Lets not forget the other many thousands of species on Earth. Although I am interested in these cool facts and tidbits of trivia, being a veterinary student does limit my focus to companion and food animals. I am a trivia buff so the fact that a deep sea clam grows only 1/3 of and inch in 100 years really amazes me. However, that knowledge won't really help me when I'm in the clinic. Unless some old dude comes in and says "Ya gotta help my clam Doc! I've had him for 50 years and he hasn't gotten any bigger!"

Strongest Animal

The strongest animals relative to body size are the beetles of the Scarabaeidae family. In one test a rhinoceros beetle supported 850 times its own weight on it's back. Consider that in human terms it would be as if a 150 lb man could carry 127,000 lbs!

Worlds Most Poisonous Animal

The golden poison arrow frog (Phyllobates terribilis) of Colombia has a neurotoxin skin secretion that is so deadly the frogs cannot be handled with bare hands. Native Indians use the poison to coat their hunting arrows. The little guy on your right could kill you if only 0.2 micrograms of his poison got into your blood. Big things come in small packages!

Worlds Tallest Mammal

The tallest mammal is the giraffe. The tallest giraffe known was a 9 year-old bull named "George" who was a resident of the Chester Zoo in England. He was 20 feet tall at the tips of his horns. By the way, giraffes have no vocal cords.

The Worlds most Prodigious Eater

The biggest eater in the animal kingdom is not Rush Limbaugh. This prestigious award goes to the larva of the Polyphemous moth. In the first 56 days of its life it eat 86,000 times its own body weight! That is equivalent to a 7 lb human baby eating 600,000 lbs of baby food...now THAT is talent on loan from God!

The Worlds Sleepiest Animals

No matter how lazy he is your pet cat is no match for the armadillo, opossum, or the sloth. They spend an average 80% of their lives sleeping or dozing. Imagine how you feel at your 8:00 am class. Armadillos, opossums, and sloths feel that way all the time!

Worlds Largest Animal Ever

The largest animal that ever lived is the Blue Whale. The Blue Whale dwarfs even the largest dinosaur. A female specimen that was caught in the Southern Ocean weighed over 190 tons! She measured over 90 feet long. Her captures initially mistook her for Delta Burke skinny dipping. (ha ha)

Thanks to John Johnson for the Delta Burke joke

Did You Know...

...that male elephants retain their gonads within their bodies as opposed to be being contained externally in a scrotum? (This is probably to prevent other male animals from feeling inadequate)

Thanks to Dr. David G. Staubach DVM for this amazing animal fact!

...that sperm whales can descend to an estimated 10,000 feet when they are searching for food?

...that the heaviest gorilla ever was a mountain bull named N'gagi who was a resident of the San Diego Zoo? He weighed 683 pounds at his death in 1944. He could sleep ANYWHERE he wanted!

...that blue whales are not only the largest animal ever they are also the loudest. They emit low frequency pulses that have been measured at 188 decibels! They can be detected from 530 miles away.

...that bats can capture and eat from 600 to 1000 mosquitoes in one hour! Backyard bats are your friends and you shouldn't be afraid of them.

...that a group of kangaroo's is called a mob?

...that a group of frogs is called an army?

...that a group of ravens is called a murder?

...that a group of rhino's is called a crash?

...that a group of owls is called a parliment?

please take a number