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Animal facts

Discover the remarkable lives of animals, one fact at a time.

Pelican

  • Pelicans are huge birds; the largest have a wingspan of about 3.5 metres and can soar to altitudes of over 3,000 metres.
  • Pelicans live on every continent except Antarctica.
  • They feed on fish, tadpoles, crustaceans and occasionally small turtles. Related profile: Turtle.

Penguin

  • All 18 or so penguin species live in the Southern Hemisphere; only the Galápagos penguin reaches just north of the equator.
  • Emperor penguins are the tallest living penguins, standing about 115 cm tall. Little penguins are much smaller, at about 30-40 cm.
  • The fastest penguin is the Gentoo penguin, which can swim at about 35 km/h.

Pheasant

  • There are about 50 species of pheasants and their relatives; in the common pheasant alone, some males have a white neck ring and others do not.
  • The best known is the common pheasant, which has been introduced around the world and is one of the most hunted birds.
  • Pheasants live in a mix of grassland, fields, wetlands, farmland, hedges and woodland.

Pig

  • Water needs vary with body size, temperature, diet and whether a sow is nursing piglets.
  • Pigs are intelligent and very social animals. When they are kept in a group, they like to lie close together and often sleep nose to nose.
  • Pigs have little ability to cool themselves by sweating. Wallowing in mud or water helps them lose heat.

Pigeon

  • The rock pigeon may have been the first bird domesticated by people, at least 5,000 years ago, and has been an important source of food ever since.
  • Pigeons navigate using the sun and a magnetic compass; an Oxford University study found that they also follow roads and motorways, even turning at junctions.
  • Pigeons are very social and are often seen in flocks of 20-30 birds or more.

Piranha

  • There are more than 30 species of piranhas.
  • The black piranha has one of the strongest bites of any fish relative to its size.
  • Piranhas replace their teeth in batches throughout their lives.

Platypus

  • The platypus is one of only five living species of egg-laying mammals; the others are echidnas.
  • A platypus closes its eyes, ears and nostrils when it dives and finds prey with its bill.
  • Male platypuses have venomous spurs on their hind legs.

Polar bear

  • International Polar Bear Day is held every year on 27 February to raise awareness of polar bear conservation.
  • Adult polar bears have no natural predators apart from humans and other polar bears.
  • It is the largest land carnivore in the world.

Polecat

  • When threatened, polecats release a foul-smelling liquid from glands near the tail.
  • Several species are called polecats or ferrets, including the European polecat, the steppe polecat and the black-footed ferret.
  • Polecats are solitary and mostly active at night.

Pony

  • Well-trained, calm ponies are ideal for children learning to ride.
  • Ponies are easy keepers: they need less food than a horse of the same weight and easily become overweight on rich grass.
  • Compared with horses, ponies tend to have shorter legs, deeper bodies, thicker necks and shorter heads with broad foreheads. Related profile: Horse.