The animal kingdom is extremely surreal, but most of us have no idea how unique each species is. But if we took a moment to open our minds, we’d swear that these animals were from another world. As it turns out, each species is special in their own way and there are facts out there that will blow your mind. But they’re so weird, you’ll probably consider adding them to trivia night. So, if you’re bored, sit tight, and take a look at these interesting animal facts.You probably didn’t know this but Anna’s hummingbird is able to change its color every second. The reason it’s able to do this is that the feather’s microstructure reflects light differently. So, when the viewing angle changes, so does the color.
The shark egg contains a baby shark in the embryonic stage and a yolk sac much like a typical chicken egg. You can even see an umbilical cord attached to the shark and the sac, which it uses to nourish itself.
They might have the same doe eyes as typical deer, but instead of growing antlers on their head, they have tusks that can grow to be as long as two inches. So be careful before you decide to pet one of these things.
An owl will either use its back toe, called the hallux, to hold on the branch, or it will do something even crazier and just lay flat on its stomach like this one is doing. Don’t worry. It’s okay. It’s just resting a bit.
Another unknown fact about cows is that they don’t have top front teeth. So, if your hand ever gets caught in a cow’s mouth, don’t panic because it won’t hurt.
Cats use their tongues to groom themselves and their young, but they don’t have sweet receptors. So, don’t bother giving your kitty a slice of that birthday cake because it won’t really taste like anything to them.
But it’s actually the paw of a platypus, a creature found in eastern Australia who has the beak of a duck. The platypus is an excellent swimmer thanks to its webbed hands. It also spends a lot of time looking for food in the water. The male platypus has the ability to release venom from its hind claws.
Another interesting fact about penguins is that they’re more like us than most people realize. Did you know they have knees? Most people have never seen a penguin squat down or kneel, but apparently, they’ve got the joints for it.
They build canals, dams, and lodges for their colonies. But if you take a closer look at one, you’ll notice that their incisors are orange. That’s because they’re loaded with iron which makes their incisors highly more resistant to acid than our teeth’s enamel.
But did you know that they sleep while floating on their backs too? Unfortunately, there’s a risk they might get separated from their friends and family, so these adorable sea otters hold hands while they sleep so they won’t drift apart.
You can put a frog in a hypnotic state. You just have to put it on its back and then stroke its stomach gently. But don’t expect it to understand when you ask it to roll over or go to sleep when you snap your fingers.
They use their beaks and their talons to spread red mud from their chest to their shoulders and upper back. Essentially, their feathers end up with a nice red shade. Who knew vultures were so into cosmetics?
Elephants are bigger than humans, but underneath the layers of tissue, they’re really a lot like us. The image on the left is the skeletal structure of an elephant’s foot. When you compare it to the x-ray of a human foot, there’s virtually very little difference.
It’s actually sucking on its trunk the way a human baby sucks on its thumb. Is that cute or what? It seems that most babies have natural rooting and sucking reflexes regardless of whether they have a thumb or a trunk.
A study conducted at the University of Northampton shows that cows have a very powerful connection with their friends. But when they’re separated from their besties, stress symptoms will physically manifest themselves until they’re reunited with their friends.
It’s found in South Asia and sticks mostly to a vegetarian diet. But what makes this squirrel unique from a conventional one is that it has a dazzling multi-colored fur that is simply gorgeous. They’re also quite photogenic.
Take a look at this woman who’s lying next to the whale skull. It’s probably a good thing that whales roam around in the sea and not on land, or humanity wouldn’t really stand a chance with their massive size.
Surprisingly, they don’t realize they’re doing it. Squirrels tend to plant hundreds, perhaps thousands of new trees every year because they plant their acorns to hide them but then forget where they buried them.
When a male Gentoo penguin has found the one, he will collect pebbles and offer them to the females so they can fill nest rings with them. This ensures the eggs will stay above ground. It also symbolizes that the male wants to mate with his intended beloved.
But like cookies, a starfish can come in different shapes. Take the one on the left for example. Instead of having 5 points, it was born square due to a genetic abnormality. But if they’ve proven anything it’s that it’s hip to be square sometimes.
Elephants can wag their tails rapidly much as a dog can. These noble creatures use them as a fly-swatter, which explains those hairy looking things sticking out of the tail. But they can reportedly only strike an insect every 90 seconds.
If you ever commit a crime and want to throw C.S.I. investigators off, then have a koala leave their fingerprints everywhere. They’re virtually identical to humans, but highly unlikely to show up on a crime database.
