22 Interesting Facts About Animals

There are more than 8.7 million species of animals on Earth, each with its unique habits and characteristics. For example, did you know that elephant seals can hold their breath for up to 2 hours, and all polar bears are left-handed from birth? The animal kingdom is full of mysteries waiting to be uncovered.

Interesting Animal Facts:

1. The snow leopard carries its tail in its mouth to protect its nose from the cold.
2. Adult ground squirrels kiss more often when people are watching, while younger ones tend to become more aggressive.
3. The stripes on a tiger’s skin are unique, just like human fingerprints.
4. Mosquitoes prefer to bite people who have consumed alcohol because they are attracted to the scent of octanol (a substance in the fatty alcohol class).
5. Badgers have a special “room” in their burrows that serves as a toilet.
6. The albatross can sleep while flying, with one half of its brain resting while the other keeps it airborne.
7. Opossums play dead to escape predator attacks.
8. Trained pigeons can distinguish between Picasso’s and Claude Monet’s paintings. Experiments have shown that their brains can generalize information and find differences even in paintings they see for the first time.
9. Flamingos are born with gray feathers and turn pink due to their diet of shrimp.
10. A rhinoceros’ horn is made of keratin, the same material found in hair and nails.
11. Moles can dig a tunnel 70 meters long in one night.
12. Japanese macaques play with snowballs for fun and love bathing in hot springs.
13. Otters have a special pocket where they keep a rock to open shellfish.
14. Crows remember the faces of those who wronged them and can seek revenge. Their brains can store this information for up to 5 years.
15. Dolphins sleep with one eye open and one hemisphere of their brain awake.
16. Grizzly bears bite with such force that they can crush a bowling ball.
17. Cats cannot taste sweet foods because they lack the corresponding taste receptor.
18. Toucans curl up into a small ball when they sleep.
19. A shrimp’s heart is located in its head.
20. Some cats and dogs are allergic to humans, often due to human dandruff.
21. Butterflies not only taste with their feet but the receptors on their feet are 200 times stronger than human taste buds.
22. Giraffes with darker spots tend to dominate over those with lighter spots.