It’s hard to say exactly why we love animals so much: is it because of their adorable appearance, their innocent behavior, or the warm feeling they awaken in us?
That sudden sense of joy we feel when encountering an animal is familiar to all of us (at least, we hope so!). Whatever the reason, the animal world continues to amaze us.
Happy World Animal Day!
50 Interesting Facts
1.The largest land animal ever discovered is believed to be a titanosaur found in Argentina, estimated to weigh around 69 tons and measure about 120 meters in length.
2.The heaviest animal ever recorded is the blue whale, weighing up to 190 tons.
3.In Japan, pigeons were trained in 1995 to distinguish between paintings by Picasso and Monet.
4.In Phoenix, Arizona, it is illegal to cause a horse, donkey, or pony to lose balance and fall.
5.In 2008, a snake in Australia swallowed four golf balls, mistaking them for chicken eggs, and was saved through emergency surgery.
6.The number of sharks killed by humans is ten million times greater than the number of humans killed by sharks.
7.Saint Francis of Assisi (1181/1182–1226), regarded as the patron saint of animals, was known for his love of animals. Even today, many churches bless animals on October 4.
8.Cows have best friends and experience stress when separated from them.
9.Millions of trees grow each year thanks to squirrels forgetting where they buried their nuts.
10.Female insects of the genus Neotrogla have a penis-like organ, and mating can last up to 70 hours.
11.In Australia, there is a rare mammal species that remains in copulation until its body completely breaks down.
12.The sounds mosquitoes make during mating can attract predatory bats.
13.Female Komodo dragons can reproduce without males.
14.Bald eagles perform aerial “dances,” locking talons and free-falling before pulling apart.
15.Female black widow spiders sometimes kill and eat the male after mating.
16.Squirrels cannot hiccup or vomit.
17.The time between humans and Tyrannosaurus rex is shorter than the time between T. rex and Stegosaurus.
18.There is a place in the world where seagulls hunt whales.
19.Owls do not have eyeballs — they have eye tubes.
20.Animals with small bodies and fast metabolisms perceive the world more slowly than humans do.
21.A dog’s sense of smell is about 100,000 times stronger than a human’s, but their sense of taste is much weaker.
22.The extinct colossus penguin was about as tall as LeBron James.
23.Male gentoo and Adélie penguins “propose” to females by offering them pebbles.
24.Azara’s owl monkeys are more monogamous than humans.
25.About 25% of barn owl pairs eventually “divorce.”
26.A group of parrots is called a pandemonium.
27.Cats hug humans because they trust them and feel safe around them.
28.Every year, the city of Churín in Peru hosts a Guinea Pig Festival.
29.The name “grizzly” comes from the word grizzled, meaning “gray-haired.”
30.Wombat feces are cube-shaped.
31.Dogs sneeze during play to show that they are not being aggressive.
32.Baby pygmy marmosets make babbling sounds to develop language skills, much like human infants.
33.Baby dolphins have special structures on their tongues that help them drink milk without swallowing saltwater.
34.Earwax from blue whales can be used to learn about their life history.
35.Dolphins can sleep with only one half of their brain and remain active for days.
36.Some species of crabs can live for more than 50 years.
37.Crabs urinate from their faces.
38.The Chinese soft-shelled turtle can expel waste through its mouth.
39..Some turtles can breathe through their rear ends.
40..Each eyeball of a tarsier is as large as its brain.
41..A group of otters is called a romp.
42..A group of rhinoceroses is called a crash.
43..A group of hedgehogs is known as a prickle.
44..Baby hedgehogs are born with soft spines that harden after a few days.
45.A group of crows is called a murder.
46.Houseflies buzz in the key of F.
47.Ostriches can run faster than horses, and male ostriches can roar like lions.
48.Kangaroos cannot hop without using their tails for balance.
49.Tigers have stripes not only on their fur but also on their skin, and no two are alike.
50.A turtle’s sex can be identified by the sounds it makes.