Because nature is interesting and sometimes frightening.
A sidenote before we start: there's no point spreading misinformation, so if you see someone post an inaccurate fact you're free to correct them...but please do so in a respectful manner. I had a thread like this on another site and within five minutes the wolf fandom(?) was at each others' throats and I got chewed out by a mod.
Well, here we go:
Although a songbird, shrikes are known as "butcher birds" because they impale their prey on hawthorns or barbed wire to let it rot before consuming it.
By contriving complicated mechanisms to protect our trash from raccoons, we're actually increasing their brain mass and problem solving capabilities.
The bearded vulture (lammergeier) is best known for consuming the bones of a carcass. It dyes its feathers rust-coloured from dust bathing or drinking mineral-rich water. Vultures also have the ability to digest diseases like rabies.
The bobbit worm can be a few meters long and clamps down on prey so hard that it often scissors them in half.
The mantis shrimp "punches" prey at such high speeds that it actually creates a light/heat burst as a result of the implosion of the water around it (cavitation). This not only kills prey, but also has the capacity to break aquarium glass. It also has sixteen colour-receptive cones in its eyes, whereas humans only have three.
Bilateral gynandromorphs are animals that are genetically half male and half female.
Jacanas have huge spindly feet that allow them to displace their weight and walk across lilies. They carry their young under their wings and look like eldritch footbeasts.
The staghorn hermit crab has its shell chemically eroded over time by coral, replacing it with a calcified exoskeleton.
Moray eels have a pharyngeal jaw (secondary jaw) that emerges from their throats to grab prey. Check it (and ignore the weird intense commentary?? moray eels are actually quite shy and not dangerous).
The hairy frog breaks its own toe bones and pierces its skin to use them as claws.
The New Mexican whiptail is a lizard species in which every member is female; they reproduce through a process called parthenogenesis.
The gastric brooding frog (extinct) would swallow her eggs and allow the tadpoles to grow inside her until her organs were so compressed that she had no choice but to vomit up fully-formed frogs.
It's extremely uncommon (borderline impossible) for opossums to have rabies, as their body temperature is too low to incubate the virus.
I'll stop for now lmao. Share those facts.
A sidenote before we start: there's no point spreading misinformation, so if you see someone post an inaccurate fact you're free to correct them...but please do so in a respectful manner. I had a thread like this on another site and within five minutes the wolf fandom(?) was at each others' throats and I got chewed out by a mod.
Well, here we go:
Although a songbird, shrikes are known as "butcher birds" because they impale their prey on hawthorns or barbed wire to let it rot before consuming it.
By contriving complicated mechanisms to protect our trash from raccoons, we're actually increasing their brain mass and problem solving capabilities.
The bearded vulture (lammergeier) is best known for consuming the bones of a carcass. It dyes its feathers rust-coloured from dust bathing or drinking mineral-rich water. Vultures also have the ability to digest diseases like rabies.
The bobbit worm can be a few meters long and clamps down on prey so hard that it often scissors them in half.
The mantis shrimp "punches" prey at such high speeds that it actually creates a light/heat burst as a result of the implosion of the water around it (cavitation). This not only kills prey, but also has the capacity to break aquarium glass. It also has sixteen colour-receptive cones in its eyes, whereas humans only have three.
Bilateral gynandromorphs are animals that are genetically half male and half female.
Jacanas have huge spindly feet that allow them to displace their weight and walk across lilies. They carry their young under their wings and look like eldritch footbeasts.
The staghorn hermit crab has its shell chemically eroded over time by coral, replacing it with a calcified exoskeleton.
Moray eels have a pharyngeal jaw (secondary jaw) that emerges from their throats to grab prey. Check it (and ignore the weird intense commentary?? moray eels are actually quite shy and not dangerous).
The hairy frog breaks its own toe bones and pierces its skin to use them as claws.
The New Mexican whiptail is a lizard species in which every member is female; they reproduce through a process called parthenogenesis.
The gastric brooding frog (extinct) would swallow her eggs and allow the tadpoles to grow inside her until her organs were so compressed that she had no choice but to vomit up fully-formed frogs.
It's extremely uncommon (borderline impossible) for opossums to have rabies, as their body temperature is too low to incubate the virus.
I'll stop for now lmao. Share those facts.
Egyptain Maus are the only naturally spotted cat. Any other cat with spots is that way because of human interference.
Norwegian Lundehunds have six toes on each foot, allowing them to climb vertical cliffs, and their neck bones let them bend their heads over their shoulders until their forehead touches their back.
Tasmanian tigers had the largest mouth gape in the world. Unfortunately, these amazing creatures are now extinct.
There's more buried in my head somewhere, but I'm blanking. I've filled my brain with facts about different cat breeds. Everything else has been submerged. Maybe I'll come up with more later.
Norwegian Lundehunds have six toes on each foot, allowing them to climb vertical cliffs, and their neck bones let them bend their heads over their shoulders until their forehead touches their back.
Tasmanian tigers had the largest mouth gape in the world. Unfortunately, these amazing creatures are now extinct.
There's more buried in my head somewhere, but I'm blanking. I've filled my brain with facts about different cat breeds. Everything else has been submerged. Maybe I'll come up with more later.
I didn't know Lundehunds were bred to do that, that's super interesting! talented doggos
Some more stuff:
Some strictly-nocturnal owls (ie: barn, saw-whet) have asymmetric ears to help them better pinpoint the direction of sounds. Additionally, owl eyes are visible through their ears.
Mongoose have acetylcholine receptors that make them immune to snake venom.
Not only are star-nosed moles considered the world's fastest hunters, but they are able to smell underwater by breathing air bubbles onto an object and then breathing the bubbles back in. Their noses have over twenty five-thousand sensory receptors.
The short-faced bear was endemic to North America; most fossils have been found in the California area. On its hind legs, the skeletons stand anywhere from eight to twelve feet tall, meaning that even on all fours it could look an average man in the eye.
Megatherium (the giant ground sloth) was the largest land mammal known to have existed, elephant-sized and six meters long. Their bone structure suggests that they were capable of some bipedal motion. Fortunately for your ancestors, just like modern sloths, they were herbivores.
Some more stuff:
Some strictly-nocturnal owls (ie: barn, saw-whet) have asymmetric ears to help them better pinpoint the direction of sounds. Additionally, owl eyes are visible through their ears.
Mongoose have acetylcholine receptors that make them immune to snake venom.
Not only are star-nosed moles considered the world's fastest hunters, but they are able to smell underwater by breathing air bubbles onto an object and then breathing the bubbles back in. Their noses have over twenty five-thousand sensory receptors.
The short-faced bear was endemic to North America; most fossils have been found in the California area. On its hind legs, the skeletons stand anywhere from eight to twelve feet tall, meaning that even on all fours it could look an average man in the eye.
Megatherium (the giant ground sloth) was the largest land mammal known to have existed, elephant-sized and six meters long. Their bone structure suggests that they were capable of some bipedal motion. Fortunately for your ancestors, just like modern sloths, they were herbivores.
Pure white cats (so not a single spot on their fur, 100% white) are technically not white at all. They're also not albinos. They have a genetic mutation that suppresses the expression of their actual coat leading to a pure white fur. (My white cat could be an all black cat for all I know!)
Over 70% of all pure white cats are either partially or fully deaf from birth, whether their eyes are yellow, green or blue, from deterioration of the inner ear organ. It's been suggested that there was actually never a proper connection between the brain and the inner ear organs from the start in many deaf cats. In cats with two different eye colors however, the side with the blue eye is more likely to be deaf. It's a myth that white cats are more likely to be blind or suffer from eye problems anymore than a regular cat though. People somehow started spreading this info but there is no scientific evidence to back this up.
Over 70% of all pure white cats are either partially or fully deaf from birth, whether their eyes are yellow, green or blue, from deterioration of the inner ear organ. It's been suggested that there was actually never a proper connection between the brain and the inner ear organs from the start in many deaf cats. In cats with two different eye colors however, the side with the blue eye is more likely to be deaf. It's a myth that white cats are more likely to be blind or suffer from eye problems anymore than a regular cat though. People somehow started spreading this info but there is no scientific evidence to back this up.
I have a pure white cat with blue eyes. He's not deaf. In fact, his hearing is so good that he can hear his name in just about everything!
On top of being adorable, hedgehogs are incredibly buoyant and have shown some resistance to snake venom.
Fossas are Madagascar's top predator and have a unique mating ritual where the female sits in a tree and the males compete at the bottom. She is then able to choose her mate and to mate with several males.
The Kani Devi is a temple where rats are worship and, despite the fear humans have of rats spreading disease, no one has attracted a disease from these rats even during the plague. It is thought to be because they fight off invading rats and the fleas they bring.
Rats have powerful teeth and, according to the Mohs scale of mineral hardness, are stronger than iron or steel. They can easily gnaw through wood and cinderblock.
Many people have an unreasonable fear of rats for they are actually very clean creatures that would prefer to run than fight and live in very tight knit groups. Rats can go into depression if they don't have at least one companion of the same species. This isn't exactly something new and exciting, but I felt the need to pass on the information about these severely misunderstood creatures.
On top of being adorable, hedgehogs are incredibly buoyant and have shown some resistance to snake venom.
Fossas are Madagascar's top predator and have a unique mating ritual where the female sits in a tree and the males compete at the bottom. She is then able to choose her mate and to mate with several males.
The Kani Devi is a temple where rats are worship and, despite the fear humans have of rats spreading disease, no one has attracted a disease from these rats even during the plague. It is thought to be because they fight off invading rats and the fleas they bring.
Rats have powerful teeth and, according to the Mohs scale of mineral hardness, are stronger than iron or steel. They can easily gnaw through wood and cinderblock.
Many people have an unreasonable fear of rats for they are actually very clean creatures that would prefer to run than fight and live in very tight knit groups. Rats can go into depression if they don't have at least one companion of the same species. This isn't exactly something new and exciting, but I felt the need to pass on the information about these severely misunderstood creatures.
this thread makes me so happy. 
on the topic of rats (predictable, i know) - giant rats are used to sniff out landmines! they're too light to set off the mines themselves, and can search 200sq meters in 20 minutes. more info and video here! also, they're adorable in their harnesses. this is a fact.
edit: i'll update this to add something else i'm quite passionate about.
on the topic of rats (predictable, i know) - giant rats are used to sniff out landmines! they're too light to set off the mines themselves, and can search 200sq meters in 20 minutes. more info and video here! also, they're adorable in their harnesses. this is a fact.
edit: i'll update this to add something else i'm quite passionate about.
- dogs are not actually direct descendants of wolves. here
- dominance/alpha centric hierarchy in wolf packs is based on observations of captive wolves and has been debunked (and renounced by the scientist who wrote the study). 1 and 2 but there's many good articles. please avoid any dog training books that center around dominance theory (such as cesar milan)! some of the discipline practices may appear to be quick fixes but can damage your dog's mental stability.
- wild wolf packs consist mainly of a breeding pair and their offspring.
- dogs have evolved to be experts at interpreting our facial expressions. 1 and 2
all these animal facts yes good. I've seen the bomb-sniffing rats before! They're doing a good job & I'm proud of them.
Have some on my favourite invertebrates:
The creature people might recall from Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire is real! Amblypygids (or tailless whip scorpions) are classified as arachnids, and although they share features with both spiders and scorpions they are technically neither. They aren't venomous, can't sting, and rarely bite, but because of their gangly ten-legged appearance people are usually terrified of them. They're solitary and nocturnal. I lowkey want one as a pet.
The death's head hawkmoth, distinguished by the skull marking on its back, is one of the only moths capable of vocalizing; it emits a loud squeak when threatened. Additionally, it can mimic the scent of bees and enters their hives to eat the honey. It's also the fastest moth in the world and can hover like a hummingbird to sip nectar from flowers.
Despite having developed its floral appearance as camouflage, the orchid mantis does not resemble any orchid known to man. Mantids also have the unique ability to turn their heads 180 degrees. They have two large compound eyes and up to three smaller simple eyes.
Fireflies are actually beetles. Depending on the species their light can be green, yellow, or orange. It's called "cold light" because almost 100% of the energy is emitted as light, not heat. Additionally, firefly eggs have been known to glow in response to external stimuli.
Leeches! Oh man here I go. They can be terrestrial or aquatic and occupy every continent (excluding Antarctica); few actually drink the blood of mammals. There's about seven hundred species, and they can have up to five pairs of eyes and multiple "brains". Some kinds, like the Hirudo leech, secrete an anticoagulant in their saliva to prevent blood from clotting. Because of their medical applications, Scotswomen used to get paid to hike their skirts up in swamps and collect as many leeches as possible. Medical leeches (as well as maggots) are still used today. If you find an unwanted passenger on your foot, don't put anything (salt, vinegar, etc) on it or it will vomit its stomach contents into your wound and possibly infect you with parasites. It's best to just leave them be and they'll fall off on their own. If you really have to, just push your nail underneath its sucker to break the seal.
Have some on my favourite invertebrates:
The creature people might recall from Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire is real! Amblypygids (or tailless whip scorpions) are classified as arachnids, and although they share features with both spiders and scorpions they are technically neither. They aren't venomous, can't sting, and rarely bite, but because of their gangly ten-legged appearance people are usually terrified of them. They're solitary and nocturnal. I lowkey want one as a pet.
The death's head hawkmoth, distinguished by the skull marking on its back, is one of the only moths capable of vocalizing; it emits a loud squeak when threatened. Additionally, it can mimic the scent of bees and enters their hives to eat the honey. It's also the fastest moth in the world and can hover like a hummingbird to sip nectar from flowers.
Despite having developed its floral appearance as camouflage, the orchid mantis does not resemble any orchid known to man. Mantids also have the unique ability to turn their heads 180 degrees. They have two large compound eyes and up to three smaller simple eyes.
Fireflies are actually beetles. Depending on the species their light can be green, yellow, or orange. It's called "cold light" because almost 100% of the energy is emitted as light, not heat. Additionally, firefly eggs have been known to glow in response to external stimuli.
Leeches! Oh man here I go. They can be terrestrial or aquatic and occupy every continent (excluding Antarctica); few actually drink the blood of mammals. There's about seven hundred species, and they can have up to five pairs of eyes and multiple "brains". Some kinds, like the Hirudo leech, secrete an anticoagulant in their saliva to prevent blood from clotting. Because of their medical applications, Scotswomen used to get paid to hike their skirts up in swamps and collect as many leeches as possible. Medical leeches (as well as maggots) are still used today. If you find an unwanted passenger on your foot, don't put anything (salt, vinegar, etc) on it or it will vomit its stomach contents into your wound and possibly infect you with parasites. It's best to just leave them be and they'll fall off on their own. If you really have to, just push your nail underneath its sucker to break the seal.
Male anglerfish are only a fraction of the size of a female and can only survive by permanently attaching themselves to a female. Then once they attach, the male produces an enzyme that serves to digest his mouth and her body fusing themselves to the blood vessel level.
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