No matter if save all your animalistic love for just one type of animal in particular, or happen to hate animals completely, you know most animals are awesome.
There certain things about animals are weird, interesting and sometimes disturbing, but that’s what makes them so interesting!
Here’s a short list of some facts about animals.
I actually kept this shenkitup.com post short, so here are 10 things you didn’t know about animals…hopefully you haven’t heard a million times before.
1. They Make and Hunt With Spears
If you happen to see a chimpanzee running with a spear, you better get out of there as quickly as possible because scientists have recently observed these creepy little animals, not only make, but hunt with spears.
What exactly are they hunting with the homemade weapons? Those cute, little nocturnal creatures known as bushbabies, also known as the world’s cutest/helpless animal (pictured below)…maybe they taste good?
2. Dogs can smell when we have diseases.
Not actually the flu, or common cold, but dogs can smell out different cancers, diabetes and a few others. Dogs are currently being trained as caretakers to those with diabetes because they can detect when a human’s blood sugar is off.
One of the most bizarre characteristics researchers have discovered about dogs is that they can actually predict/foresee seizures before their master even notices any warning symptoms.
3. Cats communicate differently with people than their fellow felines.
If you’ve raised your furry little pet since it was a kitten, your feline friend retains its same vocal signals that it had when it was a kitten, which it uses when it “communicates” with you.
However, it will use its big kitty sounds when communicating with other felines. So, cat ladies you are special…at least to your cat you are. Don’t let anyone tell you differently.
4. Snails can sleep for up to three years and have thousands of teeth.
If a snail finds itself becoming too dry, its simple solution is to take a nap…for three years. Snails hibernate during dry spells and, in order to retain a required amount of moisture, it finds a safe place and hibernates for as long as three years.
They also have thousands of teeth in order to chop down on anything green it can get its chompers on. Good thing they’re small and slow…
5. Turtles can breathe through their rear…if necessary.
There’s really not much to say about this rather odd characteristics except what you’ve already read in the headline.
Not all turtles are this talented, but the white-eyed stream-diver of Queensland, Australia is and intakes a whopping 68 percent of its oxygen through this less-than-conventional means.
6. Crocs eat rocks for assistance.
You might have heard about this one before, but I love these massive reptiles and what other animal do you know of that intentionally snacks on rocks?
Scientists believe the river monsters do this to help them sink to the bottom of the river/lake they’re in…you know, to sneak up and devour you.
7. Chickens are related to the T-Rex.
The next time you see a chicken, thank your lucky stars it’s not a T-Rex, or Tyrannosaurus rex to be more scientifically accurate.
Thanks to the discovery of a T-Rex fossil in 2003, Dr. Chris Organ of Harvard University and his colleagues found that the chicken’s distant relatives happen to be the T-Rex (the dinosaur that caused havoc in Jurassic Park).
8. Pigeons use landmarks for directions.
Along with using their built-in ferromagnets, pigeons use familiar landmarks on the ground to return to their favorite roosting spot.
Even though some species makes a 25,000-mile (40,233.6 km) round trip journey every year, they have no problem finding their favorite grocery store to perch on, which means the same pigeons have been pooping on you for years.
9. Baby chicks let their relatives know when it’s time to eat.
Humans aren’t the only ones who favor their next of kin, baby chicks express the same favoritism by chirping a special message to their relatives that they’ve found food.
Awe, that’s cute. I guess baby chicks are as stupid as I thought. They probably do it on accident.
10. They can swap sex organs.
Did you know that many species of fish practice hermaphroditism, or in more common turns; change from being a girl, to a boy and vice-versa.
Some species of fish actually possess characteristics of both male and female, but others simply change when their hormone levels do, or as a response to changes in their environment. You go girl…boy…eh?
P.S. Here’s a few more facts about animals: