40 Wild Animals That Have Mind-Bending Hidden Talents

Flying spiders, beetles that spurt superheated liquid, fish that can catch birds on the wing. Yes, all of those really exist. And that’s just a brief sample of some of the astonishing animal behaviors we’ve uncovered in our research. Read on to find out about 40 creatures that display some truly amazing habits...

40. “Flying” spiders

When a spider wants to travel a long distance it can simply release a strand of silk. In the right conditions, the fine thread catches the breeze and twists and turns to act like a parachute, lifting the arachnid into the air. Amazingly, spiders can “fly” for hundreds of miles using this clever technique. The downside of this method is that the creature can’t govern its direction or destination.

39. Sunscreening hippos

Hippopotamuses live in hot regions with intense sunlight. So sunburn could be a real problem. Fortunately, though, the animals can actually produce their own sunscreen. They do this by secreting a substance through their skins containing an orange pigment that blocks UV rays. The clever goo even includes a red pigment boasting antibiotic properties. 

38. Heat-seeking rattlesnakes

Pit vipers, a group that includes rattlesnakes, have a very high-tech way of tracking down their prey in the dark: they actually have heat-seeking organs. The snakes have sensors set between the eyes and nose which can detect infrared light, which is invisible to humans. So they can see the heat radiated by the small animals upon which they prey, enabling them to strike for a tasty snack. 

37. Venomous platypuses

Venomous mammals are few and far between, but one of those is the duck-billed platypus, found only in eastern Australia. It’s the males you need to watch out for, as they can sting using spurs on their back legs. In 2010 the American Chemical Society website noted that a sting from a platypus “causes immediate, excruciating pain, like hundreds of hornet stings, leaving victims incapacitated for weeks.” So never try to cuddle one of these critters.