Animals Facts for Kids
Amazing facts about creatures big and small
The largest known beaver dam, in northern Canada, is over 850 metres long and is visible from space — it took generations of beavers more than 40 years to build.
Mantis shrimp have 16 types of color receptors in their eyes, compared to just 3 in humans. They can see ultraviolet and infrared light that is completely invisible to us.
Flamingos are not born pink — they are actually grey. Their feathers turn pink because of pigments called carotenoids found in the algae and shrimp they eat.
Electric eels can generate electric shocks of up to 860 volts, powerful enough to stun a horse. They use electricity both to hunt prey and to navigate murky river water.
Naked mole rats are nearly immune to cancer and cannot feel certain types of pain, including the burning sensation from acid. Scientists study them in hopes of developing new treatments for humans.
The honey badger is listed in the Guinness World Records as the world's most fearless animal. It will confront lions, leopards, and even venomous snakes without backing down.
Crows can recognize individual human faces and remember people who have been mean to them. They have been known to scold and dive-bomb the same person years after a bad encounter.
The pistol shrimp can snap its claw so fast it creates a cavitation bubble that reaches temperatures as hot as the surface of the sun for a split second. The snap is louder than a gunshot and stuns or kills prey instantly.
The platypus has thousands of electroreceptors in its bill that detect the electric fields produced by the muscle contractions of its prey. It closes its eyes, ears, and nose underwater and hunts entirely by electricity.
A blue whale's heart is roughly the size of a small car and weighs about 400 pounds. Its heartbeat can be detected by sensors from over 2 miles away.