The World's Ugliest Animals

"Not all creatures can be beautiful, but they all have interesting stories to tell." That's the backhanded compliment of sorts that the BBC's Science Focus offers before launching into its roundup of the world's ugliest animals, a dubious ranking that tries to soften the blow by calling its picks "aesthetically challenged." The magazine notes its reason for publishing such a list is more than just feeling sorry for these critters' mating prospects, noting that "animals that aren't conventionally 'cute' often get less attention and protection, even though many have amazing abilities." Check out our accompanying photo gallery above to see 10 of the most hideous—though we're sure their personalities are absolutely sparkling. (And there are more here.)