Animals have fascinated humans for centuries, yet much of what we think we know about them turns out to be wrong.
Some myths have been passed down through generations, taught in classrooms, or repeated so often that they sound true.
From goldfish supposedly having short memories to bats being blind, these mistaken ideas reveal more about human imagination than about the natural world itself.
Separating fact from fiction helps us appreciate animals for who they truly are, not who we’ve assumed them to be.
This article is for general knowledge only and is based on information from online sources.
Photos are for illustrative purposes only.
1. Goldfish Have Three-Second Memories
Your goldfish actually remembers far more than you might think.
Scientists have trained goldfish to recognize colours, shapes, and even complete obstacle courses weeks after learning them.
These little swimmers can remember feeding times and recognize their owners’ faces for months.
Research shows their memory spans at least three months, with some studies suggesting even longer periods.
They’re smart enough to learn tricks and respond to training, making them much more intelligent than the old three-second myth suggests.
2. Bulls Get Angry At The Colour Red
Bulls are actually colourblind to red and green hues.
What really irritates them during bullfights is the movement of the cape, not its colour at all.
The matador waves the fabric in quick, jerky motions that trigger the bull’s natural instinct to charge at moving objects.
You could use a blue, yellow, or even white cape and get the same aggressive response.
The red colour became traditional for bullfighting mainly because it hides bloodstains, not because bulls find it particularly bothersome.
3. Ostriches Bury Their Heads In Sand
No ostrich has ever stuck its head underground to hide from danger.
This widespread belief likely started because ostriches lower their heads to ground level when tending their eggs in shallow nest holes.
From a distance, their light-colored heads blend with the sand, creating an optical illusion.
When threatened, ostriches actually run away at speeds reaching 70 kilometres per hour or defend themselves with powerful kicks.
Burying their heads would be a terrible survival strategy that would suffocate them within minutes.
4. Bats Are Blind Creatures
Every single bat species can see, and some have excellent vision.
Fruit bats rely heavily on their eyesight to spot ripe food from great distances and navigate through dense forests.
While many bat species use echolocation for hunting insects at night, this doesn’t mean their eyes don’t work.
They actually combine vision with sound to create a complete picture of their surroundings.
The phrase “blind as a bat” completely misrepresents these fascinating mammals that have adapted multiple sensory systems for survival.
5. Touching Baby Birds Makes Parents Reject Them
Most birds have a very limited sense of smell and won’t notice human scent.
Parent birds are driven by strong instincts to care for their offspring and rarely abandon them over something like smell.
If you find a baby bird on the ground, returning it to its nest is usually the kindest action you can take.
The parents will continue feeding and protecting their chick without any problems.
This myth probably exists to discourage people from disturbing wildlife, which is good advice even if the reasoning behind it isn’t accurate.
6. Dogs Age Seven Years For Every Human Year
The seven-year rule oversimplifies how dogs actually mature.
Dogs age much faster during their first two years of life, reaching young adulthood by age two.
After that, the aging process slows down considerably and varies by breed size.
Smaller dogs tend to live longer and age more slowly than giant breeds.
A one-year-old dog is roughly equivalent to a 15-year-old human, while a two-year-old dog compares to someone around 24.
Veterinarians now use more complex calculations that consider breed and size for accurate age comparisons.
7. Sharks Must Swim Constantly Or They’ll Die
Many shark species can actually rest on the ocean floor without any problems.
While some sharks like great whites need to keep moving to push water over their gills, others have developed different breathing methods.
Nurse sharks, leopard sharks, and many bottom-dwelling species can pump water over their gills while staying still.
They often rest in caves or on sandy bottoms during the day.
Only about two dozen shark species out of over 500 must swim continuously, making this myth true for some but certainly not all sharks.
8. Mice Love Eating Cheese
Mice actually prefer sweet foods and grains over dairy products.
In the wild, mice feast on seeds, fruits, and plant materials rather than cheese, which wasn’t even available to their ancestors.
The cheese myth likely comes from medieval times when cheese was commonly stored in homes, giving mice easy access to it.
Given a choice between cheese and something sugary like chocolate or fruit, mice will choose the sweeter option almost every time.
Peanut butter works much better as mouse trap bait than cheese does.
9. Camels Store Water In Their Humps
Those humps are actually filled with fat, not water at all.
Camels store energy in their humps, which their bodies can convert into nutrition and moisture when food becomes scarce.
They can survive long periods without drinking because they’re incredibly efficient at conserving water through concentrated urine and dry droppings.
Their blood cells are uniquely shaped to function even when dehydrated.
When a camel goes without food, its hump shrinks and may even flop to one side, proving it contains fat tissue rather than liquid reserves.
10. Owls Are The Wisest Birds
Owls are actually less intelligent than many other bird species.
Crows, ravens, and parrots consistently outperform owls in problem-solving tests and demonstrate much better learning abilities.
The wisdom association comes from ancient Greek mythology, where the owl symbolized Athena, goddess of wisdom.
Owls have large eyes that make them look thoughtful, but those big eyes leave less room in their skulls for brain tissue.
They’re excellent hunters with specialized adaptations for night vision and silent flight, but calling them wise gives them undeserved credit for intelligence.
11. Lemmings Intentionally Throw Themselves Off Cliffs
Lemmings never intentionally throw themselves off cliffs in groups.
This bizarre myth became popular after a 1958 Disney documentary staged scenes of lemmings jumping into the ocean.
The filmmakers actually pushed the small rodents off cliffs to create dramatic footage.
Real lemming populations do fluctuate dramatically, and during migration, some may accidentally fall while crossing difficult terrain.
They’re actually cautious animals that value their lives just like any other creature, making this one of the most harmful animal myths ever spread through media.
12. Penguins Mate For Life
Most penguin species actually switch partners between breeding seasons.
While some penguins reunite with previous mates if they both return to the same nesting site, many choose different partners each year.
Only a few species like Gentoo penguins show high mate fidelity rates around 90 percent.
Emperor penguins, despite their romantic portrayal in films, typically find new partners annually.
Penguins prioritize successful breeding over loyalty, so if a previous mate arrives late or fails to return, they’ll quickly pair up with someone else available.
