Did you know that there are over 8.7 million species of animals on Earth? It would take more than 1,000 years to identify them all. Some of these creatures are so strange that we still aren’t entirely sure how they got here. Others are just plain bizarre. Many animals and birds have weird fascinating facts. Here are some of our favorite strange, bizarre, and weird animal facts.
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71/70 Crows remember faces of those who wrong them, passing grudges to their offspring.
Crows can remember human faces and hold grudges for years, passing that knowledge to their young and other crows.
70/70 Chinstrap penguins take thousands of short naps for daily sleep.
Chinstrap penguins take thousands of micro-naps daily, each lasting around 4 seconds, resulting in a total of over 11 hours of sleep each day.
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69/70 Firehawks in Australia spread fires to flush out prey animals.
In Australia, Black Kites, known as “Firehawks,” spread fires by carrying burning twigs in their beaks and talons. They drop these twigs in new areas to start fires, which drive out insects and small animals for them to hunt.
68/70 Panda moms abandon one twin; zookeepers rotate cubs for care.
About half of panda births result in twins, but panda mothers typically abandon one cub. Zookeepers manage this by rotating the cubs every few hours, ensuring the mother cares for both.
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67/70 Cicadas’ jet-stream urine sprays intruders, faster than elephants or humans.
Researchers discovered that cicadas use their jet-stream urine to deter intruders, and people have reported being sprayed by these insects. In the study, cicadas urinated with two to three times the force and speed of elephants and humans. This unique ability helps them efficiently excrete the large volumes of fluid they consume from tree sap.
66/70 Hammerheads see 360 degrees vertically, always spotting prey and predators.
Hammerhead sharks can see all around in the vertical plane, constantly monitoring the space above and below them, thanks to their distinctive head shape.
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65/70 Crocodiles swallow stones for deeper, longer dives.
Crocodiles consume stones to enhance diving ability, using the added weight as ballast to increase underwater time.
64/70 Less than 0.1% of all animal species have ever been fossilized.
Fossilization is an exceptionally rare event, with conditions favoring organisms with hard parts like bones or shells. It’s estimated that less than 0.1% of all species that ever lived have been preserved as fossils, often requiring rapid burial and specific sediment types to prevent decay.
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64/70 Cicadas are the loudest insects on the planet.
The African cicada called Brevisana brevis is the loudest of them all. It produces an alarm call with a mean sound pressure level of 106.7 decibels at a distance of 50cm. That is almost as loud as a chainsaw!
63/70 The Silent Flight of Owls
Owls are known to fly so silently that they don’t make a noise. No noise could be captured even when the flight of the owls was tested in a room with multiple microphones.
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62/70 The Unique Life Cycle of the Barramundi Fish
Barramundi fish are protandrous hermaphrodites. They start their life as males, but after a few years, transition into females.
61/70 A Peculiar Phenomenon in Army Ant Colonies
Army ants sometimes mistakenly follow chemical trails from other ants, leading them to endlessly walk in circles. This phenomenon is called “spiral” or “ant milling,” and if too many ants join in, it may even result in the entire colony being wiped out.
