Animals

A group of flamingos is called a 'flamboyance.' These pink birds form groups of up to a million individuals and perform elaborate synchronized dances to attract mates.

In scientific experiments, rats consistently chose to free their trapped companions from cages, even when chocolate was offered as an alternative. They would then share the chocolate with their freed friend.

The mantis shrimp has 16 types of color receptors compared to humans' 3, but despite this they're actually terrible at distinguishing between similar shades. Scientists believe they use colors more like a barcode scanner than a camera.

All clownfish are born male. When the dominant female in a group dies, the dominant male will transform into a female to take her place—making Finding Nemo's plot biologically impossible.

There’s a rare breed of chicken called Ayam Cemani that’s completely black. They have black plumage, legs, nails, beak, and even black meat, bones, and a black tongue!

The penis of a barnacle may reach up to eight to nine times its body size.

Demodex are microscopic arachnids living in nearly everyone's facial pores. Scientists believed for decades that they had no anus and burst when they died, releasing accumulated waste. A 2022 genome study proved this wrong—they do have anuses and excrete normally.

The largest natural bridge on Earth, the 'Fairy Bridge', was virtually unknown to the rest of the world until it was observed on Google Earth.

In 2011, a penguin covered in oil and starving on a beach near Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, was rescued by a pensioner. Ever since then, Dindim the penguin travels 5,000 miles every year to visit him.

There's a caterpillar that looks like Caterpie from Pokémon.

Researchers find new emperor penguin colonies by looking for their poop from a satellite in space.

Dogs often turn in circles before lying down, a behavior inherited from wild ancestors who trampled grass to create comfortable beds and check for snakes or insects.

Mike the Headless Chicken was no different from any other chicken, except that he lived for 18 months after his head had been cut off.

Thumbelina, the smallest horse in the world, is about the size of a dog.

When a queen bee becomes too old or diseased to serve the colony, worker bees form a tight cluster around her until she dies from overheating—a process scientists call "balling" and others have nicknamed "cuddle death."

Hippos secrete a red-pink fluid, dubbed "blood sweat", which acts as a skin moisturizer, water repellent, sunscreen, and antibiotic.

The Angora rabbit is the world's fluffiest bunny, bred for its extremely long wool.

According to news reports, a feral pig in Australia drank 18 cans of beer, brawled with a cow, and then passed out under a tree.

On average, cats sleep for 2/3 of their life. This would mean that a 9 year old cat has been asleep for 6 years.

In October 2015, a 'floating city' of what appeared to be tall buildings rose from the clouds above Foshan, China. After lasting only a few minutes, conspiracy theories ran rampant, but experts say that it's a rare optical illusion called Fata Morgana.