It's time to stop spreading these popular myths about animals

Mario Tama/Reuters

A shark that's stunned people still believe it must swim to breathe.

The animal kingdom is home to one remarkable fact after another.

To name a few: Sperm whales can hold their breath for an hour, the most venomous animal on Earth is a snail, and tiny freshwater hydras can live so long they may as well be immortal.

But for each surprisingly true assertion about animals, there's invariably another that's exaggerated, misguided, or just plain wrong.

Here are a handful of the most popular myths about animals and the truth behind them - or the closest thing we have to it.

Have any favorites we missed? Send them to science@businessinsider.com.

Jennifer Welsh, Sarah Kramer, and Sean Kane contributed to this post.