider crab]([http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Japanese\_spider](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Japanese_spider) crab)**[/li][li]some sort of creature with a large mouth and pointy teeth[/li][li]fish with enormous, widely spaced pointy teeth[/li][li]a giant beetle[/li][li]a large black spider[/li][li]**[vampire squid](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/vampire_squid)**[/li][/ol]
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### Author:  [@Rigamarole](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rigamarole)
#### Post date: [December 28, 2009, 11:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/identify-these-awful-animals-with-pics/522790/2 "2009-12-28T11:53:26Z")
I just recently saw a documentary featuring #7, the [Chinese giant salamander](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chinese_giant_salamander).
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### Author:  [@Ferret\_Herder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ferret_Herder)
#### Post date: [December 28, 2009, 11:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/identify-these-awful-animals-with-pics/522790/3 "2009-12-28T11:59:01Z")
#24 is the [goblin shark](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Goblin_shark). #25 looks a lot like just the head of one of these sharks, maybe preserved in some fashion.
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### Author:  [@Rigamarole](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rigamarole)
#### Post date: [December 28, 2009, 12:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/identify-these-awful-animals-with-pics/522790/4 "2009-12-28T12:12:24Z")
Sorry for the double post but after looking through all of them I can also identify #37, from the same documentary incidentally (it’s called _Wild China_. And those monkeys happen to be native to China). It’s a [snub-nosed monkey](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Snub-nosed_monkey), specifically either a [black](http://news.cultural-china.com/chinaWH/upload/goldenm1.jpg) or gray snub-nosed monkey.
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### Author:  [@Kamino\_Neko](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kamino_Neko)
#### Post date: [December 28, 2009, 12:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/identify-these-awful-animals-with-pics/522790/5 "2009-12-28T12:16:34Z")
The one under the Isopod is a [Sea Spider](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sea_spider). (In fact, it’s the self-same picture of one used in Wikipedia’s article.)
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### Author:  [@Superfluous\_Parentheses](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Superfluous_Parentheses)
#### Post date: [December 28, 2009, 12:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/identify-these-awful-animals-with-pics/522790/6 "2009-12-28T12:16:44Z")
17 and 18 are both some species of Grimpoteuthis “Dumbo Octopuses”.
ETA: #3 is an Armadillo Lizard
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### Author:  [@Aspidistra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Aspidistra)
#### Post date: [December 28, 2009, 12:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/identify-these-awful-animals-with-pics/522790/7 "2009-12-28T12:25:09Z")
For #3: [linkety-link](http://zoodaily.wordpress.com/2008/05/11/lizard-day/) (yes I know I’m late to the party)
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### Author:  [@Superfluous\_Parentheses](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Superfluous_Parentheses)
#### Post date: [December 28, 2009, 12:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/identify-these-awful-animals-with-pics/522790/8 "2009-12-28T12:31:37Z")
Oh I forgot to link 17 & 18 too: [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fDxBVZhZZwI](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fDxBVZhZZwI) (you really need video for this creature)
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### Author:  [@DrFidelius](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrFidelius)
#### Post date: [December 28, 2009, 12:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/identify-these-awful-animals-with-pics/522790/9 "2009-12-28T12:35:48Z")
#1 – a species of tadpole shrimp [Robyn's Error Page](http://www.fishpondinfo.com/shrimp2.htm#tadpole)
#5 – Marabou Stork [Marabou stork - Wikipedia](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marabou_Stork)
#12 – an immature shovelnose dogfish (sorry, no linkie)
I’ve got more, but I have to start work.
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### Author:  [@Oldeb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Oldeb)
#### Post date: [December 28, 2009, 12:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/identify-these-awful-animals-with-pics/522790/10 "2009-12-28T12:42:09Z")
**33** is a Mexican Mole Lizard aka Five Toed Worm Lizard
[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mexican\_mole\_lizard](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mexican_mole_lizard)[http://www.californiaherps.com/noncal/baja/bajalizards/pages/b.biporus.html](http://www.californiaherps.com/noncal/baja/bajalizards/pages/b.biporus.html)
**38** is actually a Cantor’s giant soft-shell turtle
[http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/6662589.stm](http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/6662589.stm)
**42** _looks_ like a Palo Verde beetle, but I’m not positive on that one
[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Derobrachus\_geminatus](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Derobrachus_geminatus)
**43** is a Giant Armored Trapdoor Spider
[http://exoreptiles.com.my/webstore/index.php?main\_page=product\_info&cPath=2\_17&products\_id=104](http://exoreptiles.com.my/webstore/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=2_17&products_id=104)
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### Author:  [@GuanoLad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GuanoLad)
#### Post date: [December 28, 2009, 1:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/identify-these-awful-animals-with-pics/522790/11 "2009-12-28T13:00:20Z")
#21 is a shrieking eel.
Not really, it’s a [Frilled Shark](http://www.smh.com.au/news/science/rare-shark-of-the-deep-snapped/2007/01/24/1169594348990.html).
#36 is a [pelagic sea slug](http://images.google.com/images?hl=en-GB&q=%22Pelagic+sea+slug%22), and shouldn’t be in a list of ugly creatures.
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### Author:  [@Bad\_Romance](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bad_Romance)
#### Post date: [December 28, 2009, 1:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/identify-these-awful-animals-with-pics/522790/12 "2009-12-28T13:48:39Z")
Three looks like a thorny devil, but I’m not sure…
I think some are quite cute, tbh.
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### Author:  [@jjimm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jjimm)
#### Post date: [December 28, 2009, 2:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/identify-these-awful-animals-with-pics/522790/13 "2009-12-28T14:07:21Z")
#30 [Orange-legged jungle centipede](http://animal-world.com/encyclo/reptiles/centipedes/VietnameseCentipede.php). They occur all over south-east Asia. I have been stung by one.
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### Author:  [@Laudenum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Laudenum)
#### Post date: [December 28, 2009, 3:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/identify-these-awful-animals-with-pics/522790/14 "2009-12-28T15:35:55Z")
I think 3 is a thorny devil.
They can spit blood from their eye.
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### Author:  [@yabob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/yabob)
#### Post date: [December 28, 2009, 4:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/identify-these-awful-animals-with-pics/522790/15 "2009-12-28T16:08:59Z")
#20, the cow with the huge horns is a Watusi bull. Some more pictures of the record holder, which looks like the same animal:
[http://digitalseller.tblog.com/post/1970097341](http://digitalseller.tblog.com/post/1970097341)
BTW, should “most awful creatures in nature” include two pictures of domestic livestock?
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### Author:  [@DrFidelius](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrFidelius)
#### Post date: [December 28, 2009, 4:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/identify-these-awful-animals-with-pics/522790/16 "2009-12-28T16:21:41Z")
Oh, and #10 is not a mudskipper. It is a batfish.
[http://www.flmnh.ufl.edu/fish/gallery/Descript/Batfish/Batfish.htm](http://www.flmnh.ufl.edu/fish/gallery/Descript/Batfish/Batfish.htm)
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### Author:  [@Argent\_Towers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Argent_Towers)
#### Post date: [December 28, 2009, 4:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/identify-these-awful-animals-with-pics/522790/17 "2009-12-28T16:30:27Z")
“Awful?” Come on. It’s not like they can help the way they look!
And a lot of them don’t even come close to looking like what I would call awful. Seriously - [this?](http://izismile.com/img/img2/20090106/nature_19.jpg) That’s like, one of the cutest things I’ve ever seen. How could anyone call that awful?
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### Author:  [@psychonaut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/psychonaut)
#### Post date: [December 28, 2009, 4:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/identify-these-awful-animals-with-pics/522790/18 "2009-12-28T16:31:17Z")
Thanks to everyone who’s contributed so far. Here’s a revised list showing what’s been recognized (in bold) and what still needs identification. I’m particularly interested in the fish with giant spiked teeth.
[ol]
[li]**[tadpole shrimp](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/tadpole_shrimp)**[/li][li]**[Japanese spider crab]([http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Japanese\_spider](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Japanese_spider) crab)**[/li][li]**[armadillo lizard](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/armadillo_lizard)**[/li][li]**[horseshoe crab](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/horseshoe_crab)**[/li][li]**[marabou stork](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/marabou_stork)**[/li][li]**[baboon](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/baboon)**[/li][li]**[Chinese giant salamander]([http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chinese\_giant](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chinese_giant) salamander)**[/li][li]**[axolotl](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/axolotl)**[/li][li]**[aye-aye](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/aye-aye)**[/li][li]**[batfish](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/batfish)**[/li][li]**[Belgian blue cattle]([http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Belgian\_blue](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Belgian_blue) cattle)**[/li][li]**[shovelnose dogfish](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/shovelnose_dogfish)**[/li][li]**[coconut crab](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/coconut_crab)**[/li][li]**[colossal squid](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/colossal_squid)**[/li][li]**[colossal squid](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/colossal_squid)**[/li][li]caterpillar with huge horns[/li][li]transparent polka-dot marine creature[/li][li]**[dumbo octopus](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/dumbo_octopus)**[/li][li]**[dumbo octopus](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/dumbo_octopus)**[/li][li]**[watusi cattle](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/watusi_cattle)**[/li][li]**[frilled shark](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/frilled_shark)**[/li][li]**[gharial](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/gharial)**[/li][li]**[gharial](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/gharial)**[/li][li]**[goblin shark](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/goblin_shark)**[/li][li]**[goblin shark](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/goblin_shark)**[/li][li]ugly chicks[/li][li]**[aye-aye](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/aye-aye)**[/li][li]**[ocean sunfish](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ocean_sunfish)**[/li][li]some kind of arachnid[/li][li]**[orange-legged jungle centipede]([http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/orange-legged\_jungle](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/orange-legged_jungle) centipede)**[/li][li]**[camel spider](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/camel_spider)**[/li][li]**[naked mole rat]([http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/naked\_mole](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/naked_mole) rat)**[/li][li]**[Mexican mole lizard]([Mexican mole - Wikipedia](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mexican_mole) lizard)**[/li][li]**[giant marine isopod]([http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/giant\_marine](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/giant_marine) isopod)**[/li][li]**[sea spider](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/sea_spider)**[/li][li]**[pelagic sea slug]([http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/pelagic\_sea](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/pelagic_sea) slug)**[/li][li]**[snub-nosed monkey](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/snub-nosed_monkey)**[/li][li]**[Cantor’s giant soft-shell turtle]([http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cantor’s\_giant](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cantor's_giant) soft-shell turtle)**[/li][li]another large crab; possibly another **[Japanese spider crab]([http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Japanese\_spider](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Japanese_spider) crab)**[/li][li]some sort of creature with a large mouth and pointy teeth[/li][li]fish with enormous, widely spaced pointy teeth[/li][li]possibly a **[Palo Verde beetle]([Palo Verde - Wikipedia](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Palo_Verde) beetle)**[/li][li]**[giant armored trapdoor spider]([http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/giant\_armored](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/giant_armored) trapdoor spider)**[/li][li]**[vampire squid](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/vampire_squid)**[/li][/ol]
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### Author:  [@Palooka](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Palooka)
#### Post date: [December 28, 2009, 5:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/identify-these-awful-animals-with-pics/522790/19 "2009-12-28T17:04:48Z")
17 is some species of teuthowenia, which is a type of glass squid.
29 is sea spider (or Thomas Dahlgren).
40 is an alligator gar.
41 is a goliath tiger fish.
42 is a titan beetle.
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### Author:  [@This\_ll\_Do](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/This_ll_Do)
#### Post date: [December 28, 2009, 5:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/identify-these-awful-animals-with-pics/522790/20 "2009-12-28T17:11:59Z")
17 [Glass Squid](http://www.animalpicturesarchive.com/view.php?tid=3&did=27312)
26 [Great Grey Owl chicks](http://www.hawk-conservancy.org/Rehabilitation/HospitalUpdate/2005/200508.shtml)
41 [Record Piranha](http://www.dwingdwang.com/2007/08/27/piranha-the-biggest-one-ever-caught/)
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