You ever stop to think how cool and amazing animals can be? I mean really. Why are some
of them black and white? What kind of insect sees the whole world in slow-mo? Who is an
immortal being? Let’s find out!
We all know that a comedian tells jokes, but a chameleon can change its color. But it’s
not the only one! Flat fish such as flounder can merge with the seabed, like a real superspy.
Many types of seahorses are similar to chameleons. Not only because of their ability to change
color but also in that their two eyes move independently from each other. There are seahorses
that can't change color at will, but they’re born with a color to blend with their habitat.
Red for coral or green for algae, for example.
Octopuses change color faster than anyone. And closer to the water surface, when sunlight
reaches them, octopuses become transparent!
Snow hare changes the color of its fur, but... only twice a year. In winter, it is white
and disguises itself in snow to hide from predators. Also, its fur becomes longer to
protect the animal from cold. In spring, its fur turns grey.
Baby flamingoes are greyish-white. Algae and seafood they feed on contain a substance called
carotenoids, and thanks to it, over time, flamingoes acquire pink plumage. The plastic
ones – you can see in my backyard. By the way, carrots are orange exactly because of
carotenoids, but they’re not animals, so forget that.
Tigers don't change color, but their skin is peculiar too. Each tiger has unique stripes,
just like human fingerprints, and it’s their skin that bears those stripes, not just fur.
Yes, if you shave a tiger head to toe, it will still look like a tiger. Only bald.
Polar bears aren’t at all white. Their skin is black under the fur. They need white color
to disguise themselves while on the hunt. The color black absorbs the sun better than
any other, while white fur doesn't stop sunlight. Rays pass right through it. In a sense, polar
bear has transparent fur.
The black and white color of a zebra doesn't help it hide from predators. What it does
is help avoid bites of insects that carry diseases, such as a Tsetse fly. A fly sees
a zebra, but when approaching, it flies by or crashes into the animal and bounces off.
Nobody knows exactly why this happens. One theory says that the black and white coat
of a zebra creates an optical illusion that confuses insects.
Also, zebras can't sleep alone. They sleep in groups, having one of their ranks to watch
out for predators. Kind of a “Zebra patrol,” I guess.
Some black skunks have white spots, which they use as a warning to predators. The color
kinda says, “Hey, bugger off, or you'll get a lotta stink.” And predators dig this.
Scientists have found the reason why pandas are black and white. Giant pandas live in
areas where vegetation meets snow. The black and white coat helps to camouflage the bears
in such an environment. Also, pandas know each other by black spots around their eyes.
There's a myth that cats and dogs see the world in black and white. In reality, they
just can't distinguish some colors. Nobody knows how exactly dogs see. Some think they
only distinguish two colors. Could be blue and yellow, for all we know. But they can
see shades of other colors better than people! And cats have wonderful night vision. They
need about 7 times less light than a human to see in the dark.
Cows and bulls don't care how green the grass is. These animals don’t distinguish colors
well enough. And contrary to the popular belief, bulls don't care about red fabric. They react
to fast movement before their eyes. And because of the special eye structure, they think that
the surrounding objects are closer than they really are. That's why cows are often scared
when people come up to them.
Thanks to their tallness and good eyesight, giraffes can see the enemy approaching from
afar. Their head is like a watchtower. And they warn each other of the danger in a very
unusual way: with the help of their well-developed eyebrows. Like this! Or this!
Giraffes were thought to be mute. But recently, it’s been found that they make low-frequency
sounds at night to communicate with each other. It's likely that at night it’s difficult
to see the eyebrows, so they start talking this way. By the way, giraffes fight each
other with their necks. And, you were ever to get swallowed by a giraffe, it’s be a
long, long trip to the tummy.
Geckos have incredible night vision. These small lizards see 350 times better than humans
at night. This allows geckos to see the stunning starry sky. People can see such a sky only
through a telescope or in a sci-fi movie. But I doubt that geckos can enjoy the view.
Unless they catch sight of their home planet. Well they look like aliens…
Night vision doesn't work if there is no light at all. But some species of snakes are able
to see even under such conditions. They have infrared receptors on their heads. These help
the snake “see” the temperature. You know, like in spy movies.
Eagles have the sharpest vision of all. They can see a mouse from several miles away. These
birds of prey see a very clear image and are also able to scale vision, just like a camera
on your phone. But, of course, with a lot more megapixels.
Some insects, such as flies, have thousands of little sections in the eyes. Each section
can show only a small portion of the view, which makes it look like a puzzle. Flies see
a very fuzzy image. But they have a superpower: an ability to see everything in slow-mo. That’s
why a fly always gracefully dodges your newspaper.
Spiders have several pairs of eyes, which doesn't help them see very well, though. Some
spiders don't see at all or discern only light and shadow. They just focus on vibration of
the spider's web when something touches it. But there's one spider species with a perfect
eyesight: the jumping spider. It has eight eyes and can see the world in super HD. And
it’s also the cutest spider on the planet. Well it’s my opinion.
Some frogs can only see moving objects. There can be a lot of food around it but if the
“lunch” doesn't move, the frog won't see it.
Fish breathe with the help of gills, whales with the help of a hole on the top of their
head, and white-throated snapping turtles can breathe through their... butts. Scientists
call this cloacal respiration. And that’s about all I care to say about that.
Seagulls can drink saltwater. There are salt-secreting glands near their eyes. These glands purify
seawater very quickly. And the salty residue comes out through the nostrils.
Tiny little mice are really good at empathy. A mouse becomes sad and more susceptible to
pain if it sees another mouse being hurt. But this works only with mice that are friends
with each other. We call these “nice mice”.
The turritopsis dohrnii jellyfish can turn back time for itself by reverting to an earlier
stage of its life cycle. In essence, this makes it virtually immortal.
Butterflies, these beautiful insects, feed through the proboscis but feel the taste of
food thanks to their hind legs.
The Adélie penguins are real romantics. They have only one partner for life. The male must
give a smooth stone to the female to create a family. You could say that's kind of an
engagement ring. Like humans, though, a female penguin may refuse and not accept the gift.
Foxes are romantic too. Male foxes are good fathers and husbands. They are devoted to
their loved ones for life. They look after the females and even pick out fleas from their
fur. Male foxes improve their hole-houses and take an active part in their babies’
upbringing.
Gibbon apes also fall in love once and for all. They live in big groups, like human families:
parents, children, brothers/sisters, granny, and grandpa. And every morning the big family
sings. Gibbons are some of the best singers among all mammals, able to change the volume
and timbre of their voice. Gibbons are real jungle opera singers.
Dolphins can sleep with one eye closed and the other one open. Half of the brain dreams
and rests and the second half closely monitors the environment for signs of danger. The perfect
brain for sleeping during boring classes and meetings.
Besides, dolphins manually control their breathing. They can simply drown if their whole brain
is sleeping.
Sea otters are the cutest sleepers among all animals. In summer, because of the heat, sea
otters spend all the time in water. They swim on their backs and sleep in that position.
The babies are sleeping on their mother’s stomach. And two adults hold each other by
the paws so that they're not carried apart by water currents.
How cute! I guess we otter go see some otters, huh?
Hey, if you learned something new today, then give the video a like and share it with a
friend! And here are some other cool videos I think you'll enjoy. Just click to the left
or right, and stay on the Bright Side of life!