Many dog owners have probably observed more than once the desire of their pet to bury something away from prying eyes, not only food, but also other things. But what is causing this behavior? This could be understood if the dog were malnourished and in this case would hide something in reserve. But if the animal gets proper nutrition and has plenty of toys, then what's the deal?

 

Experts explained what caused the desire of dogs to hide things and whether something needs to be done about it.

 

Bemorepanda found the answer to this question. Specialists in veterinary medicine explained why this is connected and how you can correct the pet's behavior if it causes inconvenience to you and can harm your pet.

 

 

Previously pack animals, dogs have a natural tendency to bury important things like bones and food. Burying also provides stimulation, so dogs can hide toys and food when they are bored or stressed. To keep your belongings safe, you can give them a dedicated digging area and train them to only bury toys.

 

Do you feel like your dog's favorite bones and toys are slowly disappearing?

 

You may have searched long and hard - under furniture, inside cabinets, and on your dog's bed. In the end, you can come to terms with spending more money on new toys while still wondering where the rest went.

 

Your dog may be hiding his treasures in the mud outside, so don't be surprised if these toys turn up covered in dried mud later. If they don't have access to a backyard, their toys may end up in baskets, bedding, or under cushions.

 

This burrowing behavior is common among dogs. In the same way that you can hide your favorite snacks from family members or housemates so they don't nibble on your treats, your dog wants to protect his favorite things and save them for later.

 

This is what drives your dog's burrowing instinct.

 

Why do dogs like to hide things?

 

Your pet has inherited this very natural behavior from their canine ancestors - and wolves still do it today.

 

As pack animals, dogs sometimes ran out of food, so when they had a surplus, they stashed the food for later, says Dr. Abel Gonzalez, a veterinarian at Fuzzy Pet Health.

 

This instinctive behavior may also involve hiding things other than food or bones, such as favorite toys.

 

According to Gonzalez, dogs can hide whatever they see fit. This is because burying important items keeps them safe and prevents them from being lost or stolen by other pets in the home.

 

BY THE WAY

 

A dog born into a large litter of puppies may also be more likely to hoard their own stuff, having had to compete for mother's milk, puppy food and toys from birth, Gonzalez says.

What breeds do this most often?

Most modern pet dogs don't have to worry about where their next meal will come from, but they may still have a natural urge to hide something away.

 

According to Dr. Preston Turano, veterinarian and spokesman for AKC Pet Insurance, dogs that were originally bred to hunt underground prey tend to be more confident diggers and may dig in toys and food more often than other breeds.

 

This is why some breeds are more likely to bury things than others, such as:

• basset hounds
• dachshunds
• terriers

 

A 2022 study of over 18,000 dog owners shows that no behavior is exclusive to one breed of dog. However, it also turned out that greyhounds are unlikely to be "diggers".

 

Non-sporting and herding breeds like Collies, Bulldogs and Chow Chows are also less likely to bury things underground, Turano says.

 

According to the American Kennel Club (AKC), other reasons dogs may bury or hide things are:

• competition from other dogs or animals in the home;
• boredom;
• stress or anxiety;
• overfeeding – If you give them too much at one meal, they may try to save the leftovers for later.

 

Should you be worried about your dog's hiding place?

 

In most cases, burying things is harmless. “It can be a very mentally stimulating and enriching activity,” Gonzalez says.

 

Because burying things is a natural instinct—much like chewing or herding cattle—your dog's body is designed for it. According to Gonzalez, this behavior helps them release physical, mental and emotional energy.

 

However, he says that trying to dig somewhere with hard ground, such as a rock garden, can cause injury to your dog's paws and claws.

 

Dogs that love to hide and bury things can also damage indoor objects like pet beds and sofa cushions, Turano said. And of course, if your dog behaves in a destructive way that pisses you off, both you and your furry friend may end up stressed.

 

A LITTLE ADVICE

 

Buying more durable pillows or keeping a close eye on your dog while playing outdoors can help. Just be aware that this won't fix the problem at the source if your dog is hiding things due to stress or anxiety.

If your dog obsessively burrows objects to the point of hurting himself when hiding or retrieving his toys, contacting a veterinarian or a certified pet behaviorist is a good next step. They can provide more guidance on anxious and destructive behaviors.

 

Keep in mind, too, that many veterinarians generally recommend not giving your dog bones. Bones can break into sharp pieces and damage teeth, leading to costly dental procedures, or if swallowed, get stuck in the gastrointestinal tract, requiring emergency surgery, Turano says.

 

If your dog likes to chew on bones, the American Kennel Club recommends that you let him do it under supervision, but not for long - up to 15 minutes, and get rid of the bones after three to four days. Instead, you can also opt for synthetic dice.

 

What to do with it

 

You may not have objected when your dog burrowed in his bones and toys, but now he's switched over to your stuff, like your remote control, your shoes, or your household knick-knacks.

 

You can try the following strategies to deal with this behavior:

 

Remove anything you don't want them to bury: If your dog is very fond of hiding his valuables, you may find it difficult to break the habit. Instead, keep things you don't want her to hide out of reach.

 

Set up a sandbox or yard area for burying things: Set aside a place where your dog can bury and hide toys. “Participating in instinctive activities can positively impact a pet’s mental health,” Gonzalez notes. As long as it's safe and controlled.

 

Block them in dig-free areas: Use temporary fences or other barriers to keep your dog from digging in places you don't want them to damage, such as a garden.

 

Train your dog to only bury certain items: "Dogs are smart and trainable," Gonzalez says. Most dogs can pick up new habits quickly, like burying their toys instead of your car keys. Training helps improve the bond between you and your dog and enriches his daily life.

 

Consult an animal behaviorist who can help you identify possible causes of destructive or persistent digging and suggest possible solutions.

Give the dog something else to do: A bored dog may bury things because he has nothing else to do. If you notice other signs that your dog may need more activity and stimulation, such as restlessness and excessive barking, try adding more exercise to his daily routine or introducing him to interactive puzzle toys.

 

Conclusion

 

Your dog's desire to bury his favorite things is completely natural. This inherited behavior may even be a mentally rewarding activity for your dog.

 

Of course, if you're losing things around the house, you may want to consider strategies to control this behavior, such as training or blocking access to digging areas.

 

Excessive digging and burrowing can sometimes lead to injury or property damage, not to mention worries about your dog's health and wellbeing. If this behavior is causing problems or your dog appears tense, consider seeking help from a veterinarian or canine behavior specialist.

 

 

 

Despite the fact that foxes do not live with humans, they do not need special introduction. Thanks to folklore, children already at an early age get acquainted with a small animal, which compensates for weakness with cunning, but does not miss its own, if it is possible to offend a weaker one. Of course, it is worth separating the image of the fox, formed in our imagination under the influence of children's fairy tales and cartoons, from the real lifestyle of the fox.

 

As one of the most famous researchers, Charles Roberts, wrote, it is always difficult for a person describing the habits of highly organized animals to resist endowing them with some human traits. The notorious fox's cunning in real life appears only when the animal leaves the chase. At this time, the fox very skillfully winds around, confusing tracks, and can disguise itself in an instant, disappearing from sight.

 

On the hunt, foxes are quite straightforward. They operate according to the scheme “detection of prey - lightning attack - end of the hunt”. On average, foxes range in size from half a meter to a meter in length. The tail, which is approximately two-thirds of the body length, is counted separately. The maximum weight of foxes is 10 - 11 kg, while it is subject to significant seasonal fluctuations. Foxes are by no means exclusively forest dwellers. Rather, even, they can be conditionally attributed to the inhabitants of the forest-steppe and woodlands - it is in these natural zones that fox food lives and grows.

 

 

Geographically, foxes are found almost everywhere in the Northern Hemisphere, with the exception of extreme climates. In the Southern Hemisphere, foxes live only in Australia, where humans have successfully introduced them. However, the success of fox breeding in Australia is relative - they were turned on, desperate to cope with rabbits, but foxes, finding themselves on the smallest continent, preferred to hunt smaller fauna. The rabbits, to the desperation of the farmers, successfully continued to breed. Bemorepanda presents you some interesting facts.

 

1. Despite their small size, foxes are rarely hunted by larger animals. Of course, a wolf, bear, lynx or wolverine will not refuse the opportunity to catch a gaping fox. However, such a chance appears very rarely - foxes are attentive and fast. Purposefully, they practically do not hunt adult foxes. Young animals are in great danger. Even birds of prey hunt on it, not without success.

 

Taking into account the human factor - and the hunters, if possible, knock out foxes by the thousands - the average life span of a fox does not exceed three years. At the same time, foxes do not die at all because of the exhaustion of the body's resources - in captivity, cases were recorded when foxes lived for 20 - 25 years.

 

2. Foxes are practically not afraid of humans, so they are well studied and take root in captivity, allowing people to breed new subspecies. People living in rural areas naturally do not like foxes - red-haired beauties often destroy birds and small livestock. However, zoologists argue that the damage from foxes is often exaggerated.

 

3. English "Fox Hunting" fun did not come about because the villagers lacked entertainment. England is so densely populated that the last wolf was killed at the beginning of the 16th century. The disappearance of wolves has led to an unprecedented breeding of foxes, who have lost their last natural enemy. The consequences for the farmers were clear. Angry peasants began to organize massive fox hunts. They managed to kill some animals, but the noise raised by the crowd of “hunters” was more important.

 

 

The first mention of such a hunt dates back to 1534. The technology turned out to be more than successful - by 1600, specially bred dogs were required to hunt foxes. At the same time, economic processes were going on in England, which led to the deprivation of the peasants of free non-agricultural land, and fox hunting became the property of the nobility. It turned into a whole ritual with lush ladies' toilets, old-fashioned hunter's costumes, etc. At the beginning of the 21st century, after a short debate, the British Parliament banned fox hunting with the help of a pack of more than 3 dogs. One vote in the House of Commons was enough to abolish the age-old tradition.

 

4. There is a hunt for foxes without the death of these animals. This is still the unofficial name for sports radio direction-finding competitions. The role of foxes is performed by constantly working transmitters hidden in rough terrain. Athletes are armed with receivers. Their task is to find all transmitters in the shortest possible time (usually there are 5 of them). Fox hunting competitions were very popular during the Cold War.

 

The essence of the competition is very close to counterintelligence work to identify and eliminate intelligence channels of communication. Therefore, state structures, primarily the military and counterintelligence, supported the athletes in every possible way. The end of the Cold War and the rapid development of information technology devalued "fox hunting", and now only enthusiasts are engaged in this sport.

 

5. The caution and quickness of foxes forced hunters to invent several methods of hunting these animals. The fox is lured with a bait. The carcass of an animal or a large piece of meat is left in a well-shot place, and the hunters hide nearby. The fox is lured with decoys, and in recent years, two-module electronic decoys have gained popularity.

 

In them, the control path is in the hands of the hunter, and the luring sounds are emitted by an external loudspeaker. This design allows you to take the fox to a place convenient for shooting. Large companies of hunters practice hunting with a salary, with flags. Hunting dogs are used, both hounds and greyhounds, chasing foxes in the field (greyhounds also strangle fugitives themselves) and burrowing dogs, driving the fox out of the hole.

 

6. Despite the fact that fox hunting is popular wherever these animals are found, even the most successful hungry hunter will not be able to feast on fox meat in Russia. The fox is a very active predator, so there is practically no fat in the fox meat. This makes it extremely tough, fox meat is much tougher than the meat of other predators.

 

The refreshed carcass emits a very unpleasant odor, which is weakened, but does not completely disappear even after 12 hours of soaking in vinegar and salt. Finally, the rodents that make up the fox's diet are packed with parasites. Foxes have developed a very powerful immunity that humans do not have. Therefore, the meat must be subjected to long heat treatment. When boiling, the unpleasant odor reappears, so the only way to cook fox is stewing with a lot of seasonings and spices. The Scandinavians, striking everyone with their surstroemming - pickled herring - distinguished themselves here too. In Sweden and Denmark, foxes are raised for meat on special farms and even some of the products are exported. At retail, fox meat costs about 15 euros per kilogram.

 

 

7. Around the middle of the 20th century, foxes began to be bred and domesticated as pets. On a scientific basis, Dmitry Belyaev's group in Novosibirsk worked on this. A careful selection of the most intelligent and affectionate individuals gave results only after many years. D. Belyaev became an academician, a nice monument was erected to him and one of his pupils in the Novosibirsk town - the scientist and the fox sit on a bench, stretching out their hands to each other. But even many years of efforts did not lead to the development of a new breed. Scientists who continue to work on improving the behavioral qualities of foxes refer to their pets as “population” only. That is, it is just a large group of individuals living in a limited area.

 

8. Unscrupulous “breeders” of foxes have long managed to instill in cheating buyers the idea that a fox is the same dog, only a cat. In a sense, the animal is very loyal to the owner and, at the same time, cleanly and independently. And if the animal does not behave the way the owner wants, then this is the owner's problem. Only with the development of mass communications did the hapless fox breeders manage to share with the world the delights of keeping a fox as a pet. The character of the fox does not depend on the place of purchase, whether it is a special nursery, a reseller, or even the side of the road on which a potential pet was hit by a car.

 

Regardless of whether you got a rather extravagant pet for free, or you paid 10 or 80 thousand rubles for it, it will have extremely unpleasant behavioral features. He will shit anywhere; gnaw and dig wherever possible; make noise at night and stink around the clock. It is the smell that is the most serious negative property of the fox. It can be somehow accustomed to the tray (the contents of which will have to be changed at least twice a day), but the fox will never get rid of the habit of secreting the secret of the paranoid glands, which is unpleasant and painful in the eyes, with any strong emotion from love to fear. Therefore, keeping a fox pet is best in a spacious enclosure in a private house, but not in an apartment. But in any case, you need to take care of rubber gloves and strong detergents in commercial quantities.

 

9. Foxes adapt to almost any environment. There is little animal food - foxes easily switch to vegetable food, without suffering from this at all. It gets colder - we grow, to the delight of hunters, a thick undercoat. It gets warmer - the undercoat falls out, and the fox looks like a sick puppy. Even the color of foxes' fur depends solely on the environmental conditions.

 

If there are many predators in the habitat, foxes dig deep holes with branched passages and a dozen, or even more, exits. Such holes in area can reach 70 square meters. m. There are relatively few predators - and the hole will be short and shallow, and two or three emergency exits will be enough. In cold regions, the main entrance of the burrow faces south, in warm and hot regions - to the north, and in deserts and steppes - to where the winds blow less often.

 

 

10. "Fox hole" for some reason is called a type of residential buildings, similar to a hole, except for the location of the entrance on the slope. Modern "fox holes", projects of which are proposed by many construction companies, may not go deep into the ground at all - they are just structures, the walls of which are heaped with earth. Human "fox holes" have both advantages and disadvantages, but they have nothing to do with foxes, except for the name.

 

11. The tightening of hunting rules and environmental legislation everywhere leads to the fact that foxes are gradually approaching human habitation. It is much easier to find food near people than in the wild, than foxes enjoy and enjoy. On the territory of the countries of the former USSR, by and large, only residents of villages and small settlements located near forests suffer from them. It is impossible to fight thieves who destroy small animals. The law expressly prohibits shooting within populated areas only at rabid animals. To do this, you need to confirm the disease, which cannot be done without killing the fox - a vicious circle.

 

In Europe, foxes are firmly established in the largest cities. According to estimates of epidemiologists, about 10,000 foxes live in London. 86% of the townspeople have a positive attitude to the red-haired robbers who fight with dogs and cats, gut garbage bags, and shit wherever they have to. Humans, it turns out, feel guilty about animals that have been bullied for hundreds of years. In Birmingham, foxes became such a disaster that a special team had to be created to capture them.

 

The team did a great job, catching a hundred animals. They were taken to the nearest forest and released - it is inhumane to kill. The foxes returned back to the city (and it's good if they didn't bring friends and girlfriends with them) and continued their dirty deeds. The careless attitude of the townspeople towards foxes is surprising - foxes endure the most terrible infections, including rabies.

 

12. The sea fox is a stingray of a sizeable size (up to 1.2 meters in length). It lives off the coast of Europe, including the Black and Azov Seas, and along the entire Atlantic coast of Africa. Fox sharks can also be found in the water column. These are three species of predators, ranging in size from 3 to 6 meters. In theory, fox sharks are considered shy and not dangerous to humans. Flying foxes also belong to foxes solely by name. These are the largest fruit bats in the world, until recently they were combined with bats. The body of a flying fox reaches a length of 40 cm, and a wingspan of one and a half meters.

 

13. The English word “fox” - “fox” has nothing to do with the familiar phrase “Fox is the 20th century film company”. “Fox” in this case is the surname of an enterprising Hungarian whose name was either Wilhelm Fuchs, or even Vilmos Fried. Having arrived in the USA, the Hungarian changed his name for the sake of euphony and founded a film company. In 1930, the company was taken away from him during a hostile takeover. Fox - Fuchs - Freed fought but lost. From him the film company remained, as the song says, only the name.

 

14. "Desert Fox" - German Field Marshal Erwin Rommel, who in 1940-1943 successfully commanded German troops in North Africa. However, Rommel did not use any special cunning in the command. Like all successful German military leaders of World War II, he knew how to concentrate forces on a narrow sector of the front and break through enemy defenses. When there was nothing to concentrate, "Desert Fox" abandoned troops in Africa and went to Hitler to ask for reinforcements.

 

 

15. “Fox's tail and a wolf's mouth” - this is how some jokingly and some shaking with fear called the policy of General Mikhail Loris-Melikov in Russia at the end of the 19th century. Under Emperor Alexander II, Loris-Melikov, who became famous in the Russian-Turkish war of 1877-1878, was simultaneously the Minister of Internal Affairs and the head of the gendarme corps. The authority of the Ministry of Internal Affairs at that time included practically all domestic politics, from the basic sectors of the economy to the care of the weak and orphans.

 

In this post, Loris-Melikov had a "fox's tail" - he advocated the weakening of laws, the growth of public initiative, etc. Having moved to the office of the chief of the gendarmes, the general used the "wolf's mouth", not letting the revolutionaries go (in his understanding) ... The fox tail involuntarily outplayed the wolf's mouth - on March 1, 1881, Emperor Alexander II was killed, and one of the captured terrorists said that their leader had been arrested before the assassination attempt, but Loris-Melikov's charges did not receive any evidence from him about the impending assassination attempt.

 

16. Foxes are firmly included in the mythology of dozens of peoples, and their influence on a person can be exactly the opposite, regardless of the place of residence of the peoples. Koreans, Chinese, and Japanese compete in the degree of fear experienced by foxes. The transformation of an animal into a seductive woman with the subsequent torture of the victim through pleasures is not yet the most terrible outcome that lies in wait for a Far Eastern man. Kitsune (in Japanese "fox") spread the life of those to whom they came in the form of a beauty, to smithereens - they ruin merchants or drive rulers into disgrace. It is difficult to imagine what they did in medieval Japan with the men to whom Kitsune appeared in the form of a handsome young guy.

 

At the same time, in India, the North American Indians and a number of European peoples, the fox symbolizes prosperity, good luck or wealth. Christians already at an early stage identified the fox as Satan's accomplices - beautiful, wagging its tail, and even wool the color of hellfire. Nevertheless, some peoples, including the Slavic, have retained a negative but complacent attitude towards the fox. “We know, the fox, about your miracles”, “And the fox is cunning, and they sell its skin”, “The fox takes care of, the cat curls up to it” - these proverbs clearly indicate that people have long imagined the nature of the red predator.

 

17. Employee of the Voronezh Zoo Tatiana Sapelnikova told a very interesting case. Zoo workers had to determine the concentration of small animals such as mice in one of the forest areas. During a routine procedure, zoo workers set traps for mice. However, the work of scientists was greatly hampered by the foxes living in the district. For several years, zoologists set up identical traps, and the number of mice caught in them determined the size of the population.

 

 

However, over time, the tracks showed that someone was reducing the number of mice trapped in the trap by carefully removing them and eating them nearby. Zoologists realized that the fox is no longer guided by mice, but by the smell of people setting traps. After a short game of "catch me" they managed to lure the fox - the zoologists originally nicknamed him Ginger - into a kind of aviary. The fox was absolutely not worried about bondage. When the scientists managed to carry out the necessary experiment with mice, Ryzhik was released. He did not run far, and even two chanterelles appeared nearby. They themselves did not figure out how to find the mice and take them out of the traps, but they unmistakably appreciated the extraordinary abilities of the future groom.

Horses have long been and are still considered one of the noblest and most valuable animals for humans. After all, they serve as a means of transportation, and arouse considerable sports interest with their participation in horse races, they are used as farm animals ... And how graceful and intelligent they are! No wonder they become objects of painting and literature. (By the way, the equestrian sport was even included in the program of the Olympic Games.) This suggests that the life of horses is closely connected with the life of people.

 

What else do we know about horses?

 

So, you see, these beautiful animals deserve to learn more about them. What can be said about horses in order to present them in more detail? Read below.

 

 

1. Horses have 10 different muscles in their ears.

As a result, they can move their ears independently and rotate them almost 180 degrees. Humans have only three muscles in their ears.

 

2. Horses cannot breathe through their mouths.

Horses only breathe through their noses because they cannot breathe through their mouths like humans.

 

3. Horses can see in almost all directions.

This is because their eyes are located on the sides of their heads. However, they do have two blind spots, one just behind them and the other right in front of and below their noses. As a result, they don't see the carrots you hand them or the grass they graze on! Instead, they decide what they want to eat using their flexible and sensitive lips, whiskers, and sense of smell.

 

4. The most expensive horse ever sold cost $70 million.

The Thoroughbred racehorse, Fusaichi Pegasus, was purchased by Coolmore Breeding in Ireland in 2000 for an astounding $70 million. However, he was the father of three Tier 1 stake winners and the grandfather of Ruler on Ice, the Belmont Stakes champion.

 

5. Horses are able to understand and interpret human emotions.

A study by the Universities of Sussex and Portsmouth found that horses have the ability to read human facial expressions and remember a person's previous emotional state in order to modify their behaviour. Horses naturally have this skill because they are capable of making complex facial expressions.

 

Smith and colleagues (2016) found in another study that horses' hearts beat faster when they see angry human faces rather than cheerful ones. According to the study, horses can recognize both positive and negative emotions on a human face and become more anxious at the sight of angry faces.

 

 

6. Horses may develop whiskers.

Whiskers, often found in the beautiful Gypsy Vanner horse breed, are said to be better able to distinguish between different types of grass and sense objects that are directly in front of them. Long sensory hairs, often called whiskers, serve this function in most horses.

As of July 1, 2021, horse whiskers cannot be trimmed during FEI (International Equestrian Federation) competitions. Any horse that has sensory hairs removed will be eliminated from competition under the new rule.

 

7. Horses can sleep standing up.

A system of tendons and ligaments known as the "support apparatus" allows horses to keep their legs in place so they can relax without falling over. Horses use this device to relax when they are not resting, so they do not get tired from standing still for a long time. This allows them to save energy when they are standing. Horses actually spend a small amount of time each day lying down for deeper sleep, contrary to popular belief, they never do.

 

8. Horses have fast reflexes.

In the face of danger, they can strike hard in just 0.3 seconds from a standing position, as opposed to a human reaction time of 1.6 seconds.

 

9. Horses are very smart creatures.

Like dogs, they can be trained to perform various actions using clicker training and positive rewards. According to one study, horses can communicate their demands to their caregivers by clicking on the symbols on the board. These horses have learned to indicate whether they want to put on or take off the blanket by touching the symbols.

 

10. Horses are very social creatures.

Horses are herbivores. Thus, they seek protection in herds and develop close social bonds. They spend time with those they make friends with and use their senses to identify familiar horses. While the other horses in the herd need time to eat, rest and sleep, one horse in the wild will stand guard to keep an eye on what's going on.

 

 

11. Horses are not capable of vomiting or belching.

Most vertebrates can vomit, but horses have lost this ability over time. At the entrance to the stomach, they have a very powerful muscular ring called the cardiac sphincter. Any food that enters the stomach cannot exit again due to this structure. They also have weak gag reflexes. Because of this, you have to be careful what you feed them.

 

12. The middle of the horse's mouth is devoid of teeth.

 

13. The oldest horse in history was 62 years old.

Old Billy (1760-1822), the oldest horse in history, now retains that title. He was from Woolston, Lancashire, England, and hauled barges up and down the canals. It was most likely a Shire-type horse with brown hair and white spots, although its exact breed is not known. By human standards, he was about 165 years old.

 

14. Donkeys, zebras and rhinos are the closest relatives of horses.

All these animals have a common feature - an odd number of toes. Rhinos, equines (horses, zebras, and donkeys), and tapirs are the only known groups of equids. On the contrary, artiodactyls, which include cows, goats, sheep, deer and many others, are much more common.

 

15. There is always a sentry in the herd of horses.

By uniting in a herd, horses greatly increase their chances of survival, but they still have to beware of predators. One horse in a herd will constantly be on the lookout for any threats while the rest are resting, eating or sleeping.

 

16. Horses can't spend a lot of time hungry.

There is a reason why horses spend 16 to 18 hours a day in the pasture. For their stomachs to work properly, food must always be present in them. A horse's stomach may feel discomfort after a 1-2 hour fast. But horses that go without food for a long time almost always develop painful stomach ulcers. This is due to the fact that the accumulated stomach acid, which is supposed to digest food particles, begins to corrode the lining of the stomach.

 

 

17. The heart of a typical horse is ten times the size of a human.

The human heart usually weighs only 0.28-0.34 kg, while the average horse heart weighs 4-4.5 kg. Racehorses have an even bigger heart, and this often explains the success of many legendary horses. If you know your horse's body weight, you can quickly determine how heavy his heart is. According to research, a horse's heart weighs about 1% of its total body weight.

 

18. It takes 10-12 months to grow a brand new hoof.

Hoof growth in horses typically occurs at a rate of 1/4 to 1/2 inch per month (0.63 cm to 1.27 cm). However, this may change during the year. Horses' hooves are known to grow faster in summer.

 

19. Horses are measured in "hands".

The arm is a unit of measure used to measure the height of a horse. Four inches (10.16 cm) equals one hand. A horse up to 14.2 hands is a pony.

 

20. There are over 600 breeds of horses.

These five sub-categories - Thoroughbreds, Warmbloods, Coldbloods/Drafts, Ponies, and Miniatures - include all recognized horse breeds. There are over 600 breeds of horses. These five sub-categories - Thoroughbreds, Warmbloods, Coldbloods/Drafts, Ponies, and Miniatures - include all recognized horse breeds. Arabian, Thoroughbred, and Spiky horses with roots in the Middle East are examples of hot-blooded horses. In contrast, Northern Europe is where cold-blooded (heavy) horses and ponies evolved. In contrast, cold-blooded (heavy) horses and ponies appeared in Northern Europe.

 

21. Horses are only missing one bone compared to humans.

The skeleton of a horse has 205 bones, one less than that of a human (206). However, not every horse breed fits this description. Arabian horses have a total of 201 bones, as they lack a pair of ribs, a lumbar vertebra, and a tail vertebra.

 

22. Twin horses are incredibly rare.

Horses, unlike most mammals, are not designed to bear multiple fetuses. The veterinarian usually removes the smaller embryo when the ultrasound shows a twin pregnancy to protect the mare and the other foal. Mare owners may choose to keep both foals, despite the risk, if such a pregnancy is not detected early. Most people cannot afford the costly surgery to remove one of the foals later.

 

 

23. Horses feel more comfortable in a herd.

Small herds of horses live in the wild and interacting with domestic horses makes them more at ease. Living alone can be very stressful for a horse. Horses may find company in the form of a groom or even another species such as a goat, donkey, or mule. Even a dog can be a good friend to a horse.

 

24. Horses have a fixed pelvis.

This does not allow them to do the splits. However, they can move sideways, which allows them to use their hind legs to scratch their ears.

 

25. Horses usually live between 25 and 30 years.

With advances in equine care and veterinary medicine, domestic horses live longer and healthier lives, although the maximum age a horse can reach is still limited by genetics, nutrition, and environmental variables. Ponies generally live longer than horses, and many live into their 40s. Some breeds of horses, including the Haflinger, Appaloosa, Icelandic horse, Arabian types, also have a higher lifespan than others.

 

26. Today there are about 60 million horses in the world.

With the exception of Antarctica, there are horses on every continent. The United States is the country with the largest number of horses in the world. The Food and Drug Administration estimates that there are about 3.8 million horses in the United States in a 2020 report. By comparison, the 2008 estimate was 9.2 million, showing a sharp drop in numbers.

 

27. The teeth of male horses are larger than those of females.

Male horses often have 40 teeth, while mares only have 36, because wolf teeth are more common in stallions and geldings. According to thehorse.com, about 7

 

Male horses often have 40 teeth, while mares only have 36, because wolf teeth are more common in stallions and geldings. According to thehorse.com, approximately 70% of horses develop wolf teeth between the ages of 5 months and 1 year. Veterinarian Glennon Mays claimed that the ancestors of horses roamed the forests. Their main source of food was twigs and leaves, which they thoroughly chewed with their wolf teeth.

 

28. Horses are able to walk and run for some time after birth.

The survival of a newborn foal in the wild depends on its ability to keep up with the herd. Horses have long legs and fully developed hooves at birth as a result of evolution.

 

 

29. Cloning horses has been successful.

A genetically similar mother gave birth to Prometheus, a Haflinger filly, in Italy in 2003. After giving birth to a mule clone in early 2003, she became the first horse to be successfully cloned. The cloning of horses and other animals is still a matter of great controversy. However, according to some equestrian experts, this technology could be used to clone geldings and use them as breeding stallions.

 

30. The record-breaking miniature horse was only 17.5 inches (44.5 cm) tall.

Due to its extremely diminutive stature, Thumbelina (2001-2018), a pygmy miniature horse, has gained worldwide fame. Thumbelina was the smallest horse, standing at only 17.5 inches (44.5 cm) tall and weighing 57 pounds (26 kg). The tiny bay mare was born in St. Louis, Missouri, on a miniature horse farm. Thumbelina even went on a US tour to meet her fans after she was listed in the Guinness Book of Records.

 

31. Horses have four standard gaits.

Walk, trot, amble and gallop are the four natural gaits of horses. At the same time, a four-stroke canter is much faster than a three-stroke one. Some breeds of horses have additional gaits in addition to the four main ones. For example, the Icelandic horse is known for its light gait and high speed.

 

32. It is known that horses jump to a height of up to 2.47 m.

On February 5, 1949, in Viña del Mar, Chile, Captain Alberto Larragibel Morales on his horse Guazo took a height of 2.47 m. According to the FEI, jumpers must overcome 2.49 meters to surpass the previous record of a purebred breed. It is interesting to note that the unofficial record is currently held by American Fred Wettach Jr. and his horse Kings Owen (King's Own). In front of 25 spectators, the couple made a jump of 2.53 meters, but this was not an official attempt.

 

33. Races for 1000 km.

The annual Mongolian derby, which is held on the Mongolian steppes over a distance of 1000 km, is the longest and most difficult horse race in the world. Every year more than 45 participants ride semi-wild local horses to the finish line. According to riders, about 1,500 Mongolian horses are prepared for the races every year. Before the start of the race and after the completion of each section, the horses are examined by a veterinarian. Only participants with absolutely healthy and fit horses are allowed to participate.

 

34. Horses can drink about 5 liters of water per 100 kg of body weight every day.

Getting enough water is just as important as proper nutrition. For example, a 500 kg horse will consume about 25 liters per day. Of course, other factors such as the age of the horse, the humidity of the environment and how he is trained also come into play.

 

 

35. It is estimated that the first ancestor of the horse lived 55 million years ago.

Only he was the size of a Labrador Retriever, his ancestor. According to archaeological excavations, the domestication of horses began about 6,000 years ago in the pastures of modern Ukraine. They were originally domesticated as a food source.

 

36. Horses don't have collarbones.

The clavicles stabilize the shoulders and connect the arms to the skeleton in most animals. In horses, the chest band serves this purpose. The muscles, tendons, and ligaments that connect the forelimbs to the rest of the body are collectively known as the chest strap. Horses and other four-legged runners do not have clavicles because it allows them to move faster.

 

37. The largest eyes among all land mammals are in horses.

The size of the horse's eye is larger than that of all other land mammals. Horses have eight times the size of our eyes! Compared to other breeds, Arabian horses have very large eyes.

 

38. Initially, there were no horses in North and South America.

Although the modern horse did not originate in the Americas, its relatives appeared before they mysteriously died out between 8,000 and 12,000 years ago. Climate change and human overhunting are two potential factors that scientists are still studying. Fortunately, about 2-3 million years ago, horses migrated from Alaska to Eurasia, where they were able to survive. Horses disappeared from the Americas and were never seen again until Christopher Columbus brought them back at the end of the 15th century. Older horses should be fed with extreme care because they sometimes live longer than their teeth, requiring proper care of horse teeth.

 

40. The respiratory rate of a horse at rest is approximately 8-14 breaths per minute.

It is extremely important to know your horse's resting heart rate and breathing rate. Although the horse's respiration rate at rest may be as low as eight breaths per minute, it can increase rapidly during exertion or stress.

 

41. Their cheerful expressions are not signs of laughter.

Instead, the flehmen reaction refers to this activity, which aims to better capture an intriguing scent. This process ensures that pheromones and other odors are transported to the vomeronasal organ (VMO), which subsequently communicates with the brain, eliciting physiological and behavioral responses.

 

42. The tallest horse ever measured was 21.25 palms (2.20 m) tall.

Sampson, Shire, was born in Bedfordshire, England, in 1846 and was an imposing 21.25 hands. His height at the withers exceeded 213 cm, and since then no one has surpassed him. In addition, he weighed a staggering 1524 kg!

 

 

43. There are no more real wild horses in the world.

The Przewalski's horse was once considered the only "true" wild horse breed. Most of the horses currently considered wild, such as American Mustangs and Australian Brumbies, are actually descended from domesticated horses. Since truly wild horses have never been domesticated, the term "wild" best describes these animals.

 

44. American riding horse (Quarter Horse)

Literally "quarter mile horse", or "quarter mile horse", designed for racing over short distances) is known for being the most popular horse breed. In 2020 alone, the American Quarter Horse Association, the largest breed society in the world, registered over 2.8 million horses. There are currently 2.4 million quarter horses in the United States, with many more scattered throughout the world.

 

45. Sorraya is the rarest breed of horses, of which there are less than 200 left.

These wild ponies, originally from Portugal, were on the brink of extinction in the early 20th century. It is believed that the Sorrai originated from the first horses that lived in southern Iberia. They have a simple pattern with primitive markings. They may have a convex profile and come in various shades of brown.

 

46. Animal frog acts as a built-in shock absorber.

The triangular detail on the sole of the horse's foot is a frog. The absorption and distribution of shock to the inner toe pad, the spongy structure under the horse's heels, is one of its many uses. The joints and bones of the horse are protected from shock loads due to the inherent ability of the frog to absorb and disperse shocks.

 

47. There are no horses with albinism.

Horses do not show albinism. Some coat shades, such as maximum sabino, cremello or perlino, may appear albino at first. However, studies have shown that this coloring gene is not an albino gene. In rare cases, a horse may be born completely white with pink skin, giving the impression that it is an albino. Dominant white is a color fundamentally different from albinism. Albino animals have a normal number of pigment cells, while dominant white horses do not. Deadly White Syndrome is a gene-related disorder that some white foals possess.

 

 

48. Horses are herbivores.

Typical traits of herbivores include the shape of their teeth (molars for breaking down fibrous plant material), the position of their eyes (facing to the side to look out for predators), and the type of digestive system.

 

49. A foal is a baby horse.

What distinguishes a filly from a foal? Age and gender play a role. A foal is usually a young horse. He is called a weaner after he was weaned from his mother. But until the age of four, horses are still considered fillies or foals.

 

50. There is one breed with a metallic color.

The wool of the Akhal-Teke horse is known. Many well cared for horses have a fine sheen, but this breed has a natural metallic sheen. It has to do with how her hair is structured. The strands of Akhal-Teke hair are devoid of or have a very small core, in contrast to the opaque core that is characteristic of most horse breeds in terms of voices.

 

52. The record speed for a horse sprint is 55 miles per hour (88.5 km / h).

A Long Goodbye, a quarter-mile racehorse, achieved this astonishing quarter-mile speed in 2005 (0.40 km). The horse ran part of the race at almost 50 miles per hour (80.45 km/h) and finished in exactly 20.686 seconds.

 

 

53. Keratin is part of horse hooves.

Horse hooves are made of keratin, the same protein that makes up our hair and nails. It is imperative that your horse has frequent grooming because they are constantly growing. This is very important, especially for young horses whose legs can become crooked and whose well-being can be compromised by neglected hooves.

 

54. Compared to other breeds, some Arabian horses have one less vertebrae.

The Arabian horse is the basis of many other breeds of light horses. They also have some unique characteristics. Most Arabian horses have one less vertebra, costal bone, and tail bone than other horses.

 

 

 

Impala (Aepyceros melampus) is an inhabitant of the southeastern part of the African continent. Typical habitats of these animals are savannas overgrown with shrubs, gallery forests, less often open spaces.

 

Facts about impalas

 

Due to the graceful structure of the body, for a long time it was ranked among the gazelles, but studies have shown that it is much more closely related to the bubals. The growth of an adult at the withers can reach 90 centimeters, weight - 40-60 kg. The impala's tail reaches a length of almost half a meter and ends in a panicle of white hair. On the relatively small and neat head of this antelope, large eyes and ears with black tips stand out. In addition, males have horns on their heads that grow in length from 60 to 90 cm, which simultaneously grow to the sides, back and up. Above the base of the hooves of the hind legs, the impala grows a tuft of black hair, which is why it is also called the black-heeled antelope.

 

 

1. Impala antelopes are one of the most beautiful and most numerous antelopes living in Africa.

 

2. Impalas belong to the order of artiodactyl mammals, the suborder of ruminants, the family of bovid artiodactyls.

 

3. The Impala is the only species of its kind. Six subspecies are known.

 

4. The habitat of the animal extends to the southeastern regions of Africa up to South Africa. This type of antelope is widespread, ranging from Uganda to Kenya, up to Botswana and South Africa.

 

5. An isolated population exists in southwestern Africa in the border zone between Angola and Namibia. This is a separate subspecies, these artiodactyls have a dark muzzle.

 

6. Impala antelopes have a lot in common with bulls, they have common features, similar hooves. Therefore, the antelope is classified as artiodactyl.

 

7. One of the most important signs of all antelopes is their horns, it can also be said from the horns that these animals are relatives of bulls. Antelope's horn is a sharp bone rod that develops from the frontal bones on outgrowths. The bone rod is covered with a horn sheath, and this whole horn sheath, together with the rod, grows throughout life, as long as the animal lives and exists.

 

8. Impala is a slender, beautiful animal of medium size. The coat of animals is smooth, shiny, on the hind legs, right above the "heel" of the hoof there is a bunch of coarse, black hairs. Therefore, impalas are called black-footed antelopes.

 

9. Their head is small in relation to the body, their ears are long, their eyes are large. The coat is short, on the back and sides it has a red-brown color. The lower part of the sides is lighter. The belly, chest and lower part of the head are covered with white wool.

 

10. In the back of the rump, impalas have black stripes. Black tufts of hair that grow on the hind limbs above the hooves cover special odorous glands.

 

 

11. At home, in East and South Africa, impalas are more willing to live in two-tier biotopes, that is, in light forests or on grassy plains overgrown with rare trees.

 

12. In addition to living in untouched areas of East and South Africa, impalas also live in many African national parks and reserves, where they create the appropriate conditions for the existence of these animals.

 

13. Sometimes the impala seems to “hang” in the air. Yes, one gets the impression when you watch this “beauty” for a long time, when, sensing danger, she soars into the air with lightning speed, tucking her legs under her and throwing her head back, and then, as if the animal freezes for a few seconds, and ... headlong rushes away, away from the enemy overtaking her.

 

14. A young female impala antelope can give birth to her very first cub at 4 years old. And males begin to take part in reproduction when they are 5 years old.

 

15. Active impala in the morning and evening. From the heat, they take refuge in the shade of bushes, where they rest and chew food.

 

16. Impala feed primarily on plants, they also eat a lot of leaves, buds, shoots, fruits and seeds of plants.

 

17. Throughout most of their range, impalas prefer fresh, protein-rich grass, which is especially thick during the rainy season.

 

18. When the grass wilts during the dry season, antelopes feed on the leaves of shrubs and perennials.

 

 

19. These animals never move away from water bodies. During the dry season, they must drink daily.

 

20. Impalas, like other antelopes, often come to the water during the hottest hours, because their main enemies (lions, leopards, hyenas and other predators) usually hunt at night and wait for their prey at a watering hole.

 

21. Male impalas are larger than females. They weigh from 40 to 70 kilograms. Females weigh 30-50 kilograms. The height at the withers is 65-95 centimeters.

 

22. Horns grow only in males. Their horns grow back, up or to the sides. In length, they reach 45-90 centimeters, and their shape resembles a musical instrument, a lyre. The beautiful ringed impala horns grow over the years.

 

23. In the southern regions of the range, the mating season of the impala antelope usually occurs in April-June. Then the antelopes mate again in September-October.

 

24. In East Africa, the first breeding season is from February to April, and the second from September to October.

 

25. Between adult males at this time there are fights for the territory in which the winner mates with females, whose favor he managed to attract.

 

26. The female impala for the first time brings offspring in the second year of life. Males reach sexual maturity as early as a year, but rarely mate before 4 years of age, as young individuals are too weak to conquer and retain territory.

 

 

27. Pregnancy in impala lasts 6-7 months. Before giving birth, the female chooses a place protected and remote from the herd. They have in the midst of rains, only one cub is born, whose mass is 1.5 - 2.4 kilograms, very rarely two babies can be born.

 

28. At this time, the female and her cub are the most vulnerable, since most often they all fall into the field of view of predators. That is why many antelope cubs do not live up to their puberty.

 

29. Most impala cubs are born at noon when their enemies are resting. Noon for these antelopes is the safest part of the day. The female stays with the cub for a few more days away from the herd, and then they return together.

 

30. When a female with a calf enters the herd, she ends up in a group of antelopes of the same age, in the "nursery". Each cub recognizes the mother among dozens of other females in the herd.

 

31. Impalas are herd animals. Living in a herd provides impalas with the best defense against predators. In a large herd, the chances of spotting an enemy that is about to attack increase earlier. In the event of an unexpected attack by predators, antelopes rush in different directions.

 

32. Females with small antelopes live in large groups, the number of such groups can be 10-100 individuals.

 

33. Elderly and even young males sometimes form bachelor, unstable herds.

 

 

34. The strongest males, not elderly, may have their own territories in order to vigilantly protect their territory from strangers and competitors.

 

35. If it happens that a whole herd of females runs through the territory of one male, the male “takes” them to himself, takes care of each of them, believing that now each female is his.

 

36. During the dry season, animals migrate. This creates mixed herds. They include both females and males of different ages. In a new place, strong males again equip themselves with personal possessions.

 

37. Male impalas use horns during the rut, in fights for territory and females. At the same time, they tilt their heads, cross their horns and push. The one who backs up is considered the loser.

 

38. During the mating season, males arrange ritual battles for the possession of a harem. There are no bloody fights with these aimalas.

 

39. Impalas do not shed their horns every year, as happens with roe deer and deer.

 

40. Interestingly, in these animals, if the situation with food is difficult, then the female can delay childbirth for a month.

 

41. Among the enemies of representatives of this species are leopards, lions, cheetahs, hyenas. Impalas escape from them by running or hiding in a shelter.

 

 

42. It is very difficult for a predator to catch up with a strong young animal. Therefore, mainly cubs die, as well as sick and old antelopes that do not have the strength to run fast.

 

43. Fleeing from a predator, the impala releases a fragrant liquid from the glands located under the tufts of hair on the hind legs. To do this, it rears up and hits the ground with its limbs.

 

44. Artiodactyls escape from people in conservation areas. About 50% of these animals live in them. They are also kept in private farms.

 

45. The population living in the west of the mainland is protected by the Etosha National Park and farms located in Namibia. In general, this species is considered the most common of all antelope species in Africa.

 

46. ​​An impala that runs away from a pursuer can make magnificent jumps: having taken off into the air, it seems to hang for a moment, pressing its legs under it and throwing its head back. The jump can be up to 3 meters in height, and even up to 10 meters in length.

 

 

 

47. If this animal runs in zigzags, then it develops a speed of up to 60 km / h. It can run in a straight line at a speed of 80 km / h.

 

48. Impala raises hair on end on the back of the body, thus alerting the rest of the herd of the danger.

 

49. In the past, these antelopes were hunted so intensively that they disappeared in many regions. Recently, however, these animals have settled in new areas.

 

50. The life expectancy of impalas is up to 12 years in freedom, in captivity - up to 17.