Animals — Page 7
Surprising facts about the animal kingdom
331 facts
The Arctic fox changes colour in winter.
The Arctic fox has white fur in winter and brownish-grey fur in summer. This colour change helps it camouflage in the…
The star-nosed mole has 22 tentacles on its nose to detect prey.
The star-nosed mole has 22 fleshy appendages on its nose, covered by more than 25,000 touch receptors. These organs…
The pangolin is the only mammal covered in scales.
The pangolin is the only known mammal with true scales. The scales are made of keratin, the same material as human…
The starfish has no brain.
The starfish has no brain or blood. Its nervous system is a network of nerves spread throughout its body, and…
The jellyfish has no brain, heart or bones.
Jellyfish are simple animals, made up of about 95 percent water. They have no brain, heart, bones or true eyes. Their…
The octopus can taste with its arms.
The octopus has taste receptors on the suckers of its arms. This allows it to identify whether an object is edible…
Cows have nearly 360-degree vision.
Cows have eyes on the sides of their heads, giving them almost 360-degree vision. This helps them detect predators…
The sailfish is the fastest fish in the ocean, reaching 110 kilometres per hour.
The sailfish can reach speeds of up to 110 kilometres per hour, making it the fastest fish in the ocean. Its speed is…
The Arctic tern migrates from the North Pole to the South Pole every year.
The Arctic tern migrates from the North Pole to the South Pole every year, a journey of about 70,000 kilometres. It…
The bar-tailed godwit can fly more than 11,000 kilometres without stopping.
The bar-tailed godwit (Limosa lapponica) is capable of flying more than 11,000 kilometres without stopping, from…
The boxer crab uses sea anemones as boxing gloves.
The boxer crab (Lybia tessellata) carries sea anemones in its claws and uses them as boxing gloves to defend itself…
The dung beetle is the only known insect that navigates by the Milky Way.
The dung beetle uses the Milky Way to orient itself when pushing its ball of dung. It is the only known insect…
The mantis shrimp has only 3 types of photoreceptors, like humans.
The mantis shrimp has between 12 and 16 types of photoreceptors, far more than the 3 in humans. Despite this, studies…
The humps of a camel store water.
The humps of a camel store fat, not water. The fat serves as an energy reserve and helps regulate body temperature…
The chameleon's tongue can extend to the length of its body in 0.07 seconds.
The chameleon's tongue is fired by specialised muscles that store elastic energy. It can reach prey in just 0.07…
The electric eel can produce discharges of up to 860 volts.
The electric eel can produce discharges of up to 860 volts, enough to stun a horse. The discharge is generated by…
The adult platypus has no teeth.
The adult platypus has no teeth. The young are born with teeth that fall out before reaching adulthood. Instead of…
The anglerfish attracts prey with a light it produces on the tip of its tail.
The anglerfish has a rod on its head with a luminous tip, not on its tail. The light is produced by bioluminescent…
The osprey can detect fish from hundreds of metres above.
The osprey (Pandion haliaetus) has extremely sharp vision that allows it to detect fish from hundreds of metres above…
Spermaceti from the sperm whale is used for buoyancy.
Spermaceti, a waxy substance found in the sperm whale's head, helps the animal regulate buoyancy by being heated or…
A walrus's tusks can grow up to 1 metre long.
A walrus's tusks are canine teeth that continue to grow throughout life and can reach 1 metre in length. They help…
The binturong has a smell that resembles popcorn.
The binturong, a mammal from Southeast Asia also called the bearcat, has a gland in its tail that releases a chemical…
The saiga has a long nose to store food.
The saiga, an antelope from the steppes of Central Asia, has a long, flexible nose that works as an air filter and…
The salmon returns to the river where it was born using its sense of smell.
The salmon memorises the unique smell of the water of the river where it was born. Years later, when it returns from…