Random Facts About Animals

The Animal Kingdom

Animals are living things made of many cells, and they live on every part of Earth, from the deepest ocean trenches to the highest mountain peaks. There are hundreds of thousands of animal species, and each one is unique and amazing in its own way. Animals are a key part of the natural world and of human life.

Animals are split into two big groups: vertebrates and invertebrates. Vertebrates have a backbone. Invertebrates do not. The animal kingdom includes mammals, fish, birds, reptiles, and much more. Scientists have found over 100,000 species across the 25 animal phyla, and many more are still waiting to be discovered.

Every group has surprising facts hidden inside it. Let's dig in!

Interesting Facts About Animals

There are many unusual things about animals that most people never learn. Here are some really surprising facts that will leave you amazed!

Birds and Reptiles

• Every single swan in England is the property of the Queen.
• Although they are called Anteaters, these animals prefer eating termites over ants.
• The female Saltwater Crocodile lays her eggs at night. During this period, she enters a trance-like state and is oblivious to the surroundings.
• The tongue of an alligator is attached to the bottom of its mouth and hence it cannot stick its tongue out.
• Rabbits and parrots are the only creatures that can look behind themselves without turning their heads.
• Hummingbirds are the only birds that can fly backwards.
• Birds use gravity to help them swallow food. Without gravity, a bird would choke on its meal.
• An ostrich's eyes are bigger than its brain.

Big Cats and Wild Mammals

• A lion living in the wild will be able to make no more than 20 successful kills in a year.
• Lions can mate over 50 times a day.
• You will never find two tigers with similar stripe markings.
• The cheetah is the smallest of all big cats.
• A cheetah can run about 80 miles/hour.
• The tallest mammals on earth are the Giraffes.
• A hippopotamus can live for about 40 years in the wild.
• A 4 feet tall child can fit into a wide open mouth of a hippopotamus.

Ocean and Water Animals

• Dolphins can jump up to 20 feet in air.
• A dolphin tends to sleep with one eye open.
• The tongue of a blue whale is so large that about 50 grown men can stand on it.
• Sharks and ray fish are the only animal species that never get cancer.
• The only fish that can blink both eyes at the same time is the shark.
• The heart of a shrimp is in its head.
• A starfish can live for eternity as long as it does not fall sick or meets with an accident or is eaten up by predators.
• A harp seals group is called a Colony or a Rookery.

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Pets and Familiar Animals

• The Chow is the only dog that does not have a pink colored tongue.
• Dogs can make about 10 vocal sounds and cats are capable of making over 100 different vocal sounds.
• Dogs and cats, just like humans, can either be left-handed or right-handed (er.. pawed?).
• The smartest dog in the world is the Border Collie and the dumbest dog is the Afghan Hound.
• There are over 32 muscles in a cat's ear.
• A cat's urine can glow under black light.
• A haw is the third eyelid of cats, which is only visible when the animal is very sick.
• The whiskers of a cat help it determine if the space is too small or enough for it to squeeze through.
• The only mammals that produce uric acid other than humans are Dalmatians. Thus, they become the only dog breed to get gout.

Insects and Small Creatures

• Ants do not have lungs and can never sleep.
• Honeybees have tiny hairs on their eyes that help them collect pollen.
• A group of owls is called a parliament.
• For some unknown reason, a duck's quack cannot echo.

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More Surprising Animal Facts

• Deer do not have a gallbladder.
• Every gorilla has a unique nose print, just like human fingerprints.
• An elephant's tusks are made of dentin, the same substance that forms human teeth.
• There are over 40,000 muscles in an elephant's trunk.
• The sperm of an elephant is shorter than the sperm of a mouse.
• Each and every polar bear is left-handed (pawed).
• The only animals besides humans who can fall prey to leprosy are the armadillos.
• An armadillo always has four babies at a time, and all four are always the same sex.
• If a goldfish is kept in dim light for a period, it will turn white.
• A baby kangaroo at birth is only an inch long and is no bigger in size than a queen bee.
• Humans, apes and koalas are the only three animals to have unique fingerprints.
• The only mammals that can fly are bats. Another interesting random animal fact about bats is that they always turn left while exiting a cave.

The animal kingdom is enormous, far bigger than most people imagine. Every animal on Earth has adapted to fit its own corner of the world, from the deepest ocean to the driest desert. It is our job to protect these amazing creatures and the habitats they call home.