ADVERTISEMENT

The lifestyles and peculiarities of most animals are often a lot weirder than we might expect, particularly if your main frame of reference is “a cat goes meow and a dog goes woof.” The natural world is full of wonders and surprises waiting to be discovered. 

Someone asked “What is the weirdest animal fact you know?” and wildlife-savvy netizens from around the world answered. So get comfortable, imagine every answer being read in the voice of David Attenborough, and get to scrolling. Be sure to upvote the facts that were most surprising to you and comment your thoughts below. 

This post may include affiliate links.

#1

28 People Share The Weirdest Animal Facts They Know When a female sloth wants a mate she'll hang onto a tree branch and just scream.

Remarkable_Sink2542 , Roxanne Minnish Report

Final score:
209points
Add photo comments
POST
View More Replies... View more commentsArrow down menu
RELATED:
    #2

    28 People Share The Weirdest Animal Facts They Know octopus punch other fish for no reason- so, for fun.

    Samanthalynn8915 , Serena Repice Lentini Report

    Final score:
    208points
    Add photo comments
    POST
    thelavendermyst avatar
    Lavender Myst
    Lavender Myst
    Community Member
    1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    How do we know the fish didnt say somethin nasty in bubblease?(j/k) Like "your mother was a blowhole breather"

    Vote comment up
    126
    126points
    Vote comment down
    reply
    View More Replies... View more commentsArrow down menu
    #3

    28 People Share The Weirdest Animal Facts They Know cats have the mental capacity of a 2 year old which makes a lot of sense

    Alive_Ad823 , Peng Louis Report

    Final score:
    192points
    Add photo comments
    POST
    popapach avatar
    troufaki13
    troufaki13
    Community Member
    1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    I saw a documentary once that said that dogs behave like 4 year-olds, meaning they get attached to their owners just like toddlers to their parents, but cats behave like teens. They love their parents but they don't want to hang around them too much! 😅

    Vote comment up
    108
    108points
    Vote comment down
    reply
    View More Replies... View more commentsArrow down menu
    #4

    28 People Share The Weirdest Animal Facts They Know Polar bear fur isn't white - it's translucent (for most frequencies of light). And they have black skin underneath.

    So polar bear fur lets all the light through to their black skin to warm them - except for a few visible frequencies to keep them camouflaged as white.

    seedanrun , Pixabay Report

    Final score:
    182points
    Add photo comments
    POST
    View More Replies... View more commentsArrow down menu
    #5

    28 People Share The Weirdest Animal Facts They Know Contrary to popular belief, reindeer prefer raisins instead of carrots. So if you want to leave a treat for Santa's reindeer, leave raisins. I only know this because a friend of mine has a reindeer farm and they will push you for a whole box.

    DaniGeek , Annika Thierfeld Report

    Final score:
    169points
    Add photo comments
    POST
    shylabouche_1 avatar
    Bouche and Audi and Shyla, Oh My!
    Bouche and Audi and Shyla, Oh My!
    Community Member
    1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Good to know. Personally, I see raisins as the waste of a perfectly good grape. So, I'll eat the celery and peanut butter, and the reindeer can have the raisins.

    Vote comment up
    58
    58points
    Vote comment down
    reply
    View More Replies... View more commentsArrow down menu
    ADVERTISEMENT
    #6

    28 People Share The Weirdest Animal Facts They Know Argonauts are small octopuses that are too lazy to f**k. They detach their d***s and toss them into the open sea to mate with female argonauts.

    Schwarzes__Loch , Bernd Hofmann Report

    Final score:
    163points
    Add photo comments
    POST
    View More Replies... View more commentsArrow down menu
    #7

    28 People Share The Weirdest Animal Facts They Know Honey badgers can turn their a******s inside out and use the smell to deter attackers. Not sure what exactly has the guts to attack a honey badger, but if they have the courage to do so, the badger sure as hell isn’t gonna make it easy.

    nonexistantauthor , Sumeet Moghe Report

    Final score:
    158points
    Add photo comments
    POST
    View More Replies... View more commentsArrow down menu
    #8

    28 People Share The Weirdest Animal Facts They Know Dolphins will intentionally use puffer fish to get high.

    altkaldra , HAMID ELBAZ Report

    Final score:
    154points
    Add photo comments
    POST
    View More Replies... View more commentsArrow down menu
    ADVERTISEMENT
    #9

    28 People Share The Weirdest Animal Facts They Know The Blanket Octopus exhibits the highest degree of sexual dimorphism known. Females: About 6 feet across. Males: About one inch.

    Fabulous-Pause4154 , Isabel Galvez Report

    Final score:
    146points
    Add photo comments
    POST
    samanthaeddy avatar
    Zoey Bear
    Zoey Bear
    Community Member
    1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Do the males wear big belt buckles and drive oversized pick-up trucks?

    Vote comment up
    186
    186points
    Vote comment down
    reply
    View More Replies... View more commentsArrow down menu
    ADVERTISEMENT
    #10

    28 People Share The Weirdest Animal Facts They Know An ostrich's eye is bigger than it's brain

    DMD612 , Adriaan Greyling Report

    Final score:
    144points
    Add photo comments
    POST
    View More Replies... View more commentsArrow down menu
    #11

    28 People Share The Weirdest Animal Facts They Know Woodpeckers' tongues wrap around their brains to cushion them from the vibrations of slamming their face into trees all day.

    we_made_yewww , Chris F Report

    Final score:
    137points
    Add photo comments
    POST
    saderman avatar
    Shelli Aderman
    Shelli Aderman
    Community Member
    1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Fun Internet rabbit hole I just went down. It’s not so much that they conscientiously place their tongue there. The woodpecker tongue is so long to reach insects, and when not darting into the holes of trees they’ve made, it just kind of stores itself really far up: Woodpecker...ahashi.png Woodpecker-Tongue-Diagram-by-Denise-Takahashi.png

    Vote comment up
    63
    63points
    Vote comment down
    reply
    View More Replies... View more commentsArrow down menu
    #12

    28 People Share The Weirdest Animal Facts They Know Sea otters are the most densely furred animal with 600,000 to 1,000,000 hair follicles per square inch. Dogs have about 15,000 per square inch, humans on average are between 800 to 1,290 hairs per square inch

    atom1129 , Marshal Hedin Report

    Final score:
    136points
    Add photo comments
    POST
    artturf avatar
    XenoMurph
    XenoMurph
    Community Member
    1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Daddy otters and mummy otters are mainly responsible for the global increase in ocean temperatures. Because when they get together they make the sea otter.

    Vote comment up
    103
    103points
    Vote comment down
    reply
    View More Replies... View more commentsArrow down menu
    #13

    28 People Share The Weirdest Animal Facts They Know Owls have really long necks, but it's hard to notice that because their feathers are so fluffy

    ergonaut , Fábio Scaletta Report

    Final score:
    131points
    Add photo comments
    POST
    amyzhang2010 avatar
    HelluvaHedgehogAlien
    HelluvaHedgehogAlien
    Community Member
    1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    They also have really long legs and wings. But all the choose to do all day is look cute… until night comes

    Vote comment up
    77
    77points
    Vote comment down
    reply
    View More Replies... View more commentsArrow down menu
    #14

    28 People Share The Weirdest Animal Facts They Know Dragon flys have the highest kill rate out of any flying predator.

    Excellent_Priority_5 , Jude Infantini Report

    Final score:
    130points
    Add photo comments
    POST
    marcorichter_1 avatar
    Floeckchen
    Floeckchen
    Community Member
    1 year ago (edited) DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    I think kill rate is a bit misleading here. Hunting quota might be more accurate. If a dragonfly set out to hunt its prey they have a success rate of (depending on the source) 70% up to 98%

    Vote comment up
    20
    20points
    Vote comment down
    reply
    View More Replies... View more commentsArrow down menu
    ADVERTISEMENT
    #15

    28 People Share The Weirdest Animal Facts They Know Cats can get pregnant while being pregnant.

    Odd_Zombie_1 , Leonardo de Oliveira Report

    Final score:
    126points
    Add photo comments
    POST
    merlestechow avatar
    LuckyL
    LuckyL
    Community Member
    1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    We can also get pregnant while pregnant. The chances are just really low.

    Vote comment up
    107
    107points
    Vote comment down
    reply
    View More Replies... View more commentsArrow down menu
    #16

    28 People Share The Weirdest Animal Facts They Know Platypus glow blueish green under ultraviolet light. They also don’t have nipples, they just exude milk from glands under the skin and the baby’s lap it up.

    WakingOwl1 , Klaus Report

    Final score:
    126points
    Add photo comments
    POST
    masselabel avatar
    Gandalf the Pink
    Gandalf the Pink
    Community Member
    1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    It is also one of the only five mammals that lay eggs. I swear platypuses and octopuses are aliens on Earth...

    Vote comment up
    84
    84points
    Vote comment down
    reply
    View More Replies... View more commentsArrow down menu
    #17

    28 People Share The Weirdest Animal Facts They Know Armadillos always have offspring in quadruplets

    Uncle_Bill , Dan RO Report

    Final score:
    125points
    Add photo comments
    POST
    View More Replies... View more commentsArrow down menu
    #18

    28 People Share The Weirdest Animal Facts They Know Male anglerfish are super teeny tiny compared to a female. When a male finally bumps into a female down in the deep deep dark, he attaches himself to her and slowly, over time, he becomes A PART OF HER

    SuzannaEmberwolf , NOAA/NMFS/SEFSC Pascagoula Laboratory Report

    Final score:
    116points
    Add photo comments
    POST
    View More Replies... View more commentsArrow down menu
    #19

    28 People Share The Weirdest Animal Facts They Know Does will eat their offsprings feces in order to keep predators from even recognizing there are babies around.

    tunaonigiri , Siska Vrijburg Report

    Final score:
    116points
    Add photo comments
    POST
    cam_s_whalley avatar
    Wubbleyew
    Wubbleyew
    Community Member
    1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    English is stupid and so am I. Took me a few reads to realise 'does will' was not asking if a will does something.

    Vote comment up
    78
    78points
    Vote comment down
    reply
    View More Replies... View more commentsArrow down menu
    ADVERTISEMENT
    See Also on Bored Panda
    #20

    28 People Share The Weirdest Animal Facts They Know Humans have stripes. They are rarely visible but we all have them due to how our bodies developed in the womb. They're called Blaschko Lines

    MaxximumB , Angela Roma Report

    Final score:
    108points
    Add photo comments
    POST
    laura_ketteridge avatar
    arthbach
    arthbach
    Community Member
    1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    If a person has a mosaic skin condition or is a chimera, you may well be able to see these stripes. They can also be visible if a person has chicken pox or shingles.

    Vote comment up
    41
    41points
    Vote comment down
    reply
    View More Replies... View more commentsArrow down menu
    #21

    28 People Share The Weirdest Animal Facts They Know Killer Whales are actually dolphins.

    IslandVibezJaylen , Pixabay Report

    Final score:
    99points
    Add photo comments
    POST
    laura_ketteridge avatar
    arthbach
    arthbach
    Community Member
    1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Orcas (killer whales) are indeed dolphins, but dolphins are part of the larger family of whales. All dolphins are whales. https://www.ifaw.org/international/journal/are-dolphins-whales

    Vote comment up
    59
    59points
    Vote comment down
    reply
    View More Replies... View more commentsArrow down menu
    #22

    28 People Share The Weirdest Animal Facts They Know Mantis Shrimp have 16 different sets of rods.

    (Rods and cones are in your eyes. Cones see light, rods see color. Humans have 3 sets of rods, red blue yellow.)

    Mantis Shrimp are seeing colors we can not.

    That’s not even the strangest thing about them. They can also punch as fast as a .22 bullet which cause a cavitation bubble which can heat up to 8000 degrees or something.

    Edit because it was late night: Cones see color! Rods see detail and light. And apparently it’s red blue green. Color is super strange anyway. It doesn’t really exist unless it’s perceived.

    RigzDigz , Roy L. Caldwell Report

    Final score:
    98points
    Add photo comments
    POST
    three-crow-studio avatar
    Annymoose
    Annymoose
    Community Member
    1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Sigh....no they don't see colors we can't, their eyes just aren't as complex, hence the extra rods. https://www.nature.com/articles/nature.2014.14578

    Vote comment up
    4
    4points
    Vote comment down
    reply
    View more commentsArrow down menu
    ADVERTISEMENT
    See Also on Bored Panda
    #23

    28 People Share The Weirdest Animal Facts They Know Blue whales are estimated to produce around 20 liters of semen each time they ejaculate

    tunaonigiri , Thomas Kelley Report

    Final score:
    97points
    Add photo comments
    POST
    View More Replies... View more commentsArrow down menu
    #24

    28 People Share The Weirdest Animal Facts They Know Kangaroos can’t hop backwards. So if you’re ever attacked by one, just step behind him. Thanks Snapple!

    Alarming-Ad9441 , Ondrej Machart Report

    Final score:
    95points
    Add photo comments
    POST
    View More Replies... View more commentsArrow down menu
    #25

    28 People Share The Weirdest Animal Facts They Know Wombats poops in a square form.

    RSA_Hybrid , JJ Harrison Report

    Final score:
    93points
    Add photo comments
    POST
    fiona_chatteur avatar
    Fee
    Fee
    Community Member
    1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    I used to have a wombat. More cuboid than pure cube. Like a rounded cube. Wouldn't make great dice.

    Vote comment up
    59
    59points
    Vote comment down
    reply
    View More Replies... View more commentsArrow down menu
    #26

    28 People Share The Weirdest Animal Facts They Know Yes the egg came before the chicken. As the division of sex came long before vertebrate life. However it's looking like sperm came slightly before the egg cell.

    Bacteria and early multi cell lifeforms are WEIRD

    altkaldra , Alison Burrell Report

    Final score:
    85points
    Add photo comments
    POST
    davidpaterson avatar
    David Paterson
    David Paterson
    Community Member
    1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    "sperm came slightly before egg cell". I haven't heard that before but it does make sense. A key word is "opisthokonta", a group that includes all animals, fungi and some flagellate amoebas. The sperm is a flagellate cell. So sperm were around before the first animal.

    Vote comment up
    31
    31points
    Vote comment down
    reply
    View more commentsArrow down menu
    #27

    28 People Share The Weirdest Animal Facts They Know When finding nectar bees swarms in random direction and when bee find the source of nectar the go back to their hive Bees communicate with other bees where the nectar is located by their special dance which indicates
    1. Direction of nectar with respect to sun
    2. Exact Distance of nectar from the hive
    3. Time before sunset (this point is controversial as there is only one research paper available)

    Usual-Blueberry-8864 , Pixabay Report

    Final score:
    74points
    Add photo comments
    POST
    View More Replies... View more commentsArrow down menu
    ADVERTISEMENT
    See Also on Bored Panda
    #28

    28 People Share The Weirdest Animal Facts They Know Some insects don't have a brain, instead using their whole nervous system to think. As a result, I recently saw a video of a decapitated wasp trying to eat its own head.

    MarcoYTVA , Pixabay Report

    Final score:
    68points
    Add photo comments
    POST
    View More Replies... View more commentsArrow down menu

    Anyone can write on Bored Panda. Start writing!

    Follow Bored Panda on Google News!