Skeptics Stack Exchange
Skeptics Stack Exchange

Questions tagged [zoology]

Use this tag for questions involving animal biology; evolution, ecology, physiology, behavior, genetics, and marine biology.

Zoology the branch of biology that relates to the animal kingdom, including the structure, embryology, evolution, classification, habits, and distribution of all animals, both living and extinct, and how they interact with their ecosystems.

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Do mice love cheese?

It's common knowledge that mice love cheese. Do they, or is it just that they'll eat anything that's available? What's the origin of the mouse-cheese belief?
StackExchange saddens dancek
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Has a mole stored over a thousand earthworms in its underground larder?

On the wikipedia article for moles, I found some remarkable assertions: Because their saliva contains a toxin that can paralyze earthworms, moles are able to store their still-living prey for later consumption. They construct special underground…
Vivek Shende
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Is chocolate bad for dogs?

I once had a dog that was fairly frequently given chocolate, and I never noticed any consequences. I heard somewhat recently that chocolate is bad for dogs. Is this true? Certainly, too much chocolate is bad, but isn't everything bad in excessive…
Peter Olson
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Can a frog be slowly boiled alive without it noticing?

It's commonly believed that a frog will not perceive a rise in temperature, and will boil alive. And, of course, if it were to be put in already-boiling water, it will immediately jump out. Any truths to this?
Sal Rahman
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Has a human ever been eaten by an anaconda?

In an article, Yes, Forcing an Anaconda to Eat a Human on TV Is a Bad Idea, the "world’s foremost expert on anacondas", Jesús Rivas claims: "The concern is that all that these shows do is to paint the snakes as the bad guys," he added. "While…
Franck Dernoncourt
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Do cats have a notable dislike of water compared to other animals?

The common knowledge goes that cats, in general, have a particular dislike of water compared to other animals. Is this true?
RomanSt
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Does the carrot on a stick method work on a mule?

Some idioms ("chase the carrot" / "carrot and stick") and a popular image (as shown below) suggest that you can make a mule move forward (and pull a cart), by placing a carrot or some other food hanging from a stick, in front of its face. For…
Gordon
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Under the right circumstances, can lobsters live indefinitely?

I've been reading a lot about longevity and I came up with this Wikipedia article where it states that it might be possible for lobsters to live indefinitely. Recent research suggests that lobsters may not slow down, weaken, or lose fertility with…
isJustMe
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Can elephants jump?

Are elephants capable of jumping? The Internet has no clear answer: Some say yes, some say no. Examples: Dot Physics: No Elephants are one of the few animals that can't jump. Not even a little bit. They don't like to have more than 1 foot off the…
Napoleonothecake
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Do water bottles on sidewalk/corners prevent dogs/cats from peeing?

It's very common, at least in Italy, to see bottles of water near walls in sidewalk and I've been told it's because it prevents dogs and cats from peeing on the wall. Is this actually the case and why wouldn't a dog/cat pee on it? online reference
Geeo
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Do goldfishes have a two or three seconds memory?

It is often claimed that goldfishes have a very short memory, usually of two or three seconds. Like most claims in the real world, I have yet to see a source provided for it. So, do goldfishes have a short memory?
Borror0
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Did humans see fish at the bottom of the world's deepest trench, the Mariana trench?

Several Wikipedia articles, (Bathyscaphe, Trieste and Challenger Deep), about the 1960 Bathyscaphe Trieste trip to Challenger Deep, the deepest part of the Mariana trench, mention observations of lifeforms on the deep sea floor: "The bathyscaphe…
user2547
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Did an octopus visit another tank to hunt?

I've seen several versions of this story. An aquarium (or pet store, or rich fish collector) noticed that fish were mysteriously vanishing from a tank at night. After this happened a few times, someone decided to stay overnight to try to find out…
Joe Gottman
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Do cats like keeping warm on car tyres in winter?

An image macro I've seen a few times, has an image of a cat sitting on top of a car tyre, and says to the effect of 'Reminder, cold season is starting, and cats seek shelter in cars, please check for cats before starting your car'. Do you cats…
dwjohnston
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Do monkeys love bananas?

This one comes from my 7-year-old. So, do all monkeys go bananas for bananas? Some types of monkeys? Do all monkeys like bananas somehow? ...or is it just a cartoon convention with no basis in reality?
yrodro
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