Animals are pretty awesome, but you don’t need us to tell you that! The animal kingdom often surprises us with all sorts of fun and interesting animal traits or features. Camels surviving half a year without water. Frogs being able to freeze and thaw themselves. Snakes being able to kill you with a tenth of a droplet of venom. All of these things are out there and are waiting for you to discover them. We’ve looked at some of the most intelligent animals and today it’s time we took a look at 10 awesome things you didn’t know about animals that will blow you away.
10. Bald Eagles Nests are Heavy
Just look at that thing, it’s simply huge! Did you know that these large birds whose wingspan can read up to 8 feet make nests that can weigh up to 2 metric tons? There was a nest found in Florida that weight around 2.2 metric tons, it had a diameter of 9.6 feet and a depth of 20 feet. It was so big that a human being could actually live comfortably in it for a while.
9. Sometimes Raccoons Wash Their Food before Eating It
We all know that raccoons love to dig in your trash for food, so this fact can actually surprise a lot of people. Some raccoons, granted not all, will wash their food before they eat it. Most likely they don’t do it for the same reason we do it, but something pretty similar. For example, if a raccoon has a piece of fruit that will have dirt on it, they will dunk it in water to remove the dirt before eating it. Cuteness overload!
8. Pit-bulls are Less Aggressive than Dachshunds 
Look at that little cute face! Does it inspire violence and aggression? No, it doesn’t, but dachshunds are indeed more aggressive than pit-bulls. The fact that pit-bulls have a reputation comes down to their naturally strong jaws and muscular bodies, but a study conducted by the University of Pennsylvania revealed the cute dachshunds were indeed much more aggressive towards humans. Pit-bulls are more aggressive towards other dogs than dachshunds, though.
7. Chickens Can Spontaneously Change Sexes
How badass is that?! Here you are a female chicken and then all of a sudden you decide to become a rooster. Bang! You’re good to go! Actually, it’s really not so all of a sudden; scientist have proven that when there is no rooster, hens actually become sterile roosters. This only happens to hens and has never happened the other way around. So, all the roosters out there can relax their feathers.
6. Butterflies Taste with Their Feet
You’ve probably heard this one before, but it’s true and it needs to be mentioned again: butterflies really do taste with their feet. Adult butterflies do not eat, they only drink. But, caterpillars eat constantly. When an adult butterflies lands on a flower, they will taste it with their feet to know if it is poisonous for its babies.
5. Leeches Have Plenty of Teeth
And by plenty we mean 300. Yes, leeches have 300 tiny, little teeth that are razor-sharp and always ready to bite into you and suck your blood. The thing is that you won’t really feel it. You’ll probably benefit a lot from the little creature’s blood sucking. When leeches bite into something, they also release a small amount of anesthetic. Cool, right?
4. Green Anacondas Can Swallow a Man Whole
One of the most bizarre things you didn’t know about animals is that green anacondas can actually swallow a man whole. They are the heaviest snakes in the world: an adult green anaconda can reach up to 30 feet in length and weigh 550 pounds. Of course they can swallow you whole!
3. Echidnas Have Four-Headed Penises
The animal world is full of peculiar genitalia. But, the echidnas are really something special. The male genitalia has four heads. The female echidnas also have two vaginas. Yes, only two! Scientists don’t really know why this is, but they think it has something to do with the fact that female echidnas can have sex with up to 10 males at a time.
2. African Wild Dogs Care for their Sick
Taking care of loved ones isn’t a thing that only humans do. Thank God for that! African wild dogs remain with their family until they die; it’s like one big happy family with them. And when someone in the pack gets sick or old enough that they can’t hunt or eat by themselves, the young ones will regurgitate food for them. Isn’t that the cutest thing you’ve ever heard of?
1. The Fruit Fly Has the Longest Sperm in Nature
You would have never guessed that the longest sperm found in nature lives inside a fruit fly. This tiny creature that is smaller than a house fly has sperm that is the longest of any animals, including humans. It measures around 2.2 inches which is amazing, considering that the fly itself is 0.11 inches long. It is so big that it sits coiled up inside the fly’s body. These guys are really keen on surviving, aren’t they?
Did you enjoy these things you didn’t know about animals? Do you know any other awesome things that you would like to share with us? Drop us a line in the comment section below. We love hearing from our readers.
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