Animal Facts

Learn about some of the strange and unusual facts and terms in the animal kingdom.

More Animals Topics to Explore

Hermit Crabs: Tiny Crustaceans Living in Nature's Mobile Homes

If a Woodchuck Can't Chuck Wood, What Can It 'Chuck'?

Is It a Zebra? A Giraffe? No, It's an Okapi

Moths Are Mother Nature's Secret Pollinators

Should You Take a Conch Shell From the Beach?

The Super-cute Axolotl Is Also a Ruthless Carnivore

Romeo the Lonely Frog Finally Finds His Juliet

Once Thought Extinct, the Tasmanian Tiger May Still Be Prowling the Planet

Giant VW-sized Turtles Once Prowled South American Waters

Prehistoric Predator Rediscovered in Museum Drawer

Learn More

The Reclusive Gila Monster Packs a Venomous Punch

The Gila monster is the most venomous lizard on U.S. soil. But despite the fact that its bite can be debilitating, its venom can also save lives.

By Mark Mancini May 5, 2020 Animals / Animal Facts

Dogs Are Being Trained to Sniff Out Coronavirus in Humans

We know dogs have been trained to sniff out everything from burglars to bombs. Now a group of researchers is hoping some savvy canines can help detect coronavirus, too.

By Stephanie Vermillion Apr 17, 2020 Animals / Animal Facts

Spotify Playlists Have Gone to the Dogs ... and Cats ... and Hamsters

More than 70 percent of pet owners play music for their pets so Spotify has created custom playlists just for your furry friends (and your favorite iguanas, too).

By Kristen Hall-Geisler Feb 18, 2020 Animals / Animal Facts

Mongoose vs. Cobra: Who'd Win in a Grudge Match?

The grudge match that was popularized in Rudyard Kipling's short story "Rikki-Tikki-Tavi" is a mystifying one, but a few specialized traits allow mongooses to add venomous snakes to their list of entrées.

By Jesslyn Shields Jan 28, 2020 Animals / Animal Facts

South Florida Is Overrun With Green Iguanas

The green iguana isn't native to the Sunshine State. So how did this invasive lizard get there and become the state's menace to society?

By Mark Mancini Jan 24, 2020 Animals / Animal Facts

Why Some Animals Eat Rocks to Aid in Digestion

Gastroliths, or "stomach stones," are found in animals from chickens to sea lions. But what are they for?

By Jesslyn Shields Dec 12, 2019 Animals / Animal Facts

Is That Animal Sanctuary You Want to Visit Legit?

A true animal sanctuary should provided excellent and humane care to animals for the rest of their lives. However, many operate under that guise and instead exploit the animals for profit. So how do you know if one is legit?

By Stephanie Vermillion Dec 3, 2019 Animals / Animal Facts

Move Over Groundhog, Woolly Caterpillars Forecast Winter Too!

In some parts of the U.S., the woolly bear caterpillar's color bands tell how bad a winter will be – lots of black means a harsh winter. So, is there any merit to this folklore?

By Nathan Chandler Nov 4, 2019 Animals / Animal Facts

3-D Printing Is Revolutionizing Veterinary Medicine

3-D printing is helping animals — both wild and domestic — recover from injuries that might once have meant euthanasia.

By Patty Rasmussen Oct 8, 2019 Animals / Animal Facts

This Chicken Is So Goth It Makes Darth Vader Jealous

The magic of the blacker-than-black Ayam Cemani is in its genetics.

By Jesslyn Shields Sep 25, 2019 Animals / Animal Facts

5 Reasons Geckos Are the Coolest Lizards

Geckos have abilities that definitely take lizardhood up a notch.

By Jesslyn Shields Aug 16, 2019 Animals / Animal Facts

How Chameleons Change Color and Why They Do It

Chameleons change color whenever they feel agitated, exhilarated, threatened or excited. OK, but how?

By Michelle Konstantinovsky Jun 21, 2019 Animals / Animal Facts

On Patrol With the Beagle Brigade

There's a four-legged security officer patrolling your airport and this canine is on a mission to find illegal fruits and veggies.

Animals / Animal Facts

Do Rabbits Really Go Crazy in March?

Rabbits can be fluffy bundles of laziness or superbly rambunctious, but do they really go crazy in March?

By Bambi Turner Animals / Animal Facts

Can Snakes Really Come Up a Toilet Pipe?

Don't let this fear keep you from using the porcelain throne! Snakes in toilets are extremely rare occurrences.

By Bambi Turner Animals / Animal Facts

What Animal Can Hold Its Breath Longest?

Many marine and aquatic mammals can survive without breathing by slowing their heart rates and redirecting blood from their extremities to their brains, hearts and muscles.

By Jesslyn Shields Feb 26, 2019 Animals / Animal Facts