FUNNY BY NATURE

Claire Karwowski tracks down the wackiest wildlife that's cracking up the animal kingdom.

If you have ever taken a walk in your local park, you've probably seen a bunch of bum-sniffing pups. However, on any of your nature adventures, have you ever seen moonwalking birds? Or sealife using farts as flotation devices? These examples might seem like the start of a really good joke, but in the natural world these smelly, silly stories are part of everyday life. Nature is filled with comical critters, so pull up a seat and check out the hilarious habits that keep the animal kingdom endlessly funny.

Mutts' butts

Let's kick things off with a classic - dogs sniffing each other's bums. It would certainly be a bizarre way to say hello in the human world, but to dogs, sniffing another pooch's rear end provides a lot of information. That's because a mutt's butt holds two small pouches that release a bunch of different (and very smelly) chemicals. A dog's sense of smell is 10,000 to 100,000 times stronger than ours. Because of this, they can decode these whiffs and learn about another dog's diet, stress levels, ability to have puppies, overall health and more.

Canines aren't the only ones who check out each other's bottoms. Cats - from little kittens to big lions - also participate in this ritual for many of the same reasons dogs do. In the wild, female hyenas have been seen standing side by side, sniffing each other, possibly to bond before a hunting trip. Elephants are thought to use scent to identify family members, to strengthen group bonds and to learn where they stand in the social order. From the leader to the back of the pack, animals will all have different smells that will teach any stranger what they need to know about their new friend (or foe).

A merry dance