In all the time we humans have been discovering and describing the world around us, we’ve only just scratched the surface. In fact, scientists have estimated that there are about 8.7 million species of plants and animals in existence, however, only around 1.2 million of them have been identified and described so far (most of which are insects). This means that millions of other organisms remain a complete mystery.
But of course, even such a “small” number is too big for us regular folk to keep up with. And the subreddit ‘Awwducational’ is a great example of that. Its 4.9 million members keep sharing lesser-known facts about the animal kingdom, and even though the online community was founded all the way back in 2012, it doesn’t seem to be running out of cute and educational titbits to surprise everyone with.
So even though we at Bored Panda have already written about ‘Awwducational’ here and here, we decided to compile the best posts that have since gone viral within the sub since our last publication. They’re just too good to pass up!
#1 New Study Reveals That Bumblebees Will Roll Wooden Balls For Seemingly No Other Reason Than Fun, Becoming The First Insect Known To ‘Play’
Image source: LordGhoul, scientificamerican.com
#2 Arctic Foxes Are ‘Ecosystem Engineers’ Who Grow Beautiful Gardens. Organic Waste From The Foxes & Their Kills Make The Area Surrounding Their Dens More Fertile, Leading To Almost Three Times As Many Dune Grasses, Willows & Wildflowers To Sprout Up, Compared To The Rest Of The Tundra
Image source: MistWeaver80, nature.com
#3 Here’s Twinzy, A Half-Sider Budgie, Half-Siders Are Budgies With A Condition Called “Chimerism” Which, In Genetics, Means That It’s The Result Of Non-Identical Twins Fusing Together Early In Their Development To Become One!
Image source: Boules_De_Plumes, wikipedia.org
#4 This Is An African Black Footed Cat. Despite Its Adorable Looks, It’s A Killing Machine. It’s Hunting Success Rate Is 60%, Compare That To A Lion’s 25%
Image source: Sad-Spot5521, roaring.earth
#5 Bat Toes Are Specially Designed To Relax In A Locked Position. This Means That When Bats Are Clinging On To The Roof Of A Cave Or Tree, They Are Actually Relaxing Their Feet
It takes energy to release their grip and open up their little toes before taking off to fly in the night
Image source: JMyers666, iowadnr.gov
#6 The Australian Western Pygmy Possum Is Actually One Of The Largest Pygmy Possums In The World Despite Being No Larger Than A Typical Kiwi Fruit
Image source: StcStasi, australiangeographic.com
#7 Kodkods Are The Smallest Wild Felid In The Americas And Have The Smallest Distribution Of Any Cat In The Americas. They Occur Only In Central And Southern Chile, With Marginal Populations In Adjoining Areas Of Argentina
Image source: bearable_lightness, wildcatconservation
#8 The Resplendent Quetzal Is A Sacred Symbol In Mesoamerica And Guatemala’s National Bird, Pictured On The Country’s Flag. They Favor Eating Fruit In The Avocado Family, Eating Them Whole Before Regurgitating The Pits. Essentially Making Them The Avocado “Gardeners” Of Their Forest Habitats
They favor eating fruit in the avocado family, eating them whole before regurgitating the pits. Essentially making them the avocado “Gardeners” of their forest habitats
Image source: IdyllicSafeguard, abcbirds.org
#9 Although It Takes Newborn Elephants Only A Few Hours To Master Standing And Walking, They Need 1 Year To Figure Out How To Use Their Trunks To Drink Water
In the meantime they will flop around as they try different techniques to control it
Image source: Str024, treehugger.com
#10 The Maned Wolf Is The One Of Largest Canid In South America. This Species Is The Only Member Of Its Genus. Although Technically, It Is Not A Fox Or A Wolf. Its Long Legs Are Likely An Adaptation To The Tall Grasslands Of Its Native Habitat
Image source: Soupmandog589, seaworld.org
#11 Fun Fact, You Can Rent Goats To Clear Brush Off Your Property. They Eat Everything, Including Poison Ivy, And It’s Much More Eco Friendly Than Weed Killer
Image source: Ezada, wikipedia.org
#12 The Wild Iberian Lynx Population Has Increased Tenfold In The Last Two Decades, From 94 Individuals In 2002 To 1,111 Lynxes In 2021, A True Success Story Owing To Conservation Efforts And Public Awareness. Listed As “Endangered”, The Lynx Lives In Fragmented Wilderness Areas In Spain And Portugal
Image source: Sayara2022, wikipedia.org
#13 Songbirds Like This Indigo Bunting Use The Stars To Navigate While Migrating. Studies Show That The Birds Especially Rely On The North Star, Ursa Major, And Cassiopeia
Image source: Imaginary-Ostrich515, nationalzoo.si.edu
#14 Platypuses/Platypi Are Extremely Affectionate, Also Have The Most Rem Sleep Of Any Animal (5.8-8 H/Day)
Image source: ToughAcanthisitta451, wikipedia.org
#15 The Olinguito (Bassaricyon Neblina) Made Global Headlines When Scientists Announced Its Discovery In 2013, A Notable Event As This Was The First Carnivore Described In The Western Hemisphere Since The 1970s. It Is Native To The Forests Of Colombia And Ecuador. This Is A Photo Of A Baby Olinguito
Image source: Sayara2022, news.mongabay.com
#16 Blue-Footed Boobies Have Bright Blue Feet Due To Their Diet, And The Level Of Brightness Shows How Healthy The Bird Is To Their Mate!
Image source: NatsuDragnee1, wikipedia
#17 The Indian Giant Squirrel Can Grow To A Full Length Of Over A Metre
Image source: HungryZenco, wikipedia.org
#18 Black-Footed Ferrets Are Among The Most Endangered And Rarest Mammals Native To North America. In Fact, The Species Was Declared Extinct In 1979, However, In 1981 A Residual Wild Population Was Discovered In Wyoming. This Ferret, Born In 2020, Was The First Ever U.S. Endangered Animal To Be Cloned
Image source: KimCureAll, wikipedia.org
#19 Bat-Eared Foxes Sleep Mostly During The Day In Their Burrows And Emerge At Dusk To Feed Mainly On Termites And Other Insects. As You Can Guess, They Have An Incredible Sense Of Hearing
Image source: KimCureAll, wikipedia.org
#20 Gray Wolves Eating Blueberries; Wolves Actually Covet Berries And Other Fruits, During Their Growing Seasons Berries Can Make Up 80% Of Wolf Packs’ Diet
Image source: EmptySpaceForAHeart, voyageurswolfproject.org
#21 The Little Hands On These Cuties Are Their Pelvic Fins Which Form Suction Disks. The Suction Disks Are Used To Strongly Attach Themselves To Rocks And Other Objects
Image source: Meechyyp, wikipedia.org
#22 The Blue Fairy Penguin Is Indigenous To The Southern Coastlines Of Australia And New Zealand. They Are The Smallest Species Of Penguin In The World
Image source: ToughAcanthisitta451, wikipedia.or
#23 This Is A Baby Giraffe, Giraffes Are The Tallest Mammals On The Planet. Baby Giraffes Usually Will Be Able To Stand And Walk Within 5 Hours Of Being Born. They Stand Most Of Their Life And Need Very Little Sleep. Plus They Have The Most Adorable Babies
Image source: Airwingmarine11, wikipedia
#24 The Appaloosa Is An American Horse Breed Known For Its Distinctive And Colorful Leopard Complex-Spotted Coat. Each Horse’s Color Pattern Is Genetically The Result Of Various Overlay Patterns On One Of Several Recognized Base Coat Colors. This Particular Appaloosa Is Sporting A Peacock-Leopard Coat
Image source: SingaporeCrabby, wikipedia.org
#25 This Is The Astounding ‘Babysitter’ Bone Bed Containing Multiple, Exceptionally Preserved Baby Psittacosaurus Dinosaurs
What was most astonishing was that the larger animal wasn’t sexually mature, meaning it wasn’t the parent, suggesting communal child-rearing behavior, hence the find’s name
Image source: reddit.com, phys.org
#26 The Tufted Coquette Is A Hummingbird That Breeds In Eastern Venezuela, Trinidad, Guiana, And Northern Brazil. The Male, Pictured Here, Has A Rufous Head Crest And A Coppery Green Back With A Whitish Rump Band That Is Prominent In Flight. Tufted Coquettes Are Known For Being Quite Approachable
Image source: Sayara2022, wikipedia
#27 In Most Deer Species, Only The Males Grow Antlers. For Reindeer, Both The Males And Females Grow Them. A Female Reindeer Begins Growing Antlers In May And Keeps Them All The Way Until After The Winter Birthing Season To Protect Their Young From Predators (Perfect Mother’s Day Fact)
Image source: C1NN4B0Y, sandiegozoo.org
#28 The Rusty-Spotted Cat Is The Smallest Wild Cat In Asia, And It Competes With The Black-Footed Cat Of Africa For The Title Of ‘World’s Smallest Wild Cat’. Adult Rusty-Spotted Cats Weigh Up To 1.6kg/3.5lbs. They Are Native To Nepal, India And Sri Lanka, And They Are Listed As ‘Near Threatened’
Image source: Solenodon2022, wikipedia
#29 The Male Of The Purple-Gold Jumping Spider (Irura Bidenticulata) Is Recognized By Its Striking, Shiny Magenta-Gold Patterned Body. It Was Discovered In 2011 In Southeast Asia. The Purple-Gold Jumping Spider Typically Measures 5–6 Mm. It Is Not Considered Harmful To Humans
Image source: SingaporeCrabby, wikipedia.org
#30 Desert Rain Frogs Live In Clusters (Also Called Armies), Are Near Threatened Species As Of 2016, And Love Burrowing!
Image source: niluphel, eol.org
#31 Bohemian Waxwings Have An Uncanny Ability To Find Fruit Nearly Everywhere, Almost Like They Have A Gps Tracker For Berries. Flocks Sometimes Turn Up In Desert Areas, Find An Isolated Shrub, Devour Its Fruit In Minutes, And Move On
Image source: MyNameGifOreilly, wikipedia
#32 Researchers At The Tel Aviv University Found Out That Bat Squeaks Are Not Random. They Actually Argue With Each Other. They Even Use Different To Es Of Voice While “Talking” To Different Individuals
Image source: child-of-old-gods, smithsonianmag.com
#33 A Black Heron Using Its Wings Like An Umbrella, Creating Shade To Attract Fish, A Behavior Known As Canopy Feeding
Image source: iboughtarock, wikipedia
#34 While Donkeys May Have A Notorious Reputation For Being Stubborn, They Are Actually Quite Fearless Dealing With Predators As Well As Intelligent, Playful And Curious
When this donkey in Arkansas received presents a few days ago, his owner reported he “always gets so excited when he gets a new one”
Image source: KimCureAll, hedonkeysanctuary
#35 Costasiella Kuroshimae (Leaf Sheep) Are Capable Of A Chemical Process Called Kleptoplasty, In Which They Retain The Chloroplasts From The Algae They Feed On. Absorbing The Chloroplasts From Algae Then Enables Them To Indirectly Perform Photosynthesis
#36 The Black Tear Lines Under A Cheetah’s Eyes Protect Them From Glare And Strong Sunlight
Image source: GeorgeVlad, cheetah
#37 The Pink Fairy Armadillo Is The Smallest Species Of Its Kind. They Can Be Found In Central Argentina Amongst Sandy Plains And Dunes
Image source: Twerky_Jurky, wikipedia.org
#38 Owls Cannot Move Their Eyes, Only Their Heads
Image source: JMyers666, owlpages.com
#39 The Giant Wood Moth Is One Of The Largest Moth Species In The World. According To The Australian Museum, Adult Females Are About Twice As Large As Males, Can Weigh Up To 30 Grams, And Have A Wingspan Of Up To 25 Centimeters. They Live In The Forests Of Australia And New Zealand
Image source: m3antar, https://australian.museum/
#40 Rats Enjoy Being Groomed, And It’s Actually Good For Them. It Releases Endorphins And Oxytocin, Promoting Happiness And Social Bonding. It Reduces Stress And Promotes Good Health. Research Found That Rats That Were Groomed More As Babies Were Calmer, Braver And Had Better Immune Systems
Image source: ocdumbos, wikipedia.org
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