Look around you and nature can often seem like a brilliant artist or designer, crafting works of beauty on every scale, from the majestic blue whale to the graceful monarch butterfly. These objects of marvel—nature’s masterpieces—get most of the attention, for obvious aesthetic reasons.

But Nature has another side, one whose designs seem less like the work of Michelangelo and more like that of a mad scientist. Indeed, for those willing enough (or brave enough) to seek them out, there’s no shortage of bizarre, frightening, and downright ugly creatures in Nature’s portfolio.

And yet, these species’ very strange looks are often what allow these animals to survive and propagate in the first place. Which is in itself, its own form of beauty. So let’s hear it for the misfits and celebrate the planet’s less camera-friendly. Just this once we’re giving them the spotlight—though we’ll probably want to turn it off again pretty quickly.

1. Star-Nosed Mole: No, that’s no Photoshop job; nor was this little guy the victim of an unfortunate run-in with a lawnmower. That’s what the star-nosed mole’s face actually looks like. Its snout is covered with 22 nasal tentacles containing a total of 25,000 tiny sensory receptors that allow the mole to identify food—including worms, insects, and crustaceans—by touch. Found in eastern Canada and the northeastern U.S., the star-nosed mole holds the record for “fastest-eating mammal,” taking just 8 milliseconds to decide if an object is food or not. That’s just slightly faster than the average male college freshman. Photo courtesy National Parks Service

2. Aye-Aye: The aye-aye is believed by the denizens of Madagascar, its native habitat, to be a harbinger of death, or even a demon. That sounds a little silly until you actually get a look at one, in which case it seems more or less completely logical. Technically a type of lemur, the aye-aye actually acts similar to a woodpecker, using its long, thin middle finger to tap the sides of trees to find grubs burrowing inside. Once it identifies a promising spot, the aye-aye uses its rodent-like teeth to gnaw a hole in the bark, then sticks its finger in to scoop out a nice juicy snack. Pretty much gives a whole new meaning to the term “giving the finger.” Photo courtesy of Dani Jeske

3. Blobfish: We didn’t know it was possible for a fish to actually look sad. Though you’d look pretty glum too if you were as ugly as the oh-so-appropriately-name blobfish. Living in deep water off the coast of Australia and Tasmania, the blobfish is rarely seen by humans, which is probably a good thing for all involved. At such low depths, where water pressure is much greater than at sea level, gas bladders (how most fish stay buoyant) wouldn’t work. That’s no problem for the blobfish though; its body is basically a gelatinous mass that’s less dense than water. This allows it to move around in the water without spending hardly any energy—which, in turn, prevents muscle development and keeps the blobfish nice and…blobby. Photo courtesy of Ross Pollack

4. Proboscis Monkey: In the world of the human male, having a massive nose is not generally considered an attractive trait; but in the realm of the proboscis monkey, ladies really go for a guy with a nice big schnoz. Males of the species—found only on the island of Borneo—have noses that can grow up to seven inches in length, a trait commonly thought to be attractive to females, in addition to amplifying the monkeys’ warning calls. The large nose is present even in babies, and by the time a male proboscis has reached adulthood, its nose has often grown so long that it overhangs its mouth. No word on how rampant “nose envy” is among the proboscis monkey community. Photo courtesy of Ross Pollack

5. Komondor: Yup, even man’s best friend can be pretty weird looking. Although its long, rope-like cords of hair make it seem as though it’d be right at home in Jamaica, the Komondor is a Hungarian breed, and is considered one of the country’s national treasures. A mature Komondor coat takes about two years to form, and is the heaviest fur in the canine world. It’s particularly useful for the Komondor as a livestock guardian dog because it protects against wild animal bites and harsh weather, while also allowing the dog to blend in amongst the herd. Given the breed’s reputation as a fearsome protector, you really don’t want to be the wolf who attacks a sheep only to find out it’s a Komondor in sheep’s clothing. Photo courtesy of Luz Bratcher

6. Anglerfish: This delightful little creature’s natural habitat ranges from the deep sea, to the continental shelf, to the thrashing, cold-sweat nightmares of anyone who’s ever laid eyes on one. There are actually many different species of anglerfish, but the females all share a particularly novel (read: horrific) method of hunting prey; they use a long filament sprouting from the top of their head that mimics a small animal to lure other predators to come investigate. Then, the anglerfish devours the curious critter whole with massive, spike-like teeth that snap shut by automatic reflex. Some deep-sea species even have bioluminescent filaments that provide female anglerfish prey with a pretty light show before their sudden demise. The male anglerfish, by the way, is much smaller and lacks the filament; they’re typically content to just bum around and mooch food off the females their whole life. Sounds pretty cushy, but the domestic spats are probably quite one sided. Photo courtesy of Bruce Robison

— ADAM PERROTTA

Looking for more? Check out Nature’s most resilient creations in our latest MYOO Profile on the Oldest Living Things in the World.