Did you know that the blue-and-yellow macaw can live between 65 and 70 years? To put it simply: it will likely outlive a bunch of you (including me). It can also talk and bond very closely with humans.
It’s a pretty striking and fascinating animal. They’re also pretty readily available. I ran into a woman in the park the other day who had one perched on her shoulder!
But guess what? That’s just one of the multitudes of animals on this planet, and each one is cooler than the last.
That’s what we were so kindly reminded about after Redditor SerialNarcissist asked the online community:
“What random animal fact should everyone know?”
“If you’re camping…”
“If you’re camping and you hear an animal moving around, it’s probably a skunk or a beaver or a porcupine. Bears, moose, and other large animals are surprisingly sneaky.” ~ TypicalCricket
“The ones who don’t make it…”
“A Tasmanian Devil gives birth to dozens of babies, however, the mother only has four nipples. So it’s a race for those babies to reach one of them. The ones who don’t make it are then eaten by the mother.” ~ downvotecitybitch
“Dragonfly nymphs…”
“Dragonfly nymphs are aquatic and can launch their lower jaw like a grappling hook. They use this for hunting other pond-dwelling creatures before they leave the water. Probably the most badass thing in nature for a set of wings.
“That said they have a ridiculous hunt success rate, somewhere above 90%, so you best watch out if you’re a fly just enjoying your day.” ~ TheMadMellom
“You can tell which one…”
“Elephants can be left tusked or right tusked, similar to how humans are right or left-handed. You can tell which one an elephant is by the shorter tusk, if it’s a short right tusk then they’re right tusked and vice versa.” ~ CubsFan30
“A drone bee dies…”
“A drone bee dies immediately after mating with a queen due to powerful ejaculation, causing his penis to eject from his abdomen. He dies having the best orgasm of his life.” ~ insideoutcollar
“If a male clownfish loses his partner…”
“If a male clownfish loses his partner, he will develop female reproductive parts and mate with his male offspring.” ~ [deleted]
“An owl’s eyes…”
“An owl’s eyes are so large that they are immobile, they never develop any muscles for moving their eyes inside their sockets. Instead, they move their entire head.” ~ i-throw-socks-at-a-cat
“Penguins have a gland…”
“Penguins have a gland behind their eye that converts salt water into freshwater.” ~ Ozymandias200
“Leave them alone.”
“A moose will kill you. Like… Leave it alone.”
“It will gore you. It will kick you. It will headbutt you until you’re just a shredded corpse hanging from its antlers.”
“It will kill you in your car. It will kill you in a forest. It will kill you in a swamp.”
“You can’t just run one over with your car if it’s on the road. You can’t run away once it’s spotted you.”
“They are not nice, calm, or gentle creatures. They are massive, terrifying beasts. Leave them alone.” ~ [deleted]
“If you get bitten by a cat…”
“Cat bites are way more dangerous than most people think. A cat bite might not look like much from the outside, but their long, pointy teeth penetrate deep and are much more likely to cause an infection than a dog bite.”
“If you get bitten by a cat (like when trying to pet their tummy), always disinfect the wound, even if it doesn’t look bad.” ~ WarKiel
“They are part of a group of birds…”
“European magpies are the only non-mammal species able to recognize themselves in a mirror test.”
“They are part of a group of birds called Corvids which is basically the crow family, birds such as crows, ravens, rooks, magpies, jays, and jackdaws. Corvids are the most intelligent of all the birds and some of the most intelligent animals on earth.”
“Studies are revealing more and more about this amazing group of birds and their cognitive power easily rivals apes and monkeys –– if not surpasses them. Go check out some documentaries or read up on them… it’s fascinating!” ~ Spawkee
“Orcas hunt out of boredom…”
“Orcas hunt out of boredom and will often toss the dead body of a seal around as if it was just a ball.” ~ IDAbaffal
“Some species of shark…”
“Some species of shark, like the grey nurse shark, eat their siblings (or the egg cells that would have become their siblings) while still in the uterus, meaning they become cannibals before they’re even born.” ~ Poorly-Drawn-Beagle
“They don’t even have feet…”
“Maggots can climb walls. Those don’t even have feet but god damn they hustle around the room.” ~ iremovebrains
“Call ducks were bred…”
“Call ducks were bred to aid their owners in hunting. They make loud noises to lure predators.”
“They’re cheeky, scared cutie-pies. They waggle their tail when they’re happy. They have oil from their butt which they use to clean themselves and keep themselves dry.”
“In some areas, it is illegal to own only one call duck because they’re a very social bird. They’re the cutest pets with personalities of their own.” ~ cteduck
“They are fertile only…”
“Female pandas ovulate only once a year. They are fertile only two or three days of the year.” ~ awesomecutepandas
“Generally…”
“CATS DO NOT DRINK ENOUGH WATER!!! Generally, cats don’t drink enough water to keep themselves properly hydrated.”
“In addition to the fact that their tongues aren’t designed to scoop water like dog tongues, it’s also possible for them to feel too anxious to drink from their bowl.”
“Cats in the wild derive most of their water intake from the moisture in their food. If all you feed is kibble, your cat is in a perpetual state of dehydration, which can lead to an overwhelming amount of health issues for them.” ~ OhBee86
How many of these awesome animal facts did you know?
All of them?
None of them?
Few of them?
The world is a fascinating place, isn’t it? We truly take it for granted.
We should probably stop that, especially if we want others to enjoy the wonders of the animal kingdom for years to come.
