The animal world is surprising and from it we learn endless curious facts, more typical of a science fiction book than of the reality. However, the truth is that there are animals with amazing abilities, which without a doubt any animal lover would want to know about.
In this article on our site we have prepared 20 curious facts about animals that you will love to knowYou will discover some of the wonders that the fauna of our planet earth hides and we will explain why they happen. So, if you want to know a little more about these species, keep reading!
1. What is the animal that sleeps the most?
Rest is a common need experienced by all living beings, since learning and the ability to replenish energy depend on it. However, in the animal kingdom there are some species that take their love of sleep even further, such as the cats, which are capable of sleeping between 16 and 20 hours a day.
To this record is added the perezoso (order Folivora), which sleeps about 20 hours a day, and thekoala (Phascolarctos cinereus), which spends 22 hours a day resting.
This contrasts with what happens in other species, such as giraffes. The giraffe (Giraffa camelopardalis) only sleeps between 20 minutes and 2 hours a day, but never rests or goes to bed.
two. What is the largest insect in the world?
Continuing with more curious facts about animals, we must know that in prehistory there were insects so large that they would be regarded as monsters by human beings, however, although things have changed a lot with respect to the size of these species, there are still three that take the prize for the largest in the world.
Among the world's largest insects, the white witch moth (Thysania agrippina), native to Latin America. The wingspan of its wings reaches 30 centimeters. This is followed by the Altas moth (Attlacus atlas), because with its wings spread its body reaches up to 400 square centimeters. Can you imagine meeting an insect Of this size?
In terms of weight, the heaviest insect is the giant weta (Deinacrida), a species native to New Zealand and related to crickets that reaches up to 70.9 grams.
3. The most impressive looks of the animal world
Vision is one of the most important senses for certain animals. In this regard, the giant squid (Architeuthis dux) is the animal with the largest eyes, as its eyeballs reach between 28 and 30 centimeters. However, if we talk about the species in which the eyes are larger compared to the rest of the body, the task becomes a bit more complicated.
There are different opinions on this, but most are inclined to a fight between two species: the transparent crustaceans of the genus Cystisoma and Paraphromina, since its eyes occupy 25 and 45 percent of its body, respectively, and the tarsero (genus Tarsius), an Asian primate whose eyes measure 16 millimeters in a body It only reaches 10 centimeters in height.
4. An insect with a defensive blast
Without a doubt, one of the curious facts about animals is the bombardier beetle (Brachinus crepitans) is a species capable of emitting a discharge chemical, similar to a bomb, towards its predators when it is in danger.
As it does? Inside its body, the bombardier contains small amounts of carbon peroxide and hydroquinone, chemicals that combine to produce quinone, which produces a small explosion when expelled from the insect's body at 100 ºC
5. What is the smallest animal in the world?
In the world there are giant and small animals, some so large that they can be recognized from a distance, while others are so tiny that the human being is unable to perceive them with the naked eye.
Among all the smallest animals in the world, so far the smallest non-parasitic insect discovered is the beetle of the species Scydosella musawasensis. It was registered for the first time in Nicaragua in 1999, but it was not until 2016 that its existence and characteristics were confirmed.
This beetle measures only 0, 325 millimeters, making it impossible for humans to see it. It feeds on fungi and so far it is the only one known of its genus.
6. Animals capable of camouflaging themselves in the environment
Have you ever come across what appear to be small "branches" walking through the bushes? Then you have come across one of the 3000 species that includes the genus of the phasmids (Phasmida).
These are insects whose appearance varies according to the place where they live, but they are all characterized by Minding themselves extraordinarily well with the vegetationThat surrounds them. Thin, streamlined, with or without wings or bumps, it's easy to think they're sticks, leftover leaves or branches until you see them moving.
8. Animals that use their noses to navigate
Each species must adapt to the ecosystem where it lives, the result of which can be developed senses in a rather peculiar way, as occurs with the star-nosed mole(Condylura cristata), which offers us one of the curious facts about animals that is worth knowing.
This species of mole is blind, but it has a peculiar nose from which "branches" protrude that give it its name. With these ramifications, the mole is able to perceive what is happening around it through touch, as it is considered one of the most sensitive organs in the world.
9. The shortest and longest pregnancies in the animal kingdom
The gestation period varies depending on the species and on some occasions it can be surprising. The huge African elephant (genus Loxodonta) takes 22 months to be ready to be born. Meanwhile, the bandicut (genus Peramelidae), a marsupial from Australia, New Guinea and Indonesia, gestates its young in 15 to 20 days.
Discover everything about elephant pregnancy on our site!
10. A bloodthirsty defense
Another species that has extreme defense methods is the horned lizard (Phrynosoma cornutum) as it is capable of l squirt blood through his eyes.
This species lives in Mexico and the United States, where it feeds on crickets and other insects. When it feels threatened, the lizard secretes blood in the folds of its eyes that it launches under pressure towards its attacker, as it is capable of reaching a distance of one meter.
eleven. What is the animal with the biggest heart?
The animal with the largest heart in the world is the blue whale (Balaenoptera musculus), a cetacean that inhabits the Atlantic and Pacific oceans, where it feeds mostly on krill. The heart of this enormous marine animal weighs between 180 and 200 kilos
12. Which animal flaps its wings the fastest?
Under the term hummingbird we identify different species of birds, characterized by their small size, their colorful plumage and the speed with which they move their at. But do you know how fast they can beat them?
A hummingbird flaps its wings about 53 times per second, so it is always on the move. He needs to move at this speed because his legs are very weak and he is unable to sustain with them for very long, so by flapping his wings very fast he manages to stay in the same placewhile feeding on the nectar of flowers.
12. Dolphin communication and its mysteries
The Dolphins are perhaps the only animals other than humans that have been found to use avery complex system to communicate. Research has even warned that it is possible that each pod of dolphins has a language of its own that only its members are able to understand.
How do dolphins communicate? They use a series of particular sounds and screeches, some of which are even suspected of playing the same role as names, that is, they are used to differentiate one dolphin from another.
14. The most poisonous animal in the world
Continuing with the curious facts about animals, we could not forget the sea wasp, also called box jellyfish (Chironex fleckeri) is the most venous animal in the world. It is found in the waters of Australia and its tentacles reach a length of between 80 centimeters and 3 meters.
The sea wasp's tentacles contain stinging cells that inject poison into anything they touch. The skin lesions swell and redden, within a few minutes the victim experiences tachycardia, pain and increased blood pressure, until death due to cardiac embolism
fifteen. The electric radar of the platypus
The Platypus (Ornithorhynchus anatinus) is a mammal endemic to Australia that has a peculiar way of detecting its prey: it uses a named electrolocation.
Electrolocation consists of detecting the electric fields that animals emit when they move. The platypus is able to perceive these fields thanks to its electroreceptors, which are located in its snout.
Discover more curiosities about the platypus on our site!
16. What is the fastest animal in the world?
The Peregrine Falcon (Falco peregrinus) is considered the fastest bird in the world, as its flight speed is impressive. When in sustained flight, this falcon reaches 96 kilometers per hour, a speed comparable to that of other animals that are also fast, such as the hummingbird and the swordfish. However, when it comes to catching one of its prey, the peregrine falcon is capable of flying at 360 kilometers per hour
17. The amazing survivability of cockroaches
The cockroaches, these insects belonging to the genus Blattodea, are among the most resistant animals on the planet. They can survive without a head for several weeks, after which they starve to death, and endure a month without drinking water, as they are able to absorb moisture present in the environment.
As if that were not enough, they are capable of withstanding 15 times greater dose of radioactivity than humans, although high temperatures kill off them easily.
18. What is the longest living animal in the world?
The oldest tortoise of which we have records was called Tu´i Malila, was a specimen of the Madagascar star tortoise (Geochelone radiata) that is presumed to have lived 188 years. He belonged to the royal family of Tonga and died in 1965.
The second longest-lived tortoise was Harriet, a Galapagos tortoise that lived 176 years in Australia. There is another, called Adwaita, which could also be crowned the longest, but no way has been found to corroborate that it actually lived the 250 years claimed by legend.
19. The animal that jumps the furthest
There are many types of fleas, however, we should know that in general, the flea, that parasitic insect of the order Siphonaptera, It is a champion in jumping, because, as you know, it is capable of passing from one animal to another in order to parasitize it. However, do you know how far it can jump?
The flea can jump 18 centimeters vertically and 33 horizontally. This may not seem like much, but if you consider that it is only between 1.5 and 3 millimeters, this distance represents about 200 times its size. Something surprising!
twenty. What is the animal with the most teeth in the world?
When it comes to teeth, the catfish, from the order Siluriformes, takes the prize for its impressive number: 9,280 teeth in total. It is without a doubt one of the curious facts about animals that has the most impact.
There are 3000 species of catfish, each with its own particular characteristics. However, they stand out for this surprising set of teeth, which are present in tiny pieces distributed in several rows inside the animal's mouth.
