Stripping down science, the naked scientists.

The Naked Scientists. Why should conservation efforts concentrate on the cute and charismatic?

It's Sunday the 28th of October and on today's naked scientists we will plead the conservation case for ugly animals,

pathogens and even parasites.

I'm Ben Valsler and this week I'm joined by Helen Scales.

Hello, also this week we'll discover a bacterial cocktail that can see

off sea diff and hear about the plight of British oysters. And we want to hear

from you what ugly animal do you think

think should be high on the preservation priority list.

Get in touch with your ideas and your questions.

You can tweet at naked scientists.

Join us at Facebook.com slash The Naked Scientists, or email

Chris at the Naked Scientists.com.

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The IUCN, the International Union for Conservation of Nature, currently has over 4,000 species

listed as critically endangered on its red list, a comprehensive list of threatened species.

This includes high profile animals like the mountain gorilla and lots of different species

of leopard, but also snails, worms, spiders and other less graceful animals.

Publicity and fundraising campaigns often focus on the cute, charismatic or cuddly animals,

possibly leaving nature's less aesthetically pleasing species behind.

Well, biologist Simon Watt is now taking a stand for these underdogs and has created the

Ugly Animal Preservation Society.

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