Nature never ceases to amaze us — and animals are some of its most astonishing creations.
From bizarre body parts to unbelievable behaviors, here are 16 unique and surprising facts about creatures from around the world that’ll make you do a double take.
1. Shrimps wear their hearts on their heads — literally. A shrimp’s heart is located inside its head.
2. Snails are the kings of napping — they can sleep for up to three years at a time.
3. Koalas have criminal-level fingerprints. Their prints are so similar to humans’ that they’ve actually been mistaken at crime scenes.
4. Slugs smell in stereo — they have four noses, each with its own sensory role.
5. Elephants can do a lot of things — but jumping isn’t one of them. They’re the only animals on Earth that can’t jump.
6. A rhino’s horn isn’t made of bone — it’s made entirely of compressed hair.
7. You can hypnotize a frog by flipping it onto its back and gently stroking its belly.
8. Sloths are so slow, their digestion takes two weeks. That’s a long wait for a bathroom break.
9. Antarctica is full of surprises — nearly 3% of the ice in Antarctic glaciers is made of penguin urine.
10. The average cow produces nearly 200,000 glasses of milk in its lifetime. That’s a whole lot of cereal.
11. When bats leave a cave, they always turn left. Every. Single. Time.
12. Giraffes may have long necks, but no voice — they have no vocal cords.
13. Kangaroos can’t fart. Yes, you read that right. No flatulence from these hoppers.
14. An ostrich’s eye is bigger than its brain. Not great for trivia night, but fantastic vision.
15. Orangutans fall out of trees a lot. So much so that roughly half of them suffer broken bones during their lives.
16. Frogs can’t vomit — but if they absolutely must, they’ll throw up their entire stomach and clean it with their hands before swallowing it again. (Yes, it’s as wild as it sounds.)
Nature is endlessly fascinating — and if you want to experience it firsthand, consider joining a wildlife conservation project around the world.
