These 7 Animal 'Facts' Are Actually Completely False
What if I told you bats aren't actually blind?
1. Cows can, in fact, walk down stairs
No word yet on horses though.
2. Lemmings aren't suicidal
In the 16th century, European scientists believed lemmings fell from the sky. This falsehood was propagated in folklore. The 1958 documentary film "White Wilderness" (produced by Disney) features leading footage that makes it appear as though lemmings are leaping into the arctic ocean to commit suicide, when in fact a normal part of lemmings' migration patterns causes them to attempt to cross large bodies of water, often drowning in the process.
3. Camels don't store water in their humps
Camels' humps contain a concentration of fatty tissue, which prevents insulation that would occur if the fat were spread throughout their bodies, thus allowing the animals to better survive in hotter climates. One reason why camels retain water so well is that their blood cells are oval-shaped, rather than circular, which allows for better circulation and better blood flow during periods of dehydration.
4. Bats aren't blind
While the eyes of most bat species are "small and poorly developed," there is not a single species of bat that is actually blind. Some species have eyesight comparable to most rodents, and some rely on their eyesight when traveling long distances and echolocation is not useful.
5. The color red doesn't infuriate bulls
This myth comes from the barbaric activity of bullfighting, in which a matador taunts a bull with a red cape. It's the taunting motion the matador makes with a cape - rather than its color - that angers bulls. They are, like all cattle and the majority of mammals, red-green colorblind.
6. The memories of goldfish last longer than three seconds
Goldfish are actually quite good learners. They can tell the difference between various humans, and can associate the presence of their owners with feeding time. They can also learn to perform tricks, which suggests a much longer memory span than three seconds.
7. Dogs don't just see in black and white
In fact, a dog's ability to perceive color is fairly similar to a red-green colorblind human's ability to perceive color. Dogs have more difficulty distinguishing brightness and varying shades of grays than humans, but most of the colors they see are varying shades of blues, grays, and yellows.