an aardvark taken at the Henry Doorly Zoo
PIcture red uakari monkey taken in Los Angeles, California
a dragon-headed katydid taken at the Henry Doorly Zoo
a silkie showgirl chicken taken in Fort Worth, Texas
a pig-nosed turtle taken in Oklahoma City
Damara mole rat taken at the Houston Zoo
a jungle nymph walking stick taken at the Henry Doorly Zoo
a Baird's tapir taken at the Henry Doorly Zoo
a Florida bonneted bat taken in Okeechobee, Florida
1 of 9
AardvarkStatus: Least ConcernThe aardvark's outsize snout is tailor-made to house a foot-long, sticky tongue that's the perfect tool for extracting termites from their mound nests. Bush-meat hunters are fond of eating aardvarks, but the “antbear” (Orycteropus afer) is still relatively common across sub-Saharan Africa. Photographed at the Henry Doorly Zoo in Omaha, Nebraska.Buy a print |  License this photo
Photograph by Joel Sartore, Nat Geo Image Collection

9 Animals With Faces Only a Mother Could Love

A selection of portraits from Photo Ark, a project to document the world's animals before they disappear.

January 21, 2016

Go Further

Animals

Environment

History & Culture

Science

Travel