Skip to content
Search AI Powered

Latest Stories

People Share The Most Interesting Animal Facts They've Ever Learned

People Share The Most Interesting Animal Facts They've Ever Learned
Image by Couleur from Pixabay

Did you know that the blue-and-yellow macaw can live between 65 and 70 years? To put it simply: it will likely outlive a bunch of you (including me). It can also talk and bond very closely with humans. It's a pretty striking and fascinating animal. They're also pretty readily available. I ran into a woman in the park the other day who had one perched on her shoulder!

But guess what? That's just one of the multitudes of animals on this planet, and each one is cooler than the last.

That's what we were so kindly reminded about after Redditor Gustavus666 asked the online community,

"What is the most interesting animal fact you know?"

"The hummingbird..."

"The hummingbird is the only bird that can fly backward."

TheGardenBlinked​

And thus, it is the only bird that can fly backward from its problems.

"They waggle their tail..."

"Call ducks were bred to aide their owners in hunting. They make loud noises to lure predators. They're cheeky, scared cutiepies. They waggle their tail when they're happy. They have an oil from their butt which they use to clean themselves and keep themselves dry. In some areas, it is illegal to own only one call duck because they're a very social bird.

They're the cutest pets with personality of their own."

cvteduck

"That said..."

"Dragonfly nymphs are aquatic and can launch their lower jaw like a grappling hook. They use this for hunting other pond-dwelling creatures before they leave the water. Probably the most badass thing in nature for a set of wings.

That said they have a ridiculous hunt success rate, somewhere above 90%, so you best watch out if you're a fly just enjoying your day."

TheMadMellon

This is the terrifying animal fact I didn't know I needed. I am glad I am not a fly!

"You can tell..."

"Elephants can be left tusked or right tusked, similar to how humans are right or left-handed.

You can tell which one an elephant is by the shorter tusk, if it's a short right tusk then they're right tusked and vice versa."

CubsFan30

"There are..."

"There are an estimated 200 million insects for every human on the planet."

KittyBucketts

I, for one, welcome our insect overlords. Think they'll get tired of us and just attack, one day? We'd totally deserve it.

"An owl's eyes..."

"An owl's eyes are so large that they are immobile, they never develop any muscles for moving their eyes inside their sockets. Instead, they move their entire head."

i-throw-socks-at-cat

"Penguins have a gland..."

"Penguins have a gland behind their eye that converts salt water into fresh water."

Ozymandias200

This sounds like something that we might want to consider reverse bioengineering in a climate-stressed future. Just saying.

"Orcas hunt out of boredom..."

"Orcas hunt out of boredom and will often toss the dead body of a seal around as if it was just a ball."

IDAbaffal

They can be pretty sadistic. Dolphins, too. The more I read about them, the less I like them.

"They don't even have feet..."

"Maggots can climb walls. Those don't even have feet but god damn they hustle around the room."

iremovebrains

"Some species of shark..."

"Some species of shark, like the grey nurse shark, eat their siblings (or the egg cells that would have become their siblings) while still in the uterus, meaning they become cannibals before they're even born."

Poorly-Drawn-Beagle

The world is vast and full of brilliant and amazing creatures, each with abilities all their own. We really take it for granted, don't we? We suck.

Have some facts of your own to share? Feel free to tell us all about them in the comments below!

Want to "know" more? Never miss another big, odd, funny, or heartbreaking moment again. Sign up for the Knowable newsletter here.

More from Trending/best-of-reddit

Robin Williams and Ethan Hawke
Buena Vista Pictures Distribution

Ethan Hawke Shares Important Lesson He Learned From Robin Williams On Set Of 'Dead Poets Society'

Actor Ethan Hawke has become a Hollywood legend in his own right, but his career started with being a child actor learning from the greats, like Robin Williams.

The two co-starred in Dead Poets Society, one of the greatest films of the 1980s. It was a breakout role for Hawke and one that solidified Williams as a dramatic actor after a career mostly focused on comedy.

Keep ReadingShow less
Donald Trump; Screenshot of California's statement
Andrew Harnik/Getty Images; cdss.ca.gov

Blue States Are Taking A Page Out Of Trump's Playbook With Alerts About SNAP Benefits

President Donald Trump and his administration are facing criticism as blue states post alerts about the loss of Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits as a result of the Trump administration's failure to spend contingency funds to feed people on the program, a decision that is resulting in a nationwide hunger crisis impacting millions of families.

State officials have announced plans to inform visitors that if they’re alarmed by the pause in SNAP benefits beginning November 1 due to the shutdown, they should direct their frustration at the Republican Party.

Keep ReadingShow less
Photo of a female hand holding up a pink paper heart that is on fire.
Photo by Kelly Sikkema on Unsplash

Signs A Relationship Is Over Even If The Couple Hasn't Broken Up Yet

Love is a many-splendored thing... until it's not.

Not all love stories have a happy ending.

Keep ReadingShow less
Morgan Freeman; Diane Keaton
Arnold Jerocki/WireImage/Getty Images; Pierre Suu/Getty Images

Morgan Freeman Reacts To Learning Diane Keaton Said He Was Her All-Time Favorite On-Screen Kiss

On Thursday, veteran actor Morgan Freeman was a guest on Jimmy Kimmel Live! and the host had news to share with the Oscar winner.

The late actress Diane Keaton named Freeman as her favorite on-screen kiss. The pair starred as a long-married couple in the 2014 film 5 Flights Up.

Keep ReadingShow less
Ted Cruz; Marjorie Taylor Greene
Kayla Bartkowski/Getty Images; Joe Raedle/Getty Images

Ted Cruz Slams Marjorie Taylor Greene For Becoming 'Very Liberal'—And People Can Not

Speaking on CNBC's Squawk Box, Texas Republican Senator Ted Cruz criticized his GOP colleague, Georgia Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene, for being "too liberal" after she criticized their fellow Republicans over wages and healthcare amid the ongoing government shutdown.

Cruz specifically cited Greene’s criticism of the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) and noted that, back in July, she became the first Republican in Congress to describe the crisis in Gaza as a “genocide.”

Keep ReadingShow less