Odd Animal Specimens

Hi everyone! I’m excited to be part of The Discover List 2026 put together by TikTok! There are a lot of other great educators on this list, I’m very honored to be part of it. We have an exciting year looking ahead - some interesting projects to announce shortly. I’ll see you all soon. - Charlie #thediscoverlist @tiktok creators

It’s been a wonderful year. Thank you so much for watching my videos. If you think I deserve it, I’d love to get your vote for best learning creator. You can access the TikTok Awards voting page using the link in my bio. Thanks again. I really appreciate it. Looking forward to another great year. #animals #science #learnontiktok

Fluorescent caterpillars, glowing plants, and wild surprises under UV light. You never know what you’ll find - just like on TikTok! Share your own Learning discoveries for the #tiktokencyclopediacontest from Nov 1 - Nov 28 #tiktokpartner

Did you get it right? What animal is this? I had a very nice time asking other creators at the TikTok Creator Summit in New York. There are a lot of exciting new Creator Tools coming to TikTok, and plenty of amazing new creators creating high quality content to watch! #animals #science #learnontiktok #TikTokCreatorSummit #TikTokPartner @tiktok creators

Leaf insects drop their new eggs onto the ground. Horseshoe crabs can lay 20,000 eggs in one night. But one animal pregnancy is the strangest of all. Aphids exhibit something called “telescopic pregnancies” or “telescoping generations” where their babies are already pregnant with offspring of their own. #animals #science #learnontiktok

Did you guess the animal right? I thought this was a bumblebee, but I was wrong. Bumblebees have fuzzy abdomens. Large bees with smooth abdomens like this are an entirely different species - they’re carpenter bees. In this video we learn the differences between bumblebees and carpenter bees. #animals #science #learnontiktok Specimen use made possible by the University of Michigan Museum of Zoology.

Did you guess the animal right? I thought this was a gazelle, but I was wrong. Gazelles have long straight horns. This animal has "S" shaped horns. Animals with horns like this are an entirely different species - they're impala. In this video we learn the difference between gazelles and impalas. #animals #science #learnontiktok Specimen use made possible by the University of Michigan Museum of Zoology

Why are howler monkeys so loud? Their mating calls can be heard over three miles away. It’s all because they have a massively enlarged hyoid bone inside their throat. This bone acts like a resonance chamber than can amplify certain sounds the monkey makes. #animals #science #learnontiktok Specimen use made possible by the University of Michigan Museum of Zoology

Hippos have a very unusual trait: they have a unique jaw joint that allows them to open their mouths incredibly wide. How wide can a hippo open its mouth? Us humans can open our mouths around 40 degrees, but hippos can open their mouths around 150 degrees. #animals #science #learnontiktok Specimen use made possible by the University of Michigan Museum of Zoology

If you place a flying squirrel under a UV black light, something very unusual happens. Its glows pink! This is similar to how scorpions glow under UV light, however only part of the flying squirrel glows - its belly fur - instead of the entire thing. #animals #science #learnontiktok Specimen use made possible by the University of Michigan Museum of Zoology.

Caterpillar cocoons are used to make an expensive fabric. After they’re soaked in boiling water, the cocoons are unwound. The resulting fibers are twisted together to create thread. This thread is used to make silk. Caterpillar cocoons are used to make silk. #animals #science #learnontiktok Specimen use made possible by the University of Michigan Museum of Zoology

Parrotfish have an unusual set of bones in the back of their mouths - a second set of teeth. These teeth are used to grind up coral. The resulting ground up coral is released as sand. Around 80% of the sand on tropical beaches comes from parrotfish. #animals #science #learnontiktok Specimen use made possible by the University of Michigan Museum of Zoology.

What fish has the most teeth? I thought sharks have the most teeth, but I was wrong. Many other fish, like bowfin for example, have a ton of teeth all over the place. They don’t always grow in neat little rows like mammal teeth. The fish with the most teeth is a channel catfish. #animals #science #learnontiktok Specimen use made possible by the University of Michigan Museum of Zoology.

Something unusual happens to certain animals when they’re allowed to evolve on islands for millions of years - they become enormous. This phenomenon, called island gigantism, created the largest cricket in the world - the giant weta from New Zealand. #animals #science #learnontiktok Specimen use made possible by the University of Michigan Museum of Zoology

Did you get it right? Should I post more skull identifications? Identifying animal skulls can be difficult. Hoewever, in this video we’re able to use some anatomical features on a specific skull to identify its species. #animals #science #learnontiktok Specimen use made possibly by the University of Michigan Museum of Zoology.