When captive octopuses are bored they become stressed out and some turn to a behavior called autophagy, or eating their own arms. – WTF Fun Facts
Source: https://www.livescience.com/41924-smart-octopus-facts.html
Animals
Our random animal facts are a both fun and a little bit weird but they will keep you entertained for days!
WTF Fun Fact – Spittlebug Foam
There are tiny insects called spittlebugs that create foamy bubbles on a plant which insulate them from heat and cold, keep them moisturized, and hide them from predators. – WTF Fun Facts
WTF Fun Fact – Herpetologist Karl P. Schmidt
Karl P. Schmidt was a herpetologist who documented his own death after being bitten by a boomslang snake in 1957. He wrongly believed the snakes venom wasn’t enough to kill him and made detailed notes on the symptoms he experienced right up until he died 24 hours later from internal bleeding.– WTF Fun Facts
Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Karl_Patterson_Schmidt
WTF Fun Fact – The Largest Owl
There was once an owl that stood almost 4 feet tall. The Cuban giant owl or Ornimegalonyx, is believed to be the largest owl that ever existed. It lived exclusively on Cuban islands and was nearly flightless. – WTF Fun Facts
WTF Fun Fact – How Many Pigs In A Movie?
To shoot the movie Babe required 48 actual pigs (and one animatronic pig) because pigs grow so quickly. – WTF Fun Facts
Source: https://www.mentalfloss.com/article/66969/15-fun-facts-about-babe
WTF Fun Fact – Seagulls Rain Dance For Worms
Seagulls do a rain “dance” to bring earthworms to the surface so they can easily eat them. By stomping their feet on grassy areas, they create vibrations which are similar to that created by rain, which tricks the earthworms. – WTF Fun Facts
Source: http://animalbehaviouraberdeen.blogspot.com/2011/03/seagull-rain-dance.html
WTF Fun Fact – Surrogate Mother For Monkey
The Build-A-Bear company helped create a surrogate mother for a young monkey born at the Port Lympne Wild Animal Park. The stuffed monkey has mechanical heart that produces a heartbeat when squeezed. – WTF Fun Facts
WTF Fun Fact – Hydrogen From Termite Gut
The termite gut, which contains ~200 different microbes, is an exceptionally efficient bioreactor; it can produce up to 2 liters of hydrogen from a single sheet of paper. Further research is being done to see if it can be recreated as a renewable energy source. – WTF Fun Facts
WTF Fun Fact – Hippopotamus Soup
The earliest archaeological evidence for the consumption of soup dates back to 6000 BC, and it was a hippopotamus soup. The other ingredients in the soup were sparrows, vegetables, lentils, and various spices. – WTF Fun Facts
WTF Fun Fact – Gouldian Finch Papillae
Gouldian finch chicks have blue opalescent beads on the corners of their mouths, called papillae, which make it easier for their parents to feed them in the dark. – WTF Fun Facts
Source: http://blog.cincinnatizoo.org/2014/01/28/why-are-there-spots-in-these-birds-mouths/
WTF Fun Fact – African Tigerfish Captures Flying Birds
The freshwater African tigerfish (Hydrocynus vittatus) is one of the only fish with the ability to propel itself out of the water and capture flying birds.–WTF Fun Facts
Source:https://www.businessinsider.com/african-tigerfish-caught-eating-birds-in-flight-2014-1
WTF Fun Fact – Mucus Cocoon
At night, Parrotfish protect themselves from tiny blood-sucking crustaceans called gnathiid isopods by creating a mucus cocoon which they sleep in. – WTF Fun Facts
Source: https://royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/10.1098/rsbl.2010.0916
WTF Fun Fact – 18,000-year-old Dogor
Dogor is an incredibly well-preserved 18,000-year-old pup found in the Siberian permafrost in 2018. Genetic testing shows it’s not a wolf or a dog, meaning it could be an elusive ancestor of both. – WTF Fun Facts
WTF Fun Fact – Orson Not Tweety Bird
Tweety bird was originally named Orson and was a wild baby bird who was naked/pink instead of a domestic yellow canary. – WTF Fun Facts
WTF Fun Fact – White Elephant Gift Exchange
The “white elephant” gift exchange gets its name from the legend of the King of Siam gifting rare albino elephants to those who displeased him in hopes that the upkeep costs would financially ruin them. – WTF Fun Facts
Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/White_elephant_gift_exchange
WTF Fun Fact – Record-Breaking Swordfish
Bill Lussier caught a swordfish in FL so big that it dragged the boat for 20 miles and fought for eight hours before being pulled in. It turned out to be the biggest swordfish ever caught (757.8 lbs.) in Florida waters. – WTF Fun Facts
WTF Fun Fact – Velociraptor Or Tortoises Mating
The velociraptor noises in the original Jurassic Park movie were made using animal sounds including tortoises mating, horses breathing, and annoyed geese. – WTF Fun Facts
Source: https://www.cnet.com/news/tortoise-sex-snuck-into-jurassic-park/
WTF Fun Fact – The Deaf Death Adder
The Death Adder’s name originates from early European settlers of Australia thinking the snake couldn’t “hear” well, thus the name “deaf adder,” which eventually morphed into “death adder”. The reality is they rely on their camouflage instead of moving out of the way as most snakes do when larger predators approach.–WTF Fun Facts