15 super weird animal facts

We live on a pretty incredible planet, which we share with some crazy creatures.
When we recently stumbled across a list of random animal facts on Mother Nature Network, we simply had to share some of the most fascinating ones with you!

Check them out below:
Do you have any to add? Tell us in the comment section below or send us your funky facts to info@traveller24.co.za

1. Octopuses have three hearts – two are used to pump blood beyond the animal’s gills, a third is used exclusively to send blood to the organs

2. A type of ‘immortal’ jellyfish is capable of cheating death indefinitely by reverting its cells to their earliest form and grow anew. At only 4 mm to 5 mm long, these tiny creatures basically have infinite lives.

3. Butterflies taste with their feet

4. Dolphins have names! Yes, these super cute marine mammals name themselves with ‘signature whistles’ and are able to recognise the signature whistles of other dolphins they know!

5. Elephants have a specific alarm call for humans. 

6. Squirrels can’t burp or vomit… ie they have a mean gag reflex! 

7. Male Gentoo penguins present the female with a pebble, as a sort of engagement proposal

8. A group of parrots is known as a pandemonium 

9. The claws of the mantis shrimp can accelerate as quickly as a .22 calibre gun… actually… the fact that the mantis shrimp even exists is pretty spectacular!

10. The silk spiders use to spin their webs is thinner than human hair, but 5 times as strong as steel of the same width

11. There are 24 species of dancing frog in the world 

12. Animals with small bodies and fast metabolism see in slow motion

13. Sea otters hold each other’s hands when they sleep so they don’t drift apart