Animal Facts

[no_toc]You’re currently on our quick animal facts page where you’ll learn loads of quick facts about animals, their habitats as well as ancient and even extinct animals. If you want to grab some quick facts then this is the page for you. Remember for more detailed facts and articles about animals check out our animal facts section.

CLASSIFYING MAMMALS

Taxonomy is the scientific method of classifying animals with specific names. Learn more about taxonomy and the grouping of the mammals on the Taxonomy Page and Mammal Chart.

Fun Facts about Animals

  1. Humpback whales create the loudest sound of any living creature.
  2. A giant squid’s eyes have a diameter of 15 inches which is the largest of any animal.
  3. 3 out of 10 Dalmatian dogs suffer from hearing loss due to inbreeding.
  4. The African Elephant has a gestation period of 22 months while a short-nosed bandicoot gestates for 12 days.
  5. The mortality rate if bitten by a Black Mamba snake is over 95%.
  6. A dog’s sense of smell is 1,000 times stronger than humans.
  7. Hummingbirds consume half of their weight in food daily.
  8. A cockroach can survive for about a week without its head before dying of starvation.
  9. The whale shark has over 4,000 teeth. Each tooth is only 3mm long.
  10. Polar Bears are capable of jumping as high as 6 feet and can run as fast as 25mph.
  11. The ‘crosshairs’ of gun sights were made of spider web filaments until the 1960′s.
  12. Mosquitos are attracted most to the color blue.
  13. The heart of a shrimp is located in its head.
  14. Some frogs are able to be frozen and then thawed, and continue living.
  15. A goldfish is the only animal that can see infrared and ultraviolet light.
  16. A snail can sleep for 3 years.
  17. There are 701 types of pure breed dogs.
  18. The fastest bird, the spine-tailed swift, can fly as fast as 106mph.
  19. A cow gives nearly 200,000 glasses of milk in her lifetime.
  20. A newborn kangaroo is about 1 inch in length.
  21. In 1872, a virus epidemic killed a quarter of all the horses in the United States.
  22. A woodpecker can peck 20 times per second.
  23. An electric eel can produce a shock of up to 650 volts.
  24. Camels have three eyelids to protect themselves from blowing sand.
  25. Cojo, the 1st gorilla born in captivity, was born at the Columbus, Oho Zoo in 1956 and weighed 3 1/4 pounds.
  26. Dragonflies are one of the fastest insects, flying 50 to 60 mph.
  27. Every year, $1.5 billion is spent on pet food. This is four times the amount spent on baby food.
  28. It takes a lobster about seven years to grow to be one pound.
  29. Large kangaroos can cover over 30 feet with each jump.
  30. Of all known forms of animal life ever to inhabit the Earth, only about 10 percent still exist today.
  31. On average, pigs live for about 15 years.
  32. Sharks apparently are the only animals that never get sick. They are immune to every type of disease including cancer.
  33. A chameleon’s tongue is twice the length of its body.
  34. Male seahorses produce offspring.
  35. Giraffes have no vocal cords.
  36. Elephants have been known to remain standing after they die.
  37. An albatross can sleep while flying.
  38. A mosquito has 47 teeth.
  39. Research indicates that mosquitoes are attracted to people who have recently eaten bananas.
  40. The sex organ on a male spider is located at the end of one of its legs.
  41. Armadillos, opossums, and sloths spend about 80% of their lives sleeping.
  42. The ears of a cricket are located on the front legs, just below the knee.