I’m the kind of person who watches puppy videos for hours, but the other day, I was thinking about my "basic-ness." There are so many underappreciated animals that don’t get enough attention. Puppies are rad and stuff, but I think these animals deserve some recognition too. Here is my effort to expand beyond my basic puppy-loving self and remind us of some animals that are actually cooler than dogs.

1.Giraffes

I may be biased because they’re my favorite animals, but these tall fellas don’t get enough credit. Besides being the tallest animals in the world, they can also run up to 35 miles per hour (Keyser, 2014). I guess having long legs helps a little until they have to get a drink of water. Good thing they have long tongues.

2. Cicadas

Honestly, I used to be scared of these giant beasts (okay so I still am a little afraid of them). These creepy crawlers are actually really fascinating. They are the bugs a lot of us hear singing loud and proud on summer nights. According to CBC News, cicadas are the loudest insects and a swarm of them can be louder than a rock concert (“10 scintillating…” 2015).

3. Chinchillas

These little furry mouse-like creatures are super soft and have the cutest faces. Their cute faces reflect to their natural tendencies. A fact page on chinchilla.co said that they are compassionate animals. Unlike other rodents, male chinchillas don’t eat or kill their babies—they even help babysit when the mama chinchilla has to go away (“Chinchilla facts,” 2014).

4. Koalas

These Australian marsupials are not a very common animal. According to koalaexpress.com.au, there are only 2,000- 8,000 wild koalas roaming Australia. Due to deforestation for logging and urban development, their population has plummeted by 90 percent (“Amazing and Interesting,” 2001). Humans, save the koalas and stay in your lane.

5. Goats

Goats are some of the most humorous (and the most savage) animals out there. They aren’t the first animal to pop in your head, but they still rank at the top of my list of incredible animals. There are even fainting goats that fall over if you scare them and it’s the funniest thing. Besides being adorable and funny, goats are quick on their feet and have great balance (“15 Amazing Things…” 2017). There are some pretty badass pictures of mountain goats standing on the edge of mountains.

There are still more underrated animals that I didn't even name. They may not be the CUTEST animals *cough* cicadas *cough*, but they are still pretty fascinating. Puppies are cool and all, but there are other animals that are just as neat (if not NEATER).

References

10 scintillating facts about cicadas. (2015, June 15). Retrieved August 28, 2017, from http://www.cbc.ca/news/technology/10-scintillating...

15 Amazing Things You Probably Didn't Know About Goats. (2017, June 13). Retrieved August 28, 2017, from http://mentalfloss.com/article/61542/15-amazing-th...

Amazing and Interesting Koala Facts. (2001). Retrieved August 28, 2017, from https://www.koalaexpress.com.au/facts1.htm

Chinchilla Facts – The Top 10 Interesting Facts About Chinchillas. (2014, August 20). Retrieved August 28, 2017, from http://chinchilla.co/chinchilla-facts/

Keyser, H. (2014, April 22). 20 Things You Might Not Know About Giraffes. Retrieved August 28, 2017, from http://mentalfloss.com/article/56318/20-things-you...