Years and years of research has brought to light fascinating facts about the wonderful creatures in the animal kingdom. Let's get to know them a little better today.
Goats pick up accents
Just like us, the accent and tone in goats can change which they usually pick up from their peers. A British study discovered that their behaviours also change over time, and get in sync with that of their social surroundings.
The immortal jellyfish
Scientists have found that Turritopsis Dohrnii (a species of small jellyfish) are capable of living an eternal life, by transforming themselves back into their juvenile polyp state once they have reached adulthood. Contracting their bodies, retracting their tentacles, and sinking to the ocean floor to start the cycle all over again—not just once—this is something that they can do over and over again. Let's all take a moment and pray that we come back as an immortal jellyfish in our next life. Fingers crossed.
Penguins propose to their other half
When little Pongo met Pengy, he knew it was love at first sight. He searched the entire beach for the perfect pebble to propose to Pengy with and finally found it. He mustered the courage to go ahead with the proposal and placed the pebble at her feet as a symbol of his affection.
It was a yes! She picked it up, and soon they tied the knot and lived happily ever after.
It's not a sequence from an animated film, it is actually how penguins propose to each other. It can get pretty romantic, we tell ya.
Elephants are social butterflies
A comprehensive study published in 2016 shows that elephants socially bond, mingle and get engaged in social activities with their family and peers a lot more than other animals. Social status is of top priority when it comes to elephants. Greeting ceremonies, funerals, parties, you name it, they've got it going.
Cows have best friends
When 27-year-old Krista McLennan measured the heart rates and cortisol levels of cows to see how they deal with being isolated from their herds for her PhD at Northampton University, she discovered that cows have best friends and they become stressed when they are isolated from them.
Farmers, if you are worried about milk yield, the key is to keeping your cows happy, and let them be while they hang out with their homies.
Oysters can switch their gender
These amazing creatures have put us under their spell flaunting their beautiful pearls, in addition to being a source of food and natural cleaners that filter pollution out of water. As if that weren't enough, oysters are also capable of switching their sexes. They are born male but may change their gender to a female and then decide to morph back to being a male again. Talk about superpowers.
