DID YOU KNOW? ANIMAL FACTS THAT WILL MAKE YOU SMILE

This time of year everyone is tired, irritated and well, in simple South African speak – just plain gatvol. So, this blog post was created to make you smile, forget about load-shedding, your “irritating” co-workers and/or your neighbour. Take a “coffee-break”, a Kit-Kat and enjoy by yourself😊

#1 SEA OTTERS – DID YOU KNOW?

That sea otters hold hands when they are sleeping to keep each other from drifting apart from one another.

#2 GUINEA PIGS – DID YOU KNOW?

That Switzerland has laws banning guinea pigs (g-p) from living alone without a g-p friend because they’re such sociable creatures.

#3 GOATS – DID YOU KNOW?

That there have been studies that indicate that goats have accents. According to a particular study with pygmy goats, groups develop bleats that are unique to their social group. As the kids grow older, they can distinguish between outsiders and their group, due to the different accents.

#4 ANOTHER GOAT – DID YOU KNOW?

While on the topic of goats. Did you know? That a goat named William Windsor was once demoted from his rank as Lance Corporal in the British Army for “disobeying a direct order”… #notkidding

#5 CHIMPS – DID YOU KNOW?

That observers of the wild chimps in Guinea found that these chimps drink fermented palm sap in large amounts. This drink of choice contains approximately three percent alcohol by volume. Good times …

#6 DOGS – DID YOU KNOW?

That dogs sneeze when play fighting to show they are not being aggressive – just “having fun”.

#7 SQUIRRELS – DID YOU KNOW?

That squirrels inadvertently plant thousands of new trees each year by forgetting where they buried their acorns. Squirrels will also dig fake acorn storage spots and “conceal” them several times before actually storing a nut, just to troll their competitors. And if these nutballs aren’t cute enough already – squirrels adopt other squirrel’s babies if they are abandoned.

#8 FROGS – DID YOU KNOW?

That the Red-Eyed Tree Frog’s eggs can hatch prematurely if they sense danger or a predator nearby.

#9 CATS – DID YOU KNOW?

That if a cat head-butts his/her human it is out of trust and affection. They do it to show affection and love.

#10 PEACOCKS – DID YOU KNOW?

That only the males are called peacocks; the females are called peahens.

#11 ANTS – DID YOU KNOW?

That ants bow when they see each other/ cross paths with each other.

#12 DRAGONFLY – DID YOU KNOW?

That dragonflies and damselflies form a heart shape with their tails when mating.

#13 TURTLES – DID YOU KNOW?

That turtles can breathe through their bum-bums. And besides this, you can tell the gender of turtle, by the sound he/she makes. Male turtles make grunt sounds and female turtles hiss.

#14 LEMURS – DID YOU KNOW?

That the male ring-tailed lemurs will fight each other with gas. They “stink-fight” by waving and wafting their scent at each other.

#15 CHOW – DID YOU KNOW? 

That the chow is the only dog without a pink tongue. On the topic of this particular breed; Sigmund Freud had a chow named Jofi who lay in on some of Freud’s therapy sessions and helped calm and evaluate patients.

#16 DA VINCI – DID YOU KNOW?

That Leonardo da Vinci loved animals so much that he would frequently buy caged birds to set them free.

#17 RATS –  DID YOU KNOW?

That when rats are happy or having fun, they let out a joyful sound that is likened to human laughter. Rats also laugh when being tickled.

#18 ELEPHANTS – DID YOU KNOW?

That elephant shrews are most closely related to elephants genetically. And on the topic of elephants, elephant babies/calfs, suck their trunks for comfort.  Cuteness for days!

#19 GRZZLY – DID YOU KNOW?

That a grizzly bear’s bite is strong enough to crush a bowling ball. And there ain’t any running away from the bears…adult bears can run up to 40 M/P/H (over 60 KM/P/H), fast enough to catch up with a running horse. Why should this put a smile on your face? TIA (this is Africa) –how many grizzlies do you see?

#20 HORSES – DID YOU KNOW?

That majestic horses (like this beauty above) have memories as good as elephants. And if a horse has a good experience with a human, they will never forget that person.

#21 WHALES – DID YOU KNOW?

That Caribbean sperm whales have been recorded and that they have their own regional accent.

#22 COWS – DID YOU KNOW?

That cows have best friends and are highly sociable animals. Studies show that cows not only have best friends but are extremely devoted to each other –if they are separated for a period, they become stressed. Sticking with the bovines… did you know that a study gauging the effects of music, found that cows produce more milk when they listen to comforting music? The study found that particularly R.E.M’s “Everybody Hurts” got cows producing the most milk.

#23 PENGUIN – DID YOU KNOW?

That Gentoo penguins propose to their soulmates with a “perfect” pebble.

#24 DOLPHINS – DID YOU KNOW?

That dolphins have names for each other; each dolphin has its own name and identity. And has a signature whistle assigned to them.

#25 MACAQUES – DID YOU KNOW?

That macaques in Japan are so smart that they know how to use coins to buy snacks from vending machines. These macaques also make snowballs for fun. How civilised?

#26 PUFFINS – DID YOU KNOW?

That puffins mate for life and that they return to the same nesting site each year with their new chick. Puffins also generally make their homes on the side of cliffs and set aside a dedicated space for their toilet, in their home. And one final thing about a puffin – their babies are called pufflings.

#27 PANDA – DID YOU KNOW?

That in China, killing a panda is punishable by death and that a newborn panda weighs no more than a cup of coffee.

#28 OYSTERS – DID YOU KNOW?

That oysters can change sex depending on which is more favourable for mating.

#29 BATS – DID YOU KNOW?

That female bats hang upside down when giving birth and catch the babies with their wings when they drop.

#30 SEAHORSES – DID YOU KNOW?

That like the puffins and the penguins mentioned above, seahorses mate for life, and that when they travel they hold each other’s tails. Also, seahorses are the slowest fish in the sea. They can only swim at 0.01 M/P/H (0.016254 KM/P/H).

#31 CROW – DID YOU KNOW?

That crows are extremely intelligent. An avid bird watcher and nature writer, Candace Savage, noticed that crows are so bright that they play pranks on each other. Researchers have also observed that crows place nuts in the road, so cars can crack them when driving over them; these crows also waited for the robot to change before swooping down and collecting their opened nutty treats.

#32 CHICKS – DID YOU KNOW?

That before chicks hatch, they can communicate with their mother and each other, through a system of sounds.

#33 EAGLES – DID YOU KNOW?

That a baby eagle is called an eaglet.

#34 FLAMINGOS – DID YOU KNOW?

That a flock of flamingos are collectively called a ‘flamboyance’.

#35 HUMMINGBIRDS – DID YOU KNOW?

That the only birds that can fly in reverse are hummingbirds.

#36 DUCKS – DID YOU KNOW?

That ducks like to surf down rivers and on waves and tides. The ducks surf or ride the waves and then go back again – for more fun.

#37 BUTTERFLIES – DID YOU KNOW?

That butterflies taste with their feet.

#38 UNICORN – DID YOU KNOW?

That the national animal of Scotland is the Unicorn. #Brilliant

#39 TIGERS – DID YOU KNOW?

That a tiger’s skin is also striped and each pattern is as unique as a fingerprint

#40 HEDEHOG – DID YOU KNOW?

That a baby hedgehog is called a piglet.

#41 BUNNIES – DID YOU KNOW?

That Sweden has a bunny show-jumping competition called Kaninhoppning.

#42 PUGS –  DID YOU KNOW?

That a pack of at least three pugs is known as a grumble’.

#43 TUNA – DID YOU KNOW?

That tuna can swim up to 64 km in one day. That’s pretty far for a fish.

#44 EELS – DID YOU KNOW?

Moray eels have a second set of jaws that extend from their throats. Why should you smile? We live on land.

#45 SPIDERS – DID YOU KNOW?

That Spiders can’t fly. The best fact of all.



Please share this post on social media if you enjoyed it and please don’t forget to check out the other blog posts.

For animal posts click here.

For the latest Sparkle Ellie Posts  click here.

Sources: Buzzfeed.com, Mentalfloss.com, Ba-bamail.com, Emilii.com, Boredpanda.com

5 thoughts on “DID YOU KNOW? ANIMAL FACTS THAT WILL MAKE YOU SMILE

    1. Hi Diana

      Thank you for taking the time to comment on my blog. It truly means the world to me.

      Have a blessed Festive Season.

      Warm regards
      Sparkle Ellie

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