3 Mundane Animals With Traits You Never Realized

Whether in person, through the TV, or through a magazine, we encounter animals every day. Some animals get so familiarized and mundane, they become of little interest. However, a lot of these animals have rather intriguing quirks that we outright fail to notice.



Here are 3 mundane animals with traits that you never realized:

3. Snails can sleep for three years

Have you ever felt so tired you can sleep for a week? That's nothing compared to the snail. These slimy foot creatures can sleep for three years, especially the ones you find in the desert. So, you know that snail that you accidentally stepped on? You probably killed it in its sleep. The snails harvested for escargot? probably plucked and killed mid-slumber.



Also, the average snail can live 15+ years, which means that snails spend a good chunk of their lives doing absolutely nothing.



2. Female ferrets go through Pon Farr

What does a furry, snake-ish, overtly hyper insectivore and the Vulcans of Star Trek have in common? They'll die if they don't periodically mate. Well, at least the female ferrets, anyways. This is because the estrogen buildup in the ferret can achieve toxicity and result in a condition called aplastic anemia, where their bone marrow fails to produce red blood cells.



Naturally, one can prevent the ferret from such a horrid Vulcan-ish fate by spaying it or breeding it. Though it is probably best to spay it, since intact ferrets can emit a strong odor.



1. Cats can bark

Imagine that you hear a strange sound coming from outside, as you approach the window, you discover your cat barking.


It turns out that this occurrence isn't as uncommon as one might think. Apparently, this phenomenon is possible is due to cats having a similarly structured larynx, trachea, and diaphragm to that of a dog and can also be attributed to cohabitation, ultimately leading to a rather awkward scenario.



So, whenever you find yourself around an animal again, be sure to observe it, you might learn a few things you've never noticed.