Here Are 30 Lesser-Known Animal Facts That You’ve Probably Never Heard Before
If you’re anything like me, you can’t imagine your life without animals, and probably spend a good chunk of our day looking at pictures of them online. And if you ever felt the urge to learn a little more about some of them, the r/awwducational subreddit might be exactly what you’re looking for.
The subreddit currently has over 2 million members and will be celebrating its 8 year anniversary in November. Every day the users post hundreds of interesting animal facts and we just can’t get enough! Check out some of the most interesting animal facts that you’ve probably never heard before in the gallery below!
#1 In Most Western Cultures, Black Cats Are Considered A Bad Omen. But In Scottish Lore, The Arrival Of A Strange Black Cat Signifies Prosperity
Image source: reddit.com
#2 Trained African Giant Pouched Rats Have Found Thousands Of Unexploded Landmines And Bombs. Researchers Have Also Trained These Rats To Detect Tuberculosis. And Most Recently They Are Training Them To Sniff Out Poached Wildlife Trophies Being Exported Out Of African Ports
Image source: reddit.com
#3 Capybara’s Are Social Animals, Who Get Along With A Large Variety Of Other Animals, Including Chickens, Ducks, Dogs, Cats, Llamas, Rabbits And Turtles
Image source: reddit.com
#4 Alex, The African Grey Parrot, Is The Only Animal To Ever Ask An Existential Question. He Asked “What Color” He Was
Image source: reddit.com
#5 Opposums Get A Lot Of Hate, But They Clear Many Unwanted Bugs And Parasites From The Ecosystem And Are Generally Helpful Friends. Please Appreciate Them, Especially This Good Boy
Image source: reddit.com
#6 Cheetahs Are So Shy That Zoos Give Them Their Own Emotional “Support Dogs”
Image source: reddit.com
#7 Cows Have “Eureka” Moments, And Take Pleasure In Their Own Learning Achievements
Image source: Pigoonlet
#8 Seagulls Stomping On Grass Is Called, The Rain Dance. This Mimics Rain By Vibration, And Brings Earthworms And Other Bugs To Surface
Image source: 1 year ago
#9 Scientists Know That Rats Like To Have Their Bellies Tickled, So They Used That As Basis For Testing Happiness In Rats. They Found Out That The Ears Of Rats Undergoing Tickling Became Droopier And Pinker – Subtle Signs Of Being Relaxed And Happy
Image source: petdog347
#10 The Aardvark, Alphabetically The First Animal, Plays An Important Role In Preventing Wildlife Deaths From Fire. They Dig Large Underground Burrows That Wildlife Can Hide In During Fires
Image source: reddit.com
#11 A Sloth’s Claws Work The Opposite Way That Human Hand Does. The Default Position Is A Tight Strong Grip, And Sloths Must Exert Effort To Open Them Up. This Is Why Sloths Don’t Fall Out Of Trees When They’re Asleep
Image source: reddit.com
#12 The Opossum Is North America’s Only Marsupial, They Can Eat 5000 Ticks A Year And Are Almost Immune To Rabies! Their Body Temperature Is Too Low For The Virus To Survive!
Image source: reddit.com
#13 Blue Penguins Are The Smallest Type Of Penguin. Adults Reach Only 12-13in Tall. Owing To Their Small Size And Bright Color They Are Often Called Fairy Penguins
Image source: reddit.com
#14 Lynx Have Evolved Enormous Paws To Distribute Weight Better In Snow, Acting Like Natural Snowshoes
Image source: reddit.com
#15 The Burmese Star Tortoise Is One Of The Few Animals That Have Comeback From Being Called Functionally Extinct
Image source: reddit.com
#16 The Northern Cardinal Is Probably The Most ‘Romantic’ Bird Species: They Mate For Life, Travel Together, Sing Before Nesting, And During Courtship, Feed Seed Beak-To-Beak
Image source: reddit.com
#17 A University Of Chicago Study Found That Rats Are Just As Capable Of Empathy As Humans
Image source: reddit.com
#18 When In Danger, The Malabar Giant Squirrel Often Freezes Or Flattens Itself Against The Tree Trunk, Instead Of Fleeing
Image source: reddit.com
#19 The Milk Of Pinnipeds Consist Of Up To 60% Fat, Allowing The Young To Grow Fairly Quickly. Pups Can Gain Over 2.2 Kg (4.9 Lb) Per Day While Nursing
Image source: reddit.com
#20 The Mangalica Is The Only Pig Species Covered In A Long Wool Coat, Similar To A Sheep’s
Image source: reddit.com
#21 Aardwolves Are Shy And Nocturnal, Sleeping In Underground Burrows By Day. They Have Often Been Mistaken For Solitary Animals. In Fact, They Live As Monogamous Pairs With Their Young
Image source: reddit.com
#22 The Pudú Deer Is The Smallest Species Of Deer Standing At 15 Inches Tall On Average
Image source: reddit.com
#23 150 Kākāriki Karaka Chicks Have Hatched This Season, Potentially Doubling The This Rare Birds Population
Image source: reddit.com
#24 Cows Have Similar Emotional Range As Dogs. They Display Boldness, Shyness, Fearfulness And Even Playfulness
Image source: chicompj
#25 A Newborn Chinese Water Deer Is So Small It Can Almost Be Held In The Palm Of The Hand. When It Matures, Instead Of Growing Antlers, They Grow Long Upper Canine Teeth Gaining Them The Name “Vampire Deer”
Image source: reddit.com
#26 Sand Cats Specialize In Surviving In The Desert. They Are Not Good Climbers Or Jumpers, But They Are Excellent Diggers. They Use Their Digging Ability To Dig Shallow Burrows To Escape The Heat Of The Desert During The Day
Image source: petdog347
#27 Gibbons Are One Of The Only Non-Human Primates Which Practice Monogamy. Both Parents Play A Vital Role In Raising Of Their Young
Image source: goingtodeletedis
#28 Secretary Birds Are Famous For Its Snake-Stomping Legs; A Single Kick Delivered Some 195 Newtons Of Force. They Are Also Famous For Their Long Eyelashes
Image source: reddit.com
#29 Flamingo’s Pink Coloring Comes From The Shrimp They Eat, And In 1992 In The Miami Zoo They Had To Stick The Flamingos In The Bathroom To Ride Out Hurricane Andrew
Image source: reddit.com
#30 Pigs Have Episodic Memory. It Is Likely That They Can Replay And Feel Past Experiences In Their Heads
Image source: reddit.com
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