Animals — Page 13

A chameleon's tongue can accelerate faster than a sports car.

The tongue reaches speeds of up to ninety kilometers per hour in less than one second, thanks to specialized muscles…

Crows recognize human faces and remember them for years.

Studies show that crows can identify specific people who threatened them and transmit this information to other group…

Flamingos are born with grey or white feathers.

The characteristic pink color comes from carotenoids present in the algae and crustaceans they eat, without which the…

Tardigrades can survive in the vacuum of space.

These microscopic animals can withstand extreme temperatures, intense radiation and even the vacuum of space…

Butterflies taste things with their feet.

The taste receptors of these insects are located on their legs, allowing them to know if a plant is suitable for…

Koala fingerprints are almost identical to human ones.

They are so similar that, on past occasions, forensic experts have confused koala prints with those of human suspects…

A snail can sleep for three years straight.

If weather conditions are too dry or cold for their survival, snails enter a state of deep dormancy to conserve…

In seahorses, the male gives birth to the young.

The female deposits the eggs into a brood pouch on the male's abdomen, where they are fertilized and develop until…

The platypus has no stomach.

It lost its stomach millions of years ago. The oesophagus connects directly to the intestines, which is rare among…

Caterpillars have about four thousand muscles in their bodies.

While humans have only about six hundred and fifty muscles, caterpillars possess thousands of micro-muscles that…

The Greenland shark can live for more than four hundred years.

This cold-water shark grows very slowly, about one centimetre per year, and only reaches sexual maturity at around…

Crows can remember human faces for years.

Studies have shown that crows not only recognise people who threatened them in the past, but they also communicate…

Dolphins give each other names using unique whistles.

Each dolphin develops a signature whistle in childhood, which functions as a proper name and is used by other group…

Leafcutter ants cultivate fungi for food.

They cut leaves not to eat them, but to use them as fertiliser in underground gardens where they grow a specific…

The snapping shrimp creates a flash of light when closing its claw.

The claw closes so fast that it creates a cavitation bubble. When the bubble collapses, it emits a flash of light and…

Crows understand water displacement to get food.

Studies prove that crows drop stones into tubes with water to raise the level and reach a floating treat, just like…

The lyrebird can mimic the sounds of chainsaws and cameras.

This Australian bird has the most complex vocal system in the world, allowing it to accurately copy almost any…

The mantis shrimp has sixteen colour receptors in its eyes.

While humans only have three, this crustacean possesses sixteen, allowing it to see polarised and ultraviolet colours…

An ostrich's eye is bigger than its own brain.

The ostrich has the largest eye of any land animal, giving it excellent vision to detect predators at great distances…

Tigers have striped skin and not just striped fur.

If you shaved a tiger, you would see that the dark stripes are pigmented directly into its skin, and each pattern is…

Sea otters have a pouch in their skin to store their favourite rock.

This small pouch, located under the forearm, is used to store a specific rock that the otter uses as a tool to break…

A woodpecker's tongue wraps around its brain to protect it.

The tongue is extremely long and forks, wrapping around the skull and acting as a seatbelt and shock absorber to…

Butterflies taste food through their feet.

Butterflies have taste receptors on their hind legs, allowing them to land on a plant and immediately feel if it is…

Sloths cultivate algae in their fur for camouflage and nutrients.

The green algae help hide sloths in the tree canopy, and when they groom themselves, they ingest this algae which…