Animals are the fascinating creatures on this Earth with their unique behaviors and appearances. There are a lot of interesting facts about animals that are still unknown to humankind, but what so little is known about them will blow your head off.
So, here are some fun facts about animals that will simultaneously make you equally shocked and intrigued.
32 Interesting Facts About Animals
Let’s look at some of the most bizarre activities that an animal can do and get entertained by the crazed peculiarities of the animal kingdom.
1. Polar Bears have black skin and see-through fur
One of the most unbelievable facts about animals is that polar bears, who look white like snow, have black skin.
The fluffy fur on their skin is see-through, and it takes a white color because of its structure–unlike human hair which takes its color from pigments.
The structural color of the polar bear hair comes from the way light bounces around the hair itself. It does not require pigments.
Expert’s Views
Business and travel expert Michael Sawyer, who is the Operations Director at Ultimate Kilimanjaro, shares their experiences during their arctic trip as a wildlife conservationist:
“I cannot take in all the majesty that the globe has to offer without [taking into account] a place’s natural features and inhabitants.
One of my favorite places to go and learn about is the Arctic wild, especially the animals that make up this fascinating ecosystem.
As expected, the Arctic is cold. So, polar bears must have some supersonic furry covering to keep them alive and functional.
Let’s begin with the basics: fur is coarse, heavier in area per body part, and not very long. Hair is quite the opposite [in] that it is longer and less thick in texture.
While both are keratin in nature, fur has a shorter sequence of growth than human hair as well.
What is truly fascinating is that polar bear fur is like water; the color that you see [represented is what] is absorbed and illuminated.
Its projected color is white to correlate with the surrounding snow and environment. Polar bear fur is also free of pigment that allows the abundance of light to come through for full illumination.”
2. A Blue Whale weighs close to the weight of three adult Elephants
These mammals living in the sea weigh as much as three adult Elephants and are approximately as long as three Greyhound buses.
Even the tongue of a Blue Whale weighs as much as a car, or a small Elephant, which is approximately 2.7 tonnes, making it one of the most amazing facts about animals.
3. Almost half the Pigs in the world reside in China
As of now, China is the biggest pork producer globally, with its farmers keeping almost half the pigs in the world on their farms.
They have built 13-storey ‘Hog Hotels’ for Pigs there, which is as luxurious as any human lodgings making it one of the must-know facts.
4. A young Chinese Water Deer is so tiny that it can be fit in a human palm
Native to China, this tiny water deer is more similar to a Musk Deer.
At the time of birth, this newborn Chinese Water Deer is so small that you can hold it in the palm of your hand, and when they mature, they grow upper canine teeth instead of antlers.
This leads to their name as “Vampire Deer,” and one of the most amazing fun facts you should know.
5. The only mammal which can fly is the Bat
Among all the mammals, the Bat is the only mammal that can fly.
Flying Squirrels can glide for very short distances, while on the other hand, Bats can indeed fly with their wings that almost resemble a human hand.
You can get a better understanding of it by imagining the skin between the two of your fingers stretched to the tip of the fingers. The flexible skin allows the movement needed for the bats to fly.
Anatomy Clash: Bat Vs. Flying Squirrels
Andrew Green, Chief Technology Officer at EcoMotionCentral.com, explains bat wing anatomy for flight, contrasting with flying squirrels’ features interestingly:
“Bat wings are a marvel of nature, essentially modified arms with elongated fingers connected by a double membrane of skin called the patagium.
This structure allows for incredible maneuverability and the ability to generate lift for sustained flight, much like birds.
The flexibility in their wing membrane, combined with the ability to move each finger independently, gives bats precise control over their flight pattern.
In contrast, flying squirrels can’t truly fly; they glide using a patagium that stretches between their wrists and ankles. It’s more of a furry parachute than a wing, lacking the rigid structure and muscle control that bats have.
While bats actively flap their wings to stay airborne, flying squirrels can only coast through the air, using their patagium to navigate and their tail to stabilizeduring glides.
I think it’s fascinating how bats have evolved to be such skilled flyers while flying squirrels have taken a different evolutionary path to conquer the skies, albeit in a more limited way.”
6. Gorillas can catch human colds and other diseases
Gorillas are not immune to human diseases.
Genetic similarities between humans and Gorillas made them susceptible to human infectious diseases. Being near humans, they can catch human colds.
There have been a lot of cases in which Gorillas have been diagnosed with respiratory diseases, making it one of the must-know fun facts.
7. In a pride, ninety percent of the hunting is done by the female Lion
In the family of Lions, the female Lion does 85-90 percent of the hunting while the male Lions watch over their territory and protect the pride.
Lions are one of the animal species that loves cuddling, head rubbing, purring, and licking. But they all hold their own when it comes to food.
It is one of the most interesting facts that in the pride, usually, it’s the males eat first, followed by females, and then cubs.
8. Some of the male Songbirds sing more than 2000 times a day
Male songbirds are vocal gymnasts who can simultaneously produce two completely unrelated notes without halting to catch up for air.
Humans produce sounds from their vocal cords while the male songbirds sing with the help of their syrinx.
Unlike other birds that sometimes chirp on instinct, songbirds learn and perform the songs, making it one of the most amazing facts.
9. Whispering in someone’s ear when they are Moose hunting is illegal in Alaska
One of the fascinating fun facts is that while moose hunting in Alaska, you are not allowed to whisper in someone’s ear.
Alaskan criminal defense attorney explains that concentration is essential during moose hunting, and people are suggested to wait until they are done before they start having a conversation.
It is also illegal to feed them alcoholic beverages there.
10. Reindeer eyeballs turn blue in winter and are gold in summer
Arctic Reindeer have Tapetum Lucidum(TL) behind the retina of their eyes. This TL reflects light and helps enhance the night vision of the reindeer.
Due to this TL, reindeer have gold eyeballs in the bright light of summer to reflect most of the light. And reindeer eyeballs turn blue in winter to allow less light to reflect out of the eye.
This enhances their vision in the dim light of Arctic winter and makes it an interesting fact that you never knew.
11. The Blue-eyed Lemur is the only (one of the two) nonhuman mammal that has truly blue eyes
Blue eyes are scarce and beautiful eye colors found in mammals, and the blue-eyed lemur is the only (one of the two) nonhuman mammal with truly blue eyes.
These blue-eyed beauties are generally found in the northwestern tip of Madagascar, and they always live in a group of two to fifteen animals. Females are dominant in each group.
12. Sea Otters hold hands while they sleep
Sea otters hold hands while sleeping to prevent them from floating away from each other in their sleep.
They fear drifting apart from their family members or losing their mate to another male while sleeping. So, they hold hands in their sleep or entangle themselves in giant seaweed.
13. Just one Cow poo almost 115 pounds of manure in a day
Just one cow poo round about 15 times a day, approximately 21 tons in a year.
These large quantities of poo are often used to human advantage as they are instrumental in making manure and biogas in various parts of the world.
14. Baby Elephants also suck on their trunks for comfort
One of the most interesting facts about animals is that infant elephants also suck on their trunks just like a baby human sucks its thumb.
So, when they are not nursing milk from their mother, they suck 0n their trunk for comfort. And apart from the comfort, it also helps them figure out how to use the lengthy appendage above their mouth.
In addition to infant elephants, some adults have also been seen sucking on their trunks when upset or nervous, just like humans chew on their nails.
15. A Niles Crocodile’s jaw can apply pressure up to 5000 pounds on every square inch
A Niles crocodile’s jaw can measure up to 5000 pounds, about 30 times more than the bite force and five times more than that of a lion.
It is the most substantial bite of any animal in the whole animal kingdom. Not even the great white shark has a bite force like this, making it one of animals’ most interesting fun facts.
16. On average, there are 50,000 Spiders to each acre in green areas
Can you imagine that you can never be more than 10 feet away from a spider, even if you realize it? Because that is the case.
There are almost 50,000 spiders in each acre in green areas and 1 million in every acre of land worldwide. Bet you had never imagined that.
17. There are almost 2.5 million Ants for every human in the world
More than 12,000 species of ants exist on every continent of the world, with just Antarctica as an exception. And scientists have estimated that there are almost one million ants in every human in the world.
If you take a rough approximation, the total weight of all the ants is round about equal to the total weight of all the humans in this world.
18. A Cow can sleep standing up but can only dream lying down
Like many other large herbivores- horses, rhinos, moose, and bison- cows can sleep standing up, but it is always light sleep. Similar to dozing off for a few moments.
But what makes it interesting is that when it comes to deep slumber, they all have to lay down like the rest of us. Thus they can only get a proper REM sleep and dream lying down.
19. “Quick brown Fox jumps over the lazy Dog” sentence has all the letters of the alphabet
The well-known sentence, “quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog,” is a pangram of the English language. That means it contains all the letters of the English alphabet.
Check it out!
20. A single Elephant tooth can weigh round about 9 pounds
Elephants are the heaviest land mammal on Earth, and they live entirely up to their reputation.
As a single elephant, the tooth can weigh up to 9 pounds! Which is almost the same as the weight of a newborn human baby.
In the later years of elephants, this weight increases by a small fraction, making it one of the most surprising facts among animal lovers.
21. Despite their name, Turkeys are one of the most famous birds in America
Turkey has always been a very salient feature in American culture as it is the trademark dish for Thanksgiving Day dinner in every household of America.
Various theories have been proposed as to why they are named “Turkey,” but they are distinctively American. And native to just the North American continent, making it one of the most famous birds in America.
22. American tried training Bats to drop bombs during World War ii
Commonly referred to as bat bombs, it was an experimental weapon developed by the United States during world war ii.
American’s efforts to train bats have also started to give fruitful results with promising effectiveness of the whole project. But the project got canceled in 1944 due to the military deciding to funnel all their funding into atomic bombs.
Making it one of the fascinating facts that Americans tried to train bats during World War II to drop bombs over the Japanese cities.
23. Grey wolf has the scientific name Canis lupus
Canis lupus, commonly known as Grey wolf, is native to North America and Eurasia.
These most prominent members of the canine family, also known as Timbre wolf in North America, always live in packs and are very protective of them.
24. Male Rabbits are known as “Bucks,” and the females as “Does”!
In a fluffle or colony, a group of wild rabbits, male rabbits are called “bucks.”
And although we colloquially call the female rabbits “bunny,” but the actual term that we should use for a female rabbit is “doe,” and the baby rabbits are referred to as “kit” or “kittens.”
A doe gives birth to a litter of kittens, its size depending on the breed.
25. Dogs learn spoken commands easier when they are given hand gestures
If you are trying to train your dog, you should know that dogs learn spoken commands better when they are given and some hand signals or gestures.
It makes the initial training for dogs more manageable and more effective.
However, if you are in a noisy setting, it is prescribed to rely on hand signals as your voice can get lost in the environment.
26. Newborn baby Kangaroos are just mere inches long-not bigger than a Queen Bee
The body length of newborn baby kangaroos is just an inch long, which can not be more significant than a water bug or a queen bee. Probably why the female kangaroos keep them in their pouch until they are big enough to hold their own.
These baby kangaroos are called “joeys.”
27. Chameleon’s tongue can be twice the length of its body
Chameleons have a solid and fast tongue which is approximate twice the length of their whole body.
Understandable since the chameleon traps all its prey with only its tongue.
28. The Horned Lizard can shoot a stream of blood from its eyelids
These lizards with horn-like structures all over their body can camouflage anywhere with the backgrounds to hide from the predators.
These short lizards inflate their body as much as twice their size to warn the predators away. And when even that doesn’t work, they shoot a stream of blood from their eyelids as the last resort and defense mechanism.
29. The first nonhuman mammal with proven ability to keep up with rhythms is Sea Lion
The ability to keep up with a beat, which is appropriately ingrained in most humans, is sporadic to find in other animals.
But the Sea Lion, Ronan, has proved that they can also keep up to beats and move with rhythms. Although it initially came off as a big surprise, watching when the shock rolled over was fascinating.
30. A herd of sixty Cows can produce about one ton of milk in less than a day
On average, a single cow can give around ten to fifteen liters of milk in a day. So, it’s safe to say that it would take less than a day for the herd of sixty cows to produce a ton of milk.
A high-yielding breed of cow is capable of producing milk even more than that.
31. A Goldfish kept in the darkroom becomes pale in color
If a goldfish is kept in the darkroom or a dark place, it appears paler in color when brought into the light. The color change is significant and easily noticeable.
It happens because goldfishes need light for the chromatophores to produce the pigment responsible for their color. And if they are kept in the dark for long, they start to lose their color because the previously present chromatophores that have their original color begin to die and cannot produce anymore.
However, they won’t ever turn completely white because some of their color pigments come from food.
The diverse species of animals on our planet are so full of surprises that it is impossible to fathom all the facts about them even in a million years. But these are some of the points that might leave you stunned.
If want to learn some more weird animal facts like military trained bottlenose dolphins, dog’s sense, koala’s fingerprints confusing forensics, facts like Some species of birds, including crows and pigeons, can recognize human faces, Hummingbirds are the only birds that can fly backwards or Birds don’t have teeth but are the only animal to have feathers.
Last Updated on by Namrata123
I love to read about animals and this article provided best fun facts about them. I really appreciate the writer who have done so much research and wrote such informative article.
A very fun article which presents some even more fun facts about animals to the readers. This is an absolute thrill for animal lovers who love reading and discovering more about them.