Animal Facts

Venomous and poisonous mean very different things and are often used incorrectly. We'll clear up the confusion.

By Kristen Hall-Geisler

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

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

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

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

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

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

By Jesslyn Shields

Animal sanctuaries should provide animals with excellent care for the rest of their lives. But many don't. So how do you know if a sanctuary is legit?

By Stephanie Vermillion

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

By Jesslyn Shields

Geckos have abilities that definitely take lizardhood up a notch.

By Jesslyn Shields

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

By Michelle Konstantinovsky

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

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

By Bambi Turner

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

By Bambi Turner

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

The iconic horses step tall to promote wind power, which creates 100 percent of the electricity used to make Budweiser beer.

By John Donovan

Miraculously, many animals are able to ride out some of Mother Nature's most powerful storms. But how?

By Mark Mancini

Not all animals have red blood flowing through their veins. Meet some our blue-blooded, green-blooded and, yes, transparent-blooded fellow creatures.

By Mark Mancini

Check your chicken's earlobes (yes!) to know what color eggs you'll get.

By Christopher Hassiotis & Mack Hayden

Animals leave their marks on the ecosystem in ways you probably never imagined.

By Mark Mancini

Do non-human animals have equivalent categories to our A, B and O blood designations? Can animals donate blood?

By Jesslyn Shields

Whether through biology or behavior, nonhuman animals have to avoid sun damage just like we do.

By Jesslyn Shields

No, a tardigrade's not a type of time-traveling police box on "Doctor Who." It's an ancient water bear, of course!

By Oisin Curran

The toughest animal in the world has just released its first sex tape, and as with all things water bear, things get pretty freaky.

By Jesslyn Shields & Desiree Bowie

There's little we can imagine that Mother Nature hasn't already dreamed up in one of her fouler moods. Care to meet some creatures with frightful features?

By Nicholas Gerbis & Melanie Radzicki McManus