Bizarre animal behaviors you should know about
The scientific or objective study of animal behavior is known as ethology. There are countless animal species in our world and not all of them behave according to what we know about them. There are various genetically determined and some learned behaviors that cause some animals to act … strange. Of course, no matter what they do, there is always an explanation behind it. Here are some of the most bizarre animal behaviors that might interest you. Let’s get started!
Naked mole rats
Naked mole rats are truly ugly animals that are neither moles nor rats, but are, in fact, guinea pigs. Although they are blind, they can run as fast backwards as they can forwards, especially during the night. The one that runs fastest is the queen mole rat, who pushes away the other females in order to cause them stress. When under stress they release hormones that make them unable to procreate. The queen mole rat is the only one that mates and produces young.
Sheep
Do you think these cute, wool covered animals are herbivorous? Well, yes and no. Sheep are essentially vegetarians. That is, all the time they have grass to eat. In bad times, they will go for meat without thinking if they’re lacking the necessary nutrients to keep in reasonable health.
Female brown trout
Ladies, have you ever faked an orgasm and thought you are the only ones? Don’t bet on that, because the female brown trout is a master orgasm-faker. By faking it, the female trout deceives the male into thinking he’s mated successfully when in fact he has failed. She needs to do so in order to gain more time and perhaps find a better male to mate with. It’s bizarre enough to hear that the fish has an orgasm but to find out that it fakes it takes weird behavior to another level!
Giraffes and Hippopotamus
Are you ready for the most disgusting example of all animal behavior? Giraffes may seem elegant and sophisticated, but these tall mammals have one of the weirdest flirting habits in the whole animal kingdom. The female giraffe urinates in the mouth of the male as a sign she wants to mate. The male giraffe then knows he’s the chosen one. On the other hand, the hippopotamus is even more creative and chooses to urinate and defecate at the same time. Bizarre, don’t you think?
Horned lizards
There are some interesting looking lizards out there that don’t cause a shiver down the spine, but the horned lizard is not one of them. Apart from its looks, what’s creepy about the horned lizard’s behavior is that it can squirt an aimed stream of blood from the corner of its eyes in self-defense. When the camouflage doesn’t work as a predator protection, there comes the blood fountain. Terrifying, right?
Cows
If you like driving around through meadows, you must have seen a herd of cows grazing in the green pasture. But have you ever noticed that all of them are facing the same direction which is always north or south and never east or west? Why do they like to eat all facing the same direction, no one can tell.
Whales
We know that whales sing and make a lot of different sounds, mostly from seeing them in documentaries. What most of us don’t know is that whales’ voices are becoming deeper by a few hertz each year. Some say it’s because of the noise pollution or climate change, but nobody can give an accurate explanation.
Our planet is full of weird behaving animals, many of which we don’t always as being so. But it’s another reason to respect all living beings on earth and enjoy the biodiversity that surrounds us. It’s good to know that we are not the only weird species roaming this planet.
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