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Are There More Trees on Earth Than Stars in the Milky Way?
Snopes has looked into variety of strange nature facts, from turtles who breathe through their butts to the shape of goat pupils.
by Joey Esposito , Dec. 12, 2016
Image courtesy of YoungkKwon/Canva
Nature can be many things. While natural disasters make it frightening and climate change makes it unpredictable, the sheer variety of life forms on the planet and its stunning natural phenomena make it one thing above all: fascinating.
Over the years, Snopes has investigated a variety of impossible-seeming claims about nature, animals and the environment, like a headless chicken that was able to live for 18 months after the loss of its head and the mind-blowing fact that there are more trees on Earth than there are stars in the Milky Way galaxy. By all accounts, the wonder of nature hardly fails to impress.
From animals' strange bodily functions to the oldest living animal ever found , here are 15 deep-dives into nature and its creatures that may sound unbelievable, but actually have truth to them:
By Joey Esposito
Joey Esposito has written for a variety of entertainment publications. He's into music, video games ... and birds.
Real palm-sized anglerfish shown in this photo?
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Female frogs play dead to avoid mating? Some do, study found
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Biologists call the response "tonic immobility," and know it's a response to a high-stress envir ...
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Claim spread squirrels in California have turned carnivorous. We hunted down the details
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Researchers found that squirrels at a California park hunted and ate voles in 2024 during a spik ...
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The northern white rhino is likely to be extinct in the wild. However, not all hope is lost
June 22, 2025
Two females remain at a conservancy project in Kenya.
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Real Pics of Orange Skies Over Athens in April 2024?
April 25, 2024
"Dune 3 is out early," wrote one Reddit commenter.
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Clam Named 'Ming' Is Oldest Living Animal Ever Found?
Nov. 27, 2024
At 507 years old, Ming is said to have died during a scientific study published in 2006.
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Goats Have Rectangular Pupils?
Sept. 16, 2024
This unique feature allegedly enhances a goat's ability to detect approaching danger from its pe ...
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Picture Shows Baby Mammoth Remains Discovered After 30,000 Years?
May 31, 2024
Miners in the Yukon reportedly uncovered the frozen mammal while excavating through permafrost.
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Lobsters 'Pee' Out of Their Faces. Here's Why ...
March 4, 2022
It's all in the name of love.
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Were 'Extinct' Species Found Alive in 'Lost City' in Honduran Rainforest?
April 4, 2022
The biological treasures were said to be thriving in what some have called the “Lost City of the ...
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Scientists Identify 'Superworm' Capable of Eating Plastic
June 9, 2022
Enzymes found in the worm’s guts broke down two types of widely used plastics, including Styrofoam.
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Can Some Turtles Breathe Through Their Butts?
May 8, 2021
And you thought mouth breathers were weird.
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Did 'Mike the Headless Chicken' Live for 18 Months After Losing His Head?
July 26, 2021
Miracle Mike was, quite literally, running around like a chicken with its head cut off in the 19 ...
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Is the Shoebill Stork a Real Animal?
May 7, 2018
Images and videos of the shoebill stork, a large African bird, are often met with skepticism.
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Are There More Trees on Earth Than Stars in the Milky Way?
Dec. 12, 2016
Although both figures are rough, a recent estimate for the number of trees on Earth exceeds the ...
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