10 Interesting Animal Facts to Know
Speaking about animals, I would like to invite readers to contemplate what defines an animal. Questions like these direct your thoughts toward living creatures within the environment where you live, grow, and thrive. Furthermore, animals can adapt to become companions to humans, from simple roles like guarding your home or serving as shepherds, protecting livestock from predatory threats. Some enthusiasts even engage in conversations with animals. However, there are negative aspects to consider when it comes to animal reproduction, leading to excessive populations that may classify the animals as pests or unwanted organisms causing harm in daily activities.
Returning to the initial topic, some animals possess uniqueness depending on circumstances and conditions. These animals are typically seldom found in human environments and are less known by many. Hence, I had the brilliant idea of compiling a list of interesting information about animal species to broaden aesthetic reading experiences and knowledge.
1.Komodo is the largest lizard
The genus species of the Komodo animal is Varanus (Monitor Lizard). They are reptiles that inflict a painful bite on their prey. As self-protection, Komodos have tough skin and strong claws. Moreover, this animal species gets its name from a European mythological creature, the dragon. This name isn’t just assigned to Komodos; according to some, dragons symbolize power, further emphasizing their habitat. Komodos have specific locations; in the wild, their territory is limited to small islands like Rintja, Flores, and Komodo Island, all geographically part of the Indonesian archipelago.
Another interesting fact is that this animal species is the largest among the monitor lizard family and is the only lizard of such magnitude and weight on Earth. An adult Komodo’s estimated physical size equals that of a small car and weighs as much as a refrigerator in your home. Scientists estimate there are fewer than 1,400 individual Komodo dragons in the wild.
2. Pandas as diplomatic tools
Did you know that pandas are not just a species symbolizing China but are also used by the Chinese government to build diplomatic relations with other countries? Panda diplomacy is a term used by the Chinese government to foster diplomatic relations, such as giving or loaning giant pandas to other countries to promote their image overseas.
This unique diplomatic practice has been ongoing since the Tang Dynasty (618–907 AD) in Chinese history. Panda diplomacy gained popularity again in the 20th and 21st centuries. In recent decades, panda diplomacy, once seen as a gift, has transitioned into a lending status, with a cost of $1 million per year as a conservation fee in China. This cost doesn’t include facility development, along with several terms and conditions for returning the panda’s offspring to China.
3. Hippos can run faster than humans
Have you ever seen a hippo? How massive is their body, and how can you imagine these large animals running with relatively short legs? Hippos appear slow and hefty, with males weighing up to 8818.5 lbs. In short, they are large semi-aquatic herbivorous mammals native to sub-Saharan Africa. Hippos are highly territorial and can kill more humans, around 500–3000 people per year, compared to other African animals. This is due to their large bodies and extremely sharp teeth.
Hippos from Africa are faster than humans, despite not being athletic mammals. On average, they are known to reach speeds of 19 mph (30.6 kph) on land, far greater than what humans have achieved. At their top speed, hippos can only sustain it for about half a minute.
4. Cockroaches might survive nuclear disasters
These creepy crawlers have become a topic of discussion and research due to their perceived toughness. Some believe cockroaches can survive nuclear bombs and radiation exposure. This opinion is supported by some parties; for instance, the Mythbusters show stated, “There’s some evidence that they appear to be fairly resistant to gamma rays, though they may not be the most radiation-resistant insects.”
Another opinion offers a different perspective. Nobel laureate Tilman Ruff from the Melbourne School of Population and Global Health, studying the impact of nuclear explosions on health and the environment, stated that he hasn’t seen documented evidence of cockroaches running amid ruins. The differing opinions between the American and German cockroach reputations have led to these insects being studied extensively in various environments.
https://pursuit.unimelb.edu.au/articles/would-cockroaches-really-survive-a-nuclearapocalypse
5. Cows produce more milk when exposed to classical music
Playing music can have a calming effect on listeners. However, research at the University of Pretoria (UP) found that playing classical music, compositions born from European culture around 1750–1825, can increase milk production in dairy cows. Playing classical music for dairy cows can reduce stress levels and calm them.
According to Erasmus, classical music helps in milk production for dairy cows because “Previous research found that dairy cows prefer slow-paced music to fast-paced music and instrumental music like classical music to rock or Latin music.” The study proved that cows continuously exposed to classical music throughout the day and night resulted in an increase of approximately 2 liters in milk yield.
6. Elephants enjoy consuming salt
The largest land mammals greatly enjoy salt as a supplement in their diet. Whenever these minerals aren’t readily available in sufficient quantities from natural sources or the woody plants they consume, elephants will ingest soil and lick rocks high in sodium content. In Mount Elgon National Park on the Kenya-Uganda border, elephants engage in mining salt-rich rocks at the base of the volcano.
Mount Elgon lacks sharp elevation like volcanic mountains, making elephants prefer staying on the lower slopes, where there are numerous caves and an abundance of salt. These caves are quite extensive, reaching lengths of up to 150 meters, 60 meters in width, and about 10 meters in height. Elephants use their tusks to excavate and break cave walls, then chew and swallow the material. This activity lasts for several hours and results in a significant amount of salt. Observations of a young male elephant in Aberdare National Park in Kenya revealed the consumption of 14 to 20 kg of salty soil within 45 minutes.
7. Koalas sleep for 20 hours a day
At first glance, koalas resemble plush toys with very soft bodies that can be cuddled. However, a koala has a robust physique, a large head with round, furry ears, but it lacks a tail and has a large spoon-shaped nose. The koala’s bear-like anatomy leads people to refer to them as ‘Koala Bears,’ but it’s a common mistake since they are marsupials, not bear species. Koalas spend much of their lives in trees, perching on tall eucalyptus tree branches and sleeping for up to 20 hours a day.
This animal species is recognized as a symbol of Australia. However, being an icon and symbol is not enough to save koalas from illegal trading and excessive deforestation for agricultural and urban development in Queensland and New South Wales. This cycle poses a threat to koalas in their habitat, making them vulnerable and increasing stress due to habitat destruction and fragmentation.
8. Bats give birth upside down
Bats are nocturnal creatures and active at night. They belong to the Chiroptera order and have the ability to fly, making them an intriguing species to explore. In the case of fruit bats, their mating involves wing flaps and vocalizations. If successful, mating results in a brief mating period with quick ejaculation.
Bats are mammals and face difficulties during childbirth. During delivery, which could take minutes or even hours, the thumb of the mother bat hangs upside down, and she strains intensely. The mother bat closes her wings to protect her baby from falling, and the baby attaches to her and is guided to the nearest available nipple. Interestingly, the presence of the attached baby bat does not seem to hinder the agility of the mother in finding food. According to research by Balasingh and colleagues, “The nursing mother’s ability to move and find food seems unaffected by their babies, which continue to cling to them for a week after birth.”
9. Dolphins sleep with one eye open
Can you sleep by closing only one of your eyes? It’s a less favorable question and merely a joke among humans. The issue is, humans can only sleep by closing both eyes because they undergo prolonged periods of unconscious sleep and have automatic respiratory reflexes. Unlike humans, dolphins cannot sleep if they follow the usual sleep process like other animals. This happens because their breathing is not automatic. If dolphins fall into a deep sleep, it threatens their lives by stopping their breathing and potentially causing suffocation.
Dolphins instinctively develop a different sleep pattern, known as unihemispheric sleep, where they make one of their brains sleep at a time by not moving on the water’s surface, breathing slowly, or swimming very slowly. This unique sleeping advantage serves as an alert or vigilance for dangers in their surroundings.
10. Cemani chickens are the most deeply pigmented creatures
Animals usually have varying colors in their feathers or organs. Unlike other chickens, the Ayam Cemani, from feathers to beak, including its organs, muscles, bones, and meat, appears as if it’s soaked in squid ink. This unique aspect sets this chicken apart from other species because each chicken has varying feather colors, but their internal organs and skin color don’t determine the color of the chicken’s internal organs. This uniqueness isn’t just about having one color for each part; this chicken is also known as the “Lamborghini of Poultry.” How so? The rate for a breeding pair of these chickens was $2000 in 2014.
According to Bittel of National Geographic, “This variation happens in a gene called endothelin 3, or EDN3. Typically, a group of specific cells in a developing chicken uses EDN3 to guide the migration of color-producing melanoblasts. However, in hyperpigmented breeds, nearly all chicken cells express EDN3.” The Ayam Cemani is a robust chicken steeped in history, traditionally associated with local elites and royal families.
https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/chicken-breed-boasts-black-bones-muscles-and-organs
