1. A polar bear’s huge feet have black pads covered with bumpy skin and long hairs that grow between the toes. These features increase friction, so the hungry hunter doesn’t slip and slide on the ice.
2. When a snail is on the move, it lays down a trail of slippery slime and slides across it with its muscular foot.
3. Aardvarks, badgers, and moles have shovel-shaped feet that help them burrow into the ground.
4. A mountain goat uses the rough pads on the bottoms of its heavy hooves to climb over rocks.
5. Using its huge feet like a parachute, a flying frog can plunge through the rain forest and land with a gentle plop.
Looking for more Gross and Goofy Body facts? Check out my book Give Me a Hand: The Secrets of Hands, Feet, Arms, and Legs. It’s full of weird, wacky, strange, and surprising information about your body and the bodies of other animals.