41 Interesting Animal Facts That You Can Throw Out In Casual Conversations

By nudging you with their heads (bunting) they're actually greeting you as they would another member of their cat family. This means that to them we're probably the ugliest, biggest, and clumsiest cats they've ever seen but they accept you into their family and love you anyways.

Elephants tend to stay in close "family" groups for their whole lives, which are generally made up of female elephants (the males often leave the group to go mate, but sometimes group up with other solitary males). So other female elephants are often present for new births.

A study from Northampton University found that when cows were paired with another cow that shared a social bond with them, their heart rate was lower and they were more relaxed while they were penned.

The mines were set on the Falkland Islands when Argentinian commandos occupied the territory in a 1982 conflict with British forces. Since then, Magellanic penguins have thrived in the area. And because the areas are well-marked and fenced off, no civilian has been injured by the mines, either.

If that's not cute enough for you, they keep the pebble in the pocket that forms of the skin folds of their armpit.

Also, being a professional panda caretaker is one of the highest paying jobs in China, if I remember correctly, their average salary is about $32.5k.

Ever wondered how your dog seems to be able to tell time accurately? If you or someone you live with has a daily routine, your dog might go linger by the door or start looking out the window right before their human is due home because they can smell how much your scent has deteriorated in your absence.

According to a study at the University of Southern Mississippi, dolphin mothers will make a "signature whistle" for the benefit of their calf while it's in the womb. This whistle is thought to act as a sort of "name" for the mother, allowing the calf and mother to locate each other easily once it's born. After the calf is born, other nearby adult dolphins will whistle less, likely to help the calf learn and use the right whistle.

Of course, befriending them will require some bribing with food. But they will later recognize you and fly over. Worth it!

This happened during filming of The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe, when some husky dog actors didn't look "menacing" because of their happily wagging tails. It's possible that they were wagging because they knew they were doing a good job at their acting tasks. The same happened while filming "White Fang" and "Game of Thrones".

Studies that measured oxytocin levels, heart rates, and other biometrics showed that levels of bonding hormones rose and heart rates fell in both humans and their dogs after interacting with each other. In other words, when you pet your dog, both of you produce more of the same hormone in your brain that makes you fall in love with people, and both of you relax more.

Cows tend to moo differently depending on the region they live in. It's similar for goats, but goats will also adopt a new "accent" if they hang out with new goats for a while.

By leaving themselves vulnerable, they are saying that they trust each other.

According to Rob Swihart, a professor of wildlife science at Purdue University, gray squirrels bury their food (nuts, acorns, etc.) all over the place but often forget to dig them back up. Those buried seeds have a good chance of becoming full-grown trees.

Fish can learn to recognize their owner. People have a misconception that fish can't see out of the glass of their aquariums, but the reality is that they have surprisingly good eyesight. They also tend to have different personalities. For example, some fish like to be petted.

A bunch of other animals also do this too

Seahorses tend to be monogamous and will intertwine their tails to stick together while floating through the ocean. Is it because they’re cute and loving, or is it just an evolutionary aspect of their species? The truth is, seahorses are pretty bad swimmers and spend a lot of time hiding from predators. Finding a mate for life boosts their chances of successful reproduction.

Scientists at the University of St. Andrews state that "Each dolphin produces its own unique signature whistle that describes its individual identity. The new study suggests that in fact dolphins are mimicking those they are close to and want to see again."