Amazing Animal Facts Quiz

The cheetah is the fastest land animal, reaching up to 70–75 mph in short bursts. It can accelerate from 0 to 60 mph in just about 3 seconds — faster than most sports cars! (The peregrine falcon is faster overall, but only in a steep dive, not on land.)

Horses can doze lightly while standing up, thanks to a special 'stay apparatus' in their legs that locks joints in place. They do lie down for deeper REM sleep, but it is only for short periods.

Lobsters keep growing for as long as they live, molting their shells and getting bigger over time (though the rate slows with age). Some have been found that are over 100 years old!

The blue whale is the largest animal ever known to exist on Earth. It can reach up to 100 feet long and weigh as much as 200 tons — even heavier than the largest dinosaurs.

A group of crows is called a 'murder,' one of the most memorable collective animal names. No one is entirely sure how that name came about, but it has been used in English since at least the 15th century.

The hummingbird is the only bird capable of sustained backward flight. Their wings beat in a figure-eight pattern up to 80 times per second, giving them extraordinary aerial control.

Of an octopus's three hearts, two branchial hearts pump blood through the gills to pick up oxygen, while one systemic heart pumps oxygenated blood to the rest of the body. The systemic heart actually stops beating when the octopus swims, which is why they prefer crawling.

Bats are the only mammals capable of true powered flight. Flying squirrels and gliders only glide — they cannot generate lift or gain altitude the way bats can.

Garden snails can hibernate (or estivate in heat) for up to three years when conditions are too cold or dry. They seal themselves inside their shells with a layer of mucus and dramatically slow their metabolism.

The Greenland shark holds the record for the longest-lived vertebrate, with some individuals estimated to be over 400 years old. They grow just one centimeter per year and do not reach sexual maturity until around age 150.

A slug has four tentacles on its head: the upper pair holds its eyes, and the lower pair acts as noses for smelling and tasting. Each pair can be retracted independently.

The sperm whale produces the loudest sound of any animal — its clicks have been measured at around 230 decibels underwater, the highest recorded sound level of any creature. The clicks are used for echolocation to hunt prey in the deep ocean.

A typical cat has about 53 vertebrae — far more than a human's 33 — including roughly 22 to 23 in the tail alone. All those extra, flexible joints are part of why cats can twist in mid-air and usually land on their feet.

Planarian flatworms have extraordinary regenerative powers — a tiny piece of one can regrow into a completely new worm, including a new head and brain. Scientists study them as a model for understanding stem cells and regeneration.

Adult elephants cannot jump — their enormous weight and the downward-pointing bones in their legs mean they can never get all four feet off the ground at once. They can, however, swim very well (using the trunk as a snorkel) and move quickly on all four legs.