40 Surprising Facts About Animals

This article will uncover some surprising facts and quirks about wild and domestic animals that might surprise you. You will be amazed at just how much there is to know, and even more amazed by what you don’t know yet. Alongside all the common facts are a whole host of surprising and uncommon ones. We gathered 40 of these awesome facts to help spark curiosity about the animals who share the world with us.

In the 1960s, scientists began to understand that dolphins had their own names. When dolphins heard their own signature whistle, they reacted in a way that made it apparent that they were being called. Further studies have shown that dolphins are the geniuses of the ocean. There are still so many interesting things we don’t know about them.

So, the next time you are outside in cold or warm weather, look closely at the eyes of the nearest reindeer. You will see that their eye color changes depending on what season it is. The change in eye color might also be related to an increase in blood vessels near the surface of the eyes.

Since many of us couldn’t imagine life without a head, this information can be a bit disturbing. It turns out Mike was quite a special chicken. Although it’s true that most chickens can still breathe and move after decapitation, their lives usually don’t last too long.

Here’s a quick science lesson: snails have an epithelial cell that produces a shallow cleft in the snail’s antenna. This process, called the invagination of epithelium cells, will go on to create a retina lens in about 14 days or so. 

Due to the oyster’s ability to change its gender in times of need, many people say that they’re an aphrodisiac. Although this belief might be common, science doesn’t support it. Yes, oysters contain some special minerals, but no, they won’t increase people’s libido.

It’s a way to get our attention and, for some, to get our love. However, cats don’t meow at other cats or other animals. It’s their communication sound reserved just for humans.

Starfish eyes aren’t in the spot we assume they would be. Many people would go about looking for a face or head and then search for the eyes somewhere nearby. For starfish, however, their five eyes are located on their five arms. One with more arms would have more eyes. Pretty cool, huh?

Butterflies also use these foot sensors to count how often they visit a flower to find nectar. Next time you see a butterfly walking around while enjoying some tasty nectar or fruit, you can rest assured that they’re tasting with their feet!

The filly (or young female horse) pictured above is only an hour or so old. Yet despite her young age, she can already hold a steady pose and run along with her mother. As time goes on, she’ll grow even larger and run even faster.

It turns out that humans aren’t the only ones who can fall into a giggle fit when being tickled. Rats know how to share in the fun as well! After learning this, we feel like finding a rat ourselves and tickling their tummy to hear the little rat laughter that comes out.

Although you might have watched your dog eat grapes without any severe symptoms, it’s most likely because they only ate a small amount that didn’t trigger their sensitivity to the fruit. To ensure your dogs’ safety, it’s best to avoid giving them the toxic fruit, or they might end up falling very ill.

These little bits of eyeball hair are important to bees because they can lead them towards plants that need to be pollinated. Bees are immensely important in the process of plant growth. Sadly, however, many bee colonies are vanishing from the ecosystem.

This sticky fluid on the hippo’s body serves as a kind of skin protection against the intense heat. Sweat is a way for hippos to regulate their body temperature. Another way, which you commonly see, is for hippos to spend a lot of time hanging out in the water or mud to cool down.

Did you know that cows have different “moo accents”? A recent study from England found that the sound of the cow “moo” changed from north to south. In the north of England, the moo sounds a bit like “mow,” whereas in the south, it sounds like “maa.”

No wonder their skin is always moist! When they’re sitting out there by the stream, they’re also absorbing moisture directly into their bodies. It’s like a constant cool glass of H2O. Pretty impressive, huh? We kind of wish humans had that ability.

Jellyfish don’t have any bones or muscles (just lots of gooey stuff), so they can’t adjust their own body temperature as we do. They also don’t have blood – just a bunch of seawater with nutrients floating around inside!

When the chameleon does catch prey – mostly insects, crickets, and grasshoppers – they wrap their tongues around them and pull them back in. But what’s more surprising is that this amazing creature has the most powerful tongue on Earth! It’s unbelievable how this tiny creature can do so well.

Chickens can be traced back to a feathery creature with legs that lived some 150 million years ago. Next time you sit down to eat fried chicken or chicken salad for dinner, just remember that it’s a really old creature from the past.

Of course, this doesn’t mean your pup has psychic powers or anything – it’s because dogs can sense chemicals in particular areas with dying cells. So when you notice your dog sniffing beside you or around your mouth, don’t brush off his strange behavior. Your dog might just be telling you something important.

What’s more interesting is that a penguin’s caring nature is similar to many human parents. In some species, females will stay at home while males go out to fish. Other species, like the emperor penguins, have the male staying at home to watch the babies.

Pandas have an insatiable appetite for food, so if you happen to see one around, be sure not to offer them anything tempting. Chances are that they’ll take it from you and then come back for more.

The strange shape of sheep pupils is the result of bright light coming in from the front and sides. It aids animals like sheep who are awake day and night and are prone to predators. The expanded rectangular pupils allow them to see better at night and prepare themselves for danger.

The question is, how? Well, camels can do this by storing fat in their humps for an energy source. They also produce concentrated urine, which reduces the amount of liquid lost from their body. Apparently, these animals are geniuses when it comes to survival!

Giraffes only doze off for about half an hour, usually in the late afternoon or early evening after eating. Can you imagine that? Humans need at least 6-8 hours of sleep to function well, but these majestic mammals need a whole lot less to go about their day.

Scientists have found that mother dolphins teach their ‘signature whistle’ to their unborn babies in the womb. It seems that dolphins familiarize their babies with the kind of world they will be born into. Being able to recognize different whistle sounds can help with survival.

The scientists found that when one of these rodents was given a new litter of babies to feed, it would also take care of the young who lost their mothers at some point during the year. This research proves once again that we have so much more to learn about our furry friends.

Even though he’s so old, his owner says that “he moves around well.” We’re not sure how much longer he’ll be able to keep up with all his traveling adventures, but for now, it’s clear that this guy is just too cool.

Though elephants don’t have thumbs, baby elephants use their trunk and mouth to suckle. This is a fascinating and strange thing that we all thought was just a myth. But it turns out that it’s true. The photo above adds to the proof.

Newborn koalas weigh less than a jellybean and fit comfortably in your hand. These precious babies will eventually grow up to 2 feet long but will never get any bigger than 30 pounds (13 kilograms). During their development, baby koalas reside in their mother’s pouch.

Although some people might walk in their sleep, it’s not something that all humans do. Lying down is just a lot more relaxing and safe – many of us would fall over if we tried to sleep while standing. Horses are built in a particular way where that isn’t a problem.

These carotenoids give off a reddish-orange to pink color, which then gets absorbed by the feathers on the flamingo’s body. Newborn flamingos, however, don’t have that pinkish color yet. They’re born grey and then, through eating, take on that pink hue.

That’s because male lions spend most of their time on security detail, making sure the territory is safe. Lionesses, in turn, are the skilled, stealthy, and agile hunters able to bring home food to the cubs. Their fierce power is pretty impressive. Way to go!

Their kiss is a bit different than most human kisses, though. Instead of mouth to mouth, prairie dogs like to rub their noses together and lock their teeth. This little ground squirrel found in North America and Mexico is just too cute.

Afterward, the baby hangs onto its mother’s body until they’re strong enough to fly independently. Pretty remarkable, huh? You might be wondering what it would be like if humans could do that. Or you might not. Either way, we can’t and it’s best to leave it to the bats. 

All that chewing can damage their teeth, but luckily, beaver teeth never stop growing.  What happens if they get too big? It rarely happens because the hard material that beavers are always chewing on slows down the growth.

How they feed off nectar from flowers is also fascinating. Using their long beaks like a plastic straw, hummingbirds manage to suck out the sweet liquid! Next time you come across this magnificent creature in a garden somewhere, spend some time admiring how great of a flyer it is.

A porcupine has up to 30,000 quills with 5-inch barbs! That’s enough to make larger animals like a dog or a wolf think twice before attacking. If you’re thinking of getting up close and personal with one of these unique little creatures, it’s best to take some advice from the dogs and wolves and stay away.

The large size of the ostrich eyeball allows it to live on land. These eyes have photoreceptor cells that help to spot predators that are approaching from a distance. So if you ever find yourself nearby, just be warned that this bird will see you coming from far away. 

The exact number of sheep changes from year to year. This is due to droughts and other factors that cause farmers to decide to butcher their livestock. It seems a bit creepy, though, to think just how much sheep outnumber humans on that small island.

Great white sharks (as well as whale sharks and mako sharks) can’t stay still and breathe. They need to keep moving with their mouth open to allow water to pass through their gills. So although not all sharks need to move constantly, great whites certainly do.