National Geographic Kids USA - May 2017

TURTLEHEAD

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THE BOOK

TURTLE NECK

What stands out about the mata mata turtle?

Nothing, really—unless you count its needle-

like nose, bumpy body, long neck, and flat head.

Commonly found in the Amazon River, these

animals have awesome camouflage skills and

are often mistaken for a pile of leaves and mud.

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SKIN AND BONES

Whether it’s their hairless skin, their large

front teeth, or the fact that they eat each

other’s poop, naked mole rats aren’t going

to win any beauty competitions. But the

rodents are valued in the medical world:

Highly resilient to cancer, they’re helping

scientists research a cure for the disease.

FISH FACE

Sporting a permanent frowny face and

lumpy body, the endangered blobfish is one

weird-looking animal. Mostly found off the

coast of Australia, the fish has been voted

the official mascot of the Ugly Animal

Preservation Society. (For real!)

BY A NOSE

My, what a big nose you have! The proboscis

monkey’s huge schnoz can grow to be up to a

quarter of the animal’s body length. These crea-

tures are also some of the quickest swimmers in

the jungles of Borneo: Webbed feet help them

out-paddle predators like crocodiles.

TREVOR WATCHOUS / EYEEM / GETTY IMAGES (1); CYRIL RUOSO / NATURE PICTURE LIBRARY (2); KERRYN PARKINSON / NORFANZ / ZUMA PRESS / NEWSCOM (3); REX / SHUTTERSTOCK (4); REINHARD DIRSCHERL / GETTY IMAGES (5); GSIMAGES / ALAMY STOCK PHOTO (6); TUI DE ROY / NATURE PICTURE LIBRARY (7); JOEL SARTORE / NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC CREATIVE (8)

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ADORABLY UGLY ANIMALSBY SARAH WASSNER FLYNN

ODD DUCK

Muscovy ducks are recognizable

by the wartlike red growths that

cover their faces. But it’s only the

male Muscovy—which grows to be

twice as big as the female—that

sports this distinguishing mask.

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WORLD-FAMOUS PUP

With beady eyes and stringy whiskers, Mugly, a

Chinese crested from England, has a less-than-

perfect appearance. That didn’t prevent law-

makers from choosing Mugly to turn on the

holiday lights at London’s Houses of Parliament.

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SWEET BIRD

About 125 kakapos are left in New Zealand,

the only place where you can find these

flightless birds. Kakapos are parrots, but

their mossy feathers and plump bodies

make them look more like owls. Another

rare feature: They smell like honey!

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GENTLE GIANT

With a manatee’s body and a whale s tail, a

dugong looks like a peculiar mash-up of

mammals. These slow-moving sea-dwellers—

typically found in warm waters from Africa

to Australia—prefer a diet of sea grass.

d whale’staila

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