(ABOUT ANIMALS) We all know cats land on their feet and dogs wag their tails when happy. But do you know which animal has hairy eyes or what to call a pre-pubescent eel? Here’s a list of odd animal facts — from Aardvark to Zebra — and other creatures in between, courtesy of the wild and wonderful animal kingdom. Test your wildlife trivia here and tell us how many you knew. Or share other animals facts of your own in the comments section below. — Bianca Caraza, Global Animal
A is for aardvark
Fewer than 12 aardvarks are born in captivity in North America each year.
B is for blue whale
The blue whale is the loudest animal on earth.
C is for crocodile
Despite their powerful tails and fierce bites, crocodiles cannot stick out their tongues—the appendages are stuck to the inside of their mouths.
D is for dalmatian
Remembered best for a certain Disney film, dalmatians are the only breed of dog that suffers from gout.
E is for eel
An eel, before it reaches sexual maturity, is called an elver. Elvers were once a staple in coastal dweller’s diets. Yummy.
F is for flamingo
A flamingo can’t eat properly unless its head is upside down.
Goats have rectangular pupils. This helps them to spot predators over wide, flat grazing lands.
H is for honeybee
Honeybees have tiny hairs on their eyes to help them collect pollen.
I is for impala
The impala, a small antelope, is capable of jumping 10 feet in the air when threatened.
Named for its miraculous abilities, the Amazon’s ‘Jesus Christ lizard’ can run over water.
J is for Jesus Christ lizard
K is for kiwi bird
The kiwi bird, native to New Zealand, lays eggs up to half its own weight.
L is for lionfish
The spiny and colorful lionfish is covered in as many as 18 needle-like fins that inject poison. While seemingly dangerous, the toxins nauseate humans, but rarely prove fatal.
M is for mudpuppy
The African mudpuppy, or waterdog, is a type of salamander so named for emitting a high-pitched squeaking sound reminiscent of a dog’s bark.
N is for nurse shark
Though the origin of their name is unclear, nurse sharks are nocturnal bottom dwellers that rest daily in large piles of up to forty sharks.
O is for ostrich
P is for polar bear
All polar bears are left-handed, or rather, left-pawed.
Q is for queen angelfish
Young queen angelfish sometimes groom other fish and remove unwanted parasites, an honor not usually offered to royalty.
R is for rhesus monkey
The rhesus monkey holds the historic distinction of making it into space before Mr. Armstrong ever walked on the moon.
S is for sloth bear
T is for tarantula
Despite fearsome looks, the tarantula is actually harmless to humans with a venom weaker than that of a bee’s sting.
U is for unicorn
The narwhal is known as the “unicorn of the sea” due to an eight-foot tooth that sticks out like a horn.
V is for vulture
Vultures are rarely a humorous sight, but most find it chuckle-worthy that some particularly gluttonous vultures eat so much they become too heavy to fly.
W is for wildebeest
Wildebeest calves learn to walk minutes after being born and can keep up with their heard by one-week old.
X is for Xiphactinus Audux
Y is for Yorkshire terrier
The 17-foot Xiphactinus Audux was an enormous spiny fish that haunted the Late Cretaceous with an upturned jaw and massive teeth that made it resemble a bulldog.
The Yorkshire terrier, a favorite breed of dog named for Yorkshire, England, were originally put to work hunting rats in factories.
Z is for Zebra
No two zebras have the same stripes.
Sources:
http://animals.nationalgeographic.com/animals/facts/
http://www.buildingblocksplaygroup.com/blog/strange-animal-facts/
http://www.hammieland.com/animal.htm
http://www.peoplepets.com/news/cute/cute-photo-baby-aardvark-nurses-a-drink/1
http://www.thatsweird.net/facts6.shtml
http://www.thejunglestore.com/Eels
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