Animal Facts

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

Called gynandromorphs, half male and half female animals are rare, but they do exist.

By Tara Yarlagadda

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

Many of us admittedly keep our televisions on when we leave the house — for our dogs. But does Fido really watch the TV?

By John Perritano

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

By Christopher Hassiotis

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

By Mark Mancini

The common shrew takes some pretty drastic measures to survive winter.

By Robert Lamb

Connecticut new "Desmond's Law" is the first in the nation that appoints legal advocates in animal abuse cases.

By John Perritano

Mummified seals. Skeletal penguins. Massive whale bones. Antarctica is a weird and wonderful place.

By Christopher Hassiotis

What do mammals have in common? We're warm-blooded. We feed their young with milk. And we all take the same amount of time to defecate.

By Jesslyn Shields

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

By Jesslyn Shields

The Beagle Brigade is an important part of U.S. Customs and Border Protection. The dogs are trained to sniff out fruits, foods and plants in international passengers' luggage as they arrive in the airport terminals.

By Michelle Konstantinovsky

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

By Jesslyn Shields

Pets might have more to do with a child's psychological well-being than previously thought, and moreso than even their brothers and sisters.

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

A new tool helps visualize how a changing climate will force animal species to relocate.

By Jesslyn Shields

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

There's no way humans will outlive the tardigrade, but we might be able to steal some of its powers while we have the chance.

By Julia Layton

If you think there's one easy explanation behind this cute canine behavior, think again. There are several theories. But a new study has found a sweet reason for head tilting in dogs.

By Laurie L. Dove

But how do you diagnose a pet's mental state when it can't talk to you?

By Alia Hoyt

Hate to say it, but some animals have jobs that are far more interesting — and more lucrative — than yours. Who are these lucky dogs?

By Melanie Radzicki McManus