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The animal kingdom contains so much more than just iconic lions, lone wolves, and our beloved silly cats. Planet Earth is home to millions of different species that make us excited and immediately inspire us to learn everything about them. But while charismatic and cuddly creatures get all the hype, some critters are unfortunate enough to have a bad rep as dangerous, frightening, or even disgusting. So let's balance out the scales a little bit, shall we?

Some nature enthusiasts pay attention to these underappreciated rarities and are ready to share their discoveries with everyone online. So when user sqnyq reached out to Ask Reddit with a very fine question, "Which animal do you think deserves more love and recognition than it gets?", people wasted no time in typing out their answers.

To celebrate their efforts and show some admiration for these overly misunderstood creatures, we have gone through the thread and handpicked some of the best responses it had to offer. So scroll down and enjoy learning more about these species as much as we did. Share your own takes with us in the comments, and be sure to check out our previous feature on weird animal facts right over here!

#1

50 Animals That Don't Get The Recognition They Absolutely Deserve, As Shared In This Informative Online Thread Crows, they are so intelligent

When I was 14, working at a farm some crown opened our chickens door (they were just a different breed that makes blue eggs, to separate them among the others we had them in a huge cage that they can really move around, a huge one). i was so fucking mad like why the fuck a crown would open that fucking door. anyways i closed it. few minutes after, same crown opened the door again. when i went there i was shocked. there was a huge snake there and the crow was literally trying to help the chickens to get away from the snake. people just look at them as some useless bird whatsoever but they are not

SolubleSlug , alex° Report

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Anita Pickle
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1 year ago (edited) DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Crows are amazing. They appreciate you as long as you appreciate them. They can talk, bring gifts of thanks. Truly wonderful.

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#2

50 Animals That Don't Get The Recognition They Absolutely Deserve, As Shared In This Informative Online Thread Bats.
Bats are one of the most beneficial animals on the planet. A single bat can eat over 1,000 insects in one night of feasting. Take into account the largest bat colony is in Texas and is about 20-40 million bats (depending on time of year). Think about how many more bugs there would be without those bats

Winter-Life8196 , René Riegal Report

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Anita Pickle
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1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I LOVE bats!!! They are so amazing, and I know people do not agree but, they are so cute!!!

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To learn more about underrated creatures and why we fail to give them the appreciation they truly deserve, we spoke with Jennifer Verdolin, Ph.D. She is an internationally recognized animal behavior expert, professor at the University of Arizona, and author of Wild Connection: What Animal Courtship and Mating Tell Us about Human Relationships who shares her insights about the animal kingdom on Twitter and Instagram under the handle @RealDrJen.

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According to Verdolin, most species are overlooked and underrated, but one that she believes deserves a ton more credit is vultures. "Globally, they are one of the most threatened groups of birds," she told Bored Panda. While there are many incredible species of vulture, "23 to be exact", the animal behavior expert wanted to focus on the black vulture.

"They are socially complex, hanging out together to eat or roost together. When they are socializing there is the usual drama, some friendly interactions, some aggressive ones, that one vulture that wants to be in charge, eat first, etc.," she explained, adding that they are pretty monogamous too. "Of course, they provide an important service. They are the cleaners and I've watched them pick the carcass of a raccoon or possum clean in a little under an hour."

#3

50 Animals That Don't Get The Recognition They Absolutely Deserve, As Shared In This Informative Online Thread Cows. They're cute smart and kind. Like very big milk puppies

XienDzu , Alasdair Braxton Report

#4

50 Animals That Don't Get The Recognition They Absolutely Deserve, As Shared In This Informative Online Thread The simple honey bee...


They are endangered and are a major part of the ecosystem. Without the honey bee lots of vegetation would die off due to the lack of pollination. No I am not a bee keeper or even work with bees, its just I have a healthy respect for them and what they do.


Spiders on the other hand can all go back to that alien planet they came from.

Spartan0536 , Trollinho Report

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Jeff Gabrisl
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1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Don't say a bad word about spiders! I had an infestation of Florida Brown Widows, and they were only there because we had an infestation of some type of bug that came in a shipment of dog food. Most spiders aren't harmful to humans, and the ones that are usually hide or show bright colors to scare you off. If you live anywhere near mosquitoes, you should be happy to have spiders, mosquitoes are the deadliest insects on the planet.

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Sarah
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Exactly! If you want any insect to completely disappear, it should be mosquitoes; they're useless and only aid in spreading diseases.

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François Carré
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1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

It's a shame you had to ruin your entry, and somehow completely miss the point of the whole post, with that last sentence about spiders. They might not be as iconic and obviously useful to humanity as honey bees, but they also have their right place on Earth, whether you like them or not. Most of them are completely harmless to us. Some of them are very beneficial as predators of mosquitoes, and more than welcome in our houses for that reason. All of them have the right to live, anyway. You cannot just select the species you deem acceptable and discard the others. It's not how ecosystems work.

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slg13
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1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Not entirely sure about Europe, but the honey bee isn't native in the U.S. The focus in the U.S. needs to be on saving pollinators (all insects, really. But for this argument, pollinators). This includes all sorts of bees, wasps, flies (really!), moths, and more. This "save the bees" thing is a nice thought, but I don't think anyone consulted any ecologists when coming up with that slogan.

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Annabelle
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1 year ago (edited) DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Is that completely true? All the sources I find that their are 4000 bees native to the USA only not honey bees. That doesn’t meen they are no great pollinators. In Europe we are also (especially) trying to safe the “non commercial” bees for that reason. Experts saying we shouldn’t have to many honey bees because they are invasive to the other species.

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HarriMissesScotland
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1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I had a spider that lived in my bedroom. He was saucer sized and harmless to me. His name was Boris, after the song by The Who.

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Azolane
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I'm very scared of spiders, yet I let the harmless ones live in my house because they are so useful. They are beautiful and fascinating, and deserve their place on earth as much as everyone else.

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Luna
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1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Same, although I freak out when they are in a close proximity to me

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Remi
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1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

There is an old saying in Finland that if you kill a spider in the house, there will be death in the family. Spiders eat harmful insects and should definitely get better rep

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Mistiekim
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I live by a big candle company that uses bee wax. My mom and I went into it and there was educational info about bees among their products. They also hosted a little bee festival with fun things that day. I also try not to kill spiders in my house unless they are too close to my bed.

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Pollywog
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1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I respect bees and love honey!! I keep a healthy distance, being allergic to their stings. As for spiders... I don't mind them. They eat bugs which I definitely don't like!! I tell them as long as they don't invade my space we're cool!! 😉

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Where’s The Shovel?
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I don't mind spiders However they can take those stripy yellow bas***ds wasps with them as well!

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Kusotare
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1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

In the Americas, honeybees are an invasive species. They were brought to the colonies in North America by European settlers to produce honey and wax. As pollinators, they're generalists, but principally are used for agricultural pollination. Native bees, however, are better for natural ecosystems and fill the niches to which they have adapted. Honeybees get better PR because we like to eat honey and the crop the bees pollinate, but for the environment writ large, native bees are more critical.

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Bedlamite
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1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I keep several "bee ponds" around my property. A sturdy bowl filled with glass beads and water so bees have a place to drink during their busy day.

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Amy S
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I'm convinced that the reason tomatoes in the U.S. are tasteless is because they're grown in hothouses which aren't pollinated. I have no way of proving this as I'm not a botanist.

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Britches are for everyone
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

The reason tomatoes in the U.S. are tasteless is because of the varieties that are grown. They're grown for shelf life and appearance. One of the "flaws" of really good tasting tomatoes is a "green shoulder," which means that the area around where the fruit meets the plant remains green even after the fruit is ripe. The green shoulder was bred out of non-hierloom, GMO tomatoes. So that's why tomatoes from the grocery store are gross. It's nothing to do with the bees. I'm an urban farmer.

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Tonk Terrier
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1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Bees are amazing! Imagine trying to explain Bees to an alien...!

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Jon S.
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1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I may be wrong, but isn't the honeybee one of the few species of bee that isn't endangered? I thought it was all the solitary bees that are dying off?

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Crude Tuna
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1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

While I am aware that most spiders aren't harmful and there are definitely worse bugs, they can still fvck right off.

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Becca Hauck
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1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I read that you can teach bees to play basketball and they'll make up their own plays.

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Lindsey or Something
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1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Hate to break it to ya, but honeybees are an invasive species in North America and are out competing the native pollinators. Not to mention that those native pollinators will also pollinate plants that honeybees won't which means that certain species of flora are being decimated by invasive plant species and the reduced number of their natural pollinators.

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Susanne B
Community Member
1 year ago (edited) DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

There are hundreds of species of bees. In Denmark alone there are 292, so we must hope than some of these species will survice our deforestation, and monocultural farming etc.

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Gina Babe
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Can we breed more bees because they are a version of "farmed"? Or am I making this up?

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Just me
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I can deal with bees, not fond of spiders, but I hate snakes.

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Angela le Page
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I adore the Honeybee, or any kind of bee for that matter..l know how important they are to this planet. No need to be scared of them, just stay quiet and don't flap about and they will leave you alone. Most of the time they are just nosy.

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Camilla Koutsos
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Honey bees are introduced in large parts of the world. They often take over from local, indigenous bees.

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Elizabeth Persyn
Community Member
1 year ago (edited) DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

In America not Europe. Honey bees are an invasive species that do kill other pollinators. We could do just fine without them. Since there are 4000 other kinds of bees that do pollinate as well. But bees in general are by far my favorite insect.

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SCP-3998
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1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Spiders keep my house from being infested by other, deadlier and much more harmful bugs. Spiders are amazing

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Jules
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1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Was with you up to the point you started slagging off spiders. They deserve just as much respect and reverence as without them there'd be a lot more flies and other bugs

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Magpie
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1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Spiders eat mosquitoes. I have healthy respect, give them space. But they eat mosquitoes.

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Kelli
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1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Without the bees, we are doomed! My grandad was a bee keeper.

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Miss Frankfurter
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1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I love bees. I always plant the kind of annuals every spring that attracts them.

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TrippyBanana
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1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

There's a bumble bee I see most afternoons by my parking spot in my complex. If it would land I'd love to photograph her.

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Seabeast
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Spiders eat all sorts of insects, including mosquitos. Plus, there are other kinds of bees besides honey bees. My raspberries mainly get pollinated by native leaf cutter bees. I don't even mind that they leave my climbing rose looking like someone attacked it with a hole punch.

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Courtney Christelle
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I usually have a couple house spiders. I like one in my bathroom to catch the bugs that can come up the drain and another in the livingroom to catch flies/mosquitos that come through the door. As long as there's no breeding or loud partying I don't care what they do.

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Heather Talma
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Spiders are fantastic. They're clean, quiet, and earn their keep by catching other bugs. Mosquitos are the ones that can go to hell.

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Shelley Dawson
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I allow spiders to live in my house. We keep a respectful distance but I don't have problems with flies.

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Shane S
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I have a tremendous love and respect for spiders… as long as they stay outside.

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Alastair Kean
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Actualy hate wasps. Would wipe them of the face of the planet but we need them so I cant. One wasp sting will kill me. But polination is good for enviroment. So thats more important.

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Tami
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Up until a couple years ago, we'd see lots of honey bees in our yard. This year I've seen only 3 so far. Lots of other types of bees though.

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Dawn Depietro
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1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Right there with ya spider's I know have a purpose but they can right back to the devil's armpit

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Chris Yuen
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1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Don't agree with this post. Honeybees aren't THAT endangered as people keep them for honey. It is the other bees like bumblebees that are undervalued. https://brightly.eco/are-bees-endangered/

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Trisha Howson
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1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Bees are very important and spiders are also important without spiders we would have a lot of bugs too

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Santiago Garfias Musallam
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1 year ago

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Sergio Bicerra Descalzi
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1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I don't know why bees turn in my house and follow me a lot (I live near a busy street with almost no parks near) and have been stung many times.

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Gerald Winn
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

The term "endangered" (also: "threatened", and other terms used by the International Union for Conservation of Nature) should be used with care. It is true that honey bee populations susceptible to colony collapse disorder are under severe stress, but not all honey bees are "endangered". One needs to be specific about whether you're referring to specific species, or just populations of the same species, amongst many other things. I realize this post isn't a scientific treatise about the conservation status of species under the genus Apis, but nevertheless, terms must be used with care.

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Frank Hassler
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1 year ago

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Honey bees are not endangered. They are domesticated animals that are considered invasive in North America. There are many THOUSANDS of species of native bees that need protection and support, many of which are in-fact endangered.

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Another animal species Verdolin deems as greatly unappreciated are spiders. "They are talented and, of course, snack on other little critters in our home." The expert continued to explain how they can hear you across the room and how some of them are also known to be incredibly social. Let’s not leave out the desert spider female, "a mom who literally gives her life to her kids."

#5

50 Animals That Don't Get The Recognition They Absolutely Deserve, As Shared In This Informative Online Thread Octopus, very intelligent creatures and fascinating to watch

bagpipesfart , Pia Report

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Anita Pickle
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Makes me sad everytime I see them butchered in grocery stores. You cannot farm them either, they literally die of depression. They are so smart and aware. People have no clue.

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#6

50 Animals That Don't Get The Recognition They Absolutely Deserve, As Shared In This Informative Online Thread All of the animals deserve more love, recognition, and respect.

Forsaken-Being-6610 , Pixabay Report

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Juan Ghote
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1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

They get a bad rap because they have adapted to coexisting with humans and take full advantage of it.

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Wildlife is truly remarkable. The whole animal world is fascinating and full of unsolved mysteries we humans are trying so hard to crack. But at the same time, we tend to pay more attention to certain species (often adorable-looking) and continue to carry specific opinions about other critters that usually turn out to be wrong.

When asked why some animals unconsciously appeal to us more, Verdolin pointed out there are a few answers to this. As she explained in her book Raised by Animals: The Surprising New Science of Animal Family Dynamics, animals that are "cute" or look young (just like pandas, dear readers) trigger our brains to be careful, look after, take care of them, and reduce aggression.

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"That's why we will spend hours looking at videos of baby animals. Once animals are all grown up, I think some species, like the panda and koala benefit from this tendency," she continued. "They have large heads, and in the case of pandas, a coloration that makes them look like they have big eyes — even though neither of these species is particularly friendly."

#7

50 Animals That Don't Get The Recognition They Absolutely Deserve, As Shared In This Informative Online Thread Opossum!
Eats ticks and pests, rabies resistant, carries cute babies on its back, has a bunch of teeth, marsupial!

anon , Skyler Ewing Report

#8

50 Animals That Don't Get The Recognition They Absolutely Deserve, As Shared In This Informative Online Thread Owl’s keeping the rodent population under control. Plus they are super cool.

Restrictedbutholding , Ronan Furuta Report

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#9

50 Animals That Don't Get The Recognition They Absolutely Deserve, As Shared In This Informative Online Thread Hedgehogs. They’re literally an endangered species in the UK. I wish people would recognise that and do more to help!

atlapin , Sierra NiCole Narvaeth Report

"Another factor, though, that we can't ignore is the cultural conversation we have about some species and mythology about certain animals," Verdolin said, adding that the perfect example of this is the wolf. "We literally spend billions to care for our pet dogs, which are essentially juvenile wolves 7000 years + removed, and support movies and policies that decimate wolves. We also have a disdain and fear of coyotes, which are not that different either."

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There are countless other species like sharks, snakes, and bats that have a bad rep in the human world and face similar issues like wolves and coyotes. "The cultural stories we have about them reinforce negative tropes and influence our opinions," Verdolin said. "And then there are of course the 'unattractive' animals. We are incredibly biased against species we don't think are 'cute' or attractive."

#10

50 Animals That Don't Get The Recognition They Absolutely Deserve, As Shared In This Informative Online Thread Donkey.
Grumpy horse with bunny ears

ipakookapi , David Selbert Report

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Hae'vyn Smith
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1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Donkeys are one of the happiest animals I've ever met?? **Happy loud horse w bunny ears

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#11

50 Animals That Don't Get The Recognition They Absolutely Deserve, As Shared In This Informative Online Thread Turkey vultures. Hear me out: they look ugly af, but they're gentle creatures who just clean up the environment naturally. If they get too scared, they will vomit themselves. They can eat diseased flesh without taking on any illness. They live in a flock, and are tied to their mates until death. They're also endangered in some areas.

boomblebeez , Shlomo Shalev Report

#12

50 Animals That Don't Get The Recognition They Absolutely Deserve, As Shared In This Informative Online Thread Backyard birds.

Set up a bird feeder and see how much enjoyment you can get just by watching and counting the different kinds of birds that show up.

Feels2old , Lidia Stawinska Report

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Troux
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1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

This picture looks like one bird showed up to the other bird's shop to buy 1 seed.

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The animal behavior expert revealed we tend to underestimate most species of other animals. "Historically, modern humans have looked for ways to separate themselves from other animals. This is in direct contrast to Indigenous people that see themselves integrated with nature, reflecting the traits and aspects of other species in their cultures, beliefs, and spirituality," she continued.

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"So first we have this notion that we are separate from and then comes the idea that we are better than. Incidentally, this is connected to how we have marginalized groups of people whether it be based on socially defined racial categories, gender, religion, etc." Verdolin pointed out this led to us ranking other species as better or worse according to how "similar" they are to us.

#13

50 Animals That Don't Get The Recognition They Absolutely Deserve, As Shared In This Informative Online Thread Spiders. Most are harmless to humans and they get rid of irritating bugs.

They are also perfect for keeping away irritating humans

falkordragon233 , Erik Karits Report

#14

50 Animals That Don't Get The Recognition They Absolutely Deserve, As Shared In This Informative Online Thread Pigs!!!! They have emotions very similar to humans

jovi900 , Christopher Carson Report

"Science has had to redefine 'human' so many times because we keep discovering all the ways we are not different," she noted. "Beyond ravens counting and solving puzzles faster than a college student or elephants visiting the bones of their fallen friends and family members, we know that pigs grunt to express their feelings and that other animals have personalities. They are sentient. Period."

#16

50 Animals That Don't Get The Recognition They Absolutely Deserve, As Shared In This Informative Online Thread Orangutans. Being an ape and not being a batshit crazy violent animal is achievement enough in itself, but orangutans take it a step further and are surprisingly smart and docile.

pingasthrowaway , CHUTTERSNAP Report

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HarriMissesScotland
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1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

If you ever get to see the series where robotic animals were placed in certain environments to see if they would be accepted as part of a family group was incredible. Spy in the Wild is the name of the show. Some of the "animals" took 2 years to build as they looked exactly like the animals themselves. The orangutan was one one of my favorite episodes. Smart and very funny.

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#17

50 Animals That Don't Get The Recognition They Absolutely Deserve, As Shared In This Informative Online Thread The platypus; a mammal that lays eggs, has a duck bill, uses electrolocation, and has venomous claws.

Mikemtb09 , Meg Jerrard Report

#18

50 Animals That Don't Get The Recognition They Absolutely Deserve, As Shared In This Informative Online Thread Squirrels. I could watch squirrels run around and climb trees all day long.

drblah1 , Julian Report

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Spam Musubi
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Veteran cook here. Red vs. grey squirrels = cute vs. delicious. Every bit as tasty as rabbit and a great way to trim the invasive species population.

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So Verdolin would like to remind you that we humans are not that separate from other animals. "What happens to them, how we treat them, is a direct reflection of the state we are in right now. As puffins washed ashore dead earlier this year and little blue penguins followed a few weeks ago, other species are in crisis," she reminded us. "And so are we."

She understands it’s much easier to think about a panda than a squirrel that’s running around in your backyard. "But every squirrel is out there trying to make a living, raise a family, avoid death and suffering, and catch a few naps in the morning sunlight. Stop for a minute next time to watch, observe, and think about how you can make the lives of animals right there around you better today," Verdolin concluded.

#19

50 Animals That Don't Get The Recognition They Absolutely Deserve, As Shared In This Informative Online Thread The Pangolin. It's severely endangered yet It's not protected.

Kovuthebilion , flowcomm Report

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Crystal Spencer
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1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

The Pangolin is very protected. In countries where it is native, the have swat team stings to rescue live as well as dead Pangos to prevent them from being trafficked to China and other places where they are considered magic, medicinal or high end meat... none of which these little guys are.

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#20

50 Animals That Don't Get The Recognition They Absolutely Deserve, As Shared In This Informative Online Thread Chickens. Smart, affectionate, with complex social lives and personalities, they can be kind, affectionate, sneaky, greedy, generous, caring or selfish… each one it’s own unique personality

Cristalsis , Alexas_Fotos Report

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Ranger Kanootsen
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1 year ago (edited) DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Chickens are such funny animals! My friend's chicken, whose name is Josephine, keeps following me to work each day

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#21

50 Animals That Don't Get The Recognition They Absolutely Deserve, As Shared In This Informative Online Thread Sharks, they do get recognition but most of it is negative. Sharks are 👌👌

--Dominion-- , Gerald Schömbs Report

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Unnamed Hooman
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1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

… Yeah sorry but I’m still terrified! I think they can be cool, just not in person near me :)

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#22

50 Animals That Don't Get The Recognition They Absolutely Deserve, As Shared In This Informative Online Thread Red pandas... So damn cute.

420farms , Flickr Report

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flutterbyy
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1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Sadly even with the legal protections, their population has been declining rapidly.

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#23

50 Animals That Don't Get The Recognition They Absolutely Deserve, As Shared In This Informative Online Thread Elephant

SomeBrownChic , David Clode Report

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HarriMissesScotland
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

The most amazing creatures on the planet. Trunks sensitive enough to pick up a pebble, yet strong enough to knock over trees. Or kill a man. Especially a vile one who beat his elephants. I loathed him.

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#24

50 Animals That Don't Get The Recognition They Absolutely Deserve, As Shared In This Informative Online Thread Rats.

They are incredibly smart, sweet, and social animals who *did not cause the black plague*. One reason why they are often used for experiments (lab rats) is because they are so socially similar to us humans. [Rat Park]

ipakookapi , Pixabay Report

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Sasage
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1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

However they were responsible for carrying the fleas that did spread the plague. Unfortunately humans of the time didn't know that so they killed the cats instead. The cats, of course, were keeping the rat population in check. Once most of the cats were gone... Black Death.

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#25

50 Animals That Don't Get The Recognition They Absolutely Deserve, As Shared In This Informative Online Thread Beavers.

Beavers are incredibly hard workers. Capable of the same level of decision making and precision that goes into our construction of dams or homes or chopping down trees. There ears can sense the slight trickle of water indicating a leak.

In a story linked below the arrival of settlers in the 1800’s wiped out beavers in one area effectively destroying the ecosystems that the beaver dams had created and wildlife depended on. The loss of beavers was still so profound that HUMANS started to make their own beaver dams!! Then like the born workers they are, a few beavers must have heard through the grapevine and took over what humans were doing with far more than their teeth and bare hands.

They work so hard. Their work ethic is better than any humans. They are always on call. No nights off. Now, I truly admire the team work and socialist structure of most any colonies, but beavers can build dams that transform its environment and create their own mini ecosystem. They are incredibly important and considered a keystone species. The largest beaver dam is half a mile long and started in the 70’s and is located in Canada. That’s generations of beavers dedicated to the “family business” of continuing this huge dam. They of course continue to MAINTAIN a dam a half mile long. Made of just sticks and trees and mud and whatever other tricks they have. I have the utmost respect for their abilities and contributions to their environments!

Seeing videos blowing up their incredibly hard work makes me sad. I get it, someone’s poor garden is flooded and we can’t stand for that. Or someone’s property is filling with water and they have the right to not want it to. But, it just seems so horrible to destroy something so incredibly built and with such hard work and dedication and brain power that we need to blow it up to take it down.

For the record, I get that beavers can cost millions in damages to property and some support trapping when their numbers get high or they become a problem.

But, I just truly hope animals have the capacity to just laugh at a species who’s numbers are growing faster than the environment can handle or support, whom quickly destroy and invade their homes before they take over and are everywhere, who cost thousands and thousands of years of growth and strength and survival in trees every year with their destruction, that species having the NERVE to point to others as needing help being controlled. Calling others destructive or a nuisance.

The best part is saying with a straight face how another species population is growing too fast and too large and needs to be culled and controlled. I know, I’m human. But even if it’s just us, it still feels hypocritical to say.

BEAVERS ARE AMAZING

(Just don’t think about the rodent thing)

Rgsnap , Denitsa Kireva Report

#26

50 Animals That Don't Get The Recognition They Absolutely Deserve, As Shared In This Informative Online Thread Hyenas. For hundreds of reasons.


Disney did them dirty.

escape1979uk , Javi Lorbada Report

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#27

50 Animals That Don't Get The Recognition They Absolutely Deserve, As Shared In This Informative Online Thread Beluga Whale.

ITS FOREHEAD IS SO CUTE. And it looks absolutely adorable coated with blubber all around

FamilyGuy-SugarMama , insung yoon Report

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Bubs623
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1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Although I now know better and will not support Sea World, I went as a teen with a school trip and I swear I had a moment with a beluga. He (she?) stayed perfectly still in the water, right against the glass. I was sitting cross legged on the floor. It was dark, because it was part of the enclosure that you could walk into / under. We just stared at each other. I put my hand up and he put his head against the glass where my hand was. We stayed that way for about 10 minutes and then he swam away. I was so sad- I mean, I seriously aches inside. And I was an a*****e punk teenager. Then he came back! He did somersaults and flips and all sorts of people started pointing and shouting but he just kept staring at me. It was the most profound event

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#29

50 Animals That Don't Get The Recognition They Absolutely Deserve, As Shared In This Informative Online Thread Dogs for sure, they get all the love and recognition and they still deserve more.

Truejewtattoo , Anoir Chafik Report

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Vintage Rose
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Yes ❤️. We humans don’t deserve dogs. Without them, the world would be bleak.

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#30

50 Animals That Don't Get The Recognition They Absolutely Deserve, As Shared In This Informative Online Thread Carrion feeders of every stripe. They are the heroes of the animal kingdom, providing important steps in decomposition and reclamation of matter, and people think they’re yucky.

If you hit an animal with your car, and are able to stop, please stop and move the animal to the side of the road, it helps prevent carrion feeders from getting hit by cars later.

kharmatika Report

#32

50 Animals That Don't Get The Recognition They Absolutely Deserve, As Shared In This Informative Online Thread Vultures are natures sanitizer.

By eating the carrion, they prevent the spread of diseases. Their stomach acid destroys any pathogens and they also have a very stout immune system and their urine and defecations "cleans" the area of the carcass.

Effroyablemat , Glen Carrie Report

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K- THULU
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Love vultures... Amazing flyers but when they're on the ground they just always look pissed off... " stupid carrion, lying in the stupid dirt, suppose I've gotta clean that up..."

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#33

50 Animals That Don't Get The Recognition They Absolutely Deserve, As Shared In This Informative Online Thread Pigeons!! We domesticated them for communication but now that we don’t need them they’re considered ugly and gross. But they don’t fear humans which is why they’ll come up to us. Poor things.

Danyanks37 , sanjiv nayak Report

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Alicia GriffonLady
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I had a pigeon I raised when i was in second grade. It had fallen out of a nest where my dad worked. That pigeon followed me every where outside after i taught him to fly. He even landed outside the windows when i was indoors and did his little dance. He'd attack the schoolbus when it "ate" me. Once he even chased a bully about a quarter mile, flapping at her head. That bird was my best friend! Unfortunately i pissed off some older kids by sitting in "their" seat on the bus and in retaliation they later shot my poor pigeon. People, can we please get rid of guns?

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#34

50 Animals That Don't Get The Recognition They Absolutely Deserve, As Shared In This Informative Online Thread Reptiles generally. A lot of people think of reptiles and are disgusted. They either think of slimey snakes or agressive dragons. Don't get me wrong, they aren't always cute and cuddly, but there's so many snakes in rescues that never get a home because of the stigma.

I don't think an exotic pet is right for everyone by any means, in fact I think it should be more regulated so that you have to put some thought into having one, but they really can be affectionate with the right owner and time.

KaleidoscopeInside , Jedi Equester Report

#35

50 Animals That Don't Get The Recognition They Absolutely Deserve, As Shared In This Informative Online Thread Okay so I know a lot of people hate pandas for them eating bamboo even tho they’re designed to eat meat, but it’s not because they’re stupid. They lost their taste for meat. A gene they had which “motivated” them to hunt and eat meat somehow disappeared. It’s not like they can control that. And people also say they don’t mate on their own. Well god made female pandas go in heat for only three flippin days out of an entire flippin year. That’s it. Since their population numbers are so low, what are the chances a male and a female are going to see each other in that time frame

Horror-Award-1144 , Jonathan Meyer Report

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#37

50 Animals That Don't Get The Recognition They Absolutely Deserve, As Shared In This Informative Online Thread The shoebill bird. I know most people won’t think so, but I think that it’s the cutest animal I’ve ever seen

Obsessed_with_ducks , Melissa Askew Report

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Brivid
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I love it, but not because it's cute. I love it because it is a living dinosaur!

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#38

50 Animals That Don't Get The Recognition They Absolutely Deserve, As Shared In This Informative Online Thread The Cacomistle or the Maned Wolf, both are really cool animals!

AzryxTheFolf , Jonathan Wilkins Report

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GlamourGhoul
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

The Maned Wolf is one of the strangest, most amazing looking animals ever...like a bunch of mismatched parts of other animals.

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#40

50 Animals That Don't Get The Recognition They Absolutely Deserve, As Shared In This Informative Online Thread Ducks

TheDrawingDucky , Vlad Tchompalov Report

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Emma Dakin
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I had ducks and when they ran to me on wet concrete for their food it always sounded like a round of applause the way there wet feet would slap the floor! Great guard ducks too!

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#41

50 Animals That Don't Get The Recognition They Absolutely Deserve, As Shared In This Informative Online Thread Gorillas. They're cool. But I don't hear people saying they're thier favorite animal much

iUsedRedditSince2010 , Amy Reed Report

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HarriMissesScotland
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Another majestic creature being hunted. Intelligent animals that are gentle enough to care for babies, but strong enough to rip an arm off. Again, the Rangers protecting them are amazing. The gorillas know that they are there and many times come to trust them. 140 Rangers have been killed by poachers.

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#42

50 Animals That Don't Get The Recognition They Absolutely Deserve, As Shared In This Informative Online Thread Rhinoceros.

Caramel-Popcorn321 , Nicole Wreyford Report

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HarriMissesScotland
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

So endangered. They are hunted and killed for their horns, as elephants are for their tusks. The Rangers who are willing to put their own lives in danger to protect these amazing creatures, are heroes in my book.

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#43

50 Animals That Don't Get The Recognition They Absolutely Deserve, As Shared In This Informative Online Thread Swans. They will commit sewer slide if their partner dies. Beautiful and sad at the same time.

Kathy_05 , Drazen Neske Report

#44

50 Animals That Don't Get The Recognition They Absolutely Deserve, As Shared In This Informative Online Thread Turtles

AmAcC67 , Zdeněk Macháček Report

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HarriMissesScotland
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I love all turtles, but we have an endangered tortoise, the gopher tortoise which lives in burrows. I once beat up a boy who was standing on one in the schoolyard. I did not get in trouble.

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#45

50 Animals That Don't Get The Recognition They Absolutely Deserve, As Shared In This Informative Online Thread Skunks, they are wonderful animals.

my2cents3462 , Elisa Stone Report

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BrookeBT
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

The odor is for defense. If they spray a predator it's stuck with that smell and won't be able to hunt. Nobody likes that smell but you gotta respect it.

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#46

50 Animals That Don't Get The Recognition They Absolutely Deserve, As Shared In This Informative Online Thread Lions. I just admire on how majestic and mystifying they can be.

MannyRodriguez146 , Mika Brandt Report

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Alicia GriffonLady
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Don't study them then. Stay happy and live the lions. If you study them, you probably won't like them any more. I studied them after Lion King came out when i was a kid and i was crushed. :(

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#47

50 Animals That Don't Get The Recognition They Absolutely Deserve, As Shared In This Informative Online Thread Lizards in general. I hate when people say that they can not form social connections, I have a bearded dragon that will go out of her way to cuddle up to me, I had a male dragon that was best friends with my golden lab. Their favorite activity was looking out the window together. They would sit there, and my dragon would snuggle up to his ear and they would watch squirrels for hours. I believe that social cues for reptiles are very foreign and alien to us, but if you can find a way to open a door to their heart, you will never find a warmer place, even with cold blood. It is kind of like the way that I am attracted to 'bitchy' women, sure they are scaled and thorny on the outside. But when she wants to love on you and cuddle up, you will feel like the most important person in the world.

NoTop4997 , LOURDES CASTRO Report

#49

50 Animals That Don't Get The Recognition They Absolutely Deserve, As Shared In This Informative Online Thread The porcupine. I like them and find them interesting, but they smell like stale death. Just any I've been near smell horrible and carry a cloud around them. It's entirely possible my experience is an outlier; I've only encountered them a few times, so I could be misled by a narrow sample. But the smell was assaulting.

Dangercakes13 , Enguerrand Blanchy Report

#50

50 Animals That Don't Get The Recognition They Absolutely Deserve, As Shared In This Informative Online Thread Humans, I see a lot of people (especially on Reddit) that seem to be misanthropes who hate their own species and each other, its a shame really. I wish people showed the same love that they have for other animals towards humans instead of constant hatred towards each other, it would really make the world a better place.

Jman_777 , Ryoji Iwata Report

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Katie Lutesinger
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Humans can be absolutely disgusting, horrible and evil, and yet also incredibly selfless, brave, and kind.

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