Dogs

• The Dingo and Basenji are the only two breeds of dogs that do not bark.

• The oldest dog documented is an Australian cattle-dog named Bluey who lived to the ripe old age of 29 years and five months!
• The Chow Chow and Shar-pei are the only dogs known that do not have a pink tongue – their tongues are blue!
• Dogs can get sun burnt and skin cancer. The most at risk are white dogs with pink on their noses and ears.
• Newfoundland dogs have webbed feet, a thick rudder-like tail and water-resistant double coat making it a very good swimmer!
• At the end of the Beatles song “A Day in the Life”, Sir Paul McCartney recorded an ultrasonic whistle that only dogs are capable of hearing, for his Shetland sheepdog.
• The Pekingese is one of the oldest breeds of dog in the world.
• The German government trained the first guide dogs to assist blind war veterans, at the end of World War 1.
• All dogs, descend from the wolf, no matter how big or small they are.
• The tallest breed of domestic dog is the Irish Wolfhound and the smallest breed of dog is the Chihuahua
• A dog’s nose contains millions of receptors giving them a much better sense of smell than humans.
• The phrase "raining cats and dogs" comes from 17th Century England. Many of these poor animals sadly drowned during heavy downpours of rain and their bodies would be seen floating in the fast-moving water that raced through the streets. The situation gave the appearance that it had literally rained "cats and dogs" which led to the current saying.
• Dogs were one of the first animals domesticated by humans.
• A dogs sense of smell is one of the best in nature.
• The worlds first ever space astronaut was a dog named Laikia. She was sent into space in an artificial satellite in 1957 by the Russian government.
• Since the 1600’s Bloodhounds have be used for tracking criminals.
• Dalmatian puppies are born without spots! They develop them as they get older
• To keep warm in winter, dogs sometimes curl up and cover their nose with their tail.
• Dogs sweat through the pads on the bottom of their feet.
• Three dogs survived the titanic sinking – a Pomeranian, a Newfoundland and a Pekingese.

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Cats

• Cats have been known to jump seven times their own height.
• Cats are usually pregnant for about 65 days. A variation of four days either way is not unusual.
• A cat’s tail is used to maintain its balance.
• The largest breed of domestic cat is the Maine Coone and the smallest breed of cat is the Singapura
• Cats can spend up to five or more hours everyday grooming themselves
• Majority of cat have five toes on their front paws and only four toes on their back paws!
• A cat’s tail held high is a sign of happiness.
• When a cat reaches 15 years old it has usually spent ten years of its life sleeping!
• It is impossible for cats to break a sweat – they have no sweat glands!
• Female cats can begin mating between five and nine months old.
• Male cats can begin mating between seven and ten months old.
• The most commonly used word for a group of cats is clowder.
• Ancient Egyptians believed that cats were sacred animals.
• Cat urine glows under black UV light.
• Out of all mammals cats have the largest eyes, in relation to their body size.
• The only big cat that doesn’t roar is a Jaguar.
• All species of wild cats hold their tails horizontally or tucked between their legs while walking. The domestic cat is the only species that can hold its tail vertically whilst walking.
• The only cat in the world that cannot retract it claws is a cheetah.
• Cats have a homing ability, like birds, that uses their biological clock, the angle of the sun and the Earths magnetic field.
• The heaviest cat on record was a tabby from Queensland who tipped the scales at 21.3kgs!
• A cats jaw cannot move sideways.
• Ailurophobia is the fear of cats.
• A cats eye sight is about six times better than that of a humans at night time because of the tapetum lucidum which is a layer of reflecting cells that absorb light.
• Cats do not have a true collarbone and can usually squeeze through any space they can get their heads through.
• To discourage your cat from using your furniture as a scratching post, lightly rub orange peel on it.
• Most cats do not have eyelashes.
• Cats almost never “meow” at other cats. This sound is reserved for humans.
• Cats can see six times better in the dark than humans can.
• When drinking, cats scoop the liquid up backwards with their tongue.

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Birds

• A ducks quack doesn’t echo and nobody knows why.
• The hummingbird is the only bird known that can fly backwards.
• The wandering albatross has the largest wingspan of any bird of up to 11ft.
• A hummingbird’s egg is about the size of a pea.
• The first bird domesticated by mankind was the goose.
• Emus are not able to walk backwards.
• The albatross is able to sleep and fly at the same time!
• A group of owls is known as a parliament.
• Penguins cannot fly though they can swim.
• A group of crows is known as a murder.
• Ducks only lay their eggs in the morning.
• The turkey was named for what was wrongly thought to be its country of origin.
• Owls cannot move their eyes, though to compensate can move their heads almost 360 degrees.

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Exotics

• Male Lady Bugs are usually smaller than the males.
• The name Butterfly originates from the yellow brimstone butterfly of Europe that is first seen in the early stages of spring or “butter” season.
• The Goliath Beetle is the biggest bug in the world measuring from 60-110mm and weighing between 80-100 grams
• The Praying Mantis is the only insect that can turn its head.
• Crickets hear through their knees.
• Honey bees are the only insects in the world that produce food for human consumption.
• Butterflies taste sensors are located beneath their feet!
• Female Lady Bugs lay in excess of 1000 eggs in their lifetime.
• If a cockroach loses a leg it can grow another one.
• Honey bees have hair on their eyes.
• The average housefly lives for about one month.
• Only female mosquitoes’ bite humans.
• Spiders usually have eight eyes,
• Cockroaches have been known to live for up to nine days without their head.
• The only landmass where butterflies don’t exist is Antarctica.
• It takes about 2 million flowers for honey bees to make about half a kilo of honey.
• A mosquitoes’ lifespan is about 2 weeks
• Only female black widow spiders have a poisonous bite.
• Locusts can eat their own body weight in food in a single day.

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Farm Animals

• A mule is a cross between a horse and a donkey.
• Cows can sleep standing up!
• The oldest recorded horse is an English Barge horse named “Old Billy” who lived to be 62 years old.
• Pigs are one of the most intelligent animals on Earth.
• Draft horses are amongst the strongest animals in the world.
• The tallest horse recorded is from England. He was a Shire named Samson measuring 7 feet, 2 inches tall.
• The smallest breed of cow is a Dexter. They were originally bred for household living.
• The average lifespan of a horse is 20-25 years.
• Pigs do not sweat. To cool themselves they roll in mud.
• Horses cannot breathe through their mouths.
• When milk leaves a cow’s body the temperature is approximately 36 degrees Celsius.
• A horse’s height is measured in hands. One hand = 4 inches
• Cows cannot walk downstairs because their knees cannot bend properly.
• Its physically impossible for pigs to look up into the sky.
• Thumbelina is the world's smallest horse, standing only 17 inches tall!
  - Submitted by Jane

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Reptiles and Amphibians

• The only continent frogs do not exist on is Antarctica.
• The king cobras venom is so poisonous that one bite can kill up to twenty people.
• Crocodiles cannot stick their tongue out.
• The salamander lizard breaths through its skin!
• The world’s smallest frog is the Brazilian Psyllophryne Didactyla, commonly referred to as the Gold Frog, measuring in at only 9.8 mm with its legs tucked in.
• There are no snakes in Ireland or New Zealand.
• The Burmese python can grow in excess of 20 feet long.
• Frogs do not need to drink water as they absorb it through their skin.
• The world’s largest frog is the Goliath Frog, measuring up to 33cm and weighing up to 3kg.
• Saltwater crocodiles from Asia can grow to more than 20ft long.
• The chameleons tongue is 1.5 times the length of its body.

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Fish and Aquaria

• A Starfish has no brain!
• Flying fish actually glide on wind currents above the waters surface.
• The largest animal to have ever existed is the blue whale, which is 96 feet long and weighs about 120 tons!
• Goldfish can lose their colour if kept in dim light.
• The Reef Stonefish is the most poisonous fish in the world. It lives off the Australian coast.
• Dolphins sleep with one eye open.
• Some Giant Squids eye balls can be as big as basketballs.
• The average life of a Goldfish is six to eight years.
• Jellyfish are 95% water!
• The whale shark is the largest known fish in the sea, weighing up to 20 tons and growing up to 40 feet in length.
• Fish sleep with their eyes open.
• Crayfish and lobsters eat their own shell after malting.

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Small Animals

• A rat can last longer without water than a camel can.
• Rabbit’s teeth never stop growing, up to 12cm a year!
• A group of rabbits is known as a herd.
• The Capybara, an Amazon water hog is the world’s largest rodent and can weigh more than 45kg.
• The highest rabbit jump on record is one metre.

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