10 Animal Stereotypes That Are Completely Wrong

Quck answer

Animal stereotypes are often based on misconceptions and myths. Here are 10 wildly wrong animal stereotypes:

1. Bats are blind.

2. Camels store water in their humps.

3. Chameleons change color to blend in with their surroundings.

4. Elephants are afraid of mice.

5. Goldfish have a three-second memory.

6. Koalas are bears.

7. Lemmings commit mass suicide.

8. Ostriches bury their heads in the sand.

9. Penguins mate for life.

10. Wolves are vicious killers.

In reality, bats can see, camels store fat in their humps, chameleons change color for communication and regulation of body temperature, elephants are not afraid of mice, goldfish have a memory that can last up to several months, koalas are marsupials, lemmings do not commit suicide, ostriches do not bury their heads in the sand, penguins often mate with multiple partners, and wolves are social animals that rarely attack humans.

Animal Facts

Do you think your dog is really loyal or as sneaky as a cat?.
Purestock/Thinkstock

From a young age, we are exposed to animal characters in stories and cartoons. These characters often have certain personality traits that are repeatedly portrayed. The sly fox, the clumsy bear, the deceitful snake, the cheerful bluebird, and the nosy mother hen are just a few examples. Animal stereotypes are present in almost every culture, but they can be misleading and inaccurate. Some stereotypes may have a grain of truth, but individual differences can be overlooked when we generalize traits across a group of animals. In some cases, stereotypes have no basis in reality.

Before you try to approach a koala, swim with a dolphin, or kill a spider, read about these 10 animals that break their stereotypes.

10: Koalas Are Not Cuddly

Despite their cute appearance, koalas are not meant to be cuddled or held.
bradmustow/iStock/Thinkstock

Koalas have a reputation for being cute and cuddly due to their furry ears, fluffy appearance, and sleepy demeanor. However, wild koalas are not meant to be hugged. Their fur may look soft and fluffy, but it is thick and coarse like sheep’s wool. Their fur repels rain and protects them from extreme temperatures. Koalas have muscular limbs with long, sharp claws to grip tree bark and groom their fur. They also have the ability to defend themselves if they feel threatened. Therefore, it’s best to leave them alone and not try to pick them up.

9: Bats Will Not Attack Your Hair

Bats are not a threat to your hair or well-being.
PlazacCameraman/iStock/Thinkstock

Bats are furry, fly, and have a bad reputation. However, they play an important role in pollinating fruit trees and consuming insects that can damage crops. Despite popular belief, bats will not fly into your hair or attack you. How did this myth start? It’s unclear, but it’s safe to say that bats are not a threat to your hair or well-being.

Many people believe that bats are ugly and dangerous because of their association with vampires in Bram Stoker’s novel Dracula. However, vampire bats are small and only live in Central and South America, and they require a minimal amount of blood each day. Bats are also skilled navigators and use echolocation to avoid obstacles, including human hair. Pigs, despite their reputation for being dirty, are actually very clean animals and prefer not to defecate near their eating or sleeping areas. They roll in mud to cool off and protect their skin from sunburn and bug bites. Finally, dolphins are often depicted as happy and friendly, thanks in part to the TV show “Flipper,” but their expressions do not necessarily reflect their mood and they can be aggressive in certain situations.

The common belief that dolphins are friendly and happy animals has been reinforced by aquarium shows and “swim with the dolphins” experiences. However, dolphins’ facial expressions do not change, and what may appear to be a smile is actually due to their permanently curved mouths and jaw configuration. Furthermore, activist and former dolphin trainer Ric O’Barry has spent 40 years advocating for the end of dolphin shows at theme parks and aquariums and for the release of captive dolphins back into the wild due to his belief that they are stressed and unhappy in captivity.

Despite the fact that spiders mainly eat insects and have no reason to bite humans, many people fear them and believe that they want to bite them. However, spiders are not bloodsuckers and only bite in rare instances when they feel threatened. Even so-called aggressive house spiders are not particularly aggressive towards humans and may only bite if their egg sac is in danger. In most cases, spider bites are mistaken for other types of bites or infections.

Sloths are often perceived as lazy due to their slow movements, but in reality, their slow gait conserves energy, and their seemingly inactive bodies are actually working hard. They have discovered that lying still and camouflaging themselves is smarter than attracting the attention of predators with movement. The animal’s English name comes from the deadly sin of sloth, but sloths are not actually lazy.

Sloths inhabit the uppermost part of trees in tropical regions. Their slow-moving, furry bodies offer an ideal breeding ground for algae and fungus, resulting in a greenish camouflage that covers their entire body. The harpy eagle is one of the primary predators of the sloth, known for its speed, strength, and ability to attack from the air. The sloth cannot outrun the eagle or other jungle cats such as jaguars, so it relies on its camouflage and stillness to blend in with its surroundings and become almost invisible.

Contrary to popular belief, sloths sleep for only about 9.6 hours per day in the wild. While they remain motionless in the trees, their stomachs and intestines gradually digest their most recent meal, sometimes taking up to 50 days to extract all the available nutrients from a diet consisting mainly of leaves.

In Western cultures, owls are associated with wisdom and knowledge. Greek and Roman mythology linked owls to education, intellect, and magic, probably due to their large eyes, solemn expression, and ability to see in the dark. However, owls do not possess measurable intelligence. While their nocturnal habits and silent flight make them seem mysterious, they have comparatively small brains proportionate to their body size and are less trainable than crows, hawks, parrots, or pigeons. Interestingly, in India, owls are considered empty-headed due to their tendency to sit and stare blankly into space.

Cows are not typically associated with intelligence, as they are often seen standing in fields, chewing their cud or waiting for feeding or milking time. People refer to being “herded like cattle” or insult others by calling them a “stupid cow.” However, vegetarians and animal rights activists argue that cows have more emotions and intelligence than we give them credit for. Cows have been observed to form friendships with other cows, hold grudges, and mourn the loss of their calves to death or separation.

A study conducted by researchers at the University of Cambridge revealed that cows not only possess the ability to learn how to open a gate to obtain a food reward, but also exhibited increased heart rates and vigorous movement upon achieving their learning goal. This reaction was described by an animal researcher as a “eureka” moment similar to what humans experience when learning something new [sources: Balcombe, Hagen and Broom].

2: Cats Are Not Aloof

Although it is a common stereotype that cats are aloof, sneaky, and independent, cat behavior consultant Pam Johnson-Bennett suggests that this is not the case. Instead, cats are focused and may not respond immediately when spoken to because they are engrossed in searching for potential prey, such as a foot moving under a blanket. Cats display affection by sitting on or next to their owners, rubbing against them, bumping their heads into them, and licking them. A 2013 study found that cats responded to their owners’ voices by moving their heads and ears toward the sound, even if the owner was out of sight [source: Saito and Shinozuka]. These findings suggest that cats distinguish between their owners and unfamiliar people and are not indifferent to humans.

1: Dogs Are Not Always Loyal

While dogs are often referred to as “man’s best friend,” author Stephen Budiansky suggests in his book “The Truth About Dogs” that they may be feigning loyalty and devotion in exchange for prime real estate in front of a cozy fireplace, space in our beds, food from our plates, and the ability to get away with quirky or disruptive behavior. In a 2013 study, Hungarian researchers found that dogs responded to robots in the same way they responded to people. Given a choice between a robot that spoke the dog’s name in a programmed voice, extended a gloved hand for the dog to sniff, and directed the dog toward hidden food or a human that did not offer those rewards, the dogs preferred the robot, spending more time with it and gazing at its head [source: Lakatos et al.].

Additional Details

Author’s Comment: 10 Inaccurate Animal Stereotypes

As a big admirer of bats and spiders, I relished uncovering knowledge that could potentially help others develop an appreciation for these creatures as well. (Any creature that consumes mosquitoes is a pal of mine.) While it was unsurprising to discover that these animal stereotypes were untrue, it was intriguing to ponder on how some of these myths originated and to observe the differences and similarities in the way various cultures view the same animals.

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• 10 Crazy Animal Facts You Probably Don’t Know

Sources

• Australian Koala Foundation. “Living With Koalas: How Can You Help to Protect Them?” (Nov. 6, 2014) https://www.savethekoala.com/about-koalas/living-koalas-how-can-you-help-protect-them
• Australian Koala Foundation. “Physical Characteristics of the Koala.” (Nov. 6, 2014) https://www.savethekoala.com/about-koalas/physical-characteristics-koala
• Balcombe, Jonathan. “It’s Time (magazine) to Respect Cows.” Psychology Today. Aug. 18, 2010. (Nov. 7, 2014) http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/the-inner-lives-animals/201008/it-s-time-magazine-respect-cows
• Bat World Sanctuary. “Myths and Facts.” (Nov. 6, 2014) http://batworld.org/myths_facts_page/
• Breyer, Melissa. “10 Things You Didn’t Know About Koalas.” Mother Nature Network. Sept. 12, 2013. (Nov. 6, 2014) http://www.mnn.com/earth-matters/animals/stories/10-things-you-didnt-know-about-koalas
• Briggs, Helen. “Sloth’s lazy image a myth.” BBC News. May 13, 2008. (Nov. 7, 2014) http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/7396356.stm
• Budiansky, Stephen. “Excerpt from ‘The Truth about Dogs.’” The New York Times. Oct. 29, 2000. (Nov. 10, 2014) https://www.nytimes.com/books/first/b/budiansky-truth.html
• Cornell Lab of Ornithology. “Owls.” (Nov. 7, 2014) http://www.birds.cornell.edu/AllAboutBirds/owlp/olws2
• Crawford, Rod. “Myths, Misconceptions, and Superstitions about Spiders.” The Burke Museum of Natural History and Culture. (Nov. 7, 2014) http://www.burkemuseum.org/spidermyth/
• Fears, Darryl. “Ten reasons why bats are a lot cooler than you think.” The Washington Post. Oct. 28, 2014. (Nov. 6, 2014) http://www.washingtonpost.com/news/speaking-of-science/wp/2014/10/28/ten-reasons-why-bats-are-a-lot-cooler-than-you-think/
• Foster, Peter. “A wise owl or a foolish oolu?” The Telegraph. Aug. 9, 2007. (Nov. 7, 2014) http://blogs.telegraph.co.uk/news/peterfoster/3628081/A_wise_owl_or_a_foolish_oolu/
• Hagen, Kristen and Donald M. Broom. “Emotional Reactions to Learning in Cattle.” Applied Animal Behaviour Science. Volume 85, Issues 3-4, Pages 203–213. March 25, 2004. (Nov. 7, 2014) http://www.appliedanimalbehaviour.com/article/S0168-1591(03)00294-6/fulltext
• The Humane Society. “Kind News Feature: The Real Deal About Pigs.” Dec. 19, 2012. (Nov. 6, 2014) http://www.humanesociety.org/news/magazines/kind_news/2012/12-01/real-deal-about-pigs.html
• Johnson-Bennett, Pam. “Myth: Cats Are Aloof and Independent.” (Nov. 10, 2014) http://www.catbehaviorassociates.com/cat-myth-cats-are-aloof-and-independent/
• Lakatos, Gabriella, Mariusz Janiak, Lukasz Malek, Robert Muszynski, Veronika Konok, Krzysztof Tchon, ГЃ. MiklГіsi. “Sensing sociality in dogs: what may make an interactive robot social?” Animal Cognition. March 2014. (Nov. 10, 2014) http://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10071-013-0670-7
• Lewis, Deane. “Owls in Mythology and Culture.” The Owl Pages. May 13, 2005. (Nov. 7, 2014) http://www.owlpages.com/articles.php?section=owl+mythology&title=myth+and+culture
• Main, Douglas. “The Surprising Cause of Most ‘Spider Bites.’” LiveScience. July 5, 2013. (Nov. 7, 2014) http://www.livescience.com/37974-he-surprising-cause-of-most-spider-bites.html
• Marino, Lori. “Dolphins are not healers.” Aeon. June 18, 2013. (Nov. 6, 2014) http://aeon.co/magazine/science/lori-marino-dolphins-are-not-healers/
• Mascoli, Gene. “Wise As An Owl.” Science IQ. (Nov. 7, 2014) http://www.scienceiq.com/facts/wiseasanowl.cfm
• Miller, Elizabeth. “Bats, Vampires, and Dracula.” Newsletter of the Florida Bat Conservation Centre. Fall 1998. (Nov. 6, 2014) http://www.ucs.mun.ca/~emiller/bats_vamp_drac.html
• Mulvaney, Kieran. “Of Vampires and Bats. And Vampire Bats.” Discovery News. Oct. 29, 2009. (Nov. 6, 2014) http://news.discovery.com/earth/of-vampires-and-bats-and-vampire-bats.htm
• National Geographic. “Bottlenose Dolphin.” (Nov. 6, 2014) http://animals.nationalgeographic.com/animals/mammals/bottlenose-dolphin/
• Nicholls, Henry. “The Truth about Sloths.” BBC.com. (Nov. 7, 2014) http://www.bbc.com/earth/story/20140916-the-truth-about-sloths
• Orkin. “Hobo Spiders.” (Nov. 7, 2014) http://www.orkin.com/other/spiders/hobo-spiders/
• Palermo, Elizabeth. “5 Spooky Spider Myths Busted.” LiveScience. Oct. 28, 2014. (Nov. 7, 2014)http://www.livescience.com/48479-spider-myths-busted.html
• Palmer, Mark. “The Vampire Bat: A Spooky Surprise.” The American Biology Teacher. Vol. 71, No. 8. (Oct. 2009), pp. 469-473. (Nov. 6, 2014) http://www.jstor.org/stable/27744429

The following is a list of various sources related to animal topics. It includes an interview with Ric O’Barry on CBC, an article on the joy of pigs from PBS Nature, PETA articles on the hidden lives of cows and reasons not to eat pigs, a study on domestic cats recognizing their owners, an article debunking animal myths from Divine Caroline, a National Geographic feature on bats, a Catholic Answers Magazine article on the sin of sloth, a Washington Post article on the truth behind dolphins’ smiles, and a World Animal Foundation fact sheet on sloths. All of these sources provide valuable information on different aspects of the animal kingdom.

FAQ

1. Do all bats carry rabies?

No, not all bats carry rabies. While it is true that bats are often associated with the disease, only a very small percentage of bats actually carry it. In fact, less than 1% of bats have rabies. It is important to remember that bats are not inherently dangerous animals and should not be feared or killed unnecessarily. If you come into contact with a bat, it is best to avoid touching it and to contact a professional wildlife removal service for assistance.

2. Are all snakes venomous?

No, not all snakes are venomous. In fact, the majority of snake species are not venomous at all. It is important to learn to identify venomous snakes in your area, but it is not necessary to fear all snakes. Many non-venomous snakes are actually quite beneficial in controlling rodent populations and should be left alone.

3. Are all spiders dangerous?

No, not all spiders are dangerous. While there are some venomous spider species, the vast majority of spiders are harmless to humans. In fact, many spiders are beneficial in controlling insect populations and should be left alone. It is important to learn to identify venomous spiders in your area and to take appropriate precautions, but there is no need to fear all spiders.

4. Do all wolves attack humans?

No, not all wolves attack humans. In fact, wolves are generally very wary of humans and will avoid contact whenever possible. While there have been some recorded cases of wolf attacks on humans, these are very rare and usually occur when the animal is sick or provoked. It is important to remember that wolves are wild animals and should be treated with caution and respect, but there is no need to fear them unnecessarily.

5. Are all sharks man-eaters?

No, not all sharks are man-eaters. While there are some shark species that have been known to attack humans, the vast majority of sharks are harmless to people. In fact, many species of sharks are endangered and should be protected. It is important to exercise caution when swimming in areas where sharks are known to frequent, but there is no need to fear all sharks.

6. Are all crocodiles aggressive?

No, not all crocodiles are aggressive. While crocodiles are generally considered to be dangerous animals, they are not inherently aggressive towards humans. In fact, many crocodile species are quite shy and will avoid contact with people whenever possible. It is important to exercise caution when in areas where crocodiles are known to live, but there is no need to fear them unnecessarily.

7. Are all bats blind?

No, not all bats are blind. While some species of bats do have poor eyesight, many have excellent vision and use it to navigate through their environment. In fact, some species of bats are known to have better eyesight than humans. It is important to remember that bats are not inherently dangerous animals and should not be feared or killed unnecessarily.