5 Animal Facts You Probably Knew About

Dirty Little Pigs

When we call someone a pig for greedy or stupid behavior they feel offended. Because, pigs are dirty, pigs smell and pigs are stupid right?

WRONG! Although this is the image we’ve made of a pig based on how we usually see one pigs are actually very intelligent. But, what about the mud?

Pigs wallow in mud because they don’t perspire and the mud helps to keep them cool. Believe me a pig is no fool they may be omnivorous but given the chance to choose pigs would definitely go for nutritious foods.

Pink Looking Flamingos

Did you know that flamingos aren’t naturally pink? The water birds are gray in color when little, also referred as chicks. Flamingos have sieve-like filters in their beaks that separate the food from water. This is interesting because their diet consists mainly of shrimps and molluscs. Oh, the pink pigment?

It’s found in shrimps and absorbed during digestion which is the same pigment that colors the flamingo’s feathers. If one was to grow in a different habitat away from its natural home, and food then the very same would have white feathers instead of the reddish or pink feathers we usually see on flamingos.

Kangaroos And Their Babies

Did you know that kangaroos become pregnant without having to mate? This isn’t exactly true they have to mate, but after that female kangaroos can actually control and choose when to give birth. There’s a condition to this, it doesn’t just happen.

Kangaroos usually carry one baby at a time in their pouch. But, at times the mother might carry another fertilized egg that hasn’t yet developed. With a joey (as they’re called) in her pouch the fertilized egg doesn’t develop further. With that said once the joey leaves the mother’s pouch permanently or dies the spare embryo immediately redevelops into a baby within a month.

One of the most unusual fish in the sea. The male seahorse gives birth to what is called colts (baby seahorse). Mating usually lasts one, two or more days. The female seahorse produces the eggs and passes them to the male seahorse. The miniature seahorses are transparent, giving you the opportunity to look and see the little beating hearts inside.

When it’s time to mate the female seahorse may deposit as much as 1500 eggs into the males pouch, this is of course an interesting number but the eggs are quite small. The male seahorse may carry the eggs for 45 days and once born it’s everyone for himself, the male seahorse leaves the colts alone and life goes on. Unlike humans seahorses learn quite early about how to be a man or a woman.

Swaying Snakes & Flutes

Have you ever seen snakes swaying from side to side in movies or comic strips? Who hasn’t right? But, do snakes hear though? And, I know that you know the answer by heart. A big NO! But now you’re questioning yourself because you’ve seen snakes dance, or so you think.

The been as they’re called know very well that snakes don’t hear, so the position in which the snake appears to be dancing represents something else. The snake is actually following the been’s movement. But still, snakes can feel the vibration of the sound and may hear low frequency sound.

Snake charmers also prepare themselves before these acts, they put themselves distant enough to resist a bite, not only that but usually the snake’s fangs are removed to prevent scenes that shouldn’t be part of the show.

This story was also published on Medium https://samwritessecurity.medium.com/5-animal-facts-you-probably-knew-about-cdd0876d1d67