What is an "otter tail"?
The Labrador Retriever has a thick, rounded, tapering "otter tail" that works like a rudder, helping the dog steer while it swims.
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Anatomy Facts
Anatomy facts and facts about anatomies.
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Why can Labrador Retrievers swim in icy water?
Labrador Retrievers have a dense, water-resistant double coat. The soft undercoat insulates and the harder outer coat sheds water, which let them retrieve in the freezing North Atlantic.
Do Labrador Retrievers have webbed feet?
Labrador Retrievers have webbing between their toes, which basically gives them built-in swim paddles and makes them strong swimmers.
Why do Dachshunds have big, paddle-shaped front paws?
Dachshunds have broad, paddle-shaped front paws that are perfect for digging, which is why many still love to excavate yards and blankets.
Do German Shorthaired Pointers have webbed feet?
German Shorthaired Pointers have webbed feet, which makes them strong swimmers and great at retrieving ducks from the water.
How is the Maine Coon built for cold weather?
The Maine Coon is basically built for winter, with a shaggy water-resistant coat, a thick neck ruff, tufted ears, big furry paws, and a long bushy tail it can wrap around itself for warmth.
What eye color do Ragdoll cats have?
Every purebred Ragdoll has blue eyes, and their vivid oval-shaped eyes are one of the breed's signature features.
What makes the Exotic's coat unique?
The Exotic has a dense, plush coat that stands out from its body instead of lying flat, which gives it its famous teddy bear look.
Why does the Devon Rex look like a pixie?
With huge ears, big eyes, and a short wedge-shaped face, the Devon Rex has an elfin, almost alien look that has earned it nicknames like "pixie cat."
Why do Devon Rex cats feel warm to the touch?
Devon Rex cats feel noticeably warm to the touch because their thin, wavy coat traps less air than a normal cat's fur, which is also why they love snuggling under blankets and near heaters.
Which cat breed has the densest coat?
The British Shorthair has the densest coat of any cat breed, with more hairs per square inch than any other feline, which gives it a crisp, plush feel.
Why do British Shorthairs look like they're smiling?
British Shorthairs have round faces, chubby cheeks, and prominent whisker pads that give them a permanent smiling expression.
What is special about the Siberian cat's coat?
Siberian cats have a triple coat with a guard layer, a middle layer, and a dense undercoat, which works like built-in winter gear against Russian winters.
Do Russian Blue kittens have green eyes?
Russian Blue kittens are born with yellowish eyes that gradually change to the breed's famous vivid green as they grow up.
Why does a Russian Blue's coat shimmer?
Russian Blues have a dense double coat with silver-tipped guard hairs that catch the light, which gives the fur a shimmering, almost glowing look.
What is the Russian Blue's "smile"?
Russian Blues have slightly upturned corners of the mouth, often called a "Mona Lisa smile," that make them look permanently pleased with themselves.
What is a "glitter" coat?
Many Bengals have a "glitter" coat, where the tips of the hairs reflect light and make the fur look like it's dusted with gold or pearl.
Are Sphynx cats completely hairless?
Sphynx cats aren't totally hairless. Most are covered in a fine peach-fuzz down that makes their skin feel like warm suede.
Which pop star owns Scottish Fold cats?
Taylor Swift owns two Scottish Folds named Meredith Grey and Olivia Benson, after TV characters from "Grey's Anatomy" and "Law & Order: SVU."
Why do Scottish Folds look like owls?
With round heads, big round eyes, and ears folded flat against their skulls, Scottish Folds are often said to look like owls.
Are a tiger's stripes only in its fur?
A tiger's stripes go deeper than its fur. Its skin is striped too, so a shaved tiger would still show its pattern.
Why do tigers have white spots on the backs of their ears?
Tigers have bright white spots on the backs of their ears, called ocelli. Scientists think they may help cubs follow their mothers or act like "fake eyes" to warn off threats from behind.
How many muscles are in an elephant's trunk?
An elephant's trunk has tens of thousands of muscles and no bones, so it's strong enough to lift heavy logs and precise enough to pick up a single peanut.
Which land mammal has the largest eyes?
Horses have the largest eyes of any land mammal, and their side-placed eyes give them nearly 360-degree vision, with small blind spots directly in front and behind.
What is a panda's "thumb"?
Giant pandas have a "pseudo-thumb," an enlarged wrist bone that works like an extra thumb to help them grip bamboo stalks.
Do sharks have bones?
Sharks don't have bones. Their skeletons are made of cartilage, the same flexible material in human ears and noses, which makes them lighter and more flexible.
Do sharks have to keep swimming to breathe?
Some sharks, like great whites, must keep swimming to push water over their gills, but others, like nurse sharks, can rest on the seafloor and pump water over their gills instead.
How many teeth does a shark go through?
Sharks constantly replace lost teeth with new ones from rows behind them, and some sharks go through thousands of teeth in a lifetime.
What is shark skin made of?
Shark skin is covered in tiny tooth-like scales called dermal denticles, which reduce drag while swimming and feel like sandpaper if you rub them the wrong way.
How big is a blue whale's heart?
A blue whale's heart weighs about 400 pounds, roughly the size of a golf cart, according to scientists who preserved one in 2014.
What is baleen made of?
Baleen whales filter food through baleen plates made of keratin, the same material as human fingernails and hair.
How do penguins drink salt water?
Penguins have a special gland above their eyes that filters salt out of their blood, so they can drink seawater and then sneeze or shake out the extra salt.
Do snakes have eyelids?
Snakes don't have eyelids. Instead, each eye is covered by a clear scale called a brille, which is why snakes can't blink and seem to stare.
Do snakes unhinge their jaws?
Snakes don't literally unhinge their jaws. Their lower jaw bones aren't fused at the chin and are connected by stretchy ligaments, which lets them swallow prey much wider than their heads.
Why did Leonardo da Vinci write backward?
Leonardo da Vinci filled his notebooks with mirror writing that reads right to left, along with sketches of flying machines, anatomy, and inventions far ahead of his time.
What does a living brain feel like?
A living brain has a soft texture often compared to firm tofu.
How big is the human heart?
An adult human heart is about the size of a fist.
Is your heart on the left side of your chest?
The heart sits near the center of the chest, tilted slightly to the left.
Where does the cornea get its oxygen?
The cornea has no blood vessels and gets oxygen directly from the air.
What is the largest organ in the body?
Skin is the body's largest organ, covering about 20 square feet in adults.
Where is the thickest skin on the body?
The thickest skin is on the soles of the feet, and the thinnest is on the eyelids.
What is the largest internal organ?
The liver is the largest internal organ, weighing about three pounds.
How many bones are in the human body?
Adults have 206 bones, while babies are born with around 300 that later fuse together.
Where are most of the body's bones?
More than half of the body's bones are in the hands and feet.
Which bone isn't connected to any other bone?
The hyoid bone in the neck is the only bone not connected to another bone.
What shape is the cochlea?
The cochlea, the hearing organ in the inner ear, is shaped like a snail shell.
Why is the left lung smaller?
The left lung is smaller than the right to make room for the heart.
How big is the surface area of the lungs?
The inner surface area of the lungs is roughly the size of a tennis court.
Which organ can float in water?
The lungs are the only organs that can float in water.
How long is the small intestine?
The small intestine is about 20 feet long.
How many teeth do people have?
Children have 20 baby teeth, and adults have 32 permanent teeth.
Are teeth bones?
Teeth aren't bones.
What is the Vitruvian Man?
Leonardo da Vinci's "Vitruvian Man" is a drawing that explores the ideal proportions of the human body.
How many hearts does an octopus have?
An octopus has three hearts: two pump blood through the gills and one pumps it to the rest of the body.
How small a space can an octopus squeeze through?
Octopuses have no bones, so they can squeeze through any opening larger than their hard beak.
Can sea turtles hide in their shells?
Sea turtles can't pull their heads and flippers into their shells like land turtles can.
Why do sea turtles look like they're crying?
Sea turtles appear to cry because they release extra salt through glands near their eyes.
Do jellyfish have brains?
Jellyfish have no brain, heart, or bones, and their bodies are about 95% water.
What do seahorses use their tails for?
Seahorses use their tails to grab onto seagrass and coral.
How fast do seahorses beat their fins?
Seahorses can beat their small fins up to about 50 times per second.
How tall is an orca's dorsal fin?
A male orca's dorsal fin can be up to six feet tall.
Do sea otters have blubber?
Unlike most marine mammals, sea otters have no blubber.
Do manta rays have stingers?
Manta rays are filter feeders and don't have stingers.
Do sea stars have blood?
Sea stars have no blood and use seawater to move nutrients through their bodies.
How many arms can a sea star have?
Some sea stars, like the sunflower sea star, can have more than 20 arms.
Do squid have beaks?
Squid have hard beaks.
What shape is a squid's brain?
A squid's brain is shaped like a doughnut, and its esophagus passes through the middle.
How do giant squid float?
Giant squid stay buoyant using ammonia in their tissues.
What is a narwhal's tusk?
A narwhal's tusk is actually a tooth that grows through its upper lip, and it's usually found on males.
Can narwhals have two tusks?
Rarely, a narwhal grows two tusks.