Random Facts About Animals That Just May Surprise You

Animals are a beautiful part of Mother Nature. They can make great pets, make us happy or sad, make us sneeze, and sometimes they can even scare us.   Animals are interesting and fascinating creatures that are studied by scientists and admired by many humans. Below we’ll dive into some of the most random facts about animals covering a variety of species.

Three Interesting Facts About Dogs

1. Dogs have heightened sense of smell and their sniffers are said to be 40 times more powerful than humans. This is why dogs are trained by police departments to sniff out crime scenes and follow the trail of scents that can help detectives solve crimes.   They also can detect the scents associated with medical issues such as cancer and diabetes. 
2. Dogs sweat from their paws. Because this doesn’t cool their bodies down enough, they pant. By panting, they are able to circulate cool air through their bodies and it helps to regulate their temperature.
3. The tallest dog is a great dane who stood over 44 inches tall. His name is Zeus and he even made the Guinness Book of World Records for his amazing height.

What is the Tallest Mammal on Earth?

Giraffes are the tallest mammals on earth. Female giraffes average 14 feet in height, while male giraffes average 18 feet in height. The tallest giraffe in the world was measured at 18 feet and 8 inches. His name is Forest and he lives in the Australia Zoo. Most giraffes have legs around 6 feet tall which is about the height of many adult male humans.

Three Interesting Facts About Zebras

1. While zebras look like they have black and white stripes, technically, zebras are black animals and their stripes are white.  Each pattern of stripes is unique to the zebra and scientists use the patterns to help identify zebras and distinguish them from each other.
2. A group of zebras is known as a dazzle. But the group can also be known as a herd or a zeal. Those are the random facts that just may creep into your next Zoom trivia game, so be sure to take note!
3. Zebras are part of the Equidae family, just like horses. Zebras can even breed with horses, but their offspring will most be often be sterile.

Why are Flamingos Pink?

Flamingos aren’t born pink, they get their color from the beta-carotene in the crustaceans and plankton that are common in their natural diet.  Flamingos residing at zoos will be white if zookeepers don’t feed them live shrimp or supplement their food with carotenoid pigments to help them obtain the pink color.

Three Interesting Facts About Elephants

1. African and Asian elephants can be distinguished by their ears and trunks. The ears of the African elephant are much larger and resemble the shape of the continent of Africa. Elephants have fingers on the tip of their trunks. African elephants have two fingers, while Asian elephants have one finger on the trunk.
2. The skin of an elephant is incredibly thick, and can get up to an inch thick.
3. Elephant tusks are actually enlarged incisor teeth and will grow continuously throughout their lives.

Will a Rhinoceros Eat Meat?

Nope! While rhinos are big hefty animals they are vegetarians (herbivores). They eat a variety of vegetation including leaves, grass, fruits and even twigs. 

Three Random Facts About Walruses

1. Walruses like to spend time in shallow water and are rarely found in deep areas of the ocean. 
2. The average lifespan for the walrus species is 35-40 years old.
3. Both males and females have tusks. The tusks are actually canine teeth which will continue to grow throughout their lives. They can extend up to 3 feet in length.

If you enjoyed these random facts about animals, you may excel at trivia games. Our trivia games work great when played on Zoom for virtual happy hours with small to midsize groups.   There are games with general knowledge trivia questions that everyone can have a chance to participate, or speciality games like movie trivia and sports games.  Find a themed game that will work best for your group.