You can tell if a skunk is about if you smell only .000 000 000 000 071 ounce of its spray.
When a dolphin is sick or injured, its cries of distress summon immediate aid from other dolphins, who try to support it to the surface so that it can breathe.
The Albatross has a wing span of up to 14 feet and only needs to land once every couple of years to breed. They can travel hundreds of thousands of miles each flight.
Certain Chinese and American alligators can survive the winter by freezing their heads in ice, leaving their nose out to breath for months on end.
Sea Otters use so much energy that they need to eat as much as one-third of their weight each day.
The biggest bird in the world is the ostrich, which can grow up to nine feet tall.
According to hospital figures, dogs bite an average of 1 million Americans a year.
The sailfish, the swordfish and the mako shark have all been clocked at swimming over 50mph.
Montana mountain goats will butt heads so hard their hooves fall off.
It takes around 10 dump-truck loads of wood to make a proper funeral pyre for a full-size elephant.
The notion that cats and dogs are natural enemies (suggested by the phrase,"fighting like cats and dogs") is overstated, if not simply false. Generally speaking, cats and dogs get along better than cats and cats or dogs and dogs.
The last animal in the dictionary is the Zyzzyva, a tropical weevil.
Honeybees have hair on their eyes.
The only continent without reptiles or snakes is Antarctica.
There's a "meow" in the middle of "homeowner."
According to a survey by the American Animal Hospital Association, 53 percent of pet owners vacation or travel with their pets.
The Dalmatian breed of dog originates from the Dalmatian Coast of Croatia.
Surveys show that 62 percent of dog owners admit that their dog owns a sweater, wintercoat or raincoat.
Cats prefer to eat their food at 86º F, which is why they don't immediately gulp down the half-eaten can of food from the refrigerator.
In 1987, cats overtook dogs as the number one pet in America.
A frightened dog puts it's tail between it's legs because it covers the scent glands in the anal area. Since the anal glands carry personal scents that identify individual dogs, the tail-between the-legs behavior is the canine equivalent of insecure humans hiding their faces.
At least 63% of dog owners admitted to kissing their dogs. Of these, some 45% kissed them on the nose, 19% on the neck, 7% on the back, 5% on the stomach and 2% on the legs. An additional 29% listed the place they kiss their dog as other!
The frog was an ancient Egyptian symbol, later adopted by the conquering Romans. The Frog-headed goddess Hekt was the goddess of birth and fertility, and later also of resurrection.
The study of ants is called Myrmecology.
One in 5,000 North Atlantic lobsters are born bright blue.
The biggest ant colony was found on the Ishikari Coast of Hokkaido: 306 million worker ants and 1 million queens lived in 45,000 interconnected nests over an area of 2.7 square kilometres (1,7 square miles). A worker ant will live for up to 5 years; while a Queen will live up to 25 years.
Newfoundland dogs are strong swimmers due to their webbed feet.
Some ribbon worms will eat themselves if they can’t find any food.
The fingerprints of koala bears are virtually indistinguishable from those of humans, so much so that they could be confused at a crime scene.
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.
The Dalmatian is the only dog that gets gout.
A tiger's paw prints are called pug marks.
A dog was once the King of Norway for 3 years during the 11th centurey AD. The Norwegian
King, angry his subjects once deposed him put Saur on the throne, demanding that he be treated regally.
Rabbits love licorice.
Emus have double-plumed feathers, and they lay emerald/forest green eggs.
The tallest dog on record was named Shamgret Danzas. He was 42 inches tall (at the shoulder!) and weighed 238 lbs.
To figure out your "true dog's age" in human terms, count the first full year as 15 years, the second full year as 10 yeas and all the following years as 3 years. In other words, a 5 year old dog would be: 15+10+3+3+3=34 years old.
Great Danes can eat up to 8 1/2 pounds of food a day.
Slugs have 4 noses.
The first dog show was held in England in 1859.
A cheetah can reach a top speed approaching 70 mph.
Greyhounds can jump a distance of 27 feet.
More than 5 million puppies are born in the United States each year.
As of 2001, there are around 44 million sheep in New Zealand, a country of around 4 million people.
Dolphins sleep with one half of the brain at a time, and one eye closed.
Cat whiskers are found on the face and on the back of the forelegs as well.
A hippo can run faster than man.
In North America, a black cat crossing your path is thought to bring bad luck. In Great Britain, a black cat crossing your path is thought to bring good luck.
A white cat sleeping outside your home on your wedding day is said to bring lasting happiness.
The Rottweiler makes an excellent family pet. They are especially good with children and a fantastic guard dog.
The average cow produces 40 glasses of milk each day.
The membranes in a dog's nose, if unfolded and laid out, would be larger than the dog itself.
Sir Isaac Newton invented the cat door.
Current domestic cats were the result of genetic mutation so that they would be tame at birth.
A Panda's diet is 99% bamboo.
When two dogs approach each other, the dog which wags its tail very slowly is in charge.
Some lions can mate over 50 times a day.
If you lift a Kangaroo's tail off the ground it can't hop - they use their tails for balance.
For every person there are rougly 200 million insects.
Polar bears can swim 60 miles without pausing for a rest.
The leech has 32 brains.
The Galpagos Tortoise has a potential life span of 200 years.
At the end of the Beatles' song 'A Day in the Life,' an ultrasonic whistle, only audible to dogs, was recorded by Paul McCartney for his Shetland sheepdog.
The praying mantis only has one ear.
A purring cat doesn't always mean a contented cat. Cats will also purr if they are in pain.
Dachshunds were bred to fight badgers in their dens.
A crocodile cannot stick its tongue out.
You are more likely to be killed by a Champagne cork than by a poisonous spider.
On average, people fear spiders more than they do death.
Elephants are the only animals that can't jump.
Small dogs usually live longer than larger breeds.
40% of all cats are ambidextrous. The other 60% are either "right-pawed" or "left-pawed".
The Chihuahua is the oldest breed of dog native to North America.
Many cat lovers believe cats are intuitive. That's because they are right-brain dominant.
Cats spend 30% of their waking hours grooming themselves.
Cat's can't taste sweets.
The smallest dog in history was a tiny Yorkie from Blackburn, England. At two years of age and fully grown he was only 2.5 inches tall by 3.75 inches long and weighed only 4 ounces.
Not all dogs eyes reflect green in the dark, some reflect orange or red.
White cats with blue eyes are usually deaf.
Cats rarely meow at each other. Meowing is reserved for "speaking" with humans.
The only dog in the world that cannot bark is the Basenji, an African wolf dog.
The membranes in a dog's nose, if unfolded and laid out, would be larger than the dog itself.
About 600 species of plants are carnivorous. Most eat insects but also on the menu are frogs, birds and even small monkeys.
