Animal Myths and Superstitions

Dogs

• Dogs with warm, dry noses are sick. A dry nose has nothing to do with a dog's health. The normal body temperature for a dog is between 101.5℉ plus or minus 1 degree.  Veterinarians agree a dog may still have a cold, wet nose while running a temperature of 105℉.
• Old dogs can't learn new tricks. Old dogs and old people continue to learn throughout their lives. Very old dogs may not learn well because they may be impaired by progressive blindness, deafness, or motivational problems.
• A dog wagging his tail will not bite. The wag of a dog's tail tells nothing about his aggressiveness. It simply is a sign of excitement. Other aspects of his behavior can tell more about aggressiveness such as ear position, whether the dog is staring, growling, or barking.
• If a dog scoots across the floor, he has worms. Although dogs with tapeworms will scoot due to the itchiness of the worm segments, not all scooting dogs have worms. Allergies, diarrhea, or even anal sac issues can be reasons for this behavior.
• If your dog eats his poop, he has worms. Many dogs will eat their own poop as well as another dog's poop. Although this is disgusting behavior and pets can acquire parasites from the habit, it is not strictly a sign of intestinal parasites. Many mother dogs will do this to clean their newborn puppies and some pets will do it as an attention-getting behavior. The problem may also be poor nutrition and a learned habit.
• Female dogs should have at least 1 litter of puppies before spaying. There is no known benefit to allowing a pet to reproduce unnecessarily. In fact, there is evidence that spaying a female before her first heat may reduce her risk of developing breast cancer.
• Some dogs have jaws that lock. All dogs have the same facial musculature and structure - none have locking jaws. All dogs can be taught to be gentle - to release everything from toys to trash on command.
• Dogs eat grass because they know they are sick. Many dogs will eat grass and then vomit, but this does not mean that they are sick. Some dogs even eat grass simply because they like it. It is normal for dogs to eat grass in very small amounts - their ancestors ate grass. It's roughage.
• Dogs know when they've been bad. Dogs don't think in abstract terms and guilt is an abstraction. If your dog's ears are back, his tail is tucked, and he has an overall low body posture he may look guilty. Your dog assumes a submissive body posture as a direct reaction to your signs of anger.
• Low-shed breeds of dogs are better for people with allergies. For most people, it's the dander and saliva - not the fur - that triggers an allergic response.
• Dogs can be spiteful. Dogs can become stressed when left alone and may seek comfort by finding a scent of you in your favorite chair or shoes, and may express their stress by chewing or peeing. But that doesn't mean they did it because they are mean-spirited. The same goes for cats.
• Dogs require annual revaccinations. Although exact protocols are still debated, it is now known that certain vaccines, such as distemper and rabies, don't need to be given yearly after initial doses and boosters.
• Neutering and spaying make dogs fat and lazy. Eating too much and not getting enough exercise makes dogs overweight. The same goes for cats.

Fish

• Piranhas are deadly. Piranhas do have sharp little teeth and can give you a nasty nip. And they do sometimes swim in large schools, but only to defend themselves against natural predators, such as river dolphins.
• Male betta fish will fight to the death. While betta fish tend to protect their territory from invaders, much depends on the size of the container. If you keep 2 males in a small bowl, they're likely to fight. But if they live in a tank with enough space, they may share the territory peacefully.
• Fish only grow to the size of their tank. To remain healthy and to live a normal and healthy life, fish need to have enough space in their aquarium to grow and mature normally.

Rabbits

• Saying "rabbit rabbit" on the first of the month before any other words will bring good luck. The "rabbit rabbit" phrase originated in England, but the exact date is not certain. It was used in Kentucky in the early 1800s. Some people say "hares hares" just before going to sleep on the last day of the month.
• Rabbits are rodents. Until 1912, rabbits and hares were classified in the order Rodentia (rodent). They were then moved into a new order - Lagomorphs.
• A rabbit's foot will bring good luck. The thinking behind the superstition is believed to originate from the fact that rabbits are born with their eyes open, and thereby ward against evil. Another school of thought suggests that their fertility and powers of procreation link them with growth and prosperity throughout life.

Snakes

• Rattlesnakes rattle before they attack. Rattlesnakes rattle when they are frightened. They also do this to indicate their presence and avoid being stepped on. Rattlesnakes usually don't give out any warning before they strike.
• Snakes can only strike from a coiled position. Snakes can bite or strike from any position. Coiling does increase the distance that a snake can strike.
• Snakes are slimy. Snakes are not slimy. While a snake may be hot or cold to touch, it will never be slimy. They are actually dry to the touch since their skin is made of keratin - the same substance that makes up human fingernails and hair. Snakes may be a bit slimy if they have been crawling around in the water.
• Rattlesnakes add 1 rattle every year. A rattlesnake adds a new rattle every time it sheds its skin. Snakes may shed several times a year, each time adding a new rattle; also rattles may break off. For these reasons, counting rattles is not usually an accurate method of determining a rattlesnake's age.
• Venomous snakes travel in pairs. Snakes have no real social structure or interest in forming pair bonds. The only time they would be found in pairs is during breeding season or by pure coincidence that 2 snakes happen to be in the same area at the same time.
• Injured snakes die before sundown. A mortally wounded snake will usually die quickly, just like any other animal. Time of day has no bearing on the death of any animal.

Other Animals

• Bats are blind. Bats primarily use a form of sonar to navigate through dark areas and avoid obstacles. Their eyes, while small and sometimes poorly developed, are completely functional. They also have excellent hearing and sense of smell.
• Bears are slow and lazy. If the bear moves both of the paws on 1 side of its body at the same time, it can reach a speed of up to 30 mph.
• Beavers
  • Beavers build dams to eat fish. Beavers build dams to increase access to higher branches because the water to them feels like safety. They eat plant material.
  • Beaver dams are bad for trout and salmon. Contrary to the popular myth, most beaver dams do not pose barriers to trout and salmon migration, although they may be restricted seasonally during periods of low stream flows.
  • Beavers use their tails to carry mud. Beavers carry mud by holding it against their chest.
• Bees will not sting at night. They will sting anytime for protection.
• Bulls react violently to the color red. Like most mammals, the bull is color blind. It is the movement of the cloak that a matador or bullfighter makes which excites the bull. Traditionally matadors use a red cloak, probably to hide bloodstains.
• Camels store water in their humps. The humps are actually reservoirs of fatty tissue, a giant mound of fat! The hump allows a camel to survive an extremely long time (up to 2 weeks) without food. Camels avoid dehydration that would kill most other animals because of their oval-shaped red blood cells. Camels can drink a large amount all at once without becoming sick - almost 32 gallons! As they drink, water is absorbed from their stomachs and intestines slowly. Because their bodies do not release the water into the bloodstream rapidly, they can tolerate more dramatic shifts from hydration to dehydration.
• Elephants have thick skin. Elephant skin is very sensitive, but over their back and sides, it can be up to 1 inch thick. Elephants can feel a simple touch and are sensitive to the sun which is why the mother constantly provides shade for the babies. They even bathe in mud to protect themselves from the sun.
• Frogs or toads will give you warts if you touch them. Warts are caused by a human HPV virus, not frogs or toads. But the wart-like bumps behind a toad's ears can be dangerous. These parotid glands contain a nasty poison that irritates the mouths of some predators and often the skin of humans.
• Giraffes are flexible. Even though they are the tallest animal on Earth and their head is 15-19 feet above the ground, giraffes only have 7 cervical vertebrae, like any other animal. They might seem flexible, but giraffes are not even able to turn their head back.
• Hippopotamuses are clumsy. With their heavy body, stubby legs, and large mouth, hippopotamuses are among the largest mammals, but not the slowest. They can reach speeds of up to 30 mph, which is faster than an Olympic sprinter.
• Opossums hang by their tails. A baby opossum can hang from its tail for a few seconds, but an adult opossum is too heavy.
• Porcupines shoot their quills. The quills are controlled by muscles and are released instantly when they come into contact with another object. A surface has to rub on them for them to lose their quills.
• Rats are prophetic. Since rats live in holds of the ships, they are the first to know when water enters and there is the danger of sinking. As soon as seawater enters a ship, rats scurry away and this has been interpreted as an act based on their 6th sense, which is a myth.
• Sloths are lazy. Researchers have found that wild sloths sleep for only 10 hours.