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Sea otters have a secret to staying close—they hold hands while they sleep! These adorable marine mammals, found along the Pacific coast of North America, often float on their backs in groups called rafts. To keep from drifting apart in the ocean currents, they wrap their paws around each other, forming a furry chain. It’s…
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Platypuses just keep getting weirder—they glow in the dark! In 2020, scientists at Northland College in Wisconsin discovered that platypus fur glows a greenish-blue color under UV light, a trait called biofluorescence. They were studying museum specimens when they noticed the glow, and later confirmed it in live platypuses too. This makes them one of…
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Giraffes are known for their long necks and quiet nature, but they’ve got a secret—they hum to each other at night! For years, scientists thought giraffes were mostly silent, only making the occasional snort or grunt. But in 2015, researchers at the University of Vienna recorded giraffes at three European zoos and discovered they make…
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Clownfish, those bright orange fish made famous by Finding Nemo, have a superpower—they can change gender! In the wild, clownfish live in small groups with one dominant female, one breeding male, and a few smaller, non-breeding males. The female is the biggest and the boss, leading the group in their anemone home. But if the…
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Platypuses are already weird with their duck-like bills and egg-laying habits, but did you know they have a sixth sense for hunting? These Australian oddballs use a superpower called electroreception to find their prey underwater. Their bill is packed with sensors that can detect the tiny electric fields created by the muscle movements of shrimp,…