A long-haired tortoiseshell cat called ‘Towser’ is credited with killing an estimated 28899 mice in 24 years of work as the pest control expert at the Glenturret whiskey distillery in Scotland. She holds the Guinness World Record for catching mice. – WTF Fun Facts
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 – Soundscape Ecology
Bernie Krause, founder of the scientific field called “soundscape ecology,” believes that bird songs, wolf howls, and even insects footsteps have become quieter over the last 50 years. – WTF Fun Facts
Source: https://www.nationalgeographic.com/news/2015/10/151006-nature-sounds-science-animals-music/
WTF Fun Fact – Chameleons’ Long Tongues
A chameleon can stretch its tongue more than twice the length of its body with smaller chameleons able to reach 2.5x their length. Scientists call the mechanism used to achieve this elastic recoil. – WTF Fun Facts
WTF Fun Fact – Skinkansen 500 & The Kingfisher
The unique nose of the Shinkansen 500 bullet train prevents sonic booms whenever it exits a tunnel. It was designed based on the shape of a kingfisher’s beak, which allows it to hit the water at high speed with very little splash. – WTF Fun Facts
Source: https://earthsky.org/earth/sunni-robertson-on-how-a-kingfisher-inspired-a-bullet-train
WTF Fun Fact – Tiny Baby Pandas
A mother panda typically weighs 900x more than their newborn. At birth, a baby panda weighs less ~.2 lbs equivalent to a stick of butter. – WTF Fun Facts
WTF Fun Fact – Tiny Ostracod’s Giant Sperm
A tiny ostracod (shrimp) is responsible for the world’s oldest fossilized sperm. The crustacean lived 17 million years ago and measured around 1.3mm long and produced “giant” sperm of similar length. – WTF Fun Facts
WTF Fun Fact – Fairy-Wren Secret Tune
Fairy-wrens often have other birds laying eggs in their nests (a brood parasite). They have adapted by singing a special tune to their eggs. Once hatched, those that sing the password get food while any brood parasite chicks go hungry. – WTF Fun Facts
WTF Fun Fact – NYC Cow Tunnels
In the 1930’s, cow tunnels were built by Pennsylvania Railroad under New York city to more easily transport cows to slaughterhouses. – WTF Fun Facts
WTF Fun Fact – Dunnock Mating
The Dunnock (also known as a hedge sparrow or hedge warbler) takes just .1 seconds to copulate and can mate more than 100 times a day. – WTF Fun Facts
WTF Fun Fact – Guard Crocodiles
In 2016, during a drug raid, police found €500,000 worth of crystal meth and €300,000 in cash in Amsterdam. The cash was being guarded by two legally owned crocodiles. – WTF Fun Facts
Source: https://www.dutchnews.nl/news/2016/02/crocodiles-found-guarding-drug-money-in-amsterdam/
WTF Fun Fact – Jaguars Swimming
Unlike most cats, Jaguars are very good swimmers, and will often take to the water to hunt aquatic prey like fish, turtles and even caiman crocodiles. – WTF Fun Facts
Source: https://www.nationalgeographic.com/animals/mammals/j/jaguar/
WTF Fun Fact – Fred’s 100th Birthday
In 2014, a Cockatoo named Fred celebrated its 100th birthday. He received a birthday card from Queen Elizabeth II as is custom to all those turning 100 years old in Her Majesty’s Realms. – WTF Fun Facts
WTF Fun Fact – Vaquita Porpoise
The Vaquita porpoise is the world’s most endangered marine mammal and also the smallest porpoise. There are only ~10 left in the world. – WTF Fun Facts
WTF Fun Fact – Kestrel Arrested
In 2013, a Kestrel was captured with a tracking tag in Turkey and X-rayed on suspicion of being an Israeli spy, but was later released after officials concluded it was not a spy for Mossad. – WTF Fun Facts
WTF Fun Fact – Bazz the Beekeeper
A beekeeper in Australia taught his black Labrador to sniff out an infectious disease called American foulbrood that wipes out bee colonies. He then invented a dog beekeeper suit for the dog nicknamed Bazz the Beekeeper. – WTF Fun Facts
Source: https://www.abc.net.au/news/rural/2013-07-03/beekeeper-dog/4795960
WTF Fun Fact – Pigeon Accents
During WWII, there were pigeon experts who claimed to be able to identify a pigeon with a German accent. – WTF Fun Facts
Source: https://www.airspacemag.com/daily-planet/spy-pigeons-167097967/
WTF Fun Fact – Hummingbird Nests
Hummingbirds often build their nests near hawk nests because their predators are scared of the hawks. Survival rates are higher for hummingbird eggs laid in a cone-shaped area near and below hawk nests. – WTF Fun Facts
Source: https://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/hawks-act-unwitting-muscle-hummingbirds-180956506/
WTF Fun Fact – Rats Can Empathize
Recent research has found that rats may have emotional empathy. An experiment offered the choice between a tempting chocolate treat, or rescuing a drowning rat, and they chose to rescue the drowning rat. – WTF Fun Facts
Source: http://www.bbc.co.uk/earth/story/20150514-rats-save-mates-from-drowning