The world has over 10,000,000 different species of animal, which is more than any of us could ever hope to see in a lifetime.
But don’t worry, we’ve found several fun facts about animals you need to know so that you can become a true expert without even leaving the house!
1. There are primates with poisonous purpose.
The slow loris is the only primate with poison and its bite will kill a human in hours.
2. Some birds are mathematical geniuses!
Pigeons can count. No really, they can count!
3. There’s a reason for zebra stripes.
Zebras have evolved to have stripes so they don’t get bothered by horse flies.
4. Chimpanzees can get ‘drunk’.
Chimps will have a taste of fermented palm tree sap and get a little merry whilst they do it!
5. Otters can use tools.
Sea otters use rocks to break open the shells of their prey so they can chow down.
6. Some marsupials REALLY like sleeping in.
The koala is potentially the world’s laziest animal and sleeps for up to 22 hours a day.
7. Some frogs go on ice!
Frogs in Canada and Alaska freeze themselves solid throughout the winter and then are good to go again when the summer returns.
8. Stallions are toothy customers.
Male horses have up to 6 more teeth than their female friends and originally used them for fighting.
9. Octopuses genuinely have eight arms.
Octopus tentacles are actually known by scientists as arms, and they can taste using them.
If that wasn’t scary enough, they can also swim at an incredible 25 mph!
10. Every dolphin has a name.
Bottlenose dolphins give one another names by developing specific whistles for individual dolphins.
11. Who needs colourful contact lenses?
Reindeer eyes go from gold in the summer to blue in the winter so they can make better use of the minimal light levels.
12. A giraffe’s mouth is a strange, strange place.
A giraffe tongue is 20 inches long and pitch black. They also don’t have any vocal cords!
13. Alligators fear no animals… Bar one.
Alligators will kill just about anything, except manatees. In fact, manatees will bump into alligators to tell them to let them swim first and the gators will hold back and let them lead the way!
14. Sloth metabolisms are… Well… Slow!
Sloths take 30 days to digest a leaf and go to the toilet no more than once a week.
15. Elephants and humans share an infancy trait.
A baby elephant will suck its trunk to self-soothe, just like a baby sucks its thumb.
FAQs about Animals
Where do most of the world’s deadliest animals live?
As beautiful as the country is, remember to be careful when you visit Australia as most of the world’s venomous creatures live down under!
What is the world’s deadliest animal?
The world’s deadliest animal is actually the mosquito! It is believed that mosquitoes cause the death of up to 1,000,000 people annually.
Are humans animals?
Although we like to separate ourselves from the animal kingdom, we are absolutely a part of it! Humans are mammals, specifically.
Do you know any interesting or fun facts about animals? Share them in the comments below!
Are you mad for mammals? Check out these amazing facts about African animals
