20 Weird Animal Facts That Seem Too Bizarre to Be True

Think you are an on expert on the animal kingdom? If you love weird facts, you're in the right place! Weird animal facts are not only entertaining conversation starters, but they are great examples of the oddities of evolution.

For instance, did you know wombat poop comes out in cubes? Or that flamingos eat with their heads upside down? We have discovered some of the most bizarre animals facts that are sure to surprise and delight you!

If you ever come across a perspiring hippopotamus, you might be in for a fright! These animals get hot just like the rest of us, but their sweat is not only thicker, it is also a crimson red color.

No need to fret though - this is actually a chemical reaction! The sweat comes out clear, but once it's exposed to air, it only takes a minute or so for it to turn a ghastly color. Interestingly, their sweat serves as a natural type of sunscreen.

Related: 109 Animal Trivia Questions & Answers: Test Your Critter Quotient

Talk about getting spruced up for the holidays! Reindeer actually have gold eyes in the summer and blue eyes in the winter to help them see better. "With long hours of bright light in the summer and almost total darkness in winter," this helps them to capture the light more effectively.

This weird animal fact is a little gross, but scientists note that "if you slice a whale earplug lengthwise, it will reveal alternating light and dark layers". The lighter shades are associated with feeding periods, while the darker shades coincide with periods of migration. Scientists have been using this whale aging technique since the 1950s.

Okay, you may not get into a slapping match with a platypus anytime soon, but don't let his cute face fool you if you happen to run across one in the wild! It turns out that duck-billed platypuses are one of the few mammals on earth that produce venom. It is located in the claws of the male platypuses.

If you were to get scratched, while it isn't fatal, experts note that victims have "swelling and immediate and excruciating pain, which cannot be relieved through normal first-aid practices." Morphine won't even do the trick!

Crabs give new meaning to the phrase "finger-licking good." While they do have tastebuds in their mouthparts, they also have chemoreceptors that allow them to distinguish between different flavors on their antenna and their feet! This is how crabs find their food.

Termed 'bubble net feeding,' humpbacks catch their prey by blowing an exorbitant amount of bubbles. This causes small fish to flurry into a ball, which makes for the perfect bite-sized snack - at least in whale terms.

Unfortunately, this can lead to some scary encounters for the folks who are too close when the whale decides it is time for a bite.

Say what? How do they feed their young without nipples? We're glad you asked, because this is one of our more bizarre animal facts. Duck-billed platypuses sweat out their milk and the babies lick it off their skin.

And if that weird animal fact wasn't enough, they are also one of two mammals on earth that lay eggs instead of having a live birth, and they swim with their eyes closed. What an odd duck...

Yes, you read that right! This recognizable monkey doesn't just have a long nose, if you know what we are getting at. The Proboscis Monkey is famous for having a perpetual erection. Oh, and just in case his everlasting excitement wasn't noticeable enough, their penises are bright red in color. Scientists don't exactly know why this is, but it certainly is a bizarre animal fact!

Turns out this is not as sweet as it sounds. Prairie dogs are very territorial and the way they determine if another dog is in their social network is to touch their teeth together. Called a 'greet kiss,' onlookers assume that this is a loving gesture, but if the visitor is unwelcome, fights inevitably ensue.

Interestingly, this is why you can't simply relocate one of these little creatures into any open field with other prairie dogs.

When it comes to animal facts, funny is always the best choice! Turns out that when you spot a group of sharks, you get a shiver down your spine for a reason. Groups of these fanged fish are called shivers! Other amusing animal group names include:

• A pandemonium of parrots
• A flamboyance of flamingos
• A quiver of cobras
• A conspiracy of lemurs
• A prickle of porcupines

Well actually, they have a taste for the yeast that makes this delicious drink. Nonetheless, if you want to rid your garden of these plant eaters, all you need to do is offer them a drink in a bowl-shaped container. By the time the snails are done enjoying their adult beverage, they will be even more sluggish than before, making them very easy to remove!

Turns out that even if Remy the rat made a bad dish, he still couldn't vomit it up. Rodents of all kinds, like rats, squirrels, gophers, and even beavers, do not have the ability to regurgitate.

Researchers attribute this to a lack of the neurological circuits required to upchuck one's lunch and to a weak diaphragm. Unfortunately for them, this is why rat poison is so darn effective.

Again, you did not misread that statement! While these furry creatures appear to be white, they actually have black skin and translucent hair. They only appear to have a snowy color because the hair reflects the visible wavelengths of light in the atmosphere.

This is why some photos make these cold weather creatures appear green, orange, and even, yellow. The reasons for these monochromatic colors are actually quite simple - their white extrerior helps them to stay camoflauged in the icy environments they live in and the black skin helps them to stay warm!

Not only do their genitalia have this quirky shape, but they also can also reach remarkable lengths. In fact, an Argentine Lake Drake holds the Guiness World Record for the longest avian reproductive organ, measuring at 16.7 inches long!

These mythical creatures are classified as odontocetes, otherwise known as a toothed whale. However, unlike other animals in this category, they only have one tooth, and it is not located in its mouth. It is the large tusk that protrudes out of their face. Because of this, they actually consume their food by sucking it up whole.

While it would be nice that they feel a little remorse for murdering their meals, crocodiles do not tear up while eating food because they feel bad. Instead, their 'crying' is the result of physiological factors.

You see, scientists believe that the "hissing and huffing [...] that often accompanies feeding [forces air] through the sinuses [that] may mix with tears in the crocodiles' lacrimal, or tear, glands emptying into the eye." Hence, crocodile tears.

Hummingbirds are a tiny bunch. The biggest can reach just a gram above the weight of a AA battery and the smallest can drop below the weight of a penny. Seems impossible, but these backwards-flying birds are the epitome of adorable! They are also the fastest flappers of all birds, with wing flaps reaching up to 200 times per second.

Not ready for a baby? Turns out that there are over 130 species that can put their pregnancies on pause to ensure that they birth their babies at the perfect time. Seems like a dream, right? Some of these animals include kangaroos, wallabies, possums, armadillos, deer, and rodents, to name a few.

Elephants have amazing balancing skills, but now that you think about it, you have never seen a photo or video of Babar or his brothers jumping off the ground. That's because elephants only have downward facing bones in their legs. This makes leaping into the air impossible.

When it comes to owls, a bird's-eye view is quite the perspective! These winged creatures can turn their heads up to 270 degrees, and for good reason. They actually cannot move their eyes. They are fixed forward, so turning their noggins is the only way to get a good look around.

Bizarre and funny animal facts are the best conversation starters or just to learn something new about our fascinating Earth! While elephants can't jump for joy, we can sure prance with excitement over learning new things about the creatures of this world.