24 Adorable Animal Facts That I Think It's Important For You To See Today

Even when given the chance, paired up seahorses don’t cheat, and each morning couples wrap their tails together and dance around seagrass to cement their bond.

No one really knows why otters shuffle these rocks around, but they all do it – from young to old. When they’re not being juggled or used to crack open clams, the rocks are stored in pockets of baggy skin under their arms.

Baby otters can’t swim at all, and it’s really easy for them to float away. They also hold hands when they swim – cute right!?

If a prairie dog crosses paths with another that they’re friendly with, they’ll give each other a cute little peck. And this isn’t the only way that they’re like us – researchers at a US zoo found that when people were watching them, the prairie dogs played up to the attention and kissed and hugged each other even more.

Research found that mama dolphins sing them their “signature whistle,” which is pretty much the equivalent of them teaching the babies their name.

Contrary to popular belief, fish actually have a decent memory and good vision, so if you’ve got a pet one, chances are he knows your face. In some places, it’s illegal for fish to be kept in bowls as they’re thought to distort their vision.

Their vacant stares might not show it, but cows are actually very deep, and studies show that when they’re separated from their besties they get stressed 🙁

It’s not that common though – studies found that adult squirrels only tend to do this if the orphan is the baby of a squirrel who was closely related to them.

Just like humans, parrots name their babies, and not only do they call each other by their names, they also use them to identify and refer to themselves. How clever!

Anyone who’s been near an excited dog knows that things can get a little hectic, and while dogs can sneeze due to irritants, they also engage in what is known as “play sneezing” – a clever way to tell you that all their energy positive and they’re playing, not attacking.

Yep, sometimes the pettee becomes the petter, and this is basically them showing you that they love you back.

The tail is an extension of the spine, and while some are able to control it, most often, wagging is an involuntary response, kind of like how humans smile and laugh. While wagging can sometimes mean they’re apprehensive, most of the time it’s because they’re happy. Makers of many movies, including The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe and Cujo have reported cases of excited wags and sticking out tongues distracting from the movie’s dark themes.

We all know that octopuses are very intelligent creatures, so it should be no surprise that they want to live in style. Decorations can be anything from abandoned bottle caps to pretty shells.

Cats have learned that humans don’t understand cat-to-cat communications, so scientists believe they’ve developed meows as a way to “talk” with us. Anyone with a cat knows that different meows mean different things, so it’s a pretty legit language.

Cats do this slow blink to humans and other cats that they know because in the feline world, closing their eyes is a sign of feeling safe. Experts recommend returning the slow blink as a way of building trust.

In the wild, tigers obviously have to be aware of what’s around them, so closing or squinting their eyes lets their guard down and shows that they feel safe and comfortable.

Unlike their big cat peers, cheetahs can’t roar, climb, or see in the dark very well. Their larynxes aren’t adapted to roar, so instead they make really adorable purring and chirping sounds.

Social interaction is essential for guinea pigs’ happiness, so Switzerland ruled that keeping just one counts as animal abuse. They’re obviously creatures who form strong attachments, and if they lose their partner they can get very lonely, so it only makes sense that the matchmaking services are in high demand.

Most new guinea pig owners are slightly alarmed when their new pet starts jumping around and squeaking at the sight of new hay or some tasty food, but it just means they’re happy. It’s most common among baby piggies, but adults sometimes do it when something very excitable happens.

African elephant herds are full of community spirit – baby elephants learn how to make their way through the world from their parents and older members of the herd – female elephants often care for younger ones, and they’ve been found to develop very close bonds.

Sucking their trunks is a reflex that help them to breast feed, but studies show that they also suck them for comfort. It’s really common in babies, but elephants of all ages have been known to suck their trunks, especially in nerve-wracking situations.

Before wolf cubs leave their dens, the older members will bring them food and play with them. Once they’re old enough, they spend time out in the open, and most often one adult will stay nearby to supervise.

Pets and wild rats have been known to play the classic game, and they’re pretty good – when scientists studied this, they found that they developed winning tactics. They also found that they chose to prolong the game rather than just getting a reward, which suggests that they really enjoy it.

Members of the corvid family (crows, ravens, jays, and magpies) are really clever, and can recognise individual faces. In studies, they’ve been found to remember humans who treat them fairly, and even warn their winged friends about those that don’t.