Animals & Wildlife Facts

From the deepest oceans to your backyard, discover amazing facts about every creature on Earth.

Ocean Life

Sharks

450 million years of evolution made the ocean's most perfect predator.

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Dolphins

They sleep with one eye open, call each other by name, and might be smarter than we think.

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Octopuses

Three hearts, blue blood, nine brains, and the ability to squeeze through almost anything.

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Sea Turtles

Seven living species, an internal compass tuned to Earth's magnetic field, and ancestors that swam with the dinosaurs.

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Great White Shark

The ocean's most famous predator: 20 feet (6 m) long, 300 serrated teeth, and a sense of smell that can detect one drop of blood in 25 gallons (100 L) of water.

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Popular Pets

Dogs

Humanity's best friend for 15,000 years, and they can smell your emotions.

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Cats

32 muscles in each ear, 16 hours of sleep a day, and a purr that heals bones.

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Insects & Arachnids

Butterflies

From caterpillar soup to winged masterpiece. One of nature's greatest transformations.

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Prehistoric Life

T-Rex

The king of the dinosaurs had feathers, a crushing bite, and hilariously tiny arms.

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Flying Reptiles

Pterosaurs weren't dinosaurs. Some had wingspans wider than a fighter jet.

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Triceratops

A three-horned, frilled plant-eater of the Late Cretaceous, one of the last dinosaurs before the asteroid impact and a frequent rival of T-Rex.

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Birds

Penguins

18 living species, the deepest dive of any bird, and a male emperor that fasts 4 months on the ice while balancing an egg on his feet.

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Big Cats

Lions

The only cats that live in social prides, with a roar that carries up to 5 miles (8 km).

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Tigers

The largest cat species on Earth, weighing up to 660 pounds (300 kg), with stripe patterns as unique as human fingerprints.

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Cheetahs

The fastest land animal on Earth, reaching 70 mph (113 km/h) in short bursts, built for speed with a lightweight frame, a flexible spine, and semi-retractable claws.

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Reptiles & Amphibians

Snakes

Limbless hunters that smell with their tongues, swallow prey whole, and number more than 3,000 species worldwide.

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Komodo Dragon

The largest living lizard, a 10-foot (3 m) Indonesian predator with serrated teeth and venom glands that let it take down prey as large as deer, pigs, and water buffalo.

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Large Land Mammals

Elephants

The largest land animals on Earth, with a trunk that works like a hand and a memory that lasts a lifetime.

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Bears, Wolves & Wild Dogs

Wolves

The largest wild members of the dog family, pack hunters whose family groups, howls, and far-ranging territories were the model for the first domestic dogs.

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