People Imagine Which Species Would Rule Earth If Humans Didn’t Exist

Humankind has walked the world for just about 6 million years.

In the 4 Billion year lifespan of the planet, that’s practically a newborn.

Of course, we’ve been busy.  We built cities and highways and slowly became the dominant lifeform on this little blue world.

Using our opposable thumbs and massive brains we cultivated the land and conquered the oceans.

We spread through the whole world until our species could be found on every continent.

Humans lucked out in the evolutionary war.

We had the right biology, the right temperament, the necessary mix of ingenuity and tenacity required to claw our way to the top of the food chain and stay there.

However, what if things had gone a wee bit differently?

Redditor Mompkey wondered this very thing on Reddit when he asked: 

“Which species do you think would be dominant if humans didn’t exist?”

I would welcome our lupine overlords.

“Wolves. They can, and have, successfully adapted to most of the various biomes on the planet. There’s a reason we domesticated them and took them everywhere with us.” ~ CedarWolf

Some guesses stayed very close to genetic family tree.

“The ‘Pongo’ lineage (orangutans and related species) radiated throughout Africa, Europe, and Asia, before humans (or any other homo or pan species).”

“Many of them were ground dwelling (such as Sivapithecus, in India, for example).”

“If it weren’t for humans (a speciation of chimpanzees; the pan genus), the Pongo genus (specifically a species similar to or such as Sivapithicus; many fossils have been lost and there were definitely more species than we know about).”

“And its various species, would have been the dominant genus, based on the following reasoning:”

“What makes human beings the dominant species is – “

“(1) the combination of opposable thumbs and upright posture, and,”

“(2) sophisticated communication, including oral, and written language.”

“Many other species have oral language, and those languages have not been studied.”

“However, no other species have written language.”

“Written language allows complex ideas (sophisticated technology) to be passed down multiple generations later, so even if nobody that person directly interacted within their lifetime was able to duplicate what that person did,”

“(Say build a chariot, create gunpowder, etc.) someone multiple generations later could read a book and figure it out if they had the desire to.”

“Besides Pongo and Pan, there are various other species of monkeys who could have eventually reached the niche human beings ended up filling.”

“Most of the other primate species are tree-dwelling to such an extreme extent that they’d be unlikely to be very ‘dominant’.”

“Other than possibly other monkeys or apes, that title would end up going to some dog, cat or bear species (tigers, grizzlies, wolves, for example, not including many megafauna which went extinct when humans came into contact with them).”

“An argument could also be made that diseases are more dominant than humans.” ~ Longjumping_Emu_1297

Or,

“Wouldn’t it be just another off shoot of humans like the Neanderthal or heidelbergensis?” ~ SnooHesitations8174

In some instances, size does matter. 

“Elephants.”

“Nobody f*cks with elephants” ~ amarghir1234

But not always.

“Probably ants tbh.”

“They just seem like they already took over the world in masses and are everywhere.” ~ItsLenTastic

“Free Willy” would have been a very different movie.

“Orcas.”

“Definitely f*cking orcas.”

“Not only are they smart, they also are apex predators who f*ck up even the strongest of sharks.”

“They have been known to yeet seals 80 feet out of the water.”

“My bets are on the murder oreo.” ~ BigCut5442

Of course, not everyone seemed on board with the assignment.

“Humans are the only species that seek to dominate others.”

“Other animals just want to live in the balance of nature. They’re just trying to survive, they don’t have time to take over the world.” ~ Nisa4444

Others gave multiple guesses.

“1. None.”

“Intelligence is not a goal of evolution.”

“Survival in nature is achieved mostly by being faster, bigger, gathering in numbers, having more offspring, bigger claws, etc.”

“More, not better.”

“Intelligence is only useful for physically weak, highly sociable opportunistic omnivores that are in the middle of the food chain, needing to hunt and avoid being hunted at the same time.”

“Like our ancestors.”

“Human intelligence is a product of the extremely competitive and dangerous environment in which the hominins evolved.”

“They had to outsmart their competitors and prey, take every little chance they had at survival and then some, be tough af.”

“It also helped having appropriate appendages for creating tools, a carnivore diet to feed a bigger brain, etc.”

“It was basically a perfect storm that created humans.”

“2. Another ape. For the same reasons as above.”

“3. Raccoons. They are sociable, opportunistic omnivores, have tiny hands. That would be cute.” ~holeontheground

Flight would be a great advantage.

“Corvids particularly Crows.” ~Outrageous-Monk-6281

This is solid logic.

“Chickens.”

“They just look like they know sh*t.” ~ Morfa_

Whoever has the most teeth, wins.

“Sharks, they are the dominant species on 3/4 of the earth’s surface already, they have survived mass extinctions and would thrive even more without humans mucking up their habitat.” ~ Who_Wouldnt_

Clearly, there were other contenders to the throne.

The dinos could’ve had their shot had they not been taken out early.

Size doesn’t always mean a winning score on the evolutionary battlefield though—after all we’re hardly the biggest animals.

There were lots of suggestions from the mammal kindgom but insects, birds, reptiles and fish had a few strong contenders as well.

What do you think?

Had our luck been a little worse, or our timing a little off, might we have been usurped by bats?

By shrews?

Perhaps it wouldn’t even be an animal that evolved to dominate the world but a plant?

These sort of theoretical puzzles aren’t just for fun, they can open us up to possibilities that we never would’ve considered before.

“What if we hadn’t been the dominant life on Earth” could just as easily be “What if we explored the world” or “What if we could harness electricity.” The answers to those questions had a major impact on our species.

That’s the real power of our species, after all, the ability to think outside our experience and dream of more.

The infinite possibility of “What if.”

People Share Little-Known Facts About Their Home State

The United States is a pretty a darn big country and each state is commonly known for some specific features like landmarks, spots of natural beauty or specific customs.

Sometimes the things a state is known for aren’t the most interesting things about that state, though.

Redditor FriendoAmigo asked:

“US Residents of Reddit: What is a lesser known fact about the state you live in?”

It Snows In Arizona

“Arizona isn’t all desert. The northern half is pine trees, lotsa greenery, & snow.” -ThatsMyOpiniiiooon

“This actually surprised me so much when I moved here a few years ago. I lived in the PNW before and was shocked that there are places here almost like it, just farther north. I live in the south though so we just have sand. Lots of sand. 😂” -smc0303

“You can ski in Tucson! If they open the road after it snows.” -Redditor

Pennsylvania Used To Be Über German

“Until WWI German was the most spoken language in PA. Papers were printed in it, schools were taught in it, it was spoken in homes and businesses.”

“Then we soured on Germany and in a matter of years it was erased except for place names, last names, and the language of the Plain [Mennonite, Amish, Anabaptist] people.” -tehmlem

Apparently, So Was Texas?

“There is a dialect of German that is only spoken in Texas.” -Implicit_Hwyteness

“Really? What’s it called? Texan German?” -Oiltownboi

“‘Texasdeutsch’, yeah.” -Implicit_Hwyteness

“If you’re interested you can hear it on youtube. Wikitongues has an interview with an older woman speaking it.”

“As a German speaker it’s very strange to hear. She uses really antiquated words. It’s like someone from a time machine” -Fylfalen

Jersey Devil Territory

“New Jersey is home to the Pine Barrens, basically the cleansing apparatus for the entire Northeastern seaboard for the last few centuries. Interesting lore surrounding the New Jersey Devil living there too.” -Kin2monkey

Swiss Cheese Isn’t From Switzerland

“Swiss cheese was created in Ohio, the state ranks number one in swiss cheese production in the country.” -cheesecake_fiend

“Swiss cheese is any variety of cheese that resembles Emmental cheese, a yellow, medium-hard cheese that originated in the area around Emmental, Switzerland.”

“Baby Swiss and Lacy Swiss are two varieties of American Swiss cheeses. Both have small holes and a mild flavor. Baby Swiss is made from whole milk, and Lacy Swiss is made from low fat milk. Baby Swiss was developed in the mid-1960s outside of Charm, Ohio, by the Guggisberg Cheese Company, owned by Alfred Guggisberg.” -BryGuyB

“What !? I’ve been lied to! At least tell me it was invented by a Swiss man in Ohio?” -DatTF2

“Google tells me that a Swiss man named Alfred Guggisberg immigrated to the US and created the cheese in Ohio Amish country.” -cheesecake_fiend

“And if anyone is passing through this area I strongly suggest that they buy some Guggisberg baby Swiss! The best Swiss Cheese I have ever had.”

“Pair it with some ‘trail’ bologna – you can probably find both in the same place if you’re shopping in the area.” -Labhran

Nuclear Oops

“In 1961, a nuclear bomb payload was dropped on Goldsboro, NC when a B-52 started coming apart midair. It was like one failsafe away from detonating, preventing the Piedmont from becoming a crater.”

“We don’t hear about that much and I’m surprised more people I talk to in our state don’t know about it.” -hangtight97

“The part about one of the bombs nearly exploding wasn’t declassified until 2013.” -CedarWolf

Alaska Isn’t All Frozen

“Alaska isn’t just frozen tundra. We also have the largest rainforest in the US, the Tongass.”

“Where I live, you can see old growth rainforest, ocean, fjords, glaciers, and snow capped 10,000 foot mountains all in the same view, while enjoying mild and stable temperatures that only occasionally dip below the 30s or above the 60s (Fahrenheit).”

“Also, because our summertime daylight hours are so long, we grow monster record setting vegetables!”

“I should say Alaska grows record setting vegetables in the Palmer area. Where I live in the rainforest, growing veggies requires cover and lots of fertilizer because there is too much rain.” -ghiagirl13

Iowa Really Is That Empty

“Many people think that Iowa’s emptiness is exaggerated in movies and TV, it’s not. I live in a town of 200 people and the nearest town (about 15 miles away) has 500, if I go to the edge of town, which takes like 3 minutes on foot, then I’d see nothing but corn fields and maybe a house” -Cayden5

“My favorite Iowa fact is that despite its low population, Iowa is actually the most developed state in the country because farm fields still count as development. We have very small % of wilderness left even compared to densely-populated states like NJ and DE.” -Dangerous-Ad-170

You Can’t Have It Back

“Minnesota was not a very populous state during the Civil War, but we sent hundreds of soldiers to fight, including the First Minnesota. The First Minnesota Regiment suffered 80% casualties at the Battle of Gettysburg, but for their sacrifice they won a Virginian Battle Flag as a trophy from the field.”

“Every so often Virginia asks for Minnesota to return it, and every time Minnesota tells them to f*ck off.” -CaptValentine

“I love that story. I read that Virginia sued them saying ‘that flag is part of our heritage!’ and Minnesota basically said ‘yeah, and taking it from you is part of ours 🖕‘” -incredible_mr_e

“Technically there has been a ruling in 1905 to return Civil War relics to their original states but I would like to point out that the CSA does not exist anymore, in part due to the First Minnesota’s sacrifice, so we actually can’t return it to it’s place of origin if we wanted to. Which we don’t. F*ck off, Virginia.” -CaptValentine

“Terrible governor, but I loved Jesse Ventura’s response to Virginia when they asked for it back, ‘why? we won’.” -air-bear1

“Oh Virginia, you silly sausage, that’s not how capture the flag works! (I’m from MN as well btw)” -2_cats_high_5ing

Texas Probably Isn’t Like You Think

“I’m from Texas, but I’ve lived/spent time in the northeast, midwest and Europe. These are the things that surprise people:

“1.Texas is one of the most diverse states in the nation. e.g.. People commonly assume Texas is very conservative, rural, and white, when it’s actually fairly purple, has large urban populations, and many ethnicities and cultures. Some people are surprised to learn Houston is almost as large (pop wise) as Chicago, and Dallas, Austin, San Antonio are some of the largest cities in the US.”

“2. Most Texans don’t have thick accents. If I had a nickel for every Minnesotan that said ‘you can’t be from Texas, you sound normal’ I’d have, idk, like a dollar or something. Only the most rural areas really have thick accents.”

“3. Texas isn’t really culturally part of the south. Louisiana through Texas forms a kind of cultural gradient between the south and southwest.”

“4. A noteworthy amount of Texans want to secede. It’s really rare actually, it’s more of a meme.”

“5. Texas has several varieties of bbq. It’s not just smoked brisket, but also varieties of barbacoa and direct flame grilling.”

“What is true:”

“Texans are willing to fight about bbq and smoking meat.”

“It’s hot as hell.”

“There are a lot of rural populations that have horses, even if most people don’t.”

“Texans are very proud of Texas.” -Fmeson

“The only show I ever saw that even got close to explaining the oddity that is Houston is Anthony Bourdain’s Parts Unknown. A lot of cities use ‘diverse’ as a tagline but Houston is on another level.”

“It’s more than the fact that it has a long history of welcoming immigrants from all over the world. Once you are there, you are a Houstonian.” -voice_of_craisin

The things everyone knows about states are often not their coolest or most interesting features.

There might even be cool facts or landmarks about your state that you don’t yet know.

People Talk About What’s Much More Dangerous Than Most Folks Realize

There’s danger lurking around every corner every time you step outside your house.

Speeding cars, wild animals, sketchy people, etc.

And there are also a lot of dangerous things out there that you don’t even realize…

People on AskReddit spoke up about what is much more dangerous than most folks realize. Let’s see what they had to say.

1. Risky.

“Tylenol.

It’s actually a lot easier to overdose on than most people realize, and it slowly destroys your liver over a period of days.

Not a fun way to d** to put it lightly.”

2. Can be dangerous.

“Exploring abandoned places.

When I was a kid I would do it all the time and take photos without any form of facial protection. Fast forward years later and I learn about how toxic certain molds can be, how many older buildings used materials like asbestos which can be in the air when places are left to rot, etc. At this point I just thank God I never had to deal with the aftermath of any of that!

Also to anyone who enjoys doing this, I get it. I just want to bring awareness to the fact that if you participate a respirator and goggles should be a must!

Also as a side note, be wary of scrappers and individuals looking for a place to do drugs had a run in like that during one of the last excursions I made and it’s not fun.”

3. Gotta be careful.

“Touch screen consoles in cars. Mazda now disables touch functionality in their vehicles because they found that when drivers interact with the touch screen they drift the vehicle to the right.

Taking your eyes off the road to press 3 buttons in three different positions on the touch screen, with a latency each time you press a button, because your seat heaters are literally burning your a**, while trying to maintain control of the vehicle during freeway traffic is God d**ned dangerous.”

4. Eyes on the road.

“Deer.

Over 120 people a year d** from deer directly, and another 175 to 200 from car accidents caused by deer (with some 10,000 injuries), and more d**ths and injuries related to deer hunting. By the way, deer are pretty mean and terrible parents.

I have seen a deer push her fawn ahead of her near the food, to see if there is a predator, then, if the fawn is ok, go out and hit the fawn to get at the food herself.”

5. Heavy machinery.

“Adam Savage has a good explanation about respecting workshop equipment. Last year, he had an accident with his lathe where it almost destroyed his hand.

Seeing him get emotional about not only the accident but also that he allowed it happen was quite sobering. I think he claimed that the brief lapse of judgement was almost akin to him putting too much trust into it and he felt like he didn’t respect it at that moment.”

6. Gotta know what you’re doing.

“Horses. They weigh 1200 pounds, they’re extremely jittery, and they can crush you or kick you to d**th on accident.

And that’s just horses in general. Stallions will try to hurt you just to assert dominance. And these are animals that have been known to bite each other’s throats out when they fight.

Don’t mess with horses unless you know what you’re doing. Always be careful, even if you do.”

7. Keep an eye on that thyroid.

“Anything to do with the thyroid.

It’s a bit more well known nowadays, but when I first was diagnosed with Hashimoto’s Thyroiditis (they told me it was Hypothyroidism at first), I didn’t even know what the thyroid was.

For people who might not know, the thyroid is a butterfly shaped gland in your throat. Without getting into it too much, it releases hormones that regulate many things. You wouldn’t expect this tiny little organ to be so important, but holy c**p it is.

I found out I had thyroid issues when I was 15 after I was constantly tired, had irregular periods (I’ve gone two months without a period before), my weight was out of wack, my mental health was constantly declining, and I had issues with breathing among other symptoms.

Apparently if I hadn’t started taking thyroid medication when I did, I would’ve gone into a coma within 2 weeks.

It didn’t help that I had a dad who constantly made fun of my weight and appearance even after finding out I had thyroid issues and learning how hard it was for me to loose weight. Turns out, his two sisters had Hypothyroidism and his brother had Hyperthyroidism.

It took quite a few years to finally find hormonal balance and I’m 20 now, but I’m doing a lot better than I was before, physically and mentally.”

8. Get moving!

“Lack of exercise.

People think if they’re sedentary but just eat so little that they don’t get overweight, then they’re just as healthy.

Sadly, no. Simply being thin does not equate to being healthy.

100 calorie snacks are not saving your life, they’re nothing but another sales tactic. A way to sell you less for more.”

9. Get out while you can.

“Toxic relationships.

Far too many s**cides happen because of bad relationships and no other way out.”

10. Swept out to sea.

“I live on the north coast of California.

People do not take seriously the signs that are posted on the beach regarding sneaker waves. If you are standing along the shoreline and not paying attention water can rush past on overtake you.

So when walking on the beach keep your head on a swivel and be mindful of the water.”

11. Don’t do it!

“I’ve heard enough horror stories from my parents who are both nurses to last me a lifetime.

Legs on the dash of a car are not allowed while I’m driving for this reason alone”

12. Put down the work once in a while.

“Working to d**m much.

I know, it’s expected, you’re a lazy f**k if you don’t. It leads to not getting rest so your body can heal, a really f**ked social life (i.e. none), and just general stress, which suppresses your immune system, appetite, and even your heart.

Also, people that nag about you not working enough. Huge health risk, both to themselves and others. We aren’t ever gonna make them happy no matter what, so f**k em, let them freak out and have a heart attack.”

13. Not worth it.

“Fights.

People are way too eager to prove who’s the bigger bada**. Hit someone the wrong way or start something with the wrong person and someone’s not going home. Then if the police show up, someone’s getting charged.

Depending on the severity of the other parties injuries and the word of witnesses, you could be going away for a very long time. Not to mention the civil suites that may bury you in debt.”

Now we want to hear from you.

In the comments, tell us what you think is much more dangerous than people realize.

Please and thank you!

The post People Talk About What’s Much More Dangerous Than Most Folks Realize appeared first on UberFacts.

People Share Warnings From Nature That Might Save Your Life

Pay attention to nature, always!

That can be kind of complicated if you don’t know what you’re looking for, but it’s absolutely true…because nature has a way of knowing when something bad might be right around the corner.

People on AskReddit talked about warnings from nature that might just save your life.

Let’s see what they had to say.

1. It’s a twister.

“During “stormy weather” in the Midwest…If the sky turns greenish and the pressure bottoms out, it’s time to head for the basement.”

2. Higher ground.

“If you are in a canyon, slot or otherwise, and you see clouds anywhere in the sky GTFO.

It could be raining miles away and cause a flash flood in less than 10 minutes as water rushes through the canyon.

Get to higher ground.”

3. Dangerous.

“If something, especially in the ocean, is very pretty or colorful or very ugly and doesn’t run away from you, it’s probably very venomous.”

4. Big warning.

“If you’re on the beach and see that the shore is much further out in the ocean than it usually is, you should get away from there immediately.

This is the mayor warning sign of a tsunami and you can see this e.g. in video tapes of the great tsunami in 2004.

But people weren’t leaving, they rather tried to figure out where the water went.

I once also heard a story about a girl who went to holidays with her parents to a region which was hit by the tsunami and a few weeks before the vacation she learned about tsunamis at school, so she noticed what was happening and she rescued her family.”

5. Don’t go there.

“Do not go wading in water that is heading toward a cliff! Also known as a waterfall. The current is much stronger than you might think.

I am only here thanks to a handy bush as my father as a teenager was almost swept to his d**th in Yosemite.”

6. Camp elsewhere.

“For novice campers, be able to recognize what d**d standing trees look like – and don’t camp near them.

A couple of campers are k**led every year by trees falling on them during the night. Usually during storms.

There was one near our campsite last year, so I took it down. So if you’re in a park with regulations not to cut trees down d**d ones are the exception.”

7. Heads up.

“My hair literally stood on end, including arm hair. Pulse went way up.

I hit the deck face first in the shrubs and the ground around me exploded in thunder and lightening impact.

Way too close.”

8. Good to know.

“If you have come across a small bare area under a tree, and bark is missing from the tree, you’ve probably stumbled upon a bears summer bed.

Also dont use bear bells in places that is also cougar country. You are basically ringing the dinner bell.”

9. They know.

“Pets like dogs or even cats can often tell if there if there is something wrong with a person.

If you notice your dog is constantly sniffing, touching, or just gravitating to a certain part of your body, you should get it checked out.”

10. Don’t eat that!

“If you’re eating plants out in the woods, and it tastes like almonds, SPIT IT OUT.

It’s very likely to be poisonous. Only eat what you know is safe.”

11. Silence.

“If you’re ever in a forest or mountain area and all goes quiet; birds stop chirping, bugs stop buzzing, leaves stop rustling… you are either:

A) Being stalked by a mountain lion and about to become his lunch so say your prayers.

OR

B) About to be kidnapped by Bigfoot who will make you strip and fold up your bright red shirt and place it nicely on a rock next to your shoes; then shuffle you away to an alternate realm where the fairies will decide whether or not you should return to your homeland after they feed you a nice home cooked meal.

If this happens run but I’m not sure that will actually help. Worth a try though.”

12. We should all know this.

“If you are outside in winter and you suddenly get really warm DO NOT take your clothes off.

You are about to d** to hypothermia.

You need warmth as fast as possible.”

13. Flash flood warning.

“If you are swimming in a river and the starts turning dark (brown, muddy) and you started seeing a lot of trash (tree branches, leaves) GTFO of the water.

Those are usually the signs of flash flood.”

14. And keep this in mind.

“If are ever out and about and you suddenly get a bad feeling or a feeling that you should stop doing something or do something different LISTEN TO THAT FEELING.

Those are your instincts talking to you, we have over 100,000+ years of evolution we spent developing survival instincts.

Please don’t waste them/ignore them.”

What are some more little-known warnings from nature we need to pay attention to?

Talk to us in the comments.

We’d love to hear from you!

The post People Share Warnings From Nature That Might Save Your Life appeared first on UberFacts.

People Talk ABout the Weirdest Animal Mating Rituals Out There

You know when you’ve been enjoying a nature documentary and then it gets to the really uncomfortable mating part and you feel like maybe you’re gonna vomit?

If you hate that, do NOT read on.

What is an animal’s mating ritual you’re glad humans don’t have? from AskReddit

We’re about to get the lessons in nature we never wanted, thanks to Reddit.

1. Scorpions

Scorpion males are smaller than females and are often hunted by them. In order to reproduce the male must lock pincers with the female and then drop a packet of sperm on the ground.

He must then maneuver the much larger female over the packet so that she gets the sperm inside of her.

This whole time the female is trying to eat the male who, after his tango with death must run away or become lunch.

– Gringoboi17

2. Tasmanian devils

The male holds the female hostage in her own den until she becomes pregnant, which could be days.

She does violently chase him from her den after she’s pregnant.

But I can’t imagine those days trapped with him are pleasant.

– indigocraze

3. Hippos

Hippos s**t and twirl their tails propeller-style to impress their mates, and if Gloria is interested, she will take a dump on Moto-motos head, which is something I am glad Humans don’t do.

– iamthesex

4. Koalas

Besides that horrifying screams that they produce, there is no actual ‘mating ritual’ or even ‘mating season’ – koala males straight up r**e female koalas whenever they please.

– defaultQueue

5. Ferrets

As cute as ferrets are, they have a horrible mating ritual.

Basically, the male ferret (called a hob), has to maul the ever living s**t out of the female ferret (called a jill) to get her to ovulate.

If humans did this, is would make it a lot easier to avoid accidental pregnancy, but would also make it very obvious when a woman was trying to have a child.

“Not sure if spousal abuse, or just trying to get pregnant” would be a common sentiment.

– Fairytaleautumnfox

6. Frogs

Male Frog: Let me inflate my body to three times its natural volume and then blast it out in the noisiest way possible, girls love this s**t

Female Frog: Your self inflation fetish has seduced me, grab onto my belly and fertilize the water with your male products as I squeeze out a huge mass of absolutely disgusting jelly blobs

– ThadisJones

7. Horses

(well, mares anyway) spontaneously urinate when they’re in season and they’re near a stallion.

It’s completely instinctive and I get the impression it’d be quite embarrassing in humans.

– fursty_ferret

8. Hummingbirds

I watch a lot of hummingbirds around my backyard. I love them so much.

But let me tell you, being a boy hummingbird trying to snag a mate has got to be the most terrifying thing….they fly up quite far, dive bomb almost into the gravel..multiple times. And when one looks like a pretty clear catch, another male bird will come out of nowhere and attack him.

Then come and have the audacity to sit on my feeder and make eye contact with me, with an enemies feather stuck to his face.

God, they’re precious

– Shaneaux

9. Octopus

I don’t want to just rip off my arm which is also my penis and give it to some girl to use then throw away or really and cephalopod because that would involve me sticking my arm penis into her face vagina

– Le-smexy-Baggutte

10. Jackals

I saw a nature film where a female jackal will bring her chosen mate back to her family for a meet up.

Her father and brothers will surround him and scratch up dirt while urinating, soaking him in a mix of p**s and mud.

– wufoo2

11. Ducks

They’re cute r**e machines.

There’s an arm race going on, where males evolve a penis that’s meant to be as efficient as possible for r**ing females, while females evolve twisted vaginas meant to make r**e as hard as possible.

Read about it, it’s fascinating/horrifying.

– thePsychonautDad

12. Surinam Toads

The Suriname Toad keeps its eggs in its back the eggs infuse with the skin.

When the eggs hatch the tadpoles will live inside the skin of their mother until they have matured into young frogs and squeeze out.

– Block_Mountain

13. Worms

There is a kind of worm where the females never want to mate with the males.

So instead actual intercourse the male shoots the sperm after the female, so the worm with the best range gets to pass on their genes

– gifflareater

14. Porcupines

So much erect penis pee spraying and screaming, and then of course the risk of the act itself.

The only good part is they do it once a year instead of frequently, but still.

– BuffetOfBeav

15. Garden birds

Many garden birds have a ritual in which the male pecks the female’s cloaca empty of the sperm of previous mates before having his own go.

Imagine if men would suck out previous partners’ sperm before having sex with a woman. I have imagined and I am very sorry I did…

– MissRbvK

If you’ll excuse me, I need to go wash my brain out with soap.

Any other weird animal facts you know?

Share them with us in the comments.

The post People Talk ABout the Weirdest Animal Mating Rituals Out There appeared first on UberFacts.

Mating Rituals That Would Definitely be Super Strange For Humans

One of the strangest writing jobs I’ve ever had was for an annual infotainment show for a zoo in which my partner and I wrote a series of sketches about weird animal mating rituals.

I have learned things I never wanted to know, and my search history is forever scarred.

What is an animal’s mating ritual you’re glad humans don’t have? from AskReddit

And now it’s time for you to join me in my forbidden/cursed knowledge. Behold, the words of Reddit.

1. Bellbirds

In 2019 researchers found that the song of the male white bellbird can reach levels of up to 125 decibels.

This makes it the loudest bird ever recorded to date, crushing the previous record holder, the screaming piha (which has been recorded up to 116 dB).

The worst/best part (depends on how you look at it) is that it performs at its loudest when the female is on the same branch, screaming right at her, which is enough to even cause hearing damage in the female. Imagine walking into a bar, and just screaming at the top of your lungs, popping the eardrums of every girl in the bar, just to announce that you’re single.

– girrafitygoo

2. Giraffes

The males repeatedly headbutt the females in the bladder until they p**s themselves, then they taste the urine to see if the female is in heat.

I’m sure some of you freaks are into that but still.

– Coera

3. Moose

They make a ditch, fill it with p**s, trample around to make some delicious p**sy mud then splash around so it covers their whole body.

Moose are LIT.

– Crackracket

4. Anglerfish

Females are humongous compared to males, so rather than doing it the old fashioned way, the male will bite onto the female, his insides will slowly turn to mush, and he eventually fuses with the female, depositing sperm in the process.

Pretty metal.

– begoniasaurus-rex

5. Salmon

They’re born in freshwater, swim sometimes thousands of kilometers to get to the ocean and live out most of their lives, then when it’s time to mate they have to make the same journey back to where they were born except this time upstream against the current.

And on top of that, the majority of salmon die after spawning.

Imagine living your entire life knowing it all leads up to you making a grueling several thousand km journey just to bust one nut and die right after.

– the_freshest_scone

6. Antechinus

Male Antechinus refuse to eat or rest during mating season; they will smash nonstop until their body begins eating itself.

By the end of their mating season, the corpses of ragged males litter the breeding grounds.

– Spooplegeist

7. Garden birds

Many garden birds have a ritual in which the male pecks the female’s cloaca empty of the sperm of previous mates before having his own go.

Imagine if men would suck out previous partners’ sperm before having s** with a woman. I have imagined and I am very sorry I did…

– MissRbvK

8. Eagles

Evidently they do some some complex mating ritual, which eventually results in them locking claws as they fall to the ground.

Much fewer fatalities than the bee thing, but there’s still a chance of making birdie pancakes, rather than baby eagles.

– CrankaWhiskour

9. Elephant seals

A male will force about 50 females together on a beach as his harem, and will mate with them while biting them to keep them from fleeing.

Usually other males will be attracted, and the beachmaster will rush over to fight the newcomers, potentially rolling over and crushing some of his own offspring. They’ll slam and bite each other bloody, and the winner grabs a female and mates in triumph.

– ugagradlady

10. Slugs

They are hermaphrodites and in order to determine which of the two individuals will be the male seed, they gnaw at each other’s penis until one of them snaps off.

– randolphism

11. Dogs

Dogs get stuck during mating because of a process called a copulatory tie. It is also one of the main stages in the process of intercourse.

The male dog has an organ called the bulbus glandis, which is responsible for keeping him tied up with the female. The dog breeding tie basically keeps the semen secured inside the female dog.

The bulbus glandis expands and gets locked in the uterus, and the female dog gets higher chances of getting puppies.

You could never pull out! That’s the true doggy style

– Escape-Lucky

12. Porcupines

So much erect penis pee spraying and screaming, and then of course the risk of the act itself.

The only good part is they do it once a year instead of frequently, but still.

– BuffetOfBeav

13. Periodic cicadas

They live underground as larval nymphs, sucking xylem from tree roots, for years. Thirteen or seventeen, depending on the species. That’s all they do.

Then, a brood emerges from the ground, thousands or millions strong. Each one climbs a trunk or branch, molts one final time – and then the males begin to sing the song of their people. Nonstop, for the rest of their lives. The males and females mate, the females usually once, the males as frequently as possible.

The females lay their fertilized eggs, and then the adults (the ones who have not been eaten by predators or crushed by human accident) all die. When the eggs hatch, the new generation of larval nymphs burrow into the soil and the circle of life continues.

– Genshed

14. Monkeys

There are monkeys which hierarchy is based on having sex.

That means if you are a young male monkey, you got to hold your a** out for the elders, to be in better standing

– izefaze

15. Suriname Toads

The Suriname Toad keeps its eggs in its back the eggs infuse with the skin.

When the eggs hatch the tadpoles will live inside the skin of their mother until they have matured into young frogs and squeeze out.

– Block_Mountain

Yeah, I’m glad we don’t have to do any of that.

What’s a weird animal fact that you know?

Tell us in the comments.

The post Mating Rituals That Would Definitely be Super Strange For Humans appeared first on UberFacts.

Scientists Discover That Pigs Can Actually Play Video Games

There’s a new pig in town, so step aside Wilbur.

In the classic children’s book Charlotte’s Web, E.B. White introduces readers to a very smart little piglet.

As someone who loved the book in 3rd grade, I was only a little surprised to learn that pigs actually are genuinely very smart!

Image credit: Lucia Macedo via Unsplash

Earlier this year, pathobiologists from the Center for Animal Welfare Science at Purdue University in Indiana gave 4 pigs a test originally designed for primates.

They wanted to see if pigs could combine multiple complex tasks to earn a treat.

Image Credit: Frontiers in Psychology

As Rebecca Nordquist, the Assistant Professor of Veterinary Medicine at Utrecht University explains:

The animals need to understand the link between moving around a joystick and what’s happening on a computer screen, and then link what’s happening on the screen to getting a reward.

The four pigs tested were all able to do that to some extent, showing off their smarts.

Each time the pigs successfully completed their task, the researchers gave them a harder one, like progressive levels in Tetris or Mario.

Image Credit: Frontiers in Psychology

Now pigs, of course, do not have opposable thumbs. They were trained to move the joystick with their snouts.

Unsurprisingly, and probably for a variety of reasons, while the pigs were initially successful, they did not perform as well as their monkey predecessors.

Pigs have long been reputed as being very smart, but there are certain tasks that tend to challenge them.

Again, Professor Nordquist explains:

Mirror use, for instance, is not something all pigs can master, and while they can use simple geometric shapes to decide what response to give, recognising other pigs from photographs proves too difficult.

This was surprising since other farm animals like sheep and cattle are able to recognise their sheep and cattle friends on photographs.

Aside from the fact that it’s really bloody interesting, why do scientists care how smart pigs are?

For three reasons, the first being that it’s just really bloody interesting to get into the mind of a pig.

The second reason is a bit more practical. As farmers try out more ethical and socially responsible farming methods, they need to make sure that what they’re doing actually does benefit the animal.

For example: What good is letting pigs roam free if they can’t easily navigate the larger environment to find the food and water that they need?

And the third reason is to help us understand the pig’s “intrinsic value.”

Professor Nordquist describes this as:

Instead of monetary value as an agricultural product or value to a human as a companion, this is the value it has for being itself, just as a pig, with all of the piggy things it does, such as oinking, rooting for things like truffles, socialising, and natural intelligence.

Image credit: Benjamin Wedemeyer via Unsplash

It makes sense. Because the more we understand a thing, the more we love it.

And whether a pig’s intelligence makes people forgo the bacon or not, it could go a long way towards how the animals are treated.

Maybe that’s wrong–maybe they should all be treated as though they’re as smart or smarter than us, simply because they’re alive. But the reality is that humans assign intrinsic value, and so researchers want to make sure that value is weighted correctly.

Either way, it’s pretty remarkable that pigs can play video games. I would like to challenge one to a friendly round of Dr. Mario–truffles are on me if they win.

Did this absolutely blow your mind, or do you have one of those pets who you’re sure is smarter than most people? Share your thoughts in the comments.

The post Scientists Discover That Pigs Can Actually Play Video Games appeared first on UberFacts.

Helpful Wombats Led SomeThirsty Animal Friends to Water

I really love wombats. In 2007 I even visited Australia Zoo, where I got to cuddle the larger-than-expected marsupials.

Like the rest of the world, I was devastated to hear about the wildfires ravaging the Outback, and ecstatic to learn that in some parts of the country, wombats were saving the day.

Image credit: Meg Jerrard via Unsplash

The Outback is vast and sparsely populated, so it’s easy for unusual animal behaviors to go unnoticed.

But on one particular cattle ranch in New South Wales, it became evident that Wombats were helping the ecosystem to thrive despite the drought.

You see, wombats like to burrow deep into the ground.

And on Ted Finnie’s ranch, the wombats burrowed into an underground pool.

Image Credit: Upper Hunter Landcare

As Newsweek reported:

According to Finnie’s estimates, the hole—which looks more like a “crater”–is now around 20 meters (65.6 feet) in diameter and four meters deep.

While some animals had been able to access the water before the wombats got to work, their burrowing widened it up into a nice little billabong that could serve the wider animal population.

Image Credit: Upper Hunter Landcare

Associate Professor Julie Old, a biologist at Western Sydney University, told ABC News:

“It’s almost like the wombats are water diviners, they’re finding the water and digging the holes to get to the water and the other animals are taking advantage of it.”

Image credit: David Clode via Unsplash

They certainly have the claws for it, and lots of other native species are reaping the rewards.

Finnie told the news outlet a recently erected camera trap captured birds, goannas, possums, echidnas and emus drinking at the water hole.

This story was particularly gratifying on the heels of another story earlier in the year that claimed wombats weren’t just digging tunnels but were actually herding other animals into their burrows to protect them from the fire.

I 100% believed this was true, but some experts were not so quick to buy in.

They reminded us laypeople that there’s a fine line between rounding up other hapless species and simply allowing them to coexist.

As one researcher put it:

“I wouldn’t say that wombats are “happy” about sharing with other animals, but they will “tolerate” them as long as they don’t disturb the wombat too much,” Dr. Michael Swinbourne, an ecologist at the University of Adelaide, told AFP.

Honestly, I like the idea that wombats are the marsupial saviors of the Australian animal kingdom.

But I can also accept that they are simply a critical part of a balanced ecosystem, doing their part and letting the others follow.

Either way, they are very good sports, and basically heroes in my book.

What do you think? Should we nominate wombats for a Nobel Peace Prize? Share your thoughts in the comments!

The post Helpful Wombats Led SomeThirsty Animal Friends to Water appeared first on UberFacts.