25 Animal Facts to Share with Your Students
Animals are unique. They are cute, cuddly, and smart but vary in many ways. Some live on land and are endangered species; others live in the oceans and swim to depths unknown. It’s fun to learn about animals, and children love to know facts about their favorite animals.
- The World Has 500, 000, 000 Dogs in Existence
There are many different breeds of dogs, and they are unique in so many ways. For every 16 people, there is only 1 dog. That’s quite strange since a man’s best friend is typically a dog.
- Regal Horned Lizards Repel their Attackers by Squirting Blood
As disgusting as it sounds, these lizards squirt blood from their eyes. This is supposed to frighten attackers.
- Polar Bear Fur is Transparent
While polar bears look like they have white fur, it’s transparent, and only appears white. This isn’t a well-known fact, but it’s what makes these animals unique.
- The Eyes of an Ostrich is Bigger than its Brain
Have you ever seen an ostrich? Well, ostrich eyes are like billiard balls. That means its brain is considerably smaller since the eyes take up most of the space in its head.
- Bats Have the Ability to Fly
While you probably knew bats flew, they probably weren’t aware they’re the only mammals that can.
- Hummingbirds are Lightweight
Some hummingbirds weigh less than a penny. These are quite delicate birds, to say the least.
- A Dragonfly Has a 360-Degree View
This is unique because not many animals can see in all directions at one time.
- Giraffes Have Bones in Its Neck
While you might not know it, giraffes have 7 bones in their neck.
- Gorillas Can Burp
Gorillas typically burp when they’re happy.
- Bats Have Thumbs
Bats use their thumbs to climb and extend their claws.
- Sharks Have the Biggest Eggs in The Animal Kingdom.
While you wouldn’t think so, sharks lay some of the world’s largest eggs.
- A Cheetah Only Requires Water every Three Days
This is a lesser-known fact about cheetahs. While they could drink water several times a week, if they had to, they could go without liquids for three days.
- Whales Ears Have a Wax Plug
If you’ve ever seen how to determine the age of a tree, that theory is somewhat put into practice for whales. All whales have earwax; it builds in layers and if you were to slice through the wax, scientists could say how old the animal was. Pretty neat if not disgusting.
- Female Elephants are Known as Cows
While it might seem strange to refer to a female elephant as a cow, it’s standard in the animal kingdom. Many animal species have similar names, such as the reindeer and camels.
- A Gorilla’s Nose Print is Unique
Much like a human’s fingerprints, gorillas’ nose prints are all unique. It’s one of the most unique elements of the species.
- A Walrus Sleeps on Land and in Water
If you’ve ever seen a walrus, it’s more likely to have been on a big rock somewhere near the coastline. While these animals tend to sleep on dry land, they can also sleep in the water if necessary. A walrus can also sleep for 20 hours a day which is quite a feat.
- When Tigers Roar, It Can Be Heard 2 Miles Away
Tigers are one of the fiercest creatures on land. They are strong and aren’t afraid of a challenge. When they roar, a tiger can be heard from miles away. That is fantastic and something everyone should know.
- Starfish aren’t Fish
Starfish are crustations and don’t have any blood or brains. They are one of the most unique creatures to roam the seafloors.
- Anteaters Tend to Eat Thousands of Insects in a Day
As disgusting as it sounds, giant anteaters often eat up to 30,000 insects in 1 day.
- Sloths can Grow Algae on their Fur
Sloths are slow-moving creatures; they are famed for it. As a result, algae begin to grow on their fur. Strangely, however, this gives the sloth water and shelter.
- Within 20 Minutes of Birth, a Baby Elephant can Stand on its Own
Elephants are smart creatures, and they are quite advanced compared to other animals. Typically, most baby elephants learn to stand up within 20 minutes of their birth. It’s fantastic.
- A Reindeer’s Antlers are Unique
Like a fingerprint, every antler grown on a reindeer is unique. Also, reindeer can grow a new set of antlers each year. It’s remarkable.
- Land Snails Can go into Hibernation for 3 Years
As strange as it sounds, a snail can hibernate for years. This is useful when the weather is too dry as moisture is crucial to their survival.
- Rats Can Laugh
While you probably wouldn’t want to test this out, rats let out giggles that are impossible to detect from the human ear.
- A Grizzly Bear Can Crush a Bowling Ball
Bears are incredibly strong and are one of the fiercest animals in the world. It’s said their bite can even break through a bowling ball. Impressive.