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#2

In Most Western Cultures, Black Cats Are Considered A Bad Omen. But In Scottish Lore, The Arrival Of A Strange Black Cat Signifies Prosperity

Final score:

508points

POST

Oskar vanZandt 4 years ago

My black cat has brought an abundance of feline love into my life, so yes, I believe the Scottish Lore to be true.

168points

#3

Cheetahs Are So Shy That Zoos Give Them Their Own Emotional “Support Dogs”

Final score:

482points

POST

Amarédesse Gemtree, SLYTHERIN 4 years ago

awww! best friends pawever!

76points

To find out more about this awesome subreddit, we spoke to senior moderators u/IchTanze and u/AGreatWind. Reddit user u/IchTanze, who has been moderating r/awwducational for 5 years now, said that the cool title of the subreddit refers to the “aww” reaction to insects, flowers, baby animals, or a critically endangered species. “‘Aww is in the eye of the beholder’ as we say,” he said.

Meanwhile, “The educational component is what gets added in the comment section, where the user must provide a source for their fact in the title that is either peer-reviewed, from a highly reputable source, or has citations from one of the above to back it up.” Most importantly, the community wants their users to learn something.

#4

Opposums Get A Lot Of Hate, But They Clear Many Unwanted Bugs And Parasites From The Ecosystem And Are Generally Helpful Friends. Please Appreciate Them, Especially This Good Boy

Final score:

477points

POST

Oskar vanZandt 4 years ago

I, for one, appreciate insectivores.

120points

#5

A Sloth's Claws Work The Opposite Way That Human Hand Does. The Default Position Is A Tight Strong Grip, And Sloths Must Exert Effort To Open Them Up. This Is Why Sloths Don't Fall Out Of Trees When They're Asleep

A Sloth's Claws Work The Opposite Way That Human Hand Does. The Default Position Is A Tight Strong Grip, And Sloths Must Exert Effort To Open Them Up. This Is Why Sloths Don't Fall Out Of Trees When They're Asleep

Final score:

443points

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Martha Meyer 4 years ago

Same goes for bird's feet.

61points

#6

Cows Have "Eureka" Moments, And Take Pleasure In Their Own Learning Achievements

Final score:

432points

POST

Aski Markup 4 years ago

Cows and chickens are severely underrated.

170points

Another senior user u/AGreatWind commented that they allow content about natural history as well as “animals and plants of all kinds, even if their cuteness may be... subjective.” The moderator said that users provide a source for their fact, which must link to peer-reviewed research or an article that links to peer-reviewed research, which is then verified by a member of the mod team.

“Our mod team is a diverse group of animal lovers, enthusiasts, and scientists from a range of backgrounds spanning ecology, biophysics, and infectious disease.”

u/AGreatWind also said that it’s a lot of work as each post needs to be attended to, but the community enjoys it since they “get to learn new things every day.”

#7

Scientists Know That Rats Like To Have Their Bellies Tickled, So They Used That As Basis For Testing Happiness In Rats. They Found Out That The Ears Of Rats Undergoing Tickling Became Droopier And Pinker - Subtle Signs Of Being Relaxed And Happy

Scientists Know That Rats Like To Have Their Bellies Tickled, So They Used That As Basis For Testing Happiness In Rats. They Found Out That The Ears Of Rats Undergoing Tickling Became Droopier And Pinker - Subtle Signs Of Being Relaxed And Happy

Final score:

417points

POST

Shelp 4 years ago

Rats are some of the most underrated animals.

175points

#8

The Opossum Is North America's Only Marsupial, They Can Eat 5000 Ticks A Year And Are Almost Immune To Rabies! Their Body Temperature Is Too Low For The Virus To Survive!

Final score:

415points

POST

Iris Wolfie (づ ◕‿◕ )づ 4 years ago

THE HAT MAKES ME MELT >w<

114points

#9

Lynx Have Evolved Enormous Paws To Distribute Weight Better In Snow, Acting Like Natural Snowshoes

Final score:

408points

POST

Oskar vanZandt 4 years ago

Gorgeous feline...

95points

Redditor u/AGreatWind said that in his time as a moderator here, “we went from 50,000 subscribers to over 2 million. In that time, we have maintained a consistent approach to verification and civility.” Thus, u/AGreatWind likes to think of /r/Awwducational as "a big little sub."

“We are rather large by subscriber count, but the community still feels small because of the interaction and cooperation we have with them. We try to engage with and listen to our subscribers rather than try to herd them, much as we did when there were only a few thousand.”

In the r/awwducational community, the users make it as much as the mod team. “So often someone in the comments has a remarkable insight about a post's subject animal, be it cooperation amongst lab rats, newly discovered birds of paradise, or the hyoid mechanics of a snow leopard's voice box. It’s fantastic!”

#10

Seagulls Stomping On Grass Is Called, The Rain Dance. This Mimics Rain By Vibration, And Brings Earthworms And Other Bugs To Surface

Final score:

407points

POST

Hans 4 years ago

Someone please photoshop a disco ball in this, make it a video and add 70s disco sound.

156points

Amarédesse Gemtree, SLYTHERIN 4 years ago

i'll do that tommorow

29points

tuzdayschild 4 years ago

Stayin' Alive, Stayin' Alive!

14points

Lauren Caswell 4 years ago

Riverdance music!

11points

Crissy Brandt 4 years ago

It’s raining men!

10points

Among Us 4 years ago

Oh my goshhhhhhh this is the best idea ever

5points

danielw 4 years ago

where's that troll who does free photoshoping for people, only to troll them? we need *him* to do this. (might actually be the first one to come out halfway the way we asked.)

4points

elfin 4 years ago

Or grape stomping for wine.

2points

Chaz83 4 years ago

My stomping brings all the worms to the yard...

27points

Abrielle 4 years ago

And theyre like oh no its wrong theyre like oh no its wrong

1point

glowworm2 4 years ago

Tonight on Dancing with the Gulls.

8points

Mr Darlington 4 years ago

Genius

7points

Iris Wolfie (づ ◕‿◕ )づ 4 years ago

This is the best gif ever

5points

kasa alex 4 years ago

I used to flood the grass in our backyard to bring out bugs, and then keep them as pets in 'swimming pools' I made in buckets with rock islands. I legit thought they loved swimming and so I called them 'swimming beetles'. Only as an adult did I realise I was probably flooding them out and drowning them - they came to the surface to breathe, not swim in the grass pools I made!

2points

La La Lynch 4 years ago

Smart lil boogers!

2points

Jon S. 4 years ago

I think QI (and I know QI is a poor source of facts) said that this imitates the shuffling vibrations of a digging mole, so the worms stream to the surface to escape it. Just an interesting alternative explanation.

2points

Parmeisan 4 years ago

All the facts on this subreddit are cited and verified. Could still be a bit of both though?

1point

Vicki Perizzolo 4 years ago

who knew??? wow!

1point

Jane W. 4 years ago

Perhaps Irish dancing music would work.

1point

Susan Miller 4 years ago

They are smarter than some think!

1point

Quazmodic 4 years ago

"I say huh huh huh huh, stayin alive, stayin alive!.."

1point

Quazmodic 4 years ago

They used to do it on water, but it kept bringing sharks to the surface which ate them.

1point

Elaine Mattingly 4 years ago

HA!!!!!!

0points

Potter 4 years ago

Too bad they called them seagulls, there is no such thing. Those are herring gulls.

1point

Elaine Mattingly 4 years ago

Why wont a sea gull fly over the bay? Because then he would be a Bagul.heheheh

0points

Teresa Taylor 4 years ago

I alway thought it was called the "pee pee dance." But, maybe that's only when I do it.

1point

Mark Serbian 4 years ago

Getting down ...

1point

Shelby Rinck 4 years ago

this calls out for Mariachi music...

1point

Elizabeth Molloy 4 years ago

No commas needed in there at all, OP!

1point

BusLady 4 years ago

Sneaky dance.

1point

Nubis Knight 4 years ago

Blackbirds are doing the same.

1point

Evie Grove 2 years ago

Mario theme song goes here.

0points

Jane Moore 3 years ago

I have wondered about this for years - thanks for answering my unasked question

0points

Faith Nicole 4 years ago

Interesting...

0points

Fieke Engelen 4 years ago

WOW!!

0points

Tim Skeens 4 years ago

Another animal smarter than me

0points

Maple Chan 4 years ago

did not know that...

0points

Elaine Mattingly 4 years ago

Grab your partner and do-se-do.

0points

Jayne Kyra 4 years ago

My neighbours must love earthworms, which is odd as these are flats.

0points

Melody Lanzatella 4 years ago

And it of course makes GREAT gifs!

0points

Becca Gizmo the Squirrel 4 years ago

I was not expecting this pic when I scrolled down.

0points

Maja Lykkegaard 4 years ago

In my daughters daycare, they have worm calling competitions, they step on the grass and the winner is the one with the most worms in the end :)

0points

Artoonist Corine 4 years ago

reminds me of the dance from Seinfeld

0points

#11

Blue Penguins Are The Smallest Type Of Penguin. Adults Reach Only 12-13in Tall. Owing To Their Small Size And Bright Color They Are Often Called Fairy Penguins

Final score:

388points

POST

Amarédesse Gemtree, SLYTHERIN 4 years ago

bippity boppity you are nobodies property. AND KEEP IT THAT WAY!

76points

#12

The Burmese Star Tortoise Is One Of The Few Animals That Have Comeback From Being Called Functionally Extinct

Final score:

387points

POST

Raine Soo 4 years ago

The little ones are so cute!

49points

#13

A University Of Chicago Study Found That Rats Are Just As Capable Of Empathy As Humans

Final score:

384points

POST

Shelp 4 years ago

"its compatriot" haha

42points

#14

150 Kākāriki Karaka Chicks Have Hatched This Season, Potentially Doubling The This Rare Birds Population

Final score:

360points

POST

sour berlioz 4 years ago

yay!!

65points

#15

The Northern Cardinal Is Probably The Most 'Romantic' Bird Species: They Mate For Life, Travel Together, Sing Before Nesting, And During Courtship, Feed Seed Beak-To-Beak

Final score:

356points

POST

Amarédesse Gemtree, SLYTHERIN 4 years ago

aww!

44points

#16

When In Danger, The Malabar Giant Squirrel Often Freezes Or Flattens Itself Against The Tree Trunk, Instead Of Fleeing

Final score:

350points

POST

Shelp 4 years ago

What a gorgeous animal! Never had I heared of it before.

128points

#17

The Pudú Deer Is The Smallest Species Of Deer Standing At 15 Inches Tall On Average

Final score:

329points

POST

Amarédesse Gemtree, SLYTHERIN 4 years ago

must. hug. chonk.

65points

#18

The Milk Of Pinnipeds Consist Of Up To 60% Fat, Allowing The Young To Grow Fairly Quickly. Pups Can Gain Over 2.2 Kg (4.9 Lb) Per Day While Nursing

Final score:

328points

POST

Jo Choto 4 years ago

Give me enough chocolate and I can do that too.

11points

#19

A Newborn Chinese Water Deer Is So Small It Can Almost Be Held In The Palm Of The Hand. When It Matures, Instead Of Growing Antlers, They Grow Long Upper Canine Teeth Gaining Them The Name "Vampire Deer"

A Newborn Chinese Water Deer Is So Small It Can Almost Be Held In The Palm Of The Hand. When It Matures, Instead Of Growing Antlers, They Grow Long Upper Canine Teeth Gaining Them The Name "Vampire Deer"

Final score:

317points

POST

Aski Markup 4 years ago

Oh my goodness! I want to hold the baby!

50points

#20

Cows Have Similar Emotional Range As Dogs. They Display Boldness, Shyness, Fearfulness And Even Playfulness

Final score:

316points

POST

Elise van der Velde 4 years ago

And they can have a life long best cow friend whom they stick with whenever possible!

87points

#21

Van Kittens Are Initially Born With Pale Blue Eyes, Which Change To A Deeper Blue Or Amber As They Grow Older. Occasionally, You’ll Also See A Van With One Amber Eye And One Blue Eye, Or Two Blue Eyes Of Different Hues

Van Kittens Are Initially Born With Pale Blue Eyes, Which Change To A Deeper Blue Or Amber As They Grow Older. Occasionally, You’ll Also See A Van With One Amber Eye And One Blue Eye, Or Two Blue Eyes Of Different Hues

Final score:

289points

POST

Dilara Açar 4 years ago

they also love water

55points

#22

Pigs Have Episodic Memory. It Is Likely That They Can Replay And Feel Past Experiences In Their Heads

Final score:

285points

POST

Jo Choto 4 years ago

Another animal that is intelligent and has feelings, just like a dog, but boy, do we treat them differently.

130points

#23

Flamingo's Pink Coloring Comes From The Shrimp They Eat, And In 1992 In The Miami Zoo They Had To Stick The Flamingos In The Bathroom To Ride Out Hurricane Andrew

Final score:

275points

POST

Toujin C'Thlu 4 years ago

Even though it's for their own safety, the poor things look confused.

102points

#24

This Is The Raccoon Dog, The Only Extant Species In The Genus Nyctereutes. It's A Close Relative Of True Foxes And The Only Canid Known To Hibernate During The Winter

Final score:

264points

POST

Toujin C'Thlu 4 years ago (edited)

It's also the inspiration for the tanuki, since raccoons aren't native to Japan. Raccoons were later introduced, though.

57points

#25

The Okapi's Closest Realative Is The Giraffe. Okapis Were Descovered In 1901. Unfortunately, They Are Now Endangered

Final score:

257points

POST

NMN 4 years ago

"Discovered in 1901" yeah right. Native ppl from that region would be laughing at this title

86points

#26

Rats Giggle When You Tickle Them. Their Voices Are So High-Pitched You Need Special Equipment To Hear Them, But When You Do, Their Laughs Are Immediately Evident

Final score:

245points

POST

jevais 4 years ago

ALL ANIMALS SHOULDN'T be used for research, medical or for beauty products. There are many ways other ways to test chemicals. It's very cruel and degrading to do so.

98points

#27

Tigers Are Carnivores, But Will Eat Fruit In Order To Ease Digestion

Final score:

243points

POST

littlesaresare 4 years ago

Most carnivores eat plants in some capacity. Just like most herbivores will eat meat in some capacity. There are very few 100% carnivores or herbivores.

81points

#28

Adult Giraffes Only Sleep For A Couple Of Minutes At A Time. Baby Giraffes Will Sleep For Much Longer Periods Of Time With Their Head Resting On Their Rump

Final score:

240points

POST

columbokateUK 4 years ago

I've a crick in my neck just looking at this!

78points

#29

Done Brushing Your Dog? Birds Love Using The Hair To Build Nests. Set Aside One Birdfeeder To Fill With Hair

Final score:

202points

POST

Toujin C'Thlu 4 years ago

I do the same with my cat's hair

51points

#30

The Eyes Of The Blunthead Tree Snake Make Up Approximately 26% Of Its Head

Final score:

192points

POST

Alex K 4 years ago

i read "butthead" huh huhuh

64points

#31

Bats Are Not Rodents. They Are Their Own Group Called Chiroptera. They Are More Closely Related To Cats Than Rats

Final score:

52points

POST

littlesaresare 4 years ago

They're the second most speciose group of mammals. Around 1/5 of all mammal specoes are bats. (Biggest is rodents, at 2/5 species).

15points

#32

The World's Oldest Known Wild Bird, Wisdom The Laysan Albatross, Has Laid An Egg At 67! Wisdom Has Outlived Several Mates And Has Raised 30 To 35 Chicks

Final score:

51points

POST

Mini Kitty and Luna 4 years ago

beautiful bird

12points

#33

Native To India, Sloth Bears Are The Only Ursids Known To Carry Their Young For Extended Periods. Cubs Will Ride On Their Mother’s Backs For Six To Seven Months After Leaving The Den

Final score:

51points

POST

Jo Choto 4 years ago

My daughter would ride on my back today if I let her. She's 27.

38points

#34

The Platypus Is Unique Not Only For Laying Eggs. It Also Has Elecrtoreceptors In Its Snout For Locating Prey, Eyes With Double Cones, No Stomach, A Single Duct For Their Urinary, Defecatory, And Reproductive System, 10 Chromosomes, And The Males Have Venomous Barbs On Their Hind Legs

The Platypus Is Unique Not Only For Laying Eggs. It Also Has Elecrtoreceptors In Its Snout For Locating Prey, Eyes With Double Cones, No Stomach, A Single Duct For Their Urinary, Defecatory, And Reproductive System, 10 Chromosomes, And The Males Have Venomous Barbs On Their Hind Legs

Final score:

45points

POST

Amarédesse Gemtree, SLYTHERIN 4 years ago

2020 In a nutshell:

44points

#35

Cows Can Recognise Individual Humans, Even When They Wear The Same Clothes

Final score:

44points

POST

WilvanderHeijden 4 years ago (edited)

Never seen a herd of real cows wearing the same clothes, although I've seen cows wearing the same clothes.

35points

#36

The Red Wolf (Canis Rufus) Is The Most Endangered Canid Species Alive. There Are Less Than 35 Individuals In The Wild After An Attempt To Bring The Species Numbers Up (Peaking At 130 Individuals In 2006). These Wolves Form Close-Knit Packs That Consist Of The Breeding Pair And Their Offspring

The Red Wolf (Canis Rufus) Is The Most Endangered Canid Species Alive. There Are Less Than 35 Individuals In The Wild After An Attempt To Bring The Species Numbers Up (Peaking At 130 Individuals In 2006). These Wolves Form Close-Knit Packs That Consist Of The Breeding Pair And Their Offspring

Final score:

43points

POST

Dana 4 years ago

What happened to them between 2006 and now?! Poor babies

23points

#37

Captain Cook Collected Quolls Along The East Coast In 1770, And Recorded 'Quoll' As Their Local Aboriginal Name. Quolls Were Often Seen By Early Settlers, Who Called Them 'Native Cat', 'Native Polecat' And 'Spotted Marten', Names Based On Familiar European Animals

Captain Cook Collected Quolls Along The East Coast In 1770, And Recorded 'Quoll' As Their Local Aboriginal Name. Quolls Were Often Seen By Early Settlers, Who Called Them 'Native Cat', 'Native Polecat' And 'Spotted Marten', Names Based On Familiar European Animals

Final score:

42points

POST

Shelp 4 years ago

Oh, I first thought the spots were shadow-free zones

6points

#38

Cats Can Nurse Hedgehogs

Final score:

42points

POST

Madison Lam 4 years ago

thats so sweet <3, if it was my cat tho, she'd probably eat them smh

12points

#39

The Red Fox's Adaptability And Resourcefulness Have Earned It A Legendary Reputation For Intelligence And Cunning. Also, A Fox's Tail Is Called A "Brush"

Final score:

41points

POST

Tenley Samson 4 years ago

AHHH I LOVE FOXES

14points