10 Animal Facts That Even Charles Darwin Would Love to Know

We noticed that there are surprising similarities between animals and humans. So, we decided to do some digging, and we came across shocking discoveries that we found hard to believe despite scientific evidence. As a result, we started loving animals more than ever before because we realized that we’re lucky to be sharing this planet with them, whether they’re creatures of the sea, land, or flying in the skies above us.

At Bright Side, we can’t get enough of the astonishing animal kingdom. So, we’ll share 10 facts that will forever change the way you look at some animals.

1. The animal that has a highly developed sense of smell

While vision is our most important and complex sense, dogs perceive the world mainly through their sense of smell. Research shows that their nasal architecture is highly developed and their olfactory system takes up way more relative area in dogs than in humans. Hence, thanks to its 100 million receptors in comparison to our 5-6 million, a dog’s nose is so sensitive that it allows it to recognize and differentiate a staggering variety of scents.

2. Some albatrosses are same-sex couples.

We might rarely see them on land, but these giant seabirds live for decades, reaching the age of 50 and even older. And according to observations scientists made on an island, 31% of albatross couples are females. However, the female in a same-sex pair usually ends up with 1 offspring, as opposed to her counterpart in a male-female pair, which gives birth to about 2 albatrosses on average.

3. Some cats are allergic to humans.

It’s common to hear that some humans are allergic to cats, however, according to research, some cats can be allergic to us as well. Luckily, these allergies won’t be life-threatening to them, however, they can cause some discomfort.

4. Female giraffes prefer older males.

The female giraffe usually prefers males that are at least 7 years older than her. And if a female ’’sets her eye’’ on a certain male giraffe, she will be the one to pursue him.

5. While playing, male puppies might let the females “win” in order to get to know them better.

Even if the male puppy has a clear physical advantage and a higher chance of winning, he will, in some cases, lose on purpose in order to prolong a game with a female puppy. According to scientists, doing so allows him to form close relationships with the female and helps secure mating opportunities between the pair in the future.

6. An ostrich can kill a lion.

Flightless ostriches are the world’s largest birds, and they have some incredibly powerful feet that make them really fast runners. Besides strength, their feet are equipped with long, super-sharp claws. A kick from one of these giant birds is enough to kill a human or even the king of the jungle himself.

7. Parrots have reasoning skills.

A series of experiments have shown that the African gray parrot has the reasoning skills of a 3-year-old. And even though primates have already demonstrated that they are capable of reasoning, parrots belong to a completely different species, making this discovery all the more interesting. It shows that comparable cognitive skills have evolved several times in parallel instead of just once.

8. Baby giraffes use their butts as pillows.

Just when we thought giraffes couldn’t be any cuter, their babies are here to prove us wrong. The tallest of all animals have some of the shortest sleeping needs, given that they require only 4.6 hours of shut-eye per day. And when they do sleep, the babies wrap their long necks around their backs and rest their heads on their butts, just like a pretzel. This position is made possible due to the large spacing between each of their 7 vertebrae and the extremely flexible joints between them.

9. Cows can sleep standing up, but they can only dream lying down.

Large animals, such as cows or horses, are capable of dozing off while on their feet, thanks to their powerful tendons and ligaments. On the other hand, they need to lie down in order to get some deep sleep and enter the REM cycle, which might allow them to dream.

10. Octopuses can punch fish, and even humans, out of spite.

These 8-legged sea animals with 3 hearts are solitary creatures who are great at camouflaging and staying low-key. However, every once in a while, when a group of them gather to hunt, some bizarre things might happen. As a matter of fact, an octopus can punch a fish, and at times they might do it on a whim, with no apparent reason whatsoever.

And beware, humans, because it seems that it’s not only the creatures of the sea that are the victims of such behavior. While filming on the beach, a swimmer in Australia was once punched by an angry octopus as well.

Which of these facts was the hardest to believe? Is there a specific animal you’re particularly fascinated by?