13 Disturbing Facts About Adorable Animals
Sure, these animals are cute to look at, but WHAT DANGERS LURK JUST BENEATH THE SURFACE?!! We found some highly disturbing information about animals that have probably made you d'awww in the past, and thought we'd pass it along.
If never looking at a precious baby animal the same way again is your cup of tea, this Reddit page is a great resource for learning all about the animal kingdom. If it's not your cup of tea, but you can't resist the allure of a baby sloth, venture forth and SLEEP NO MORE!!
- 1
Kangaroos Keep Cool by Licking Their Arms
There's a network of blood vessels there, and the layer of saliva facilitates heat escaping as it evaporates.
- 2
Male Honey Bees Mate Once, Then Their Genitals Explodes and They Die
Here's a disturbing quote: "Honey bee mating is one of the most dramatic examples of sexual suicide in the insect world."
- 4
Lions Mate 20-40 Times a Day During Mating Season
When a lioness is in heat, she will shack up with one (or more) lions for a few days, and they will do it so much they don't even have time to eat.
- 5
Orcas Kill Sharks by Slowly Suffocating Them
Orcas have figured out that when you quickly flip a shark over it becomes paralyzed. They do this to slowly suffocate a shark to death. Think of all the sharks that kid murdered when he released the whale at the end of 'Free Willy.'
- 6
The CIA Tried to Train Cats to Be Spies
The CIA tried to spy on Russia during the Cold War by implanting microphones and antenna in cats, but it turned out cats are too hard to tame. The program, Operation Acoustic Kitty, cost over $20 million dollars. We're shocked Operation Acoustic Kitty isn't the name of a jam band at Bonnaroo.
- 7
The Skin of a Hippopotamus Can Weigh 500 Pounds
Look at this cute lil' baby hippo. Just think, when it's all grown up, its skin alone will weigh as much as a lion.
- 8
An Otter's Nostrils and Ears Seal Shut Underwater
The idea of this guy's face hermetically sealed is somewhat unsettling, to put it mildly.
- 9
Butterflies Taste With Their Feet
Just think, the next time a butterfly lands on you, it's basically deciding whether or not it wants to eat your face.
- 10
Tarsiers Can Jump 40 Times the Length of Their Body
Thanks to their unusually long ankle bone (called a tarsal, hence the name).
- 11
Binturongs Smell Like Popcorn
The smell comes from an oil gland just under their tail, so the scent of an animal's butt just made you a little hungry.
- 12
A Turtle Shell Is an Evolutionary Modification of a Rib Cage
- 13
A Wolverine Can Take Down an Animal the Size of a Caribou
D'awww look at this guy, ready to stalk and kill an animal several times its size, CUUUUUUUTE!