The animal world contains so many amazing facts, misconceptions, and mysteries that we could write a list based on it every day. So it is probably a little surprising that we only have one list of animal facts on the site. So today we are doing something about it and presenting this, our second, list of amazing animals facts. Be sure to share your own favorites in the comments. Oh – and for those who are interested, here is the original list of 10.
Amazing Fact: Some millipedes (Apheloria Virginiensis) are able to secrete cyanide
Laboratory study of these millipedes (which are slow moving and feed on plants) are able to release clouds of hydrogen cyanide gas through small vents in their body. This is most likely to occur when being handled, or attacked by other creatures such as ants. It is essential that one wash ones hands after touching one of these millipedes. This large creature is found in North America and is also known as the Kentucky Flat Millipede.
Amazing Fact: Red Ants and Large Blue Butterflies work together
Large Blue caterpillars feed on wild Thyme or Marjoram flowers for the first few days of development. Afterwards, they seek out the nests of a specific species of red ant, and hibernate inside their tunnels. The caterpillar will spend a further 3 weeks transforming into the Large Blue butterfly adult. After its change from caterpillar to butterfly, the insect emerges from its chrysalis and leaves the red ant nest to find a mate. Usually, red ants will escort the newly emerged butterfly to the surface, taking it to a low plant or shrub nearby. The red ants will encircle the butterfly and ward off any predators that attempt to attack the butterfly as it dries out. After the butterfly is ready to fly away, the ants will retreat back into their nest. To make itself less of an intruder to the red ants, Large Blue caterpillars will adopt the red ant’s scent and mimic the ant’s sounds, in addition to providing the ants with honeydew. Once the caterpillar is inside its chrysalis, it will rub its head against the chrysalis walls to make a scraping sound that the red ants make. Failure to complete any of these disguises will often lead to the caterpillar being eaten by the red ants.
Amazing Fact: If a female ferret goes into heat but can’t get any sex, she will die
This is a female specific problem; female ferrets can go into extended heat – during which time they must breed or they can die of aplastic anemia – a condition in which the bone marrow stops producing enough new blood cells (caused by estrogen toxicity.) This is because female ferrets are induced ovulators, so mating is required to bring the female out of heat. Intact females, if not mated, will remain in heat, and after some time the high levels of estrogen will cause the bone marrow to stop producing red blood cells.
Amazing Fact: Dolphins, like humans, have sex for pleasure
Dolphin copulation happens belly to belly and though many species engage in lengthy foreplay, the actual act is usually only brief, but may be repeated several times within a short time-span. Dolphins are known to have sex for reasons other than reproduction, sometimes also engaging in acts of a homosexual nature. Various dolphin species have been known to engage in sexual behavior with other dolphin species, this also having resulted in various hybrid dolphin species as mentioned earlier. Sexual encounters may be violent, with male dolphins sometimes showing aggressive behavior towards both females and other male dolphins. Occasionally, dolphins will also show sexual behavior towards other animals, including humans.
Amazing Fact: Hummingbirds don’t walk
There is a popular misconception that hummingbirds don’t have feet. It is, of course, wrong. But while they do have feet, they don’t use them to walk because they are so poorly developed; this is due to the fact that they spend most of their time in flight and seldom need to walk. Hummingbirds also have an incredibly fast metabolism which means they are always just a few hours away from starvation.
Amazing Fact: The pistol shrimp makes such a loud noise with its claws, that it can kill other fish
The snap of the pistol shrimp’s claw is so loud that it competes with animals such as the sperm whale for the title of loudest creature of the sea. When it snaps its claws together, it creates a vapor bubble with pressure sufficient to kill nearby small fish; these are then eaten. Incredibly, when the bubble bursts it produces temperatures of up to 5,000 K, close to the temperature of the surface of the sun. This is not visible to the naked eye because of its low intensity.
Amazing Fact: The males of some species (including bees, baboons, rats, squirrels,scorpions, mice, and spiders) create a “mating plug” after sex which prevents other males from having sex with the same female
The mating plug is a gelatinous compound which is inserted in the female’s vagina after copulation. When it hardens, it prevents other males from having sex with the female. This is useful in the case of bee-hives where there may be thousands of males wanting to have sex with the queen. When a drone in the beehive has had sex with the queen, his entire genitalia detaches to form the plug – which also means that he dies shortly after. Future drones who wish to mate with the queen must forcibly remove the plug.
Amazing Fact: Some frogs hear with their lungs
Panamanian golden frogs don’t have outside ears – their lungs pick up sound waves and direct them to their eardrums. Interestingly, many fish hear in this same manner which supports the link between frogs and their evolutionary ancestors. Due to internal air-pressure controlled by the frog, it is able to largely ignore its own voice which is incredibly loud.
Amazing Fact: Octopuses (or octopi if you prefer) eat with their hands like humans.
With the suckers on its arms, an octopus seizes prey and pulls it up to its mouth, where a poisonous salivary secretion is immediately released from the beak. The secretion paralyzes the prey and partially digests it. Fortunately for the octopus, if it loses an arm, another one grows to replace it. Another interesting fact about octopuses is that one of the legs of the male is used for copulation and it is broken from the body in the act of sex.
Amazing Fact: A pig’s orgasm lasts 30 minutes
Before you start pining to be a pig, remember, after the orgasm the pig eventually ends up on our dinner table! But that aside, it is true that a pig can have an orgasm that lasts up to 30 minutes – at least I have not been able to find any evidence to the contrary after extensive research.
This article is licensed under the GFDL because it contains quotations from Wikipedia.
now for humans to plug their mates LoL
I’m still jealous of pigs even if they do end up as dinner.
#52 KEV – I really shouldn’t ask but how exactly have you experienced #1 first hand?
Ok I have to ask, exactly does # 1′s:
” at least I have not been able to find any evidence to the contrary after extensive research.”
involve?
Ok, I meant to say “.exactly what does #1′s:”
seems like intellect has something to do with ***** for pleasure… someone should study this.
I wonder if the boar needs a cigarette after that–Probably so. And then he promises the sow he will call her–But,of course,he never does.He’s already moved on down the trough to the next one.
#65 Call me crazy deepthinker but I find ***** more pleasurable when I’m not thinking so much and my intellect is not working so well. Maybe that’s just me.
octopuses are hella smart
Little Pretty Piggy was down and out, big time.
All pink and blue and getting anorexic.
Sleeping too many a winky dink.
Poor Pretty Piggy.
Dance floor days are over.
Gave Pretty Piggy Clomipramine
And tossed Sad but Pretty Piggy in the mud pin with Boss Hog
Made for the best Head Cheese I ever had.
I often feel like the female ferret: I’m gonna die if I can’t get laid.
There was a woman who cracked her gum so loud in court, ppl thought shots were fired. She was arrested for something. Basically scaring the judge.
I knew about the pig. I consider myself an authority on orgasms.
And dolphins do have large brains and their own language. Many ppl do think their intelligence equals or surpasses that of humans.
extensive research? haha, that’s horse*****.
what do you think about dolphins that trap themselves in nets and when they are set free they come back and trap themselves again?
or the idea of the Ambasador Dolphin.
or the sick breaking off from the school.
or Dolphin telepathy?
yeh! DOLPHIN TELEPATHY.
what do you think about that?
Lucky pigs… *sigh*
What do you think about ppl who drink and smoke and do crack? And then go thru rehab and get clean then drink, smoke and do crack again? What do you think about pedophiles who can’t stop even with the threat of their ‘nads being removed.What do you think of serial kilers who do fine in jail, but then kill again within weeks of release? I could go on and on but I think you get my point.
somethings for some folks are oft repeated and driven into the coffin lid to seal it shut
That’s what I meant in response to dolphins getting stuck in nets after being set free.
Deepthinker- it seems maybe a more developed nervous system would be the cause of both greater intelligence and a greater pleasure from *****. Maybe?
by the way, the hore***** comment just happened to hit right after your comment, before i knew it existed.
Dolphin telepathy. I haven’t read anything on the topic, yet recall just slightly listening to an interview with a fisherman who had many odd experiences with dolphins. Maybe they were the same ones that played around and got to know him by the boat shape beneath. recognition is profound. especially when it’s among the other mammals among us.
The captive dolphin making air rings underwater and scooping it’s snout through the hole.
Is this a neurotic disorder due to being prison bound , like a preoccupation with not having the ocean to be free?
or a creative discovery?
Are dolphins lonely?
we teach them tricks.
bucslime:
Additionally, I tried that mating plug thing one time, but as it turns out, I was much to attached to my genitals.
There’s a trick to it, but it’s difficult to pull off convincingly.
Diogenes… (et al)Are we having a dialogue? Im confused as to who you are. Are you all Diogenes_____? Or are all Diogenes_____ you? I mean no offense, offering only defense. Yet I am not even sure to whom I am speaking/chatting/writing with. I am Eugene but really Eugenie (ooh zhen ee).
Astraya (79) Do you mean to insult the humorous bucslim by calling him bucslime? I think he’s funny and you mis-keyed. You seem to be a fine young man. Not prone to provoking the “Wrath of Bucslim” (dun dun duun)
If we’re on the subject of animal genitalia, did anyone know that pigs have corkscrew-shaped penises? Completely true. Also, cats have barbs on their penises to encourage the females to ovulate. Cats are also induced ovulators, but instead of dying from aplastic anaemia, they just yowl for weeks/months until they get some
One of my teachers lived in northern Canada when she was younger and had an intact female that went into heat. Since there were no males in the vicinity, she and a friend had to use a Q-tip to simulate copulation so Kitty would shut up.
Courtney(81) So that would be a pussy dildo? Hmm interesting. Never heard that before. How did that solution come to fruition?
cool
Kinda boring list this one, Jfrater.
Any chance of a “10 Ways To Defeat The Taxman” list?
Courtney: that is just so revolting! But fascinating nevertheless
Another cool animal fact is that monkeys have fairly advanced societies for their species. In Jaipor (sic), India, monkeys in the town have banded together in street gangs. They pickpocket pedestrians and ransom their objects for food back to their owners (however, they usually keep the shiny objects for themselves) not only that, Monkey gangs have their own turf, often times they wage turf wars with other gangs. The gangs have leaders (usually with a female at the very top), within the gangs there are foot soldiers within the gangs. It’s really quite an advanced society they have going on. Not much different then human companies or organized crime gangs. They can communicate vocally (albeit their communication system is primitive) and it appears that they even have generals who organize co-ordinated attacks. Really interesting stuff.
Eugene: Astraya (79) Do you mean to insult the humorous bucslim by calling him bucslime? I think he’s funny and you mis-keyed. You seem to be a fine young man. Not prone to provoking the “Wrath of Bucslim” (dun dun duun)
(look of total innocence) Me? Mean to insult the humorous buclim? Why, no!
You seem to be a fine young man.
Yes, but appearances are deceptive, though, aren’t they? I’ve crossed paths with bucslim many times before, and will risk the wrath, and count it an honour.
(I’m slightly amused by the “young” bit. I’m older than the median age of LU members, according to the recent poll.)
Well, I do think da faq that cat speak to human more than with its own species should be in ur list.
Imagine if Human females had the ferret problem =P
“…the actual act is usually only brief, but may be repeated several times within a short time-span.”
Phew! Thought I was the only one.
“…dolphins will also show *****ual behavior towards other animals, including humans.”
Bush was right, “…human being and fish can coexist peacefully”.
meryl streep
Courtney (81):
That was mildly disturbing… How do you come up with that idea? “So, kitty´s still yowling… Let´s see if this Q-tip will do the trick!” ??
The people on here that don’t have U Tube couldn’t you do what one person did in Japan? He went to a NBC news office of course at the time NBC was doing a news report about Japan blocking info about the rebellion in their country that time. You know the one where their tanks ran over a protester. Anyway on the Japan computers they couldn’t get the info, but when one man went to NBC News and got on the USA Verison the man was able to pull up the info. Or you try to get some USA Site like google and try that way to get U-tube. But if you try the news station routine ask for permission first.
I love these lists! Useless information for useless informations sake. It makes my day.
Of course, I already knew a few of them, but many were new to me. Oh, happy day!
I always did like dolphins. Now I know why I like them.
Eugene, jfrater, and GTT:
Here’s a video from National Geographic that explains the reasons behind the barbed cat penis: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3UVw7cgv36A
I’m not adventurous enough to find anything on pigs. As for the “Q-tip method”, I’m a vet tech student, so my teacher is a VT too. That’s how she knew about the anatomy of female cats. She happens to be the anatomy teacher
Wouldn`t it be easier to get the female cat spayed than simulate cat ***** with a Q-tip?
Just asking.
Bigski….I agree about the spaying. Why on earth would you stick an object up your pets “privates”…that seems like creeping on craziness. The poor animal.
ugh.
joliver: i wish i had eight arms too that would be sweet!
That’s why I have ***** with pigs, they appreciate it more.
http://www.straightdope.com/columns/read/55/do-female-pigs-have-six-minute-orgasms
There’s your proof, this guy is never wrong, do with it what you will.
Bigski: This took place in northern Canada, in the winter, in a community with no vet. At the time, it was impossible to drive/fly out, but the cat wouldn’t get out of her heat until she was “bred”. Apparently the yowling went on for about 3 months before the Q-tip was brought in. Needless to say the cat was spayed at the first opportunity.
a woodpeckers tongue is 2x the size of its body and has a form of nostril on the end
QI
@100 Brilliant!
94. Pam-Doggirl3
Japan? You must mean China…
Dude, the Navy should create a weapon like the pistol shrimp’s claws. Destroy those enemy battleships.
102- Courtney~~ Sorry! Didn`t know the circumstances. Still not a job to look foward to. Kind of like a bull sperm collector.
#44, please read a biology textbook before you embarrass yourself any further. Thank you.
Courtney:
Sorry, that cat story has kept me laughing until now. Cat ***** with a Q-tip… Priceless!
p@nd0ra: I’m *****ed that I missed that comment. Funny quote from House MD; “***** *could* kill you. Do you know what the human body goes through when you have *****? Pupils dilate, arteries constrict, core temperature rises, heart races, blood pressure skyrockets, respiration becomes rapid and shallow, the brain fires bursts of electrical impulses from nowhere to nowhere, and secretions spit out of every gland, and the muscles tense and spasm like you’re lifting three times your body weight. It’s violent. It’s ugly. And it’s messy. And if God hadn’t made it *unbelievably* fun, the human race would have died out eons ago. -Allison Cameron
GDBatman: You should stop getting your medical advice from your television. Laugh at the joke but don’t for one minute pretend to think that it came out of JAMA.
110. Crimanon: For the actual lowdown on *****, read Jared Diamond, Phd, little book called “Why ***** Is Fun”.
Dr. Diamond is an American evolutionary biologist, physiologist, biogeographer, lecturer, and nonfiction author. He has also written Pulitzer Prize-winning book Guns, Germs, and Steel , Collapse: How Societies Choose to Fail or Succeed . He received the National Medal of Science in , The Third Chimpanzee and many more. He lectures at UCLA, and I’ve met him!
110. Crimanon, of course I wasn’t telling you all that for you, but for the one you were answering…whoever that was. I have much more faith in your intelligence than that!
segue: Not really interested in theory, I take the more hands on approach. I’ve been told that I should have more “seminars.” Really though they are just parties that degrade into me getting all serious and intellectual about *****. Everyone seems to enjoy. Glad they’re amused. I never get paid for it, not even a tip!
Crimanon, while I’m always interested in theory, in this case I make sure I get in as much practice as possible!
wtf? this is mostly about animal *****? disgusting..
115. llama: wtf? this is mostly about animal *****? disgusting.
****
They’d probably say the same about you.
How is animal ***** disgusting? That’s like saying “ew that animal is eating to survive” Disgusting!
Anyway, man I love this site; I really don’t know what I used to do at work before I found Listverse
A both interesting and disgusting list..i wish i hadn’t known about #1..it gives me the quirms
I want to be a PIG!
I dont care if I end up in a frying pan on the table,
I want to be a PIG!
119. Joanie Girl: I want to be a PIG!
****
Joanie Girl, if you’d be satisfied with 30 minute orgasms, I grieve for you.