Fun Animal Trivia
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A cat's arching back is part of a complex body language system, usually associated with feeling threatened. The arch is able to get so high because the cat's spine contains nearly 60 vertebrae which fit loosely together. Humans have only 34 vertebrae.
A cow's stomach has four compartments: the rumen, the recticulum (storage area), the omasum (where water is absorbed), and the abomasum (the only compartment with digestive juices).
A female house mouse has how many litters per year? [ Answer ]
- 1 to 4
- 5 to 10
- 11 to 14
ANSWER: The female house mouse has 5 to 10 litters per year. Litters of 5 to 6 young are born 19 to 21 days after mating occurs, although females that conceive while still nursing may have a slightly longer gestation period. These offspring are sexually mature at 6 to 10 weeks of age.
A twelve-foot anaconda can catch, kill, and eat a six-foot caiman, a close relative of crocodiles and alligators. While these snakes are not usually considered to be the longest snake in the world, they are the heaviest, exceeding the reticulated python in girth.
According to research at the University of Chicago, not only do birds dream, but they dream about:
[ Answer ]
- other birds
- worms
- songs they sing during the day
ANSWER: Birds dream about their songs, have dream rehearsals, and sing the same songs better the next day.
Do spiders never get caught in their own webs because:
Spiders have self-oiling legs.
Fleas have changed history. More human deaths have been attributed to fleas than all the wars ever fought. As carriers of the bubonic plague, fleas were responsible for killing one-third of the population of Europe in the 14th century.
How many litters does a female Armadillo produce each year? [ Answer ]
- 1 litter
- 2 litters
- 3 litters
ANSWER: The female produces only one litter each year in March or April, after a 150-day gestation period. The litter always consists of quadruplets of the same sex, as they are derived from a single egg.
How much neurotoxin does each poison dart frog produce? [ Answer ]
- Enough to kill 1 human
- Enough to kill 4 humans
- Enough to kill 10 humans
ANSWER: These pint sized frogs aren't for kissing. Their backs ooze a slimy neurotoxin that is meant to keep predators away. Each frog produces enough of the toxin to kill 10 humans.
See more amazing information on Live Science's "Top 10 Deadliest Animals" in our "Animal Facts" section on this website.
Hummingbirds are the smallest birds - so tiny that one of their enemies is an insect, the praying mantis. The hummingbird is the only bird that can hover and fly straight up, down, or backward - and it is one of the only birds that cannot walk!
In captivity, pigeons commonly live up to 15 years and sometimes longer. In urban populations, however, pigeons seldom live more than 3 or 4 years. Natural mortality factors, such as predation by mammals and other birds, diseases, and stress due to lack of food and water, reduce pigeon populations by approximately 30% annually.
Not every elephant is as friendly as Dumbo. Elephants kill more than 500 people a year worldwide. African elephants generally weigh in around 16,000 pounds - all the better to stomp you with - not to mention their sharp tusks.
Of all known forms of animal life ever to inhabit the Earth, only about 10 percent still exist today.
Rats like boiled sweets better than they like cheese.
Researchers studying what dogs like to eat have found that the appetite of pet dogs is affected by the taste, texture and smell of the food, and also by the owners' food preferences, their perception of their pet, and the physical environment in which the dog is eating.
Sharks apparently are the only animals that never get sick. As far as is known, they are immune to every known disease including cancer.
Spiders never get caught in their own webs because:
[ Answer ]
- they're extremely brainy bugs
- they have oily legs
- they have glassy feet that won't stick to the webbing
ANSWER: Spiders have self-oiling legs
Stray animals are getting into your garbage and making a mess. Should you:
Tightwad Living magazine says the vinegar will make your garbage much less desirable. Critter Control recommends ammonia as well.
Stray animals are getting into your garbage and making a mess. Should you: [ Answer ]
- search the Internet for trash guard dogs
- organize a neighborhood stray animal hunting club
- spray a little vinegar on your trash bags and cans
ANSWER: Tightwad Living magazine says the vinegar will make your garbage much less desirable. Critter Control recommends ammonia as well.
The fingerprints of koala bears are virtually indistinguishable from those of humans, so much so that they could be confused at a crime scene.
The giant squid has the largest eyes in the world - fifteen inches in diameter - the size of a basketball.
The word rodent comes from the Latin word `rodere' meaning to gnaw.
The world's smallest mammal is the bumblebee bat of Thailand, weighing less than a penny.
When faced with a predator, cape buffaloes charge head on. That's 1,500 pounds of beast topped off with two big, sharp horns. You're lucky if there's only one - the real danger comes when a herd of thousands stampedes in your direction.
While the Asian Cobra doesn't hold the title of most venomous snake, it does the most with what it has. Of the 50,000 deaths by snakebite a year, Asian Cobras are responsible for the largest chunk.
You just noticed a bat flying around the room. Should you: [ Answer ]
- Spray it with hair spray to disorient it?
- Get a tennis racket and try to swat it out of the air?
- Turn on all your lights and open all exterior doors and windows?
ANSWER: The bat should be able to find the darkness and outside air current. If that doesn't work, call (800) CRITTER for the nearest Critter Control office.
When opossums are playing opossum, they are not "playing." They actually pass out from sheer terror.
Brazoria County in Southeast Texas is the only county in the United States and Canada to have every kind of poisonous snake found in those two countries.
More than 99.9% of all the animal species that have ever lived on earth were extinct before the coming of man.
The distance between an alligator's eyes, in inches, is directly proportional to the length of the alligator, in feet.
A rat can last longer without water than a camel can.
The only continent without reptiles or snakes is Antartica.
Mice, whales, elephants, giraffes and man all have 7 neck vertebra.
