Most of the time when we think of animals, we think of these cute, fuzzy little creatures. Well, we’re about to ruin that image for you with some gross facts about popular creatures that will leave you saying, “Ugh…”
Source available at the end.
Have you ever heard of the ingredient “castoreum?” Well, it’s been used in the past to bring out extra flavor in vanilla ice cream, as well as, add a fruity note to perfumes. So, what’s the big deal? “Castoreum” is actually a beaver’s anal secretions (anal liquids and urine mixed together). It’s the yellowish secretion that comes from a beaver’s castor sac, which is basically like the bladder they use when marking their territories. Because of its high cost, only luxury brands nowadays tend to still use it.
The average fruit fly only lives for 40 days. In an attempt to reproduce as much as possible, those legendary swarms you swat through over your kitchen counters are actually full on “live swinger parties” happening. Way to be a buzz kill! But no really, the flies will pair off to take part in some “foreplay” and 20-minute love making sessions before the female leaves to find a new partner and does it all over again. Because of their biology, the last male she sleeps with will actually be the only one who is able to get her pregnant. So, they actually have these “orgies” as a way to test out different partners.
Birds treat a stroke down from the head to the back as a sign of a mating ritual. So, every time you’re petting your bird, he or she is actually getting quite turned on. They will often start panting heavily, and if you really get them going with your strokes, they may even offer you regurgitated food that they’ve thrown up, which is like the ultimate sign. However, be warned, if you turn them on and then don’t reciprocate, they may get angry and start pecking at you.
At only 1 inch long, the ornate narrow-mouthed frog is a small creature that lives in parts of Southeast Asia. Its choice of shelter, a practical and free piece of Elephant poop. As it turns out, there are quite a few advantages that come along with this choice. The dung protects the frogs from the sun’s rays, and they can snack on the various bugs that are crawling through it, as well as, any left over food that the elephant may not have previously digested.
When a proboscis monkey is mad at you he will literally get an erection. The monkeys don’t actually “get hard” from being mad, more so they are always erect, but when they are upset, they will MAKE SURE you see their erect penises on display.
The greater short-horned lizard will actually squirt blood out of its eyes when it feels threatened. The muscles inside simply cut off the blood flow in the veins around the eyes and redirect it to squirt out. The blood can reach up to 4 feet away. So, watch out.
There is nothing scarier than a bored duck. When ducks get bored, as is the case with ones that are kept in captivity, they may turn into cannibals and go on duck-on-duck killing sprees, murdering family and friends in the process. As one witness describes it, “A male stole an egg from another duck’s nest and ate the fully formed chick from within IN FRONT OF the parents.” Savage.
A Scorpion can wriggle its tail off if it gets caught by a stinger. The stung tail will keep trying to pierce the attacker, thus allowing the scorpion to quickly get away.
Unfortunately, the scorpion’s tail also contains their anuses too. Since their tails don’t grow back, they end up becoming constipated. As a result, their insides gradually build up with poop, until one day, they explode. (This will usually take a few months, and they are in agony the whole time).
Storks, flamingos, vultures, and condors are known to poop on their own feet to stay cool. The process is known as “urohidrosis,” and it’s almost equivalent to our human sweating. Just instead of water exiting the body, it happens to be a mixture of poop and urine. The white powder that is left over when they do this is what helps protect them from the sun. However, the birds need to be careful and clean themselves, otherwise, they could end up with some bruising from having too much poop on themselves.
How do falcons in captivity breed? Well, it starts with a breeder trying to “imprint” one of the male falcons, which basically means trying to get him sexually aroused. If everything goes as planned, the falcon will then do his thing. The breeders wear a special hat that allows them to catch the male bird’s sperm. They can then inject that sperm into the female’s eggs. Sometimes, the breeder may also need to flirt with the female bird as well because she won’t let just anyone come near her eggs, unless she is already sexually aroused and presents herself as “open.”
This article has been rewritten based on the original source.