AnimalsOCT 9, 2020

40 Lesser-Known Facts About Animals That Made People Say 'Aww'

550

If the internet was a perfect place, it would surely give us something more valuable than time well wasted. Imagine how awesome it would be if our all-time favorite pet pics and animal videos were to meet the knowledge we all crave. Well, guess what?

This Reddit community titled "Awwducational" is doing precisely that. Created in November 2012, it has become home to some of the most amusing educational facts you’d love to share on your next trivia round with friends. The best part: they all have to do with the most wholesome furry creatures out there, from cute possums and giggling rats, to playful cows and the slow-mo sloths.

So let’s get ready to soak up some did-you-knows and make your biology teacher proud. And scroll down for Bored Panda’s interview with r/awwducational senior moderators who shared some insights about their wholesome Reddit community.

#21 Van Kittens Are Initially Born With Pale Blue Eyes, Which Change To A Deeper Blue Or Amber As They Grow Older. Occasionally, You’ll Also See A Van With One Amber Eye And One Blue Eye, Or Two Blue Eyes Of Different Hues

#22 Pigs Have Episodic Memory. It Is Likely That They Can Replay And Feel Past Experiences In Their Heads

#23 Flamingo's Pink Coloring Comes From The Shrimp They Eat, And In 1992 In The Miami Zoo They Had To Stick The Flamingos In The Bathroom To Ride Out Hurricane Andrew

#24 This Is The Raccoon Dog, The Only Extant Species In The Genus Nyctereutes. It's A Close Relative Of True Foxes And The Only Canid Known To Hibernate During The Winter

#25 The Okapi's Closest Realative Is The Giraffe. Okapis Were Descovered In 1901. Unfortunately, They Are Now Endangered

#26 Rats Giggle When You Tickle Them. Their Voices Are So High-Pitched You Need Special Equipment To Hear Them, But When You Do, Their Laughs Are Immediately Evident

#27 Tigers Are Carnivores, But Will Eat Fruit In Order To Ease Digestion

#28 Adult Giraffes Only Sleep For A Couple Of Minutes At A Time. Baby Giraffes Will Sleep For Much Longer Periods Of Time With Their Head Resting On Their Rump

#29 Done Brushing Your Dog? Birds Love Using The Hair To Build Nests. Set Aside One Birdfeeder To Fill With Hair

#30 The Eyes Of The Blunthead Tree Snake Make Up Approximately 26% Of Its Head

#31 Bats Are Not Rodents. They Are Their Own Group Called Chiroptera. They Are More Closely Related To Cats Than Rats

#32 The World's Oldest Known Wild Bird, Wisdom The Laysan Albatross, Has Laid An Egg At 67! Wisdom Has Outlived Several Mates And Has Raised 30 To 35 Chicks

#33 Native To India, Sloth Bears Are The Only Ursids Known To Carry Their Young For Extended Periods. Cubs Will Ride On Their Mother’s Backs For Six To Seven Months After Leaving The Den

#34 The Platypus Is Unique Not Only For Laying Eggs. It Also Has Elecrtoreceptors In Its Snout For Locating Prey, Eyes With Double Cones, No Stomach, A Single Duct For Their Urinary, Defecatory, And Reproductive System, 10 Chromosomes, And The Males Have Venomous Barbs On Their Hind Legs

#35 Cows Can Recognise Individual Humans, Even When They Wear The Same Clothes

#36 The Red Wolf (Canis Rufus) Is The Most Endangered Canid Species Alive. There Are Less Than 35 Individuals In The Wild After An Attempt To Bring The Species Numbers Up (Peaking At 130 Individuals In 2006). These Wolves Form Close-Knit Packs That Consist Of The Breeding Pair And Their Offspring

#37 Captain Cook Collected Quolls Along The East Coast In 1770, And Recorded 'Quoll' As Their Local Aboriginal Name. Quolls Were Often Seen By Early Settlers, Who Called Them 'Native Cat', 'Native Polecat' And 'Spotted Marten', Names Based On Familiar European Animals

#38 Cats Can Nurse Hedgehogs

#39 The Red Fox's Adaptability And Resourcefulness Have Earned It A Legendary Reputation For Intelligence And Cunning. Also, A Fox's Tail Is Called A "Brush"