Fun Facts about Animals

Animal Facts

• Fleas can jump 350 times its body length.
• Hummingbirds are the only birds that can fly backwards.
• Crocodiles cannot stick their tongue out.
• Starfish do not have a brain.
• Slugs have 4 noses.
• Only female mosquitoes bite.
• Polar bear skin is black!
• The only mammal capable of flight is the bat.
• A newborn kangaroo is the size of a lima bean.

Cat Facts

• Cats have 32 muscles in each ear.
• Cats have 4 rows of whiskers.
• Cats have no collarbone, which is one reason they are so flexible.
• Cats spend approximately 30% of their waking hours grooming themselves.
•  “American Shorthair” is the designation reserved for pedigreed cats, while similar-looking cats of mixed or unknown origin are called “domestic shorthairs.”
• Feline’s jaws cannot move sideways.
• Cats have over one hundred vocal sounds, while dogs have about ten!
• Cat whiskers are so sensitive they can detect the slightest change in air current.
• Cats have 26 baby teeth and 30 permanent teeth.

Dog Facts

• Dalmatians are born without spots!  They are born with plain white coats with their first spots appearing after they are 1week old.
• Dogs sweat through their foot pads to help keep them cool.  They also keep cool by panting.
• Greyhounds are the world’s fastest dogs with the ability to reach up to 45 mph.
• Every dog has a unique nose print with no two alike.
• The Basenji, an African wolf dog, does not bark in a normal way but may yodel or scream when excited!
• Snoopy, from Charles M. Schultz’s “Peanuts” comic strip, is a beagle.
• A dog’s sense of smell is 1000 times greater than a human!
• Nine percent of dog owners will have a birthday party for their pet.
• Dogs have 28 baby teeth and 42 permanent teeth.
• 94% of pet owners say their animal pal makes them smile more than once a day.
• The American Veterinary Dental Society states that 80% of Dogs and 70% of cats show signs of oral disease by age 3.

Written by Jackie Goldoff.