Awesome Animals

You haven’t truly experienced pet ownership until your furry friend turns around and winks at you with their third eye. These irreverent cat butt and dog butt coloring books are filled with charming tail-end images for you to embellish. Corgi butts win the cute contest.

Bloom Pictures and director Illogic’s (Garden Party) amazing and energetic animated short film will fill your ears with music, your brain with wonder, and your heart with glee, as we learn what forest animals do when nobody is around to hear them. Watch the making of video here.

Turn away now if you don’t want to see animals eating other animals. Otherwise, grab some popcorn and watch a sample of the incredible slow-motion footage captured by nature photographers Biopixel in front of the lens of their Phantom Flex4K high-speed camera.

Have you ever wondered why insects, birds, fish, and bats gather together into huge and coordinated groups? TED-Ed’s Maria R. D’Orsogna explores the fascinating science behind this behavior, which drives many species as a method of survival and group productivity.

TierZoo takes a look at some of the most impressive and aggressive animals on the planet. The hippopotamus is surprisingly fast on land and water, sturdy, powerful, and capable. It quickly becomes evident that you don’t ever want to mess with one of these guys unless maybe you’re an elephant.

DINOSAUR introduces us to a few of the unique and wonderful creatures that can be found lurking in the bush of Australia. Though it seems these animals seem are more interested in getting a good wi-fi connection than you might expect.

(PG-13: Language) The Sam O’Nella Academy brings us another round of strange and unusual factoids, this time about our distant primate cousins. From smoking cigarettes to painting abstract modern art, chimps have developed some surprising skills and behaviors over the years.

Given the tremendous diversity of their shapes, sizes, and abilities, it’s no wonder that TierZoo’s in-depth evaluation of dinosaurs clocks in at over 15 minutes. While you’d think that T. Rex was the absolute king of the heap, you’d be wrong.

Snakes. Why did it have to be snakes? Ophidiophobics look away, but everyone else check out this sweet poster provides a scientifically-accurate catalog of every known snake species in the US and Canada. Available as an 18″ x 24″ OR 36″ X 48″ print.

We’ve been on horseback, but we never thought we’d get to go on a turtleback ride. Thanks to YouTuber The Fish Whisperer, we can now see what it’s like to be a turtle, as this little fella heads off into the muddy water, and pops his head up for the occasional fishy snack.

This family-friendly card game puts you in the paws of a pooch who likes to wander off with various household objects. Players must collect sets of items like stinky underwear, socks, shoes, and hide them away while you attempt to keep other dogs from stealing your improvised toy collection. Gameplay video here.

While cats might disagree with humans as to whether or not we’re really their masters, felines are certainly more docile than long ago. TedED’s Eva-Marie Geigl provides a brief lesson in how cats went from wild, solitary beasts to not quite as wild, solitary beasts.

Did you know that some sharks have been reported to live as long as 400 years? Us neither. Tune into this episode of Mental Floss‘ list show, as host Erin McCarthy shares 31 things you may not have known about these impressive Elasmobranchii.

(PG-13: Language) Maxine is an adorable little corgi. She doesn’t ask for much in life either – a walk, some pets, and the occasional bowl of her favorite snack food. But she’s not all cuddles and hugs, as we learn from the punchline of Uncorked Productions‘ silly short film.

TierZoo takes a look at five animal abilities that are great on their own, but can become counterproductive or useless. For example, being extremely mobile means you get tired and hungry incredibly quickly. Being smart often leads to vulnerable young.

From the creators of Planet Coaster and Zoo Tycoon comes Planet Zoo. This simulation game puts an emphasis on animal conservation and welfare. It features animals that each have their own personality, a globe-trotting campaign, and an expansive sandbox mode.

This 1968 newsreel from British Pathé films is almost like YouTube existed 50 years ago. It features a clever dog who helps move beer kegs, and a bar patron getting sprayed in the face with a bottle of seltzer water.

Hermit crabs wander the beach looking for abandoned shells to call home. But artist Aki Inomata creates custom shells based on buildings and other forms using CAT scans of shells, 3D modeling, and 3D printing. And if this seems wacky, check out Inomata’s other project.

Did you know that there’s no such thing as an alpha wolf? How about the fact that the Tyrannosaurus Rex actually had great eyesight? Or that female dogs also hump? Learn all that and more in Mental Floss’ animal list show.

Good, bad, or ugly, most living creatures are aware of everything they experience throughout life (we think). But at what point did life forms become self-aware? Kurzgesagt digs into the puzzling nature of consciousness, and what makes sentience even a thing.

Nat Geo series Alaska’s Deadliest captured this awe-inspiring footage of thousands of moon jellyfish descending on a waterway in search of food. These highly toxic, gelatinous creatures make quick work of their prey thanks to the deadly toxins they release on contact.

The Field Guide to Dumb Birds of North America is the perfect reference book for identifying our flying friends (and enemies). It features 50 snarky descriptions of annoying, dumb, and stupid looking avians you might find in your backyard.

Dogs are known for their impressive olfactory systems, and their ability to suss out all kinds of minute scents. In this clip from Deep Look, we learn how researchers are working with rescue dogs to better understand how their scent tracking abilities really work.