While humans might be the smartest species on the planet, many animals are able to do things beyond our wildest dreams. Here are twelve astonishing animal behaviors that science can’t explain—even though we certainly have tried to do so. The natural world is filled with mysteries and, really, we could learn a thing or two from animals. Who knows what’s really going on?
Featured Image Credit: KostyaKlimenko /Depositphotos.com.
Bats’ Incredible Immune Systems
Bats are essentially like flying diseases as they carry deadly viruses such as Ebola & rabies—but without getting sick. Unlike other animals, they seem to handle these deadly pathogens relatively easily. Scientists are trying to understand how bats’ immune systems manage to tolerate these viruses without hurting them & whether we could use them to help humans.
The Regenerating Axolotl
The axolotl is sometimes called the Mexican walking fish & it has an extraordinary talent for regeneration. If it loses a limb, part of its spinal cord, or even sections of its heart or brain, it’ll regrow them perfectly—as if nothing happened. Of course, some other animals can do this. But unlike them, the axolotl’s new parts are fully functional & just like the originals. They have no scarring.
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Dolphins’ Complex Communication
Many people know that dolphins are intelligent and their communication skills are a big part of that. They use a combination of clicks & whistles to interact with each other. In fact, each dolphin even has its own signature whistle (kinda like a name) which it uses to identify itself and call to others. Even after years of research, we can’t fully decode their communication system.
Bees Solving Complex Problems
When bees are out collecting nectar, they somehow manage to figure out the shortest possible routes between flowers in a way that saves energy & time. This task is known in mathematics as the “traveling salesman problem.” It’s notoriously hard to solve—yet bees do it naturally with their tiny brains and no GPS.
Octopuses Mimicking Other Species
The mimic octopus is a master of disguise because it can change its shape, color & behavior to impersonate more than 15 different marine species. These include venomous lionfish and even jellyfish! Somehow, the octopus works out which creature is most likely to scare off predators and then mimics it. But we’re none the wiser over how the octopus makes such split-second decisions.
Jellyfish That Reverse Aging
Say hello to the tiny immortal jellyfish, Turritopsis dohrnii. When it’s hurt, stressed or just getting old, it doesn’t die. Instead, it transforms back into its youthful polyp stage & starts its life all over again and it can repeat this cycle indefinitely! Naturally, scientists are confused about how it reprograms its cells like this & despite lots of research, we’re still no closer to any answers.
The Mystery of Eel Migration
European eels have one of the most remarkable migrations on the planet and they start in rivers & streams across Europe. Then, they travel all the way to the Sargasso Sea in the North Atlantic Ocean to spawn. But the strange thing is that nobody has ever seen adult eels make the complete journey or return, even with scientists tracking them. The eels seem to vanish—then reappear again!
The Shrimp’s Superheated Snap
Despite its small size, the pistol shrimp is one of the most powerful creatures around. It can create bubbles that collapse with incredible force—in fact, temperatures inside reach up to 8492 degrees Fahrenheit (4700 degrees Celsius). That’s close to the surface temperature of the sun! Scientists are still trying to understand how the shrimp does this in water without causing more widespread effects.
Cows Aligning with Earth’s Magnetic Field
You may not realize it but cows have a strange habit of lining up with Earth’s magnetic field & satellite images show that cows usually face north or south. It really doesn’t matter if they’re grazing or resting. Scientists have spotted this odd behavior all over the world yet we can’t figure out how these animals sense the magnetic field!
Elephants Sensing Impending Earthquakes
Elephants seem to have a sixth sense with natural disasters and before earthquakes or tsunamis strike, they’ll head to higher ground or safer areas. How do they know what’s coming? The prevailing theory is that elephants might pick up on low-frequency vibrations or sounds that we can’t detect. Yet even that’s not fully proven.
Dogs Detecting Human Diseases
Some dogs are able to detect diseases in humans just by using their noses, with some being known to sniff out cancers by detecting tiny changes in a person’s scent. In fact, some alert dogs sense when their diabetic owner’s blood sugar is dropping dangerously low! We know that dogs have a sense of smell up to 100,000 times more sensitive than ours but that’s about it.
Birds Navigating Using Quantum Mechanics
Birds like the European robin have an uncanny ability to travel thousands of miles during migration and researchers think they might be using Earth’s magnetic field to find their way. But it’s not in any ordinary sense! The current theory is that these birds have proteins called cryptochromes in their eyes. Essentially, they can see magnetic fields through quantum processes.
Disclaimer: This list is solely the author’s opinion based on research and publicly available information.
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