The Wildest Animal Facts You Were Never Taught in School

The animal kingdom is full of details that most biology classes never get around to covering, and these facts sit firmly in that category. Strange, fascinating, and completely impossible to unknow once you have read them.

“Trained African Giant Pouched Rats Have Found Thousands Of Unexploded Landmines And Bombs. Researchers Have Also Trained These Rats To Detect Tuberculosis. And Most Recently They Are Training Them To Sniff Out Poached Wildlife Trophies Being Exported Out Of African Ports”

“In Most Western Cultures, Black Cats Are Considered A Bad Omen. But In Scottish Lore, The Arrival Of A Strange Black Cat Signifies Prosperity”

“Capybara’s Are Social Animals, Who Get Along With A Large Variety Of Other Animals, Including Chickens, Ducks, Dogs, Cats, Llamas, Rabbits And Turtles”

“Opposums Get A Lot Of Hate, But They Clear Many Unwanted Bugs And Parasites From The Ecosystem And Are Generally Helpful Friends. Please Appreciate Them, Especially This Good Boy”

“Alex, The African Grey Parrot, Is The Only Animal To Ever Ask An Existential Question. He Asked “What Color” He Was”

“A Sloth’s Claws Work The Opposite Way That Human Hand Does. The Default Position Is A Tight Strong Grip, And Sloths Must Exert Effort To Open Them Up. This Is Why Sloths Don’t Fall Out Of Trees When They’re Asleep”

“Cows Have “Eureka” Moments, And Take Pleasure In Their Own Learning Achievements”

“Scientists Know That Rats Like To Have Their Bellies Tickled, So They Used That As Basis For Testing Happiness In Rats. They Found Out That The Ears Of Rats Undergoing Tickling Became Droopier And Pinker – Subtle Signs Of Being Relaxed And Happy”

“Seagulls Stomping On Grass Is Called, The Rain Dance. This Mimics Rain By Vibration, And Brings Earthworms And Other Bugs To Surface”

“The Opossum Is North America’s Only Marsupial, They Can Eat 5000 Ticks A Year And Are Almost Immune To Rabies! Their Body Temperature Is Too Low For The Virus To Survive!”

“Lynx Have Evolved Enormous Paws To Distribute Weight Better In Snow, Acting Like Natural Snowshoes”

“The Aardvark, Alphabetically The First Animal, Plays An Important Role In Preventing Wildlife Deaths From Fire. They Dig Large Underground Burrows That Wildlife Can Hide In During Fires”

“Blue Penguins Are The Smallest Type Of Penguin. Adults Reach Only 12-13in Tall. Owing To Their Small Size And Bright Color They Are Often Called Fairy Penguins”

“The Burmese Star Tortoise Is One Of The Few Animals That Have Comeback From Being Called Functionally Extinct”

“When In Danger, The Malabar Giant Squirrel Often Freezes Or Flattens Itself Against The Tree Trunk, Instead Of Fleeing”

“The Northern Cardinal Is Probably The Most ‘Romantic’ Bird Species: They Mate For Life, Travel Together, Sing Before Nesting, And During Courtship, Feed Seed Beak-To-Beak”

“150 Kākāriki Karaka Chicks Have Hatched This Season, Potentially Doubling The This Rare Birds Population”

“The Mangalica Is The Only Pig Species Covered In A Long Wool Coat, Similar To A Sheep’s”

“The Pudú Deer Is The Smallest Species Of Deer Standing At 15 Inches Tall On Average”

“The Milk Of Pinnipeds Consist Of Up To 60% Fat, Allowing The Young To Grow Fairly Quickly. Pups Can Gain Over 2.2 Kg (4.9 Lb) Per Day While Nursing”

“A Newborn Chinese Water Deer Is So Small It Can Almost Be Held In The Palm Of The Hand. When It Matures, Instead Of Growing Antlers, They Grow Long Upper Canine Teeth Gaining Them The Name “Vampire Deer””

“Aardwolves Are Shy And Nocturnal, Sleeping In Underground Burrows By Day. They Have Often Been Mistaken For Solitary Animals. In Fact, They Live As Monogamous Pairs With Their Young”

“Gibbons Are One Of The Only Non-Human Primates Which Practice Monogamy. Both Parents Play A Vital Role In Raising Of Their Young”

“Cows Have Similar Emotional Range As Dogs. They Display Boldness, Shyness, Fearfulness And Even Playfulness”

“Sand Cats Specialize In Surviving In The Desert. They Are Not Good Climbers Or Jumpers, But They Are Excellent Diggers. They Use Their Digging Ability To Dig Shallow Burrows To Escape The Heat Of The Desert During The Day”

“Secretary Birds Are Famous For Its Snake-Stomping Legs; A Single Kick Delivered Some 195 Newtons Of Force. They Are Also Famous For Their Long Eyelashes”

“Pigs Have Episodic Memory. It Is Likely That They Can Replay And Feel Past Experiences In Their Heads”