Animal Behavior questions
85 fact-checked questions — tap any to predict the answer, then read why.
- Why can the same soft barn-owl feathers that mute flight make rainy hunting worse?
- Why is silent flight useful even if a mouse never hears the owl coming?
- Besides ordinary airflow noise, what sound can the velvety surface on owl flight feathers help reduce?
- At high wing angles, why can the comb-like feathers on an owl's leading edge make airflow quieter?
- What lets a barn owl glide slowly and quietly, apart from its fringed, velvety feathers?
- Male platypuses have venomous ankle spurs. Why are they probably not mainly prey-hunting tools?
- Why does a hunting platypus sweep its bill side to side instead of just pointing it forward?
- What can a platypus bill read from a shrimp's muscles rather than from water motion?
- Marine iguanas eat sea algae, then sneeze white salt. Why sneeze?
- Why can a seabird's salt gland beat its kidney at handling seawater?
- A gull drinks seawater but drips brine from its nostrils. Why there?
- When should you worry if a cat suddenly gets very clingy?
- A cat suddenly yowls more on spring nights. Which conclusion is weakest?
- Which claim about cats in spring is safest?
- A cat cuddles you in a sunbeam. Why might it choose that spot?
- Why may an open window make a cat patrol more?
- When a cat rubs your leg, what else may it be doing?
- Why might an unspayed female cat rub against things and yowl in spring?
- Why can indoor cats still react to spring?
- Which spring cue can affect a cat's breeding rhythm?
- Why might a normally independent cat become extra clingy in spring?
- Why do elephants flap their ears?
- Why do gorillas beat their chests?
- Why do parrots mimic human speech?
- Why do beavers build dams?
- Why do salmon swim upstream?
- Why do crocodiles cry tears?
- Why do polar bears have white fur?
- Why do anteaters have long tongues?
- Why do rhinos have horns?
- Why do male lions have manes?
- Why do owls hoot?
- Why do skunks spray?
- Why do cheetahs have spots?
- Why do hippos sweat red?
- Why do male deer have antlers?
- Why do hedgehogs roll into balls?
- Why do walruses have tusks?
- Why do hyenas laugh?
- Why do koalas sleep so much?
- Why do rattlesnakes rattle?
- Why do meerkats stand upright?
- Why do raccoons wash their food?
- Why do crickets chirp?
- Why do flamingos stand on one leg?
- Why do ants work in colonies?
- Why do sea otters hold hands?
- Why do three-banded armadillos roll into balls?
- Why do turtles have shells?
- Why do rabbits have long ears?
- Why do bears hibernate?
- Why do peacocks have colorful tails?
- Why do fish swim in schools?
- Why do frogs croak?
- Why do bees dance?
- Why do elephants have trunks?
- Why do dogs tilt heads when listening?
- Why do dogs eat grass?
- Why do animals hibernate in winter?
- Why do wolves howl?
- Why do frogs croak at night?
- Why do porcupines have quills?
- Why do kangaroos hop instead of walk?
- Why do sloths move so slowly?
- Why do camels have humps?
- Why do bats hang upside down?
- Why do bees make honey?
- Why do squirrels bury nuts?
- Why do zebras have stripes?
- Why do owls turn their heads so far instead of just moving their eyes?
- Why do snakes shed their skin?
- Why do cats' eyes glow in the dark?
- Why do penguins huddle together?
- Why do dogs have wet noses?
- Why do cats purr?
- Why do woodpeckers peck trees?
- Why do cats land on their feet?
- Why do chameleons change color?
- Why do dolphins sleep with one eye open?
- Why do fireflies light up at night?
- Why do dogs wag their tails?
- Why do elephants have such good memories?
- Why do horses sleep standing up?
- Why mosquitoes bite some people more?
- Why do birds migrate?