STRANGE Animal Behaviors Explained

The oddest, strange animal behaviors explained! From crimson-spraying lizard eyes to pom-pom twirling crustaceans

#10 Zebra Finch Ugly Counter
Beauty may be only skin deep among the common person, but for some species, it’s the difference between living a life in solitude and being able to procreate. But for the Zebra Finch, loneliness is rarely a problem as they have a back-up plan that’s a bit different. Females spend a lot more of their time and energy on their eggs rather than choosing especially attractive partners. Nearly all monogamous, zebra finches will stick with the same mate for life. As such, not every female finch ends up with a hunk, so to speak. To make up for a males genetic shortcomings, she will lay a larger egg than normal, more fully packed with nutrients and hopefully ensuring a better chance at survival and procreation for their offspring.
#9 Meerkat Practice
As demonstrated from the excellent job Timon and Pumba did with Simba in the classic Disney story of The Lion King, meerkats are great coaches! Practice makes perfect, and the meerkat gets it as demonstrated by its scorpion hunting lessons. When it’s time for young meerkats to begin learning to defend themselves against predators, elders in their family will bring the youth a deceased scorpion to practice slaying. As the youngster progresses, the elder will begin bringing back more and more live scorpions until the meerkat cub is capable of defending itself against the real deal. This highly intelligent practice helps prepare the entire population to turn what would otherwise be a painful, venom-stinging predator into prey.
#8 Cats Kneading
You might have seen this behavior on your lap or a sofa in which a common housecat will knead its paws onto a surface as if it were a professionally trained masseuse. But unless your footstool has a knot it needs worked out, there’s some other purpose at work here. Newborn kittens will often knead at their mother when feeding to help facilitate the flow of milk. It is thought by some that the act of kneading sticks with the cat as a behavior they associate with the comfort of feeding as an infant, similar to why a child may continue sucking their thumb. But that’s just one proposed theory as other researchers believe it may have to do with instincts associated with living outside and needing to make a bed within tall grass or other foliage. Different still is the belief that the action is meant to leave their mark, as kneading releases scents through glands on the pads of their paws. Regardless of the theory, though, kneading is generally seen as a positive behavior and a way for your feline friend to display contentment.