15 Incredible Animal Behaviors That Will Impress You

The Animal Kingdom is the greatest show on, well, on Earth. Ever since we apes climbed down from the treetop canopy and decided to study the other animals that litter the landscape, it seems that nothing has caught our attention more than the multitude of truly astonishing creatures that we share this planet with. Nothing is more impressive than watching an eagle soar high into the sky or to hear the trembling roar of a pride of lions out in the savannah. However, while the Animal Kingdom is a truly majestic place, for the most part, it's also pretty darn weird. From the most ferocious sibling rivalry in the natural world to stone-age puffins, here's 15 incredible animal behaviors that will impress you. Confused Chicken Takes Care of Kittens For our first entry, while you may not have expected the humble chicken to take the top spot in this incredible list of animal shenanigans, wait till you see what this little hen hatched. Now, naturally, chickens like to roost and straw when they lay their eggs, and they spend pretty much every waking hour of the day sitting on top of their eggs while their chicks develop inside. Soon enough, their tiny, fluffy chicks will hatch and enter the world and thank their devoted mothers for incubating them safely and soundly. In fact, the roosting instinct of a so much so that back in 2017, one particularly confused chicken took it upon herself to roost on top of a litter of newborn baby kittens. You see, while we don't always think of chickens as friendly or cuddly animals, these animals are astonishingly affectionate, and so when this extra-loving hen found a strange new set of babies in her chicken pen, she decided to share the love and readily assume the role of motherhood. While the actual mother of these kittens had gone out to hunt for food, this hen decided to let her mothering instincts take over in order to protect the newborns, and allegedly, when the mother cat returned, she had a hard job of getting back to her babies. Yeah, the hen was super protective of her kitten chicks. Hey, you know what they say, it takes a village to raise a child, or in this case, a chicken coop. So what are you waiting for? Carrier Crab Using a Shield The ocean is a weird and wonderful place, but few sea creatures are as impressive as the unlikely pairing of a duo of a fiery red sea urchin and a carrier crab who teamed up at the bottom of the red seabed in order to avoid being eaten. As a whole, sea urchins are one of the ocean's weirdest creatures, and they come in a multitude of different species, ranging from strangely shaped bodies and varying varieties of spiky shells. They exist at pretty much every depth of the ocean, and their characteristic spines are considered to be some of the most marvelous mechanisms in the animal kingdom. However, few animals appreciate the spiny defensive edges of sea urchins more than their best buddy, the carrier crab, a sea creature that picks them up and uses them as a shield against predators. While it may seem like some kind of one-way relationship, where the crab uses the sea urchin as a virtual human shield against others that want to eat it, the truth is the sea urchin benefits greatly from the pairing. You see, sea urchins aren't exactly the most mobile of creatures, and by hitching a ride with the carrier crab, they're taking to new feeding grounds with a better chance of bagging themselves a meal. As far as both of them are concerned, it's a win-win for everyone involved. The carrier crab gets to defend itself with one of the spikiest shields in the ocean, and the sea urchin gets to go on a brand new adventure. Bald Eagle Free-falling Bald eagles are truly astonishing animals, and despite being one of the most ferocious winged predators on the planet, they're also amongst the most graceful and acrobatic creatures on Earth as well. In what's considered to be one of the most incredible mating rituals in the animal kingdom, both male and female bald eagles are known to fly to extraordinary heights where they then lock talons together before tumbling and cartwheeling downward through the skies. Locked in a frenzy of feathers, the bald eagle pairings will plunge back towards the Earth when they'll release just split seconds before releasing from their locked talons, sometimes just a blink of an eye before hitting the ground. Yeah, pretty close call, right? This eye-watering maneuver, known as the cartwheel display of death spiral, is considered to be one of the most spectacular courtship rituals in nature, and it's thought to be a test by both eagles in order to determine the fitness of their mating partner. Hey, that's one heck of a first date! Anglerfish Lovebites Speaking of first dates, while this one may be one of the most grotesque and unfortunate pairings in animal kingdom, deep-sea anglerfish are weird creatures, that goes without saying, characterized by their huge, luminous, dangling bulbous that protrude from their heads as they scour the darkest depths of the ocean in order to hunt down their unfortunate prey. These fish may be amongst the strangest animals on the planet. However, did you know that out of every anglerfish you've ever seen, all of them are female? Yeah, in what is considered to be one of the most extreme examples of demorphism in the animal kingdom, essentially the female deep-sea anglerfish is an entirely different species compared to its male counterpart. In fact, the male members of the species are barely visible, but they've been there pretty much all along, and the males, which are often less than half an inch in length, mate through a process known as parasitism, where they latch onto the skin of their female counterparts, burrow their heads into their skin, where the two fish then fuse together for life. Yeah, I guess that's one way to do it, right? Army Ants March to the End Ants are mesmerizing creatures, and if you've ever studied the efficient intricacies of an ant colony, you'll know that these tiny insects are some of the most hard-working creatures on planet Earth. From queen to soldier to worker ant, every single member of an ant society plays an integral role in upholding their colony, and so it makes one of the most depressing events in nature even more difficult to swallow, when an ant civilization suddenly descends into a complete and utter collapse without warning. In what's known as a death spiral, Mother Nature's creepiest metaphor seemingly only occurs in army ants, which unlike other kinds of ants, do not make a permanent nest for their colony, instead choosing to be always on the move while they're alive. While there are over 200 varieties of army ant, the vast majority of them are blind, and they typically follow the scent trails of other ants before them in order to navigate. However, if one of those ants becomes misdirected, it can create a chain reaction that causes the entire colony to march in a spiral, aimlessly descending into chaos before starving to death. Yikes, that's pretty bleak, right? Sand Tiger Shark Sibling Rivalry Speaking of bleak, if you ever thought that you disliked your own siblings, well take a look at the sibling rivalry of the sand tiger shark, and you may think twice about cussing out your brothers and sisters. In a terrifying new discovery, it has recently been revealed that cannibalism in sand tiger sharks actually occurs while inside the womb. Female sand tiger sharks actually have two wombs, and often conceive six or seven embryos in each at any one time. But as it turns out, only two shark pups will ultimately survive. While scientists have previously been baffled as to how and why this anomaly occurs, new technology has revealed that as soon as the oldest embryo develops eyes and teeth, it begins to hunt and kill its own siblings while in the womb. Yeah, you heard that right. Talk about survival of the fittest. If that's not enough, scientists think that the sand tiger shark's taste for its own kind continues throughout the rest of its life. We think they may have created a monster! Gulper Eel Alright, while we've seen some pretty bizarre animal behavior so far, it seems that the weird and wonderful gulper eel is a deep-sea critter like none other. Found at an incredible depth of over 6,000 feet, very little is known about these animals, and the most lingering question is related to its incredibly unique characteristic. You see, unlike any other regular eel, the gulper eel's mouth can suddenly expand like a balloon, allowing it to scoop up much larger prey in the process. Technically, this unique mechanism gives it one of the widest jaws on the planet. The current leading theory is that due to the gulper eel's strangely small teeth, its amazing ability to stretch to an almost impossible proportion is considered more of a backup plan if food gets scarce in the eel's deep-sea environment, allowing it to essentially swallow anything whole. Yeah, and you thought the sand tiger shark had an appetite, right? Little is known about the gulper eel, and it continues to be one of the most fascinating animals in the ocean. Flatworms Fight to Decide Gender Roles Technically speaking, flatworms are very much the weirdest animals on planet Earth, and for a species of creature that is essentially a weird, elongated squid, they exhibit one of the most complicated and elaborate reproduction habits in the animal kingdom. You see, flatworms are hermaphroditic, and because of that, they can take on either a male or female parental role in order to further propagate their species. However, as these animals are unable to sit down and have a logical conversation on which one of them will become the male or the female, they solve this problem in one of the strangest manners possible. They duel with each other, like some kind of Olympic fencer, with their reproductive organs, and the winner will successfully stab the other, thus turning them into the female version of a flatworm. This intricate display of combat can last as long as an hour, yet when it's over, both creatures assume their parental roles. The flatworm that loses will immediately begin to search for food in order to make up the resources required for making the eggs, and the winner will go about protecting the area from potential predators. Now that's teamwork, guys! Flying Snakes No, despite what you may think, these snakes aren't on a plane, but they're flying nonetheless. As if this list couldn't get any more terrifying, let's turn our attention toward a bizarre species of snake that effortlessly flies through the air in order to assault its prey. Now, the truth is, scientists don't know exactly how or even why these snakes fly, but it's thought that their acrobatic ability was originally evolved in order to escape from predators. However, technically speaking, these flying snakes don't actually fly, they glide, using the speed of free fall and the contortion of their bodies in order to catch air pockets and subsequently generate lift as they venture across the dense jungles of Southeast Asia. Native to western India and the Indonesian archipelago, they're just five recognized species of flying snake, and scientists are still trying to establish exactly why they've evolved this behavior. Considering the fact that they rarely descend from their treetop canopies, studying these incredible creatures has proven difficult, to say the least. Parrotfish Making Sand Ever wondered why some beaches are white and more luxurious than others? Well, there's a pretty good chance that the pooping habits of this next extraordinary creature has had something to do with it. Meet the parrotfish, a species of fish native to tropical coral reefs who spend their days chomping down on the hard and stony reefs in order to feed themselves. As their name suggests, these tropical fish have extraordinary large beaks that resemble a parrot, and they use this unique feature in order to break through the tough coral that is otherwise inedible by other species. As you may imagine, what goes in must come out, and incredibly, the poop of the parrotfish emerges as dazzling white sand. In fact, in just a single year, one large parrotfish can produce over 1,000 pounds of sand, the same weight as a baby grand piano. So the next time you're walking on a bright, white, sandy beach, thank the parrotfish for its incredible poop. Parrots Name Their Children Alright, on the topic of parrots and parrotfish, we can't mention these extraordinarily bright and beautiful tropical birds without discussing one of the most incredible avian animal behaviors in nature. Did you know that, like us humans, parrots actually name their children, and those names stick for life? As you may imagine, not every species of parrot displays this astonishing behavior, but the green-rumped parrot of Venezuela has been studied in the wild using key sounds and frequencies in order to distinguish its children from one another. Back in 2014, scientist Karl Berg studied the green-rumped parrot through a series of audiovisual devices, and he noticed that the mother and father parrots would use the same specific chirps when perched near their children. Incredibly, the baby birds would develop to respond to the individual chirps, and would later learn that the sequence of sounds was their own specific call. Although scientists have only just scratched the incredible new linguistic world, it appears that these parrots are far more intelligent than we give them credit for. Peacock Mantis Shrimp's Super Punch Alright, while you probably didn't expect the peacock mantis shrimp to pack a super punch, don't judge a book by its cover, because this extraordinary crustacean is actually one of the most unique creatures on Earth. On the surface, the peacock mantis shrimp is a bright and intriguing animal of the sea, not unlike its many other crustacean relatives that it shares the ocean with. However, the mantis shrimp possesses a deadly ability in its aquatic arsenal. Its legendary punch, an ability said to smash its victims with the same force as a .22-caliber bullet after launching a lightning-quick attack on its unfortunate prey. After years of trying to figure out how this small sea creature developed such a devastating ability, scientists discovered that the unique bone structure of its claws was responsible for the astonishing feat of strength, and believe it or not, it's actually considered to be the strongest self-powered strike by a single animal. Who knew the peacock shrimp packed such a punch? It's always the quiet ones. Pearl Fish Hiding Place Sea cucumbers are weird creatures, that goes without saying, but this next entry may be a bit of an eye-opener when it comes to the strange symbiotic relationships that these oceanic animals have developed. Way back in 1975, a marine biologist was diving off the coast of Indonesia when he discovered a leopard sea cucumber, a species that had been virtually unstudied ever since its discovery due to the fact that they were so rare and elusive. This one was a particularly large specimen, roughly around 16 inches in length, and so he decided to take it back to his lab to study. Strangely, sometime later, he noticed that a slender eel-like fish emerged from the sea cucumber's butt. It was a star pearlfish, an equally rare fish, and incredibly, it wasn't the only one. After 10 hours, 14 star pearlfish evacuated themselves from the leopard sea cucumber, and this extraordinary discovery concluded that this relationship was far from mutual. As it turned out, sea cucumbers are their most infamous hosts, and these pearlfish were virtually eating this poor and unassuming animal from the inside out. If that's not enough, the sheer amount of pearlfish from inside this specimen have led scientists to believe that they were actually, in fact, using the sea cucumber as a vessel to reproduce. Now, that's pretty gross, right? Puffins using tools. Sure, you may have seen videos of curious chimpanzees using stones and sticks in order to achieve their goals, essentially donning their own version of the Stone Age, but did you know that they're not the only ones? As it turns out, puffins are at it too. Back in 2019, for the first time ever, a team of researchers documented a case where these large seabirds used tools in order to scratch their itch, literally. As shown in the video footage, the puffin rubbed its feathers with a small twig in order to relieve discomfort, and it's been considered the only example of its kind ever documented by a seabird. While other avian species, such as crows and ravens, have been extensively studied for their intelligence, it's thought that the larger birds were further down the scale of problem-solving abilities. Incredibly, it seems that assumption may have been incorrect, and puffins may be far more intelligent than we previously thought. Skunk Gymnastics. Alright, what better way to end this list than with a spectacular display of skunk gymnastics? On second thoughts, maybe these guys aren't the best candidate to be flipping upside down through the air, right? Well, while skunks are notoriously known for their pungent territorial instincts, giving off one of the vilest scents known to science whenever they're scared or threatened, it seems that that's not the only trick they've got up their sleeve. You see, although they may not seem it, skunks are some of the most acrobatic animals on the planet. Well, this one is anyway. Take a look at this astonishing footage captured by a wildlife camera at Seguro National Park in Arizona, which seems to show a spotted skunk walking on his hands for an astonishing amount of time, almost as if he's trying to bag himself a spot on the gymnastics team for the Skunk Olympics. However, don't be fooled because this guy isn't dancing for the sheer joy of it. As it turns out, this strange handstand dance is also a form of defense, and sometimes before a spring, the skunk will go into a defensive handstand in an effort to intimidate would-be aggressors. So, if you ever see a skunk doing a handstand, you should probably back away pretty quick. Well, there we have it, 15 incredible animal behaviors that will impress you. What do you guys think? Let us know your thoughts down below, and as always, thanks for sticking around all the way until the end. 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