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

叶伶俐

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. 經过训练的非洲巨囊鼠已经发现了数千枚未爆炸的地雷和炸弹。在研究人员的训练下，非洲巨囊鼠已经可以检测出肺结核。最近研究人员正在训练巨囊鼠在非洲港口嗅出偷猎的野生动物。

2. 在多数西方文化中，黑猫被视为不祥之物。但是在苏格兰传说中，神秘黑猫的到来预示着繁荣。

3. 猎豹天性十分害羞，所以动物园会给它们配备“狗狗朋友”陪伴其长大。

4. 很多人都很讨厌负鼠，但是它们会在生态系统中清理掉大量烦人的虫子和寄生虫。

5. 树懒的爪子和人手的工作原理正好相反。树懒爪子的默认姿势是紧握，树懒必须用力才能将爪子打开。这就是为什么树懒睡着时不会从树上掉下来。

6. 芝加哥大学的一项研究发现，老鼠和人类一样有同理心，能够感同身受。

7. 北美红雀很可能是最浪漫的鸟类，它们一生只有一个伴侣，两只鸟会一起旅行，筑巢前会唱歌，谈恋爱时还会嘴对嘴喂食。

8. 老虎是食肉动物，但是会吃水果来帮助消化。

9. 曼加利察猪是唯一一种全身被长毛覆盖的猪，就和绵羊一样。

10. 蛇鹫以能够踩死蛇的长腿而闻名，腿的踢力可达195 牛顿。它们还以长长的眼睫96 毛著称。