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40 Lesser-Known Facts About Animals That Made People Say ‘Aww’ (New Pics)
Interview
Here at Bored Panda, we firmly believe that cuteness, animal pics, and education perfectly go hand-in-hand: there hasn’t been a better trio since Harry, Hermione, and Ron graced the halls of Hogwarts. So when it comes to Reddit, the ‘Awwducational’ subreddit is at the top of our list of favorites, dishing out wholesomeness and scientific facts left, right, and center.
The 3-million-strong subreddit that has been going strong since 2012 shares educational animal facts paired with truly soul-healing photos that will satisfy not just your heart but also your mind. We’ve got a lot of ‘awwducational’ photos for you to enjoy today, Pandas, so grab yourself a big mug of hot tea, snuggle under a blanket, and let’s get scrolling. Don’t forget to upvote your fave facts and pics!
Redditor u/AGreatWind, an incredibly friendly moderator who manages r/Awwducational at night and works as an infectious diseases researcher during the day, went in-depth with me about the community's rules about avoiding trivial animal facts and always adding in reputable sources with posts. The redditor, who has over 7 years of experience working on the subreddit, also opened up to Bored Panda about the fact that some of the mods are actual scientists which is very cool in itself.
Oh, and be sure to have a read through Bored Panda’s second interview with the always-friendly PDSA team who was more than happy to share some insights into animal behavior and body language. If you still haven’t hit your cuteness limit for the day with this list, we cordially invite you to scroll through our previous article about r/Awwducational right over here.
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#1
Orphaned Baby Bats Which Are Rescued Are Wrapped Snugly In Blankets To Mimic The Warm Embrace Of Their Mother's Wings
RELATED:
#2
Alex, The African Grey Parrot, Is The Only Animal To Ever Ask An Existential Question. He Asked “What Color” He Was
Raven Sheridan 5 years ago
I remember reading that he was told he was going to meet primate expert, Jane Goodall. The researchers showed Alex a National Geographic article about Goodall, complete with photos. When Alex met her, he asked, "Got a chimp?" First recorded case of an animal telling a joke! Never underestimate an animals intelligence.
#3
American Kestrel Is The Smallest And Most Common Falcon In North America. It Is Also Called The Sparrow Hawk
#4
Dogs Sneeze While Playing To Let Other Dogs Know They Are Playing And Aren't Trying To Be Aggresive
AnnaBanana 5 years ago
I was also told by a dog behaviorist that dogs will also sneeze if they don't want to obey a command. My dog certainly does! If he doesn't want to come inside when I ask him to, he'll drop his head and sneeze, then go into a sort of play mode. Annoying, but cute!
#5
Pygmy Hippos Are Critically Endangered, With Less Than 3,000 In The Wild. The San Diego Zoo Has Bred One For The First Time In Three Decades. His Name Is Akobi, And He’s Two Months Old
#6
Secretary Birds Are Famous For Its Snake-Stomping Legs; A Single Kick Delivered Some 195 Newtons Of Force
They are also famous for their long eyelashes
#7
New Study Shows “Rollie Pollies” Remove Heavy Metals From Soil And Protect Groundwater. Thank You To These Little Helpers!
#8
Red Pandas Can Stand On Their Hind Legs To Make Themselves Appear Larger
They also have "False thumbs", which is an extension of the wrist bone, to aid them in grasping their food
#9
The Southern Viscacha Is A Species Of Rodent Native To Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, And Peru. They Spend A Large Portion Of Their Day Sunbathing, Grooming, And Resting
I’m A Black Cat 5 years ago
Looking discontent despite spending their day like an old lady on vacation: sunbathing, grooming and resting
#10
Sand Cats Specialize In Surviving In The Desert
They are not good climbers or jumpers, but they are excellent diggers. They use their digging ability to dig shallow burrows to escape the heat of the desert during the day.
#11
Capybara's Are Social Animals, Who Get Along With A Large Variety Of Other Animals, Including Chickens, Ducks, Dogs, Cats, Llamas, Rabbits And Turtles
Including chickens, ducks, dogs, cats, llamas, rabbits and turtles
#12
Black-Footed Cat (Felis Nigripes) Is The Smallest Cat In Africa (Up To 5 Lbs) And Can Hunt Preys Bigger Than Himself
#13
Seals Will Perform The Banana Pose When They Are Feeling Safe And Content
Lifting their heads and flippers into to the air also helps to regulate their body temperature and keeps their extremities dry when close to water.
#14
Manatees Have No Significant Natural Predators And Can Be Found Co-Existing Peacefully With Gators
#15
Wolverines Can Be Taught To Rescue Avalanche Survivors
#16
Pigs Are Known For Being Very Sociable And Intelligent, And This Is Especially The Case For Vietnamese Potbellied Pigs
#17
The Aardvark, Alphabetically The First Animal, Plays An Important Role In Preventing Wildlife Deaths From Fire
They dig large underground burrows that wildlife can hide in during fires.
Kathryn Baylis 5 years ago
I read that wombats were sharing their underground burrows during the wildfires. I bet aardvarks were too, only they didn’t get any press coverage.
#18
The Mangalica Is The Only Pig Species Covered In A Long Wool Coat, Similar To A Sheep's
Katy McMouse 5 years ago
Every time I've seen images of this pig I think someone got bored and felted 'til they couldn't felt no more.
#19
Elephants Are Intelligent, Social, Empathetic Animals Who Display 'Ah Ha' Spontaneous Problem Solving Behavior
As babies they tend to be helpless, relying on their moms until they're three.
I’m A Black Cat 5 years ago
Such wonderful animals! I wish ppl would stop poaching and hurting them!
#20
Ravens Are Capable Of High-Quality Imitation Of Human Speech
#21
Despite Their Appearance, Elephant Shrews Are In Fact More Closely Related To Elephants Than Shrews
#22
Beavers Have Orange Teeth Because Their Tooth Enamal Has A High Iron Content To Make Them Strong Enough To Chew Through Wood
#23
The Chinese Mountain Cat Is One Of The Rarest Wild Cats, And Was First Captured On Camera In The Wild In 2007
Bhadrika Love 5 years ago
Remember, it's not that they look like domestic kitties, it's that domestic cats had the sense to stay looking wild. No freakish wolf --> chihuahua change for them!
#24
The Manul (Or Pallas' Cat) Of Central Asia Has The Longest And Densest Fur Of All The Cat Species
#25
Aardwolves Are Neither Aardvarks Nor Wolves
They are actually related to hyenas, but with one big exception - aardwolves feed mainly on termites, around 200,000 a day. This diet helps aardwolves maintain their protein and moisture needs in some of the driest places in Africa
#26
Penguin Chicks, Because Of Their Fat Insulation, When They Get Too Hot, They Pant And Stick Their Legs Out, Which Cools Them Off
#27
It Takes Bald Eagles About Five Years To Obtain Their White Head!
These pictures are of the same bird taken years apart, illustrating the difference between juvenile and subadult plumage
#28
These Guys Are Goldcrests, The Smallest Birds In Europe
They weigh 1/100th of a pound and their eggs are the size of peas. They also looks really grumpy all the time
#29
Marine Iguanas Have A Mutualistic Relationship With Lava Lizards, As The Lizards Often Scurry Over Them To Hunt Flies
As The Iguanas Are Herbivores, They Rely On The Lizards To Remove The Flies.
#30
Gibbons Are One Of The Only Non-Human Primates Which Practice Monogamy
Both parents play a vital role in raising of their young
#31
The California Ground And Rock Squirrels Have Acquired A Great Anti-Rattlesnake Defense
They chew on the old snake skins, then lick and apply the mush onto their fur to disguise their own odor, tricking the rattler into scenting only snake and thus avoid detection from its slithering predators
#32
The Maned Wolf (Chrysocyon Brachyurus) Is The Largest Canid In South America. His Marks Resemble Those Of Foxes, But He Is Not A Fox Or A Wolf. It Is The Only Species Of The Genus Chrysocyon (Which Means "Golden Dog"). These Wolves Are Also Commonly Mistaken For “El Chupacabra”
#33
Say Hello To An Australian Echidna! One Of Only Two Mammals In The World That Lay Eggs (Called Monotremes)! This Little Girl Was Brought Into My Work
Petra, princess of Brigid 5 years ago
Fun fact! Knuckles from Sonic the Hedgehog is an Echidna!
#34
King Cheetahs Are Variety Of Cheetahs With A Rare Mutation Caused By A Recessive Allele. Their Cream-Colored Fur Are Marked With Large, Blotchy Spots And Three Dark, Wide Stripes Extend From The Neck To The Tail
#35
There Are Only 880 Mountain Gorillas Left...
Moderator edit: IUCN Red List has the mature population at 600 (last updated 2018). Wiki says 880. Others say it's around 1000. We are going to call this 'debated' since a current consensus is still being worked out apparently. The good news is that the population is trending up, so take that as solace that all is not lost and we can still make a difference!
#36
Snow Leopards Cover The Distance Of A Marathon (26.2 Mi) In One Night
They also cannot roar. They are also more closely related to tigers than they are to leopards! But they are definitely the cutest
#37
Native To Mexico, The Axolotl Has A Slimy Tail And A Mouth That Curls Into An Odd Smile. It Is Known As The "Water Monster" Or The "Mexican Walking Fish."
#38
Hippos Can't Really Swim. Their Big Bones Are Too Dense And Heavy, So They Just Push Off The Ground, Walking Or Bouncing Off The Bottom
#39
Australian "Firehawk" Raptors, Such As This Black Kite, Have Recently Been Found To Purposefully Spread Wildfires
By carrying smoldering branches to unburnt areas, to flush out prey, confirming long-held traditional aboriginal knowledge
#40
Done Brushing Your Dog? Birds Love Using The Hair To Build Nests. Set Aside One Birdfeeder To Fill With Hair
#41
Bunnies Flop Over When They Feel Completely Safe
#42
The Pygmy Falcon Is The Smallest Raptor In Africa - Adults Are Less Than 8” Long
#43
Unlike Most Other Ducks, The Wood Duck Has Sharp Claws For Perching In Trees And Can, In Southern Regions, Produce Two Broods In A Single Season—the Only North American Duck That Can Do So
#44
Hazel Dormice Spend A Large Proportion Of Their Lives Sleeping - Either Hibernating In Nests On The Ground In Winter, Or In A State Of Torpor (Curls Up Into A Ball And Sleep) In Summer. They Are Also Nocturnal On Top Of It All. You Can Also Hear Them Snore
#45
Puffins Can Use Sticks As Scratching Tools, Which Makes Them The First Known Tool-Using Seabirds
Petra, princess of Brigid 5 years ago
There was a seagull in my town named Rocky that would drop rocks a few feet away from people, and then when they went to investigate, he would grab their food. It was a spectacle.
#46
Pangolins Are The Only Mammal With Keratin Scales. They Are Nocturnal, And They Eat Mainly Ants And Termites. They Are The Most Trafficked Mammal In The World, Feeding The Market For Pseudoscience Products. All Eight Species Of Pangolin Are Either Vulnerable, Threatened, Or Critically Endangered.
I’m A Black Cat 5 years ago
People are such idiots! This entire "TCM" bullshit is causing so much trafficing and poaching! People using pangolin scales for potence or whatever shitty reason might as well suck on their own fingernails and hair!
#47
Arctic Fox Yawning, Unperturbed By The Cold Thanks To Its Thick, Insulating Coat Which Allows It To Survive Temperatures That Other Organisms Cannot
#48
Pangolins Has Soft, Pale Scales When Born, Which Begin To Harden By Second Day
#49
New Study Finds Holstein Dairy Calves Are Natural Optimists Or Pessimists, Just Like Us
Moo Moo Futch 5 years ago
Cows also make close bonds in their Herds. They make best friends and become extremely stressed when split from their BFF.
#50
Pangolins, Despite Looking Similar To Anteaters And Armadillos, They Are Actually Closer Related To Bears, Cats, And Dogs.
#51
Otters Juggle Rocks More When They Are Hungry. In Captivity, The Increase In Rock Juggling Occurs When Feeding Time Draws Close — Suggesting That It Could Indicate Excitement For Food.
#52
An Adult North American Porcupine (Erethizon Dorsatum) Has About 30,000 Quills That Cover Almost All Of Its Body. The Quills Are Hollow And Used Primarily For Defense, But Also Serve To Insulate Their Bodies During Winter. They Cannot Throw Their Quills.
Kathryn Baylis 5 years ago (edited)
Ask any dog with a face full of quills how sharp they are (the quills, not the dog, obviously)—-or any idiot human who foolishly tried to pick one up.
#53
Sulphur-Crested Cockatoos Are Monogamous Breeders, With Pair Bonds That Can Last Their Entire Life
They can live for around 40 years in the wild
AzKhaleesi 5 years ago
Almost all birds are this way. If their partner dies than they more often than not pass too from literally a broken heart. (this also applies if their partner is human)
#54
Cats Place Their Hind Paws In Exactly The Same Spot As Their Front Paws When Walking To Allow Them To Make Precise Movements
Kirsten Kerkhof 5 years ago
Except my cat who cannot possibly be bothered. I know, because I checked. Lazy bum ...
#55
Despite Being Voracious Carnivores, Crocodilians Are Surprisingly Caring And Nurturing Parents
Mothers will fiercely guard their offspring against predators for over a year till they're large enough to fend from themselves
#56
Coyotes And Badgers Occasionally Form Short-Term Alliances To Hunt. The Most Common Structure Is One Coyote And One Badger, Though Occasionally Two Coyotes Will Join Up.
#57
Three-Banded Armadillos Are Capable Of Rolling Into A Complete Ball To Defend Themselves
#58
The Ears Of Caracal Kittens Do Not Become Active Until The Third Or Fourth Week After Birth.
#59
Bearded Dragons Are A Popular Species Among Children Because Of Their Friendly And Calm Nature, And The Relative Ease Of Caring For Them. Generally Speaking, The Bearded Dragon Is A Solitary Animal.
Vic 5 years ago
Reptiles and amphibians are not pets (and especially for children!). They need a lot of specialized care, they get diseases people don't know about because they are uncommon in mammals, and they don't express themselves as clearly as some mammals. If you absolutely need a pet for a child, get a dog.
#60
The Lemming Is A Small Rodent, Usually Found In Or Near The Arctic In Tundra Biomes. Their Defence System Is Thought To Be Based On Aposematism (Warning Display). They Can Be Very Territorial And Aggressive.
Katie Lutesinger 5 years ago
And they don't commit suicide, let alone by throwing themselves off cliffs. That's a myth made up by an old Disney "documentary".
#61
Cats Are Easy To Train And Have A Working Memory Of 30 Seconds
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a_smol_berry 5 years ago (edited)
I noticed it mentioned an endangered species so I will mention one too! The red wolf with around 9 left in the wild as of May 2021. (There are breeding farms so it’s higher. Just the ones in the wild are mentioned.)
VeninTheNonBinaryRogue 5 years ago
NINE?!? Dang. That is not a lot. That sucks. I hope they come back
Load More Replies...
Beth Bartel 5 years ago
Anyone who says no other animal has asked an existential question before hasn't watched Bunny the dog on TikTok
a_smol_berry 5 years ago (edited)
I noticed it mentioned an endangered species so I will mention one too! The red wolf with around 9 left in the wild as of May 2021. (There are breeding farms so it’s higher. Just the ones in the wild are mentioned.)
VeninTheNonBinaryRogue 5 years ago
NINE?!? Dang. That is not a lot. That sucks. I hope they come back
Load More Replies... Beth Bartel 5 years ago
Anyone who says no other animal has asked an existential question before hasn't watched Bunny the dog on TikTok
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