Lamprey Fact
Lamprey Fact

36 Weird Animal Facts

Karin Lehnardt
By Karin Lehnardt, Senior Writer
Published June 29, 2024Updated August 2, 2024
  • The frilled shark has 25 rows of 300 triangular-shaped, needle-sharp teeth. Its mouth reaches to the back of its head, where it joins with its gills.[14]
  • The star-nosed mole has 22 appendages covering its nose. They are so sensitive that they can detect earthquakes before they happen.[21]
  • The red-lipped batfish is a terrible swimmer. It moves around by using its pectoral fins to walk across the bottom of the ocean.[21]
  • The red kangaroo is the largest kangaroo on Earth. It grows up to 6 feet tall and weighs over 200 pounds. It has nearly 360-degree vision.[21]
  • The cry of the screaming hairy armadillo is similar to a newborn human baby's cry.[18]
  • The furry pink fairy armadillo is the smallest armadillo species in the world, at about 6 inches long, or the size of a dollar bill.[12]
    • sea Lamprey Fact
    The sea lamprey is sometimes called "the vampire fish"
  • Sea lampreys have at least 12 rows of teeth that are arranged in circles around their mouths. They have a single nostril that sits on top of their head.[20]
  • The Dumbo octopus has fins that look like Dumbo's ears. This octopus species lives at depths of 13,100 feet (4,000 m), making it the deepest-living octopus species known. It doesn't have an ink sac because it rarely meets predators that far down in the ocean.[9]
  • The deepest-living sea creature is the hadal snailfish. It lives as deep as 27,000 feet (8,200 m) and is small, pink, and scaleless.[3]
  • The yeti crab is a hairy crab with no eyes.[20]
  • The Japanese spider crab has the largest leg-span of all arthropods.[20]
  • Axolotls, a species of salamander, always looks like they are smiling. They are neotenic, which means they never lose their larval features, even when they reach maturity.[20]
  • The glass frog has a transparent abdomen, which makes its internal organs visible.[20]
  • The loudest animal in the world is a 2 cm-long tiger shrimp. It snaps its claws so quickly that it creates a sonic bubble blast that is louder than the Concorde's sonic boom. The boom can reach 230 decibels, and the imploding bubbles create temperatures nearly as hot as the sun.[20]
  • Many species of nudibranch turn the venom of their prey into stinging cells on their own bodies.[20]
    • Interesting Nudibranch Fact
    Nudibranchs are also hermaphrodites, which means they have both male and female genitals
  • The Inland Taipan snake is the most venomous snake in the world. Just one bite contains enough toxins to kill at least 100 fully grown men.[10]
  • The animal with the shortest lifespan is the mayfly. It lives just 24 hours.[7]
  • The shoebill stork is so named because their beaks resemble a Dutch wooden shoe. They also have an 8-foot wingspan and an intense stare.[20]
  • Lyrebirds are unique because they have curved tail feathers in the shape of a lyre. They can also mimic any sound, including animals, machinery, and humans. They can sing up to four hours a day during mating season.[20]
    • Fecal Shield Fact
    A fecal shield could come in handy
  • The larval cereal leaf beetle has a fecal shield, which is layer of armor made out of its own fecal material.[7]
  • Sloths only move about 40 yards per day and spend almost 20 hours a day sleeping.[20]
  • The satanic leaf-tailed gecko lives only on the island of Madagascar. Its tail looks like a leaf, and it even has notches to mimic the appearance of a dying leaf.[17]
  • Peacock spiders feature a variety of vibrant colors. They can also see a wide spectrum of colors, including UV light.[20]
  • Hippopotamuses kill more than twice as many humans a year than lions do.[13]
  • The Tennessee fainting goat is a breed of goat that carries a disorder that causes its muscles to remain rigidly locked after being frightened, forcing the goat to fall over until the muscles relax.[16]
  • The American bison, also called a buffalo, is the largest mammal in North America. Males can weigh up to 2,000 lbs (907 kg), and females up to 1,000 lbs (453 kg).[1]
  • Alaskan wood frogs have evolved the ability to survive in an almost-entirely frozen state during hard winters.[4]
  • A baby zebra identifies its mother by her stripes. Each zebra has a unique stripe pattern, much like a human fingerprint.[2]
  • Snow leopards are currently so rare that photographers in Asia must hike to elevations of over 12,000 feet, in the dead of winter, to catch even a glimpse of them.[19]
  • Black leopards appear to be a single shade of black; in reality, their coats exhibit the same rosette-spot pattern as regular leopards, but in two shades of black.[5]
    • Flying Frog Fact
    It can even turn by moving and twisting its legs
  • The Rhacophorus nigropalmatus frog can glide through the air using skin flaps on its sides and the webbing between its toes.[4]
  • The flat-headed frog of Borneo has developed the ability to breathe without lungs.[4]
  • The red fox is the most widespread carnivorous mammal on Earth.[8]
  • The average cow’s stomach holds up to 50 gallons—about the same amount as most bathtubs—of partially digested food.[15]
  • Twenty-five percent of the methane polluting the atmosphere in the United States comes from cow flatulence. Genetic scientists are attempting to modify bovine DNA to reduce the methane produced.[11]
  • The alligator gar dates back to over 100 million years ago and can grow to over eight feet. They have rows of sharp teeth and can actually breathe air.[6]
    • Weird Animal Facts INFOGRAPHIC
    Weird animal infographic and facts
READ MORE
References

Suggested for you

Prev
Next

Trending Now

Load More
Suggested For You
Cat Facts
104 Interesting Cat Facts
Studies show just watching cat videos on the Internet boosts positive emotions. Browse our claw-some cat facts & trivia to see what makes cats so special.
Panda Facts
72 Cute Giant Panda Facts
A typical giant panda spends over half of its day eating. Learn more about the beloved black and white omnivore with interesting and cute panda facts.
Dog Facts
103 Fun Dogs Facts
Ruff Day? Relax with our fun dog facts to learn how these adorable animals became our best friends and if they really love us as much as we love them.
Guinea Pig Facts
40 Interesting Guinea Pigs Facts
They're not pigs. They're not from Guinea. So what exactly are these cute fur balls? Browse through our fun and interesting guinea pigs facts to find out!
>