81 Weird Animal Facts Everyone Should Know

Impress your friends with mind-blowing trivia about dolphins, koalas, bats, and more.

Did you know that the sentence "the quick brown fox jumps over a lazy dog" uses every letter of the alphabet? OK fine, maybe that has more to do with orthography than it does with animals, but it's still worth noting. With over two million identified species on the planet, the animal kingdom is an undeniably diverse place. But while the breadth of earthly biodiversity may be well known, the incredible things our animal counterparts can do are often hidden from humans. From furry creatures you never realized kissed to those who enjoy getting tipsy, read on for animal facts that are sure to wow your friends.

RELATED: 37 Rare Animals So Unusual, You Might Not Know They Even Exist.

Fun Facts About Animals That Will Blow Your Mind

1. Koala fingerprints are so close to humans' that they could taint crime scenes.

A cute koala hanging from a tree branch
Yatra4289/Shutterstock

Koalas might not seem to have a lot in common with us, but if you were to take a closer look at their hands, you'd see that they have fingerprints that are strikingly similar to those of humans.

In fact, they're so similar when it comes to the distinctive loops and arches, that in Australia, "police feared that criminal investigations may have been hampered by koala prints," according to Ripley's Believe It or Not. Any koalas who want to commit crimes would be wise to do so wearing gloves.

2. Parrots will selflessly help each other out.

Two African Grey Parrots pecking
Eric Isselee/Shutterstock

Parrots may be associated with pirates, but it turns out African gray parrots are nothing like the infamously greedy, treasure-seeking criminals. Instead, researchers have discovered that the colorful birds will "voluntarily help each other obtain food rewards" and perform "selfless" acts, according to a 2020 study published in Current Biology.

Study co-author Auguste von Bayern noted, "African gray parrots were intrinsically motivated to help others, even if the other individual was not their friend, so they behaved very 'prosocially.'"

3. Prairie dogs kiss.

prairie dog mother and baby kissing
Edwin Butter/Shutterstock

Prairie dogs are quirky creatures for a number of reasons: They're giant rodents, they dig massive interconnected underground homes, and they kiss.

While the animals are actually touching their front teeth to identify each other when they seem to be sweetly sharing a smooch, the BBC explains that scientists believe prairie dogs "kiss and cuddle" more when they are being watched by zoo visitors," because they "appeared to enjoy the attention."

4. Not a lot of animals go through menopause.

Cheerful elegant elderly woman holding a flower near her face
ShotPrime Studio/Shutterstock

Humpback whales, orcas, and human females are the only mammals that undergo menopause. According to researchers, this has less to do with wanting to enjoy those golden years than it does with being available to nurture a daughter's offspring and decrease tensions over limited resources. It's called the "Grandmother Hypothesis" and it's also thought to help improve the fitness of the aging female in question.

5. Chinese water deer swim island to island in search of food.

A side shot of Chinese water deer walking on the grass
Wirestock Creators/Shutterstock

If the name didn't make it obvious enough, let's be clear: Chinese water deer really like water. These critters have been known to swim for up to seven miles before getting tired. It's actually what has allowed them to populate outside of their native environment.

And that's not all there is to learn about these animals. These guys are known for growing fangs instead of antlers. Not only that—a newborn Chinese water deer is so small it can just about fit in the palm of your hand!

6. The bat is the only mammal that can fly.

Bats flying on green background
Independent birds/Shutterstock

That's right. The bat is the only flying mammal. While some people may be tempted to put flying squirrels on the list, the truth is those guys can only glide for short distances. Meanwhile, the long, flexible skin that extends over a bat's wings, combined with their many movable joints, make bats great fliers.

In fact, these critters are much more comfortable in the air than on land. Because their leg bones are so thin, only two out of the 1,100 species of bats can walk on the ground.

7. Narwhal tusks are really an "inside out" tooth.

narwhal skeleton placed at a museum
Obs70/Shutterstock

Narwhals are unlike most other whales because they have what appears to be a giant tusk. But that's not actually a tusk at all—what you're seeing is a tooth. If you're looking for a concrete explanation as to why they evolved in this way, you'll just have to sit tight. Even the scientists don't get it.

As Martin Nweeia, a member of the Harvard School of Dental Medicine, told the Smithsonian, "The whole thing that is great about the teeth of the narwhal is that nothing makes sense … The tusks are an extreme example of dental asymmetry."

8. Gorillas can catch human colds and other illnesses.

silverback gorilla
Philippe Clement/Shutterstock

The COVID pandemic has really underscored this point: Scientists have documented multiple instances of human pathogens including rhinoviruses and coronaviruses finding their way into gorillas and other great apes.

9. The oldest evidence of domesticated cats dates back 9,500 years.

gray house cat looking at the camera
Remark_Anna/Shutterstock

Cats have been hanging around humans for thousands of years. Guinness World Records reports that we've been domesticating cats for 9,500 years.

Proof of this came in 2004 when the bones of a cat were discovered in the neolithic village of Shillourokambos in Cyprus. The position of the cat in the ground was next to the bones of a human, whose similar state of preservation strongly suggests they were buried together.

RELATED: 29 Fun Cat Facts You Never Knew About Your Furry Friend.

10. The blue whale weighs as much as 30 elephants.

blue whale photographed underwater
Earth theater/Shutterstock

And that's not all. These guys can measure as long as three Greyhound buses, and weigh up to 300,000 pounds. In fact, the blue whale remains the largest animal on Earth.

11. Bottlenose dolphins are even more right-handed than humans.

Bottlenose dolphin
gilkop/Shutterstock

"Most humans (say 70 percent to 95 percent) are right-handed, a minority (say 5 percent to 30 percent) are left-handed," according to Scientific American. And the same holds true for bottlenose dolphins. In fact, the savvy swimmers are even more right-handed than we are.

A team led by Florida's Dolphin Communication Project took a look at the feeding behavior of bottlenose dolphins and found that the animals were turning to their left side 99.44 percent of the time, which "actually suggests a right-side bias," according to IFL Science. "It places the dolphin's right side and right eye close to the ocean floor as it hunts."

12. Polar bears have black skin.

polar bear against a black background
R.S.H Photoshoots/Shutterstock

It's true: Their black skin helps absorb the heat from the sun so that they can stay warm while facing Arctic temperatures. This likely helps protect them from harmful UV rays as well.

13. Capuchin monkeys wash their hands and feet in urine.

White-Headed Capuchin monkey in the rainforest
Pesek Photo/Shutterstock

Monkeys are undeniably cute. They can also be pretty darn gross. Capuchin monkeys, for example, urinate on their hands and feet when they're feeling randy.

"We think the alpha males might use urine-washing to convey warm, fuzzy feelings to females, that their solicitation is working and that there's no need to run away," primatologist Kimran Miller told NBC News. "Or they could be doing it because they're excited."

Either way, ew!

14. Sperm whales in the Caribbean have an accent.

sperm whale photographed underwater
Animalgraphy/Shutterstock

People who come from different areas around the world tend to speak with inflections, fluctuations, and patterns that are specific to their home regions. Apparently, the same can be said for whales.

Researchers from Dalhousie University in Canada and the University of St. Andrews in the UK have found evidence that seems to show whales in the Caribbean have a different "accent" than whales in other oceans.

15. Some pigs in China are the size of bears.

big pink pig against a white background
Olga_i/Shutterstock

In Nanning, the capital of China's Guangxi province, a man named Pang Cong has a rather remarkable animal living on his farm: a 1,102-pound pig. That's around the same size as a full-grown adult male polar bear.

According to Bloomberg, massive swine of that size "can sell for more than 10,000 yuan ($1,399), over three times higher than the average monthly disposable income" in the area. The statistics are no coincidence, either—almost half the pigs in the world are kept by Chinese farmers.

16. Some snails have hairy shells.

hairy snail
scubaluna/Shutterstock

While it's not a secret that snails have shells, you probably didn't know that some actually have hairy shells. These hairs are rather handy to have, as they help a snail stick to wet surfaces, such as leaves.

17. A single strand of spider silk is thinner than a human hair.

spider web
Eriks Z/Shutterstock

These fibers are also five times stronger than steel of the same width. According to the American Association for the Advancement of Science, the silk is actually made up of thousands of nanostrands, measuring just 20 millionths of a millimeter.

18. Baby Tasmanian devils make life-long friendships.

Pair of baby Tasmanian Devils crawling on the head of a park keeper
Nigel Jarvis/Shutterstock

If you have best friends who have been around since you were a child, then you have something in common with Tasmanian devils. Research has shown that Tasmanian devils form bonds when they're young that last for the rest of their lives.

As Zoos Victoria's Marissa Parrott told IFL Science, "In the wild when baby devils leave their mums, we believe they all socialize together." The website adds that "young devils have their own dens," "engage in friendly sleepovers," and when given the chance, they prefer "to share with their … original friends."

19. A grizzly bear's bite is strong enough to crush a bowling ball.

grizzly bear roaring
Scott E Read/Shutterstock

Those who find themselves in the presence of a grizzly bear will surely want to stay out of reach of this animal's super sharp claws. But they'll certainly also want to keep out of the grizzly's mouth, because these creatures have a bite force of over 1,160 pounds per square inch, according to the BBC.

That means grizzly bears can literally crush a bowling ball between their jaws. Yikes!

20. Humpback whales use bubbles to hunt.

humpback whale jumping out of the water
Claude Huot/Shutterstock

You might think that a whale's massive size is the only edge they'd need when it comes to hunting in the open waters. But humpback whales actually team up to use a bubble-net technique in order to catch their prey.

"Sometimes, the whales will swim in an upward spiral and blow bubbles underwater, creating a circular 'net' of bubbles that makes it harder for fish to escape," Science News reports.

21. A housefly buzzes in an F key.

close-up image of a housefly
Jordan Roper/Shutterstock

When you hear a housefly buzzing around your home, you might be annoyed by the persistent sound. However, the next time it happens, try to soothe yourself by noting that the airborne pest is actually buzzing in an F key. How melodious!

22. Snakes only eat animals.

blue snake slithering on a tree branch
Kurit afshen/Shutterstock

In true carnivore fashion, snakes typically stick to birds, frogs, and other small mammals. No herbs, grass, or bark for any one of the 3,000 species of snakes out there.

23. Moray eels have a second pair of "Alien-style" jaws.

Moray Eel
Rich Carey/Shutterstock

If you already thought that eels were kind of creepy, then this fact isn't going to make you feel any better about them. Moray eels have what's called pharyngeal jaws, which are a second pair of "Alien-style" jaws that are located in the throat and emerge to grasp prey before pulling the unfortunate meal down into the eel's gullet.

24. Ducks can surf.

male and female mallards facing one another
Aksenova Natalya/Shutterstock

Over in New Zealand, surfers have noticed the same thing those who ride the waves in California have witnessed: Ducks can surf. The birds do so in order to catch food or simply to move through the water quickly.

Sports reporter Francis Malley spotted a female duck and her babies catching a wave and told the New Zealand Herald, "The mother was surfing on her belly on the whitewash. I've never surfed with ducks before so this was a first."

25. Slow lorises are the only venomous primates.

close up of a Slow Loris against a black background
Seregraff/Shutterstock

They may be cute, but their bite can kill.

According to Popular Science, these adorable animals secrete toxins from a gland in the crook of their inner arms. Their bites have caused anaphylactic shock and even death in humans. Better watch out!

RELATED: 37 Weird Facts About the Human Body That Will Blow Your Mind.

26. Pigeons can do math.

pigeon
stockphoto mania/Shutterstock

You might think of pigeons as… not that smart. But it turns out, they're actually quite intelligent.

In fact, one 2011 study published in Science found that these birds are capable of doing math at the same level as monkeys. During the study, the pigeons were asked to compare nine images, each containing a different number of objects.

The researchers found that the birds were able to rank the images in order of how many objects they contained. Put simply, they learned that the birds can count!

27. Zebra stripes act as a natural bug repellant.

group of zebras in tall grass
Volodymyr Burdiak/Shutterstock

Cows may benefit from artificial stripes, but zebras have the real deal. One 2012 report published in the Journal of Experimental Biology suggests that zebras' black and white stripes may be an evolutionary feature to fend off harmful horsefly bites.

"A zebra-striped horse model attracts far fewer horseflies than either homogeneous black, brown, gray or white equivalents," the researchers wrote.

28. Wild chimps like to drink.

chimpanzee on a branch, isolated with white background
Fly_and_Dive/Shutterstock

Humans aren't the only animals who enjoy a drink or two. A 2015 study published in the journal Royal Society Open Science reveals that chimpanzees in Guinea had a fondness for imbibing fermented palm sap and getting tipsy in the process.

29. Cows are the leading agricultural cause of greenhouse gasses.

cow smelling another cow's behind
Gertjan Hooijer/Shutterstock

Just one cow gives off enough harmful methane gas in a single day to fill around 400 one-liter bottles. And that's not the only thing they're pumping out: A herd of sixty cows can produce a ton of milk in less than a day.

Here's another bit of bonus trivia: They sleep standing up but only dream lying down.

30. Sea otters are adept at using tools.

sea otter poking his head out of the water
Menno Schaefer/Shutterstock

While many scientists believe that tool use among dolphins is a relatively new phenomenon, a 2017 study published in Biology Letters suggests that otters may have been using tools for millions of years. Sea otters frequently use rocks to break open well-armored prey, such as snails.

31. Frogs can freeze without dying.

common frog
Eric Isselee/Shutterstock

Why tolerate the cold when you could just freeze yourself solid? According to Kenneth Storey, a professor at Carleton University in Ottawa, frogs undergo repeated freeze-thaw cycles.

"We have false springs here all the time where it gets really warm and all the snow melts and then suddenly—bam—the wind comes from the north and it's back down to minus 10, minus 15 [Celsius], and they're fine," Storey told National Geographic.

32. Male horses have way more teeth than their female counterparts.

Funny portrait of smiling horse with teeth
Monika Vosahlova/Shutterstock

Male horses have about 40 permanent teeth, while females have just 36 to 40. According to the VCA Animal Hospital, the original purpose of these extra teeth was self-defense.

33. Koalas sleep up to 22 hours a day.

koala sleeping against a tree
Andras Deak/Shutterstock

If you thought your cat was sleepy, just wait until you hear about koalas. According to the Australian Koala Foundation, these cuties sleep between 18 and 22 hours a day. The koalas' diets require a lot of energy to digest, which is why they've got to nap so much.

34. A group of ferrets is called a business.

Two ferrets looking out of their wooden house
Harald Schmidt/Shutterstock

No, it's not because they're so professional—the word is a modernized form of "busyness," the term originally used to describe a group of these weasel-related mammals.

35. Octopuses can taste with their arms.

common octopus
Vladimir Wrangel/Shutterstock

And yes, they are called arms, not tentacles. According to the Library of Congress, the animals can taste and grab with the suckers on their arms.

Even more impressive? Octopuses are capable of moving at speeds of up to 25 miles per hour.

36. Dolphins have names for one another.

dolphin poking his head out of the water
Irina No/Shutterstock

You already know that dolphins are smart. But did you know that they even have their own names? One 2013 study published in PNAS found that bottlenose dolphins develop specific whistles for one another.

RELATED: 40 Ocean Facts That Will Blow You Out of the Water

37. Reindeer eyes turn blue in the winter.

white reindeer with true blue eyes
BlueOrange Studio/Shutterstock

Reindeers have truly blue eyes—but only in the winter! According to the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council, "the eyes of Arctic reindeer change color through the seasons from gold to blue, adapting to extreme changes of light levels in their environment."

The change in color impacts how light is reflected through the animals' retinas and improves their vision.

38. Giraffes have purple tongues.

giraffe sticking his tongue out
Nataliia Budianska/Shutterstock

Scientists believe that giraffes have dark tongues so they don't get sunburns while they eat. The animals' tongues are also around 20 inches long.

39. Alligators will let manatees swim ahead of them.

American Alligator Swimming in Everglades with colorful reflection in water
Mark_Kostich/Shutterstock

In busy waters, manatees will nudge alligators to get in front, and alligators generally oblige. How polite!

40. Sloths can take up to a month to completely digest a single leaf.

adult sloth hanging from a tree
Lukas Kovarik/Shutterstock

Everything about life is slow for these sleepy mammals. Most sloths will only have a bowel movement once a week, and it can take them up to 30 days to completely digest a single leaf.

For comparison, it takes the average human 12 to 48 hours to ingest, digest, and eliminate waste from food.

41. Adult cats only meow at humans.

Ginger tabby young cat sitting on a wooden floor looks up and meowing
savitskaya iryna/Shutterstock

You probably know that cats love to talk to their humans. But did you know you're unlikely to see your feline friend interact the same way with another cat? That's because, other than kittens meowing at their mothers, cats don't meow at other cats.

42. Elephants and humans have similar self-soothing techniques.

Baby elephant sucking its trunk
addenPhotography/Shutterstock

Baby elephants will suck their trunks to comfort themselves. The babies do it for the same reason humans suck their thumbs (it mimics the action of suckling their mothers).

43. Female bats give birth to babies that weigh up to a third of their weight.

A mother short nosed fruit bat is resting while holding her young in a wildflower.
I Wayan Sumatika/Shutterstock

According to Bat Conservation International, bats give birth to babies—known as pups—that can weigh as much as one-third of the mother's weight. If that doesn't sound like a lot, imagine a person giving birth to a baby that weighed 40 pounds.

44. Painted turtles survive winter by breathing through their butts.

painted turtle
Gerald A. DeBoer/Shutterstock

Not all creatures head to warmer climates when it gets cold out, and that means they need to learn to survive in chilly conditions. Painted turtles need to adapt to frozen ponds, which restrict their access to the air above the water. They do that by breathing through their butts—specifically, the all-purpose orifice called the cloaca.

Thanks to a process called cloacal respiration, the turtles can get oxygen directly from the water around them.

45. Dogs have way fewer taste buds than humans.

cute small jack russell dog at home waiting for his dinner
eva_blanco/Shutterstock

While you may think that Fido has the same dinnertime experience as you do, he's actually got a much different taste bud arrangement. Humans have about 9,000 taste buds, while dogs have only around 1,700.

And while they can identify the same four taste sensations as people, dogs are not fond of salt.

46. Otters have the world's thickest fur.

european otter against white background
Eric Isselee/Shutterstock

Otters are thought to have up to one million hairs per square inch of their bodies. Their fur consists of two layers and is designed to trap a layer of air next to their skin so their skin doesn't get wet.

47. Alligators can grow for more than 30 years.

Large Crocodile open mouth isolated on white background.
Photoongraphy/Shutterstock

According to a 2018 study published in Copeia, alligators often haven't hit their full size until age 33.

48. A group of owls is called a parliament.

group of different types of owls sitting on a branch
Javi Guerrero Photo/Shutterstock

Their legislative powers, however, are still up for debate.

49. Snow leopards don't roar.

snow leopard sitting atop a rocky mountain
Ondrej Prosicky/Shutterstock

Snow leopards have less-developed vocal cords than their fellow large cats, meaning that they can't roar, but make a purr-like sound called a chuff instead.

For a 2010 study published in the Biological Journal of the Linnean Society, scientists researched why some cats have a higher-pitched meow than others. They found that it's not size that determines a kitty's call, but habitat.

RELATED: 55 Fascinating World Facts You Need to Know

50. Axolotls can regenerate their parts.

A cute axolotl poses on a stone
Iva Dimova/Shutterstock

Salamanders are the only vertebrates that can replace their skin, limbs, tail, jaws, and spines at any age. On the flip side, humans can regenerate lost limb buds as embryos and fingertips as young children.

51. A group of rhinos is called a crash.

group of white rhino
Tomas Drahos/Shutterstock

Individual male rhinos are referred to as bulls and females as cows.

52. Squirrels will adopt orphans.

A mother squirrel and her two babies eating sunflower seeds
KellyNelson/Shutterstock

Turns out, squirrels have an intense motherly instinct. One 2010 study by researchers at the University of Guelph found that the animals will take in the orphaned pups of their late family members.

"Social animals, including lions and chimpanzees, are often surrounded by relatives, so it's not surprising that a female would adopt an orphaned family member because they have already spent a lot of time together," said lead researcher Andrew McAdam, an evolutionary biologist. "But red squirrels live in complete isolation and are very territorial. The only time they will allow another squirrel on their territory is the one day a year when the females are ready to mate or when they are nursing their pups."

53. Giant anteaters have two-foot tongues.

Giant anteater or Myrmecophaga tridactyla isolated is on White Background
OHishiapply/Shutterstock

According to Guinness World Records, it's the longest tongue of any known mammal.

54. Cows have best friends.

cows their rubbing faces together in a field
COLOMBO NICOLA/Shutterstock

Cows have stronger social ties than you might think. One 2013 study conducted by researchers at the University of Northampton found that when cows were separated from their BFFs, their heart rates increased as a sign of stress.

55. Moths experience love at first scent.

tiger moths mating
sivananthan2001/Shutterstock

When a male moth catches a whiff of a female moth, he'll travel miles to find her⁠—based on her scent alone. According to the experts at Audubon, "They don't know what the female sounds like, or even what she looks like. But when they smell her, boy, do they know it, and they use her seductive musk to track her down."

56. Horses have distinct facial expressions.

laughing horse
CyberKat/Shutterstock

Horses can make 17 facial movements, which is three more than chimps and only 10 fewer than humans, according to a 2015 study published in PLOS One.

57. Deer can run up to 35 miles per hour.

running deer against white background
Gallinago_media/Shutterstock

Yes, white-tailed deer can hit top speeds of 35 miles per hour. Think that's fast? Reindeer can run up to 50 miles per hour.

58. An octopus has three hearts.

pink octopus
zhengzaishuru/Shutterstock

Octopuses have two more hearts than you do. Two hearts are used to pump blood to their gills, while the third brings blood to the rest of their body. If that's not enough, they also have nine brains.

59. Some worms can jump.

Red earthworms in compost
IhorL/Shutterstock

Certain species of the Amynthas worm, which have recently been identified in the Midwestern United States, can jump and detach their tails when disturbed.

60. Crocodiles can live up to 100.

crocodile floating in river
Kurit afshen/Shutterstock

Nile crocodiles can live for a full century. And they can do a lot of damage over the course of those 100 years: Approximately 200 people die every year from Nile crocodile attacks.

61. Ravens are masters of deception.

raven against a white background
WildlifeWorld/Shutterstock

Just how smart are ravens? A 2002 study published in Animal Behaviour found that these tricky birds have the ability to deceive each other.

The entire corvid family—which includes crows, ravens, and jays—is exceptionally intelligent. These birds have also been known to play pranks on one another and tease other animals.

RELATED: 39 Facts About Storms That Will Make You Run for Cover

62. Rats laugh.

cute white rat against a black background
Linda Bestwick/Shutterstock

While scientists don't exactly think they have a sense of humor, rats will make a laugh-like sound when tickled.

63. Tigers have striped skin.

tiger looking at camera against a white background
Puttachat Kumkrong/Shutterstock

You might think it's just their fur, but no, tigers have striped skin, too. And speaking of those stripes, much like our fingerprints, they're unique to every tiger.

64. Cats recognize their own name but choose not to respond.

house cat laying on white table looking sluggish and disinterested
ccns/Shutterstock

Sorry, cat owners, you're not just being paranoid: Your pet does know when you're calling their name, and they're ignoring you anyway.

In a 2019 study published in Scientific Reports, researchers discovered that while cats can distinguish their own names, they don't necessarily feel obligated to respond.

65. Cows produce more milk when listening to slow music.

Farmer pours milk into can with cow watching in the background
StockMediaSeller/Shutterstock

Call it a moo-d. Researchers at the University of Leicester School of Psychology found that cows produced 1.54 more pints per day—a 3 percent increase—when they were played slow music, as opposed to more upbeat tunes.

66. Butterflies taste with their feet.

monarch butterfly on sunflower in field
Candy_Plus/Shutterstock

Not only do butterflies taste using their feet, the receptors on their legs are also 200 times stronger than human taste buds. When a butterfly lands on a plant, they use these sensors to determine whether or not what they're standing on is edible.

67. The spur-winged goose's diet makes it poisonous.

Spur Winged Goose close-up
Rolf Kuemin/Shutterstock

Don't plan on eating a spur-winged goose if you happen to come across one during your travels. These birds, natives of sub-Saharan Africa, have flesh that's often poisonous to humans, thanks to their diet of blister beetles, which contain the deadly cantharidin poison.

68. Vampire bat saliva keeps blood from clotting.

man holding a common vampire bat
Mendesbio/Shutterstock

Vampire bats do more than just bite their prey—they also keep the other animal's blood from clotting. Their saliva works as an anticoagulant so that the blood can flow freely as they feed.

Here's another fun fact: The protein in the anticoagulant has been nicknamed "draculin." Spooky!

69. Wombat poop is cube-shaped.

wombat eating a piece of grass
Benny Marty/Shutterstock

Wombats use their droppings to warn other animals to stay off their turf. Luckily, their cube-shaped poop makes it easy to see that a spot is governed by wombats, as the little squares tend to stay put more easily than spherical droppings would.

70. Giraffes with darker spots are more dominant.

close up of a giraffe skin texture
Photo Win1/Shutterstock

You can learn a lot from the color of a giraffe's spots.

According to a 2019 study in Animal Behaviour, giraffes with darker spots are more dominant than giraffes with lighter spots. And not only that: Dark-spotted giraffes also tend to be more solitary.

71. Orcas can learn to speak dolphin.

orca whale with his mouth open
slowmotiongli/Shutterstock

Groups of killer whales have their own dialects that are further influenced by the company they keep.

A 2014 study published in The Journal of the Acoustical Society of America revealed that orcas housed with bottlenose dolphins over a long period of time were able to replicate the dolphins' language.

72. Queen mole rats make other female mole rats infertile.

Naked mole rat colony in underground chamber
Neil Bromhall/Shutterstock

To ensure her dominance, the queen mole rat works to make it impossible for other female mole rats to have litters. In fact, the queen can produce a substance in her urine that renders other female mole rats infertile.

RELATED: 63 National Park Facts About America's Most Beautiful Destinations

73. Horned lizards squirt blood from their eyes.

Close up of coast horned lizard resting on a rock
Swaroop Pixs/Shutterstock

The horned lizard has a pretty impressive trick for evading predators. When one finds itself in a perilous situation, it can squirt a stream of blood from its eyes. The predator then runs off, because, well, wouldn't you?

74. Catfish have taught themselves how to kill pigeons.

Redtail catfish in the aquarium
Bk87/Shutterstock

Relax, pigeons—it's not all catfish. But yes, in southwestern France, a group of European catfish have learned to kill pigeons, launching themselves out of the water to grab the sunbathing birds.

75. Only female mosquitos bite.

A close up of a mosquito sucking blood from someone's skin
panom/iStock

It's true: Only female mosquitos bite people for the sake of enjoying a blood meal. Without it, they won't be able to produce eggs. Unfortunately, mosquitoes also often carry viruses or parasites that they can pass on to those they bite.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), mosquitos are notorious for spreading diseases like malaria, dengue, West Nile, yellow fever, Zika, chikungunya, and lymphatic filariasis, making them the deadliest animal in the world.

76. Roosters have developed natural earplugs.

colorful male rooster crowing
Dima Photographer/Shutterstock

Researchers at the University of Antwerp discovered that just about half of a rooster's eardrum is covered in soft tissue. When they tilt their head fully back, another bit of material helps cover the area completely. This is likely to protect them from the sound of their loud crowing, which averages over 100 decibels (about the same as running a chainsaw).

77. Fleas can jump over 200 times their body length.

close-up of flea on white material
Vera Larina/Shutterstock

That's right: fleas have been observed jumping upwards of 13 inches, which is about 200 times their own body length.

78. Some tortoises weigh more than bears.

Galapagos Tortoise in the wild
FOTOGRIN/Shutterstock

The giant tortoise from the Galapagos Islands can weigh as much as 550 pounds—roughly the same size as a brown bear. These impressive creatures are therefore the world's largest tortoises. Their size allows them to store more water and fat, which helps them survive during long ocean crossings and in drought-like conditions.

79. The mantis shrimp is one of the loudest animals in the world.

close-up of mantis shrimp
WorldClass Photo/Shutterstock

The mantis shrimp is only a few inches long, but it can make sounds of up to 200 decibels. They do this by snapping their claws shut loudly enough to stun their prey, giving them the opportunity to catch and devour their next meal.

80. Hummingbirds are the only birds known to fly backward.

Green and blue Hummingbird hovering near a flower
Ondrej Prosicky/Shutterstock

Not only that, but these amazing creatures can also fly upside down, and they have their wing structure to thank for that. Unlike others in the species, hummingbirds have a ball-and-socket joint, or rotator cuff, which provides them a much greater span of movement. This also allows them to hover in one place, which is typically how they eat.

81. Primitive crocodiles could gallop.

close-up yellow eye representing a primitive crocodile
P Stock/Shutterstock

If you think crocodiles aren't frightening enough, consider this: They used to gallop. While modern-day crocodiles can move surprisingly fast, giant crocodiles during the Cretaceous period could use their legs to chase and kill dinosaurs.

Wrapping Up

That's it for our list of fascinating animal facts, but be sure to check back with us soon for even more trivia!

Sarah Crow
Sarah Crow is a senior editor at Eat This, Not That!, where she focuses on celebrity news and health coverage. Read more
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