17 Amazing Facts About Animals That Biology Teachers Would Never Tell You

The world of animals is still full of secrets. Some facts are so surprising that many of us simply can’t believe they are true. Even the best wildlife documentaries will not present you with the facts we have collected below.

While swimming, otters hold their hands. It is just in case one of them falls asleep – the river current won’t carry it away.

Tiger’s tongue is covered with small and sharp projections which makes it really rough. That makes it easy for the predator to remove the feathers, fur or skin from the body of its prey.

Whenever red pandas want to look terrifying, they stand on their back legs. In fact, they are only 60 cm long.

A pelican can put its head into the beak of another one.

Japanese dwarf flying squirrel is one of the smallest rodents in the world. It grows up to 20 cm. It has got a skin membrane connecting its wrists and ankles which enables it to glide.

This is what a really old female Greenland shark looks like. It was estimated to be at least 272 years old, though it is possible that is even 512 years old. The fish has got very slow metabolism and is famous for its longevity.

The nestlings of the bird look like toxic moth caterpillars which puts off predators.

Remoras have got a sucker-like organ that opens and closes, which helps the animal to suck onto the body of a larger marine animal. Thanks to that they can feast on the leftovers dropped by their hosts and travel long distances without much effort.

Before they go to sleep, they extrude mucus from their mouths forming a protective cocoon. The sticky substance defends them against the larva that might get into their gills and suck their blood out.

This is a false killer whale. In fact, it is a species of ocean dolphin that is often mistaken with killer whales. It is all because of the slightly slender body, the sickle-shaped dorsal fin and black or dark-grey color. The mammals have got 44 teeth and live in larger pods.

This is how a baby whale is fed. It can drink up to 72 liters of milk per day. The humpback whale’s milk is pink and its fat content is even up to 50%.

The bees of the diadasia diminuta family sleep in the flowers called globemallows. They rest 5-8 hours a day. This is really important as it has been scientifically proven that tired bees might find it difficult to get back to their hive.

This is a foot of the mammal. The body of these animals is covered with fur and the males have got venomous spurs. When in 19th century Europeans saw a platypus for the first time, they thought it to be a combination of a mole and a duck.

Beaver’s teeth grow all their lives. That is why the animals have to trim them down. Its front teeth are covered with orange, brown or yellow enamel. The color depends on the iron content.

Eggs laid by some species of car pet sharks are transparent

Moles can see, though not very well. In fact, spending most of their lives underground they hardly need it. Their eyes are 1 mm in diameter and they are covered with fur.

The giant oarfish, also called king of herrings or ribbonfish, is one of the longest fish in the world. Some of them can be even 11 meters long. The fish shown in the photo was caught near the coast of California and was over 5 meters long.

Which fact did you find the most surprising?