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Disgusting Animals Play an Important Part in the Ecosystem

All animals are built differently, some are cute or scary-looking, and others are just ugly and disgusting. Some of these ugly creatures may have skinny crooked legs or are covered in little bumps. Most fish and flies have huge eyes that do not blink or move. Ugly animals have similarities and differences, however, to humans many are smelly, scary, or disgusting.

For example, the skunk has a strong gross odor that can make people gag or pass out. Skunks use their stinky scent to mark their territory or scare attackers. Another animal that stinks is the dung beetle. They collect other animals' dung and roll it underground to their offspring as food. Animals such as Lampreys and vampire bats have an iron smell to them since they feed on blood.

Vampire bats commonly eat live animals including rats and other small critters. Once their prey is asleep, vampire bats will attack and suck their blood using their sharp fangs. Other blood-sucking creatures include leeches and lampreys. They grip onto other animals to suck the blood out of their bodies. Similar to leeches, lampreys cling onto fish make holes in their bodies and slowly crawl into them to eat their flesh.

Disgusting animals can be found almost anywhere. Lampreys live underwater, and prey on larger fish you are trying to catch. Dung beetles live underground and clean dung from the ground above them. Skunks live on the ground and spray anything that makes them feel threatened. Flies, vampire bats, and vultures hunt while in the sky, ugly animals are all around us.

These animals may be ugly, but they are important for the food chain and for the environment. Do not be scared of them! They are just like all other animals, only not as pretty.

[Source: The Childrens Factfinder]

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