26 A-Z animal facts

The animal kingdom is full of wild and weird surprises. Nature is always proving it has a sense of humour. Here are 26 animal facts that might sound made up, but every single one is 100% true.

A) Armadillos can hold their breath for up to 6 minutes and so can walk underwater to cross rivers

B) Bats are classed as mammals and so are the only ones that can fly, they’re not just gliders like flying squirrels 🦇

C) Cows have been known to have best friends and can show signs of stress when they’re separated 🐄

D) Dolphins use unique signature whistles to identify individuals, like they have names 🐬

E) Elephants can’t jump, their weight and pillar like legs makes it impossible for them to lift all four feet off the ground at once 🐘

F) Flamingos are only pink due to their diet, they are actually naturally grey or white 🦩

G) Giraffes have such underdeveloped vocal chords, they can only make humming noise 🦒

H) Horses can’t vomit because of their strong esophageal sphincter, this means stomach problems can be very serious for them 🐎

I) Impalas can leap up to 10 metres in a single bound to escape from predators

J) Jaguars have the strongest bite of any cat, it’s strong enough to crush a turtle shell 🐆

K) Koalas have fingerprints very similar to humans, it benefits them because it provides them with more grip 🐨

L) Lobsters never stop growing, they just keep moulting to get bigger, this happens less often when they’re older but doesn’t stop 🦞

M) Mantis Shrimp have one of the most powerful punches in the animal kingdom, they can break glass 🦐

N) Naked Mole Rats are completely resistant to cancer and even certain types of pain 🐀

O) Otters sleep floating on the water on their backs and will hold each others paws to stop drifting apart 🦦

P) Platypuses don’t have stomachs, their oesophagus is connected directly to the intestines

Q) Quokkas are known as the worlds friendliest animals as they have no natural predators, and so don’t fear people and they look like they’re always smiling

R) Rhinoceros’ horn is made out of keratin, the same protein that makes up human hair and nails 🦏

S) Snails can sleep for 3 years, they do this to survive extreme conditions like a drought or very cold weather 🐌

T) Turtles, especially freshwater turtles, can breathe through their butt, when they’re hibernating and can’t come up to the surface to breathe, they absorb oxygen through their cloaca

U) Urchins don’t have bones or a brain but they can still move, taste and even detect light

V) Vultures have stronger stomach acid, which allows them to eat rotting meat full of bacteria, that would kill other animals

W) Whales go through menopause, the females will stop reproducing midlife, but will continue to live for decades afterwards 🐋

X) X-ray tetras, which are tiny fish, are transparent so you can see their bones and organs, this helps hide from predators in the water 🐟

Y) Yaks can survive at altitudes over 6,000 meters because of their thick coats that keep them warm in the freezing mountains

Z) Zebras can use their stripes to confuse predators when they run in herds, creating a flickering pattern and makes it hard for the predator to single out one animal 🦓

From snails to whales, nature never stops showing off. The more we learn the more incredible it becomes. Let me know in the comments which one was your favourite or surprised you the most 🐾 follow me if you want more animal facts and information 🐾