Interesting Facts about Animal Life

A horse once lived to the age of 62 — his name was Old Billy, and he is known as the oldest recorded horse in history.

Dogs that live more than 18 years are very rare, but some have been known to reach over 20, and even up to 30 years. One of the oldest known dogs, Maggie from Australia, lived for about 30 years.

There was also a cat that lived to the age of 33. Cats can live very long lives, and the world record belongs to Creme Puff, who lived for 38 years.

Cats can’t see in complete darkness. When we say that cats can see in the dark, we mean they can see well in very low light, but not when there is no light at all.

Donkeys can eat thorns because the inside of their mouths is very tough. This protects them from sharp plants that would hurt other animals.

Dogs often go round and round before lying down. This habit comes from the time when their ancestors lived in the wild and used to flatten the grass before sleeping. Today, dogs still do it, even on smooth floors.

As early as 3700 B.C., ancient Egyptians knew and used more than twenty different kinds of dogs for hunting.

Cats are known to be very attached to their homes. When a cat is taken to a new house, it sometimes runs away and returns to its old place to live there again.

There is an old story that Maltese cats have hair growing on their tongues, but this is not true. All cats have rough tongues covered with tiny hard spines, not real hair.

Different animals eat grass but grow very different coverings:

In Ethiopia, some cows do not give milk unless they see a calf beside them. Farmers sometimes make a model calf from paper or cardboard to help with milking. This method works for some cows.

There is also a legend about a sheep on a farm in America that once had grass growing on its back, but there is no proof that this ever really happened.