12 Fun Facts About Animals

Animals are full of surprises, with behaviors and traits that can be both fascinating and downright amusing. Did you know that octopuses have three hearts and blue blood? Or that sloths move so slowly that algae can grow on their fur, giving them a greenish tint? Elephants are known to be excellent swimmers and can use their trunks as snorkels, while a group of flamingos is called a “flamboyance.” Penguins propose to their mates with pebbles, and sea otters hold hands while sleeping to avoid drifting apart. The animal kingdom is filled with these quirky, fun facts that show just how incredible and diverse life on Earth really is.

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#1 Several species of octopus produce 56,000 eggs at once.

According to NPR, a huge Pacific octopus will often lay 56,000 eggs over the course of a month at the end of a pregnancy. These newborns initially float independently of one another and their mothers through the surrounding water. The mother then gathers each egg, which is approximately the size of a grain of rice and braids them, enabling her to watch over everyone at once.

#2 Cats’ back paws have fewer toes than dogs.

Cats have five toes on their front paws, like the majority of four-legged mammals, but only four toes on their hind paws. The four-toed back paws may allow them to run more quickly, according to scientists.

#3 One bite from a blue whale has half a million calories.

The whale needs more than 240 times as much energy to scoop those krill into its mouth as it does in those 457,000 calories.

#4 A Turkey blush.

The light skin of a turkey’s head and neck turn brilliant red, blue, or white when the bird is frightened or agitated, such as when a male sees a female he is interested in. Moreover, the snood—a flap of skin that covers their beaks—reddens.

#5 Cows lack upper front teeth.

Cows, sheep, and goats have molars on top, in the back of their mouths, but where you’d expect upper incisors, there’s a thick layer of tissue called a dental pad. They use it to pull grass out with their bottom teeth.

#6 Dogs use their left nostril to detect pleasant odors.

Dogs normally begin sniffing with their right nostril and keep it there if the smell indicates danger, but they will shift to the left side for something pleasant, such as food or a mate.

#7 Giraffe tongues can grow to be up to 20 inches long.

Their dark, bluish-black color is most likely to protect them from sunburn.

#8 Bees have the ability to fly higher than Mount Everest.

According to National Geographic, bees can fly up to 29,525 feet above sea level. That’s higher than Mount Everest, the world’s tallest mountain.

#9 Boars clean their food.

According to National Geographic, zookeepers at Basel Zoo in Switzerland observed adult and juvenile wild boars picking up sandy apples and carrying them to a nearby creek in their environment to wash before eating. Though some foods, such as sugar beets, were consumed without human-like behavior, the boars brought a whole dead chicken to the creek to wash before devouring it. According to one ecologist, this is a “luxury behavior.”

#10 River turtles in South America communicate in their eggs.

Because turtles lack vocal cords and have internal ears, scientists assumed turtles were deaf and did not communicate through sounds. Turtles, however, communicate at an extremely low frequency that sounds like “clicks, clucks, and hoots” and can only be heard through a hydrophone (a microphone used underwater). These sounds can be heard even before the turtle hatches. Researchers believe that this allows all of the turtle siblings to hatch at the same time.

#11 Lactose intolerance affects adult cats.

Adult cats, like some humans, lack sufficient lactase enzymes to digest lactose from milk, causing them to vomit, have diarrhea, or become gassy. Cats only have enough of that enzyme when they are born and in their early years.

#12 Humans aren’t the only animals who dream.

According to research, rats dream about finding food or running through mazes. Because most mammals go through REM sleep, the cycle in which dreams occur, scientists believe they all dream.