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There are certain animal facts that almost everyone knows by heart. Cows supposedly have four stomachs, cheetahs can race at highway speeds...you get the idea. However, many widely held beliefs about animals are actually far from true.
10. Sheep Aren't As Dumb As They Seem
If there’s one thing people know about sheep, it’s that they’re incredibly dumb. The common stereotype is that if one sheep starts running, the whole flock will just follow blindly. They’re often thought to be lacking in ambition or intelligence, often ranked just above rocks.
But experts in animal behavior disagree, placing sheep just below pigs, rodents, and monkeys in intelligence. Some studies even suggest they come close to humans in certain tests. Sheep can actually learn quickly, adjust to new situations, create mental maps of their surroundings, and might even plan ahead in some circumstances.
It’s not complex mathematics, but for an animal that’s often considered a complete airhead, it’s an impressive achievement.
9. Goldfish Are Delicate Creatures
Many parents believe that a goldfish makes an ideal first pet for a child. It requires minimal care, and its life span is usually short. It’s not uncommon for a goldfish to meet an untimely end within its first week—my own goldfish experienced that fate. However, it turns out that goldfish are far more resilient than most people assume.
In fact, goldfish’s remarkable ability to survive has almost become an urban myth among those who know their stuff. One goldfish survived 13 hours after leaping out of its tank, while another managed to live for seven hours on a hard floor. Goldfish have the ability to drastically slow their bodily functions in low-oxygen water, similar to how bears hibernate in winter. They may even use this survival tactic when stranded on your kitchen floor. Once placed back in water with more oxygen, they quickly return to their usual swimming without skipping a beat.
8. Pigs Aren’t As Dumb As They Seem
Sure, an animal that spends most of its time rolling around in its own waste may not be the next Einstein, but what most people don’t know is that pigs are actually smarter than they appear. They can even respond to their name by just a week old. Researchers have compared pigs to human toddlers in joystick-controlled video games involving object recognition and manipulation, and the pigs consistently outperformed the toddlers.
What’s even more fascinating is that if a pig (let’s name her Spamela Anderson) sees another pig (David Hammelhoff) heading toward a stash of food, Spamela will follow him to try to steal it. But The Hoff is no dummy. If he senses Spamela is stronger, he’ll attempt to escape or lead her to a fake food stash. These pigs are demonstrating a 'theory of mind'—the ability to understand the thoughts or desires of other creatures, a skill once thought to be exclusive to chimpanzees and dogs.
7. Dogs Aren’t Just Smart, They’re Brilliant
Everyone knows dogs are clever, but studies have revealed that they’re even smarter than most people realize. In a study that included human toddlers, chimpanzees, and dogs, the subjects were shown two upside-down buckets, with a treat hidden under one. The experimenter would gesture toward the correct bucket by tapping, pointing, nodding, or simply staring at it. While chimps and toddlers were poor at picking the correct bucket, dogs consistently chose the right one, four times more often than chimps and twice as often as toddlers. And no, it wasn’t just their strong sense of smell—both buckets smelled the same. So yes, your dog might understand you better than your child does.
6. Males Can Lactate After All
There are some things in life that only women can do, like giving birth and breastfeeding... or so we thought. Well, goat fathers are in luck—they can actually grow udders and nurse their kids. And this isn’t some rare anomaly at one random farm. It’s a fairly common phenomenon, and it’s been well-documented. But it’s still a mystery to scientists who don’t fully understand why some male goats have fully functional udders. Gentlemen, don’t you wish you could do that?
5. Crocodiles Aren’t As Slow As You Think
You’ve probably heard that crocodiles are fast in the water and sluggish on land, right? Well, think again. Crocodiles can actually move at speeds exceeding 16 kilometers per hour (10 mph) on land. Since they often rely on surprise attacks, that speed on land is more than enough to catch their prey.
Feeling uneasy yet? Most people also know that crocodiles are the top predators in their habitat. But what if they had to face other predators instead of herbivores like water buffalo and wild boar? Well, saltwater crocodiles have been observed taking down sharks. Keep your distance, and definitely don’t try to snap a selfie.
4. Animals Do Remember and Mourn Death
It’s clear that animals understand the concept of death: they must protect themselves and their young, and many hunt and kill for food. But what may surprise you is that several species also perform rituals when others pass away. For example, many primate species seem to mourn their dead, and there’s even been a red fox observed burying a deceased companion.
Elephants are known to guard the bodies of their dead, even if they were not family. Additionally, if a Western scrub jay sees a dead bird of its own kind, it will investigate the body and call out to alert other jays nearby. It might seem like they’re simply warning others about potential danger, but interestingly, these birds often stop eating for more than a day. Either animals are more like us than we realize, or perhaps we’re more like them than we think. Who’s to say?
3. Camels Don’t Sweat As Much As You Think
Anything living in the desert is bound to sweat profusely. When temperatures soar to 38 degrees Celsius (100 °F), it seems like the only creature that wouldn’t be sweating is a robot. But strangely, it could actually be a camel.
Many animals sweat to regulate their body temperature. But camels rarely sweat, often allowing their body temperature to rise to 41 degrees Celsius (106 °F). Their bodies have adapted to ignore the intense heat, which, when you think about it, makes sense. Sweating uses the most valuable resource in the desert: water.
2. Fish Aren’t Always Timid When It Comes to Food
While many fish prefer insects, plants, or smaller fish as food, European catfish are bucking the trend. These whiskered creatures are now hunting pigeons that come to the water to drink. The catfish creep up slowly, then leap out of the water, latching onto a pigeon’s leg or wing. Once they have a hold, they drag their prey into the water, drowning it so they can eat without interference. So, if you're visiting Europe, you might want to keep your pet bird indoors.
1. Animal Mating Isn’t Just for Survival
While animal mating is often seen as driven by instinct and survival, with no pleasure involved, this isn’t always the case. For animals like rabbits and mice, their courtship rituals are surprisingly poetic, even involving songs as part of their mating behaviors.
Female rabbits, especially does, will make soft honking sounds when they’re ready to mate. Mice take it a step further by actually singing to their mates. Though their songs are ultrasonic and inaudible to humans, they can be recorded and adjusted to reveal a coherent melody. Males only sing these songs when females are present or when they catch the scent of a female. Mice, it seems, are far more refined than we often give them credit for in the romance department.
