Our random animal facts are a both fun and a little bit weird but they will keep you entertained for days!
Diego is a Hood Island giant tortoise whose high libido helped save his species. He fathered >900 offspring who were released in the Galápagos, helping increase the wild population from 15 to >2,000. After 80 years in captivity, Diego is now retired in the Galápagos. – WTF Fun Facts
Source: Tortoise whose storied sex drive helped save his species is finally retiring | Articles | omaha.com
Until 2014, Harrods luxury department store in Knightsbridge was the home of the legendary Pet Kingdom, which historically sold all sorts of exotic animals such as lions, alligators, leopards, elephants, and more. – WTF Fun Facts
Source: https://www.mylondon.news/news/nostalgia/extraordinary-history-harrods-pet-store-19948359
In a recent study, researchers found that painting a cow to look similar to a zebra reduced fly bites by 50%. This finding could help reduce the economic impact of biting flies on the US cattle production, which has been estimated at $2.2 billion per year. – WTF Fun Facts
Source: If the shoo fits: cows painted with zebra stripes keep flies in line | Animals | The Guardian
In 2007, South Korea began employing cloned Labrador retrievers to sniff out drugs for the customs service. Training and using cloned dogs was more cost effective since only 30% of naturally born dogs they trained ever qualified for service. – WTF Fun Facts
Source: South Korea deploys cloned drug-sniffing dogs – ABC News (go.com)
Aquariums aren’t allowed to pay to acquire animals from other aquariums as it encourages poaching. Instead, there is a barter system in place where they swap animals and each has their own fish or similar “base currency” they prefer to trade in. – WTF Fun Facts
Ruby-throated Hummingbirds are able to fly across the Gulf of Mexico, ~500 miles, in one 20-hour non-stop flight. This flight requires more calories than the bird’s weight of ~3g, so they prepare by doubling their fat mass. They then expend their entire caloric reserve during the migration. – WTF Fun Facts
Born in 1924, Lady Wonder was a horse many believed was psychic. She made predictions and answered questions for over 30 years and more than 150,000 people. She is credited with helping solve several crimes. – WTF Fun Facts
An owl can rotate their head the farthest of any animal. They can rotate their heads through 400 degrees in full rotation and 200 degrees in half rotation. – WTF Fun Facts
Source: Farthest head rotation by a mammal | Guinness World Records
“Number 16” was the oldest known spider at an estimated 43-years-old. She was a wild trapdoor spider who lived in an Australian burrow and was studied by researchers from birth in 1973 until 2016. She likely died from a parasitic wasp attack. – WTF Fun Facts
Source: Number 16 (spider) – Wikipedia
A company called Future Feed has created an Australian ‘super seaweed’ food supplement which can reduce 99.9% of the methane gas emissions from cattle by replacing just .2% of their diet. – WTF Fun Facts
Researchers found some fish eggs can survive after being digested by waterfowl and remain viable after being pooped out, which may explain how fish ‘miraculously’ appear in bodies of water where they otherwise never existed. – WTF Fun Facts
Source: Mallards Ferry Fish Eggs Between Waterbodies Through Their Poop | Audubon
A water plant in Poland uses eight clams with sensors attached to their shells to test water cleanliness. If the clams close because they don’t like the taste of the water, the city’s supply is automatically shut off. – WTF Fun Facts
Source: How clams help keep Polish water clean | The Economist
In 2006, Vampire Moths were discovered in Russia. The bloodsuckers may have evolved from a purely fruit-eating species. The insects use their hook-and-barb-lined tongues to get under the skin and suck blood. – WTF Fun Facts
Source: Vampire Moth Discovered—Evolution at Work (nationalgeographic.com)
In 2011, two Canadian miners accidentally discovered a 110-million-year-old Nodosaur with its skin intact, making it one of the most well-preserved dinosaur fossils ever found. – WTF Fun Facts
Source: Nodosaur — Miners Accidentally Found Armored Dinosaur ‘Mummy’ With its Skin Intact (buggedspace.com)
The Hokkaido town of Naie has deployed a “monster wolf” robot that can roar and flash its eyes red to scare brown bears away from its residential areas. – WTF Fun Facts
Source: Hokkaido city deploys ‘monster wolf’ robot to scare bears away from residential areas – The Mainichi
The holes in honeycombs start as circular tubes staggered with one another. The heat formed by the activity of the bees then softens the wax, which connects the gaps between the holes. Finally, the wax hardens into the the most energy efficient shape, the hexagon. – WTF Fun Facts
The Geography Cone snail is one of the most venomous animals on Earth. It releases a cloud of insulin when a fish swims by causing it to go into hypoglycemic shock. Once immobilized, it injects the fish with a cocktail of up to 200 toxins. – WTF Fun Facts
Source: What is the most venomous animal in the world? – Museums Victoria
Male orb weave spiders have detachable genitals which work even after being detached. When mating, he will abandon his “palps” inside his (cannibalistic) partner and flee, knowing she will try to eat him. – WTF Fun Facts
Source: Spider’s detachable penis still works without him – CBS News