This week, The Beat’s creative director, Greg Chinn returns to the illustrator’s hot seat to give us this quirky and colorful look at a few beloved animals. The bright and, let’s be honest, super cute critters in this illustration inspired the kid in us, so this week we’re going to look at some animal fun facts.
Owls
- There are 250 species of owls
- 28% of those species are threatened or near-threatened
- A group of owls is called a Parliament
- Owls can turn their heads 270 degrees
- Their eyes are immobile, hence the 270-degree head turn
- Owls live on every continent except Antarctica
Elephants
- There are 3 species of elephant: African Savannah, African Forest and Asian
- You can tell them apart by their ears
- They use mud for sunscreen
- They eat about 330 pounds of food a day
- That translates into a ton of poop a week
Chimpanzees
- We often call chimpanzees monkeys, but they’re actually apes
- Humans and chimps share 98% of their DNA
- They use tools for more purposes than any animal except humans
- Chimps have opposable thumbs… and toes
- They can learn American Sign Language
- They are endangered — in a large part due to illegal animal trade for pets
Giraffes
- Giraffes can run up to 35mph
- They live most of their lives standing up — including sleeping and giving birth
- No two giraffes have the same spot pattern. They’re like giraffe fingerprints.
- They only need 5–30 minutes of sleep a day
- Their tongues are prehensile and can be up to 20 inches long
- The largest subspecies, the Masai Giraffe, has been declared endangered
