ANIMALS

Dropped Eyeballs and Cussing Crows: The 15 Weirdest Headlines of 2021

Loud insect sex and a crypto-trading hamster are just two of the many reasons 2021 was anything but boring.

The last thing some Welsh residents thought they'd ever see.

'I Dare Not Go Out of My House': A Rampaging Squirrel Attacked 18 Residents of a Welsh Village

Stripe, a disturbed squirrel, was said to have chased people and pets down streets and bit them hard enough to draw blood before finally being captured.

Why Your Dog Should Never Drink Coffee

Even if your dog begs for a taste of your coffee in the morning, letting them try it in any form is a bad idea.

Do Camels Really Store Water in Their Humps?

Where do camels store water? The humps may be the most obvious answer—but that doesn’t mean it’s correct.

Without Ed Lowe, we might not be so friendly with cats.

Ed Lowe, the Inventor Behind Kitty Litter

With kitty litter, Ed Lowe changed how cats and humans bonded. But not everyone understood the idea: One woman tried feeding it to her cat.

This Australian Bird Can Mimic the Sounds of Cameras, Chainsaws, and Car Alarms

The talented lyrebird can mimic almost any sound it's exposed to, including those of cameras, chainsaws, and car alarms.

Eumillipes persephone has legs and knows how to use them.

It's Official: With 1306 Legs, This Millipede Has the Most of Any Animal

Found 200 feet below ground in Australia, 'Eumillipes persephone' has 1306 legs to scamper around with.

Chimpanzees hang out in Gombe National Park.

9 Amazing Facts About Chimpanzees

Chimpanzees share about 98 percent of their genes with humans, but you wouldn't want to invite this side of the family over for dinner.

Young female Goliath bird-eating spider.

The World’s Largest Spider Is as Big as a Newborn Puppy

Measuring nearly a foot wide and weighing more than a third of a pound, the Goliath bird-eating spider is the largest spider in the world.

Cosmo the crow gave some kids in Oregon a lesson in swearing.

A Profane Crow Made Friends at an Elementary School Before Being Expelled

The crow, known as Cosmo, made a stir at Allen Dale Elementary by teaching kids a few choice expletives.

10 Fascinating Facts About Orangutans

Orangutans spend 95 percent of their lives in trees, and that's only one of these ginger-haired apes' unusual traits.

11 Fascinating Facts About Chipmunks

What do chipmunks eat? Baby birds, occasionally. Do chipmunks hibernate? Yes, but not like bears do.

Science is finally understanding the full extent of cat psychopathy.

Is Your Cat an Actual Psychopath? Take This Test and Find Out

Science supports what we've long suspected: Cats can exhibit psychopathic tendencies. This online test can measure just how dangerous they really are.

Dogs aren't really into the whole social media thing.

People on TikTok Are Barking at Their Dogs—And Animal Behaviorists Are Begging Them to Stop

The 'Bark at Your Dog Challenge' may be garnering millions of views, but animal experts say that chuffing at your pet is also an excellent way to get bitten.

Scientists Captured Footage of the Rare—and Very Large—Phantom Jellyfish

The giant phantom jellyfish has been spotted roughly 100 times since it was discovered more than a century ago.

The 40 Most Popular Pet Names of 2021

More people are naming their cats ‘Loki’ than their dogs. Also, ‘Brady’ is less popular in Boston than it used to be.

Giant African land snail shells are about the size of an adult human's fist.

10 Huge Facts About Giant African Land Snails

The first thing you notice about giant African land snails is that they're ginormous. The second thing is that they're not limited to Africa.

The Trigona species of bee, which includes bees of the meat-eating variety.

Don't Bee Alarmed, But Certain Bees Have Evolved to Feast on Meat

The 'vulture bee' found in Costa Rica can do pollen, but it also likes to dine out on rotting animal carcasses.

Olga Chetvergova/iStock via Getty Images

The Best Ways to Feed Medicine to Picky Cats and Dogs

Even the best-trained cat or dog is likely to run away if you try feeding them a pill without a game plan.

"No! You're the one who's not listening!"

Star 'Trossed Lovers: Albatrosses, Usually Mates for Life, Are Getting 'Divorced'

The albatross can remain with the same partner for decades, but changes in the environment are raising their "divorce" rates.

Are Zebras Black With White Stripes or White With Black Stripes?

What color are a zebra's stripes? Though it may sound like a philosophical query, it is possible to answer this question with science.

Turkey is good enough for your holiday dinner, but the eggs are a bit too pricey for your omelet.

Why Don't We Eat Turkey Eggs?

Turkey eggs are perfectly edible, but you definitely won't find them at your local grocery store. Here's why.

The Mental Floss team drops all of these fun facts and more at cocktail parties.

20 Amazingly Random Facts We've Learned in 20 Years of Mental Floss

No Mental Floss celebration—and no celebration of Mental Floss—would be complete without dropping a few fascinating facts and tidbits of trivia.

Careful Where You Step—These 20 Cities Have the Most Dog Poop

If you go for a walk in any one the 20 worst U.S. cities for dog poop, just remember to look down every 5 to 10 seconds.

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