Here at Bored Panda, we firmly believe that cuteness, animal pics, and education perfectly go hand-in-hand: there hasn’t been a better trio since Harry, Hermione, and Ron graced the halls of Hogwarts. So when it comes to Reddit, the ‘Awwducational’ subreddit is at the top of our list of favorites, dishing out wholesomeness and scientific facts left, right, and center.
The 3-million-strong subreddit that has been going strong since 2012 shares educational animal facts paired with truly soul-healing photos that will satisfy not just your heart but also your mind. We’ve got a lot of ‘awwducational’ photos for you to enjoy today, Pandas, so grab yourself a big mug of hot tea, snuggle under a blanket, and let’s get scrolling. Don’t forget to upvote your fave facts and pics!
Redditor u/AGreatWind, an incredibly friendly moderator who manages r/Awwducational at night and works as an infectious diseases researcher during the day, went in-depth with me about the community's rules about avoiding trivial animal facts and always adding in reputable sources with posts. The redditor, who has over 7 years of experience working on the subreddit, also opened up to Bored Panda about the fact that some of the mods are actual scientists which is very cool in itself.
Oh, and be sure to have a read through Bored Panda’s second interview with the always-friendly PDSA team who was more than happy to share some insights into animal behavior and body language. If you still haven’t hit your cuteness limit for the day with this list, we cordially invite you to scroll through our previous article about r/Awwducational right over here.
#21 Red Pandas Can Stand On Their Hind Legs To Make Themselves Appear Larger
They also have "False thumbs", which is an extension of the wrist bone, to aid them in grasping their food
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#22 The Southern Viscacha Is A Species Of Rodent Native To Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, And Peru. They Spend A Large Portion Of Their Day Sunbathing, Grooming, And Resting
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#23 Black-Footed Cat (Felis Nigripes) Is The Smallest Cat In Africa (Up To 5 Lbs) And Can Hunt Preys Bigger Than Himself
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#24 Seals Will Perform The Banana Pose When They Are Feeling Safe And Content
Lifting their heads and flippers into to the air also helps to regulate their body temperature and keeps their extremities dry when close to water.
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#25 Manatees Have No Significant Natural Predators And Can Be Found Co-Existing Peacefully With Gators
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#27 Pigs Are Known For Being Very Sociable And Intelligent, And This Is Especially The Case For Vietnamese Potbellied Pigs
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#29 Despite Their Appearance, Elephant Shrews Are In Fact More Closely Related To Elephants Than Shrews
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#30 The Chinese Mountain Cat Is One Of The Rarest Wild Cats, And Was First Captured On Camera In The Wild In 2007
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#31 The Manul (Or Pallas' Cat) Of Central Asia Has The Longest And Densest Fur Of All The Cat Species
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#32 Aardwolves Are Neither Aardvarks Nor Wolves
They are actually related to hyenas, but with one big exception - aardwolves feed mainly on termites, around 200,000 a day. This diet helps aardwolves maintain their protein and moisture needs in some of the driest places in Africa
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#33 These Guys Are Goldcrests, The Smallest Birds In Europe
They weigh 1/100th of a pound and their eggs are the size of peas. They also looks really grumpy all the time
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#34 Gibbons Are One Of The Only Non-Human Primates Which Practice Monogamy
Both parents play a vital role in raising of their young
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#35 The Maned Wolf (Chrysocyon Brachyurus) Is The Largest Canid In South America. His Marks Resemble Those Of Foxes, But He Is Not A Fox Or A Wolf. It Is The Only Species Of The Genus Chrysocyon (Which Means "Golden Dog"). These Wolves Are Also Commonly Mistaken For “El Chupacabra”
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#36 King Cheetahs Are Variety Of Cheetahs With A Rare Mutation Caused By A Recessive Allele. Their Cream-Colored Fur Are Marked With Large, Blotchy Spots And Three Dark, Wide Stripes Extend From The Neck To The Tail
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#37 Snow Leopards Cover The Distance Of A Marathon (26.2 Mi) In One Night
They also cannot roar. They are also more closely related to tigers than they are to leopards! But they are definitely the cutest
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#38 Native To Mexico, The Axolotl Has A Slimy Tail And A Mouth That Curls Into An Odd Smile. It Is Known As The "Water Monster" Or The "Mexican Walking Fish."
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#39 Hippos Can't Really Swim. Their Big Bones Are Too Dense And Heavy, So They Just Push Off The Ground, Walking Or Bouncing Off The Bottom
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#40 Australian "Firehawk" Raptors, Such As This Black Kite, Have Recently Been Found To Purposefully Spread Wildfires
By carrying smoldering branches to unburnt areas, to flush out prey, confirming long-held traditional aboriginal knowledge
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