Fascinating Baby Animal Habits You Probably Didn't Know!

March27,2025

Just like human infants find comfort in thumb-sucking, baby elephants soothe themselves by sucking on their trunks as they grow and explore the world.

Elephant calves

Newborn dolphins communicate with their mothers in soft, quiet clicks and whistles to avoid attracting predators in the ocean.

Dolphin calves

Despite their massive adult size, polar bear cubs are born incredibly small—about the size of a guinea pig! They stay warm inside their mother’s snow den until they are strong enough to survive the Arctic cold.

Polar bear cubs

Baby penguins rely entirely on sound to identify their parents among thousands of similar-looking birds in a crowded colony.

Penguin chicks

Unlike many animal babies that rely on parental care, octopus hatchlings fend for themselves from the moment they hatch, floating in the ocean as tiny, independent creatures.

Octopus babies

Fox cubs engage in playful games of hide-and-seek with their siblings to practice sneaky hunting techniques they will use as adults.

Baby foxes

Sloth babies spend the first several months of their lives attached to their mothers, only letting go when they are strong enough to hang onto tree branches by themselves.

Newborn sloths