10 Lesser-known Facts About AnimalsThat Made People Say‘Aww’

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1. Trained African giant pouched rats have foundthousands of unexploded landmines and bombs. Researchershave also trained these rats to detect tuberculosis. And mostrecently they are training them to sniff out poached wildlifetrophies being exported out of African ports.

2. In most Western cultures，black cats are considered abad omen. But in Scottish lore，the arrival of a strange blackcat signifies prosperity.

3. Cheetahs are so shy that zoos give them their ownemotional“support dogs”.

4. Opposums get a lot of hate，but they clear manyunwanted bugs and parasites from the ecosystem.

5. A sloth’s claws work the opposite way that human handdoes. The default position is a tight strong grip，and sloths mustexert effort to open them up. This is why sloths don’t fall out oftrees when they’re asleep.

6. A University Of Chicago study found that rats are just ascapable of empathy as humans.

7. The Northern Cardinal is probably the most“romantic”bird species：they mate for life，travel together，sing beforenesting，and during courtship，feed seed beak-to-beak.

8. Tigers are carnivores，but will eat fruit in order to easedigestion.

9. The Mangalica is the only pig species covered in a longwool coat，similar to a sheep’s.

10. Secretary birds are famous for its snake- stompinglegs;a single kick delivered some 195 newtons of force. Theyare also famous for their long eyelashes.

1. 經過訓練的非洲巨囊鼠已經發現了數千枚未爆炸的地雷和炸彈。在研究人員的訓練下，非洲巨囊鼠已經可以檢測出肺結核。最近研究人員正在訓練巨囊鼠在非洲港口嗅出偷獵的野生動物。

2. 在多數西方文化中，黑貓被視為不祥之物。但是在蘇格蘭傳說中，神秘黑貓的到來預示著繁榮。

3. 獵豹天性十分害羞，所以動物園會給它們配備“狗狗朋友”陪伴其長大。

4. 很多人都很討厭負鼠，但是它們會在生態系統中清理掉大量煩人的蟲子和寄生蟲。

5. 樹懶的爪子和人手的工作原理正好相反。樹懶爪子的默認姿勢是緊握，樹懶必須用力才能將爪子打開。這就是為什么樹懶睡著時不會從樹上掉下來。

6. 芝加哥大學的一項研究發現，老鼠和人類一樣有同理心，能夠感同身受。

7. 北美紅雀很可能是最浪漫的鳥類，它們一生只有一個伴侶，兩只鳥會一起旅行，筑巢前會唱歌，談戀愛時還會嘴對嘴喂食。

8. 老虎是食肉動物，但是會吃水果來幫助消化。

9. 曼加利察豬是唯一一種全身被長毛覆蓋的豬，就和綿羊一樣。

10. 蛇鷲以能夠踩死蛇的長腿而聞名，腿的踢力可達195 牛頓。它們還以長長的眼睫96 毛著稱。