The lifestyles and peculiarities of most animals are often a lot weirder than we might expect, particularly if your main frame of reference is “a cat goes meow and a dog goes woof.” The natural world is full of wonders and surprises waiting to be discovered.
Someone asked “What is the weirdest animal fact you know?” and wildlife-savvy netizens from around the world answered. So get comfortable, imagine every answer being read in the voice of David Attenborough, and get to scrolling. Be sure to upvote the facts that were most surprising to you and comment your thoughts below.
#1 Slow And Steady Vibes
When a female sloth wants a mate she'll hang onto a tree branch and just scream.
209points
#2 Eight Arms, No Chill
octopus punch other fish for no reason- so, for fun.
208points
#3 Too Cute to Handle
cats have the mental capacity of a 2 year old which makes a lot of sense
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192points
#4 Bubble Trouble Ahead
Polar bear fur isn't white - it's translucent (for most frequencies of light). And they have black skin underneath.
So polar bear fur lets all the light through to their black skin to warm them - except for a few visible frequencies to keep them camouflaged as white.
182points
#5 Silent Strolls and Snowfall
Contrary to popular belief, reindeer prefer raisins instead of carrots. So if you want to leave a treat for Santa's reindeer, leave raisins. I only know this because a friend of mine has a reindeer farm and they will push you for a whole box.
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169points
#6 Ocean’s Little Hideout
Argonauts are small octopuses that are too lazy to f**k. They detach their d***s and toss them into the open sea to mate with female argonauts.
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163points
#7 Low-Key But Fierce
Honey badgers can turn their a******s inside out and use the smell to deter attackers. Not sure what exactly has the guts to attack a honey badger, but if they have the courage to do so, the badger sure as hell isn’t gonna make it easy.
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158points
#8 Ocean’s Best Comedians
Dolphins will intentionally use puffer fish to get high.
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154points
#9 Deep Sea Acrobatics
The Blanket Octopus exhibits the highest degree of sexual dimorphism known. Females: About 6 feet across. Males: About one inch.
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146points
#10 Master of the Side Eye
An ostrich's eye is bigger than it's brain
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144points
#11 Woodpecker on a Brick Break
Woodpeckers' tongues wrap around their brains to cushion them from the vibrations of slamming their face into trees all day.
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137points
#12 Is This Otter Real?
Sea otters are the most densely furred animal with 600,000 to 1,000,000 hair follicles per square inch. Dogs have about 15,000 per square inch, humans on average are between 800 to 1,290 hairs per square inch
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136points
#13 Silent Watcher Vibes
Owls have really long necks, but it's hard to notice that because their feathers are so fluffy
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131points
#14 Delicate Design Masterclass
Dragon flys have the highest kill rate out of any flying predator.
130points
#15 Master of Moody Stares
Cats can get pregnant while being pregnant.
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126points
#16 Master of Chill Mode
Platypus glow blueish green under ultraviolet light. They also don’t have nipples, they just exude milk from glands under the skin and the baby’s lap it up.
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126points
#17 Curled Up and Curious
Armadillos always have offspring in quadruplets
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125points
#18 Underwater Oddball
Male anglerfish are super teeny tiny compared to a female. When a male finally bumps into a female down in the deep deep dark, he attaches himself to her and slowly, over time, he becomes A PART OF HER
116points
#19 Curiosity Wins Again
Does will eat their offsprings feces in order to keep predators from even recognizing there are babies around.
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116points
#20 Lines That Tell Stories
Humans have stripes. They are rarely visible but we all have them due to how our bodies developed in the womb. They're called Blaschko Lines
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108points