This may be a shock, but humans aren’t the only ones who know a thing or two about natural remedies. Turns out animals don’t always need our help to stay healthy; whether that means eating certain plants or covering their homes in specific substances, they know how to get the job done. From tiny insects to the largest land mammal on Earth, here are some examples of animals who know how to self-medicate.

1. Elephants

Even animals know how stressful pregnancy can be and the toll it takes on the body. Many can sense when something’s wrong and instinctively know how to handle it. They will treat themselves with specific plants depending on the problem, much like we humans take medication. African elephants in particular are known to eat plants that induce labor, most likely due to going past their already long gestation period. But sometimes there’s no clear reason to speed up the pregnancy- the poor mother was probably just tired of being pregnant!

2. Sheep

While sheep aren’t exactly known for their intelligence, mother nature didn’t skip out on handing them medicinal instincts. Parasitic infections are a common occurrence among these domestic animals. And the treatment? Tannin-rich foods that kill the blood-sucking invaders. This trait is even passed down to their young, with lambs exhibiting the same behavior as their parents when infected. Not even their shepherd would think of doing this! Maybe this will make you change your mind about them.

3. House Sparrows and Finches

One man’s trash is another man’s treasure. It seems that house sparrows and finches may have heard of this phrase as well. They are a resourceful bunch and have found some unique ways of making the most of our trash. Instead of using the natural resources around them, they’ll place discarded cigarette butts in their nests. No, not for decoration, but as a way to deter mites thanks to the nicotine. No mites equal better overall health for the birds and their offspring. Of course, don’t use this as an excuse to keep on littering. Always discard your cigarettes appropriately!

4. Woolly Bear Caterpillars

It’s not just the large animals who know how to self-medicate. Just because they’re small doesn’t mean that they lack the brainpower to maintain and improve their own health. Woolly bear caterpillars are under constant attack by the parasitic tachinid flies. It’s alright though, because these fuzzy insects are more than capable of handling it themselves. They have been observed scanning their environment in search of plants that contain toxins which eliminates the parasites. Afterall, these insects can’t turn into beautiful moths if they’re dead!

5. Wood Ants

Ants are known for being hard and cooperative workers. They live in colonies where everyone does their fair share for the benefit of the entire community. These tiny insects, like many creatures, are prone to pathogens and other microorganisms which, if left unchecked, can easily spread throughout the entire colony. Luckily, they have some impressive preventative measures set in place. The ants use conifer resin in their nests which drastically reduces their chances of infection. This is basically the animal version of human vaccines.

Related Posts

The Unbelievable Times Cats Saved Lives

Certainly we’ve heard the proverb that cats have nine lives to mean that our feline friends are lucky and frequently survive dangerous incidents. You would think that they happen to save their own lives but it may surprise you to know that cats have saved the lives of people. Yes we may see them as household pets that chase mice away but hero is not a title we ordinarily give to cats. Here are five incidents where cats saved lives. 1. Tara Saves a Young Boy Tara, a tabby, was a stray cat who was taken in by Roger and Erica Triantello in 2008 after following them home. Tara grew particularly attached to the couple’s two sons. On 13th May, 2014, Tara risked her life to save Jeremy, the four-year-old son. Jeremy, who was playing on his bike in his yard, was attacked by the neighbor's Labrador and Chow mix that escaped from its yard. Jeremy was dragged off his bike by his leg by the vicious dog. Tara leapt into action, launched her claws at the dog and attacked until the dog let go of Jeremy and fled. Tara chased after the dog before it returned to Jeremy. This incident was caught on a security camera and the video went viral. 2. Masha Helps an Abandoned Baby Masha was a communal pet cat that was cared for by the people of an apartment complex in Obninsk, Russia. One frigid day in January 2015, the neighbor was alerted by Masha’s persistent cries. Irina Lavrova found the long-haired cat wrapped around a freezing baby boy and licking his face. It seemed that the baby was out in the cold for a few hours. Given the low temperatures recorded that day, the infant was saved from hyperthermia by the cat's furry protection. 3. Fidge Detects Cancer Cats are said to have an amazing sense of smell, over fifteen times more powerful than that of humans. British woman Wendy Humphreys believes that her kitten, Fidge, sensed her cancer and saved her life. A few weeks after Wendy and her husband adopted the kitten, Wendy claims that Fidge began to jump on the side of her chest whenever she sat. This unusual behavior continued for a couple of weeks, and Fidge's frequent sorties had left Wendy feeling sore. Wendy went to see her doctor who found a malignant lump in Wendy’s right breast. This early detection saved her life. 4. Major Tom Saves Owner From Sinking Grant MacDonald, an Australian and Major Tom, a black and white cat, resided on board the yacht Osprey. In September, 2015, a few miles off the Western Australian coast, the boat began to flood. MacDonald was fast asleep until Major Tom began to head-butt him repeatedly to wake him up and alert him of the danger. After realizing that there was nothing he could do, MacDonald grabbed his cat and abandoned the yard by getting on the life raft. The yacht sank. 5. Homer Stops An Intruder Homer, a homeless black cat who lost his eyes due to a terrible eye infection was adopted by Gwen Cooper. One night, Cooper awoke to Homer on her bed growling loudly. This was unusual behavior for her cat. She then noticed that there was an intruder in the room. Before Cooper could take action, Homer launched his tiny body at the intruder, bit and scratched him mercilessly until the man fled. Gwen Cooper later penned “Homer's Odyssey” which became a bestselling book as well as a follow up to tell the remarkable tale of her cat.  LEARN MORE

The Best Mothers in the Animal Kingdom

The animal kingdom is known for its many wonders. There are animals with the extraordinary ability to protect, care for, nurture and raise their young. Some mothers in particular are just incredible as they go through several measures to ensure that their offspring survive and thrive. They demonstrate strong maternal instincts in the animal world. Here are five of the best mothers in the animal kingdom. Hats off to them! 1. Pigs Pigs are very protective of their young. Prior to having their babies, they leave their group in search of a safe place to build a cozy nest for their piglets. Although the search may take a while and they may go far, mother pigs won’t stop until they discover an ideal location. They make their nests by digging a hole, filling it with grass, leaves, twigs and branches. The mother pig stays with her piglets for a couple of weeks and then returns to the herd to wean her young and teach them how to survive. Pigs live in matriarchal families, where the female relatives help care for the piglets. 2. Elephants Mother elephants are definitely amazing creatures. After almost two years of pregnancy, female elephants give birth to 200 pound babies. They nurse their calves for two to three years but their young can suckle for up to ten years. Such large, adorable newborns need a lot of food and attention. Elephant moms provide three gallons of milk every day for their young. They live in social matriarchal groups and help raise their young. The mothers are fiercely protective and nurturing. They teach their young everything, including how to swim, stand, find food and defend themselves. 3. Opossums On average, opossums give birth to fifteen to twenty-five babies at one time. The females have only thirteen nipples and only one baby can latch onto a nipple, therefore only these fortunate babies survive. Opossums are marsupials and after birth, the babies continue to develop in the pouch for the first two months. As they grow bigger they enter and exit the pouch and for several months, they ride on their mothers back while she goes in search of food. 4. Alligators Alligators are often viewed as dangerous predators but alligator mothers are actually quite caring towards their young particularly in the beginning stages of their lives. Alligators, which are from the crocodilia order of reptiles, are excellent moms unlike the majority of reptiles. They prepare a large nest made from mud, sticks and plants to accommodate their ten to fifty eggs, which they cover with the same material. The baby alligators make a noise to signal that they are ready to hatch. The mother then opens the nest, takes the hatchlings to the water in her mouth and shakes her head from side to side to encourage the babies to swim out. The baby alligators stay close to their mother for about the first two years. When threatened, she comes to their rescue. 5. Graneledone Boreopacifica  The deep sea octopus, Graneledone Boreopacifica, unlike other octopuses, produces a relatively small number of eggs of about 155 and 165 eggs. For four and a half years, this octopus guards and protects her eggs until the babies inside are developed and have a great chance of survival. During this time the octopus does not appear to eat. Naturally the lack of food has an impact on her health. She loses muscle mass, gets smaller and becomes paler. The selfless mother completely withers away when offspring do eventually hatch. LEARN MORE

Cool Animals With Their Own Life Hacks

Hop on the internet and without a doubt, you can find a life hack for just about anything: work, school, cooking, you name it. But it’s not just us humans who engage in life hacks: even our buddies in the animal kingdom have their unique tricks up their sleeves that makes it easier to navigate life in the wild. They may not have technology, but they sure know how to make the most of what they have. Here are some of the coolest animals and their equally cool life hacks that you didn’t know about. 1. Dolphin Sleeping Hack Although dolphins live in the water, they’re still mammals and if they fall asleep fully, they can drown because breathing is a conscious function. To prevent this, dolphins have evolved to sleep with only one half of their brain asleep at a time. This is known as unihemispheric sleep, and using this technique, dolphins can stay awake for up to 15 days at a time. It also allows them to remain alert for attacks from predators such as sharks, something they wouldn’t be able to do if they were fully asleep. 2. Crocodile Diving Hack While humans need special gears and equipment to dive into the ocean, crocodiles have a much simpler way of getting this done. When this ferocious predator needs to scan the floor of a river to catch dinner, they’ll simply gulp down a few stones and rocks. By doing this, they’re actually increasing their body weight which allows them to sink down below with ease. Not only does the rock aid in swimming, but it also plays a crucial role in digestion by breaking down any of the tougher shelled prey that the creature eats. 3. Plumed Basilisk Walking Hack The animal kingdom has a messiah of their own known as the plumed basilisk lizard which is appropriately nicknamed the “Jesus Christ lizard” due to the reptile’s unique ability to sprint across bodies of water. When threatened by predators, the basilisk lizard will drop from the tree into the water and make a run for it. The basilisk lizard is able to pull this off thanks to the skin-like scales on their rear feet which expands when hitting liquid to increase the surface area of each foot that contacts the water. 4. Rhino Cleaning Hack Life in the wild means that animals are prone to blood-sucking ticks which irritates their skin. Unable to get rid of it on their own, rhinos have developed a mutual and trusting relationship with oxpeckers that eat all the ticks as part of the birds’ blood-based diet. Oxpeckers also notify their friends of nearby predators. This is because rhinos are shortsighted and can’t tell that predators are nearby until it's too late. Though the oxpecker is most likely less worried about the rhino and more so that it doesn’t want another animal to eat its lunch! 5. Stick Insect Birth Hack Some human women will shout at the rooftops that they don’t need a man, but for female stick insects, this is a reality. If well-fed, the female stick insect is able to give birth through parthenogenesis, a method of procreation that allows the female to lay unfertilized eggs all on her own. But it doesn’t end there: it turns out that the females really don’t want to mate at all. They have also developed an anti-aphrodisiac chemical which they spray at random males to keep them away. LEARN MORE