ANIMALS AND PLANTS
A part of the Iguana family, the Jesus Christ lizard is known so, because of a special ability it has. Upon, seeing danger, the lizard can run on the surface of water at a break neck speed. Also, known as the basilisk, the lizard comes with well equipped with webbed hind legs. While, their tread upon water surfaces is more of an appearance, it does not usually last for more than 10-20 meters in a stretch, and in the case of older lizards, it's smaller. With very sharp toes and elongated toes, basilisks are seen scurrying around during day time. Much alike its other reptile cousins which remain active during day time. Basilisks, which grow up to a foot's length, usually do not weigh anything more than 600 hundred grams in their life span of around 8 years. The females are known to lay around 2 dozen eggs, five to eight times annually, which hatch after about three months of gestation. With an excellent camouflage to hide themselves, the new born lizards are extremely well hidden, not weighing more than 2gms.
Miracles happen. For a five and half months old rooster, there would not really be many ways to gather dust and fame in our world. But on the 10th of September 1945, destiny had a certain way with Mike. Using a sharp axe, farmer Lloyd Olsen decided on preparing Mike for the night's supper. However, bringing the tool down did chop off the rooster, but did not prepare it for Mr. Olsen's kitchen, as the rooster, did not seem to mind the incident for more than a while, and went around pecking for food headless. Most of a chicken's reflex actions are controlled by the brain stem. Purely by freakish accident of the nature Mike's half of the brain stem and one ear remained intact. Mike received food and water through a eyedropper. Hence, was born the ordeal and legend of a headless rooster. Mike not only lived on for another eighteen months, but also went on to a healthy 8lbs from an initial 2lbs. The rooster won a place in the Guinness book of records, priced itself at $10,000, insured at another $10,000 and brought himself a manager as he tagged off to a tour to New York, LA and Atlantic City. Unfortunately it was at the end of one of these tours, when Mike passed away, leaving behind a legacy of remembrance and respect for Mike's will for survival.
Megaloceros, popularly known as the Irish Elk has been misnamed for the species is neither elk nor Irish. This is the name of an extinct deer species, the largest ever. The Irish Elk was as tall as seven feet up till its shoulder and its antlers were spread up to twelve feet. The evolution of this giant deer species took place in the glacial periods while the Pleistocene Epoch was on. The species became extinct because it failed to adapt to the subarctic conditions that existed in the final glaciations or the marked change that took place post the retreat of the sheet of ice. The last deer of the species died almost 11,000 years ago in Ireland.
Amazing new discovery in Israel! Near the city of Eilat in the Red Sea, scientists caught coral sucking in a large jellyfish. "During the survey we were amazed to notice some mushroom corals actively feeding on the moon jellyfish," says Ada Alamaru, Tel Aviv University, Israel. This is extremely strange behavior for corals since their regular diet usually includes only microscopic organisms called zooplankton (tiny drifting animals). Some corals consume organic debris. This is the first time ever reported that coral is feeding on a large jellyfish. "In fact we saw a few corals feeding and not only one," Ms Alamaru says. Scientists think that due to the climate change, jellyfish are over populating coral reefs and it seems that nature found a way to balance a large number of jellyfish. Ms Alamaru also suggests that ability to utilize a variety of food sources and to take advantage of such a bloom event gives the mushroom corals an advantage compared with other small polyped corals that are not able to feed on such large prey items.
Do you know the smallest monkey spends its entire life on trees? Yes! It's true. Tarsier, an unusual mammal, just keeps clinging to the trunk of the trees, even while sleeping and giving birth to the young ones. Isn't it amazing? This nocturnal animal has large eyes, a long tail and ears with almost no hair. It is a carnivores animal and can move its ears to determine the location of the prey. The most unusual thing about this animal is its flexible neck that it can turn up to 360 degrees. Tarsier is about the size of squirrel but it has long tail. Since they can't walk, they hop when they on ground and mark their trees with their urine. Interesting fact is that Tarsier is neither a monkey nor a primate. It is something in between. Philippines' tarsiers are smallest of all tarsiers and their eyes are as big as their brain.
This ancient breed of dog (records show their presence in 1121 BC) proudly stands as one of the strongest dogs today. Marco Polo described them as "tall as a donkey with a voice as powerful as that of a lion. "Known in Tibetan as 'Do khyi' meaning 'home guard' which indicates it's use as a protector of homes and livestock. It is classified as a primitive breed and still exhibits characteristics and adaptations necessary for it to survive in the high altitude and severe cols in Tibet. Intelligent and ferocious, they can ably fight mountain lions in the high mountains of Tibet, aided by their relatively large size. The first Western traveler to have encountered Tibetan mastiffs was Marco Polo. They were used to guard Lhasa. In 19th century England, King George owned a pair.
Imagine an insect that is brainwashed by parasitic fungi (genus Cordyceps). This interesting fungi manipulates insect's brain forcing him to climb the plant or tree, and upon reaching to the top grows out of his head or body! Cordyceps also called Chinese caterpillar fungus, native to the Tibetan plateau in China. In human beings, it enters through the ears, germinates in the mind, causes the host to destroy rival communities, and exits via the mouth, and infects others. A Korean study of a related species of Cordyceps indicates that it has components that may inhibit coagulation, making it potentially beneficial in stroke and heart attack prevention. A hot water extract of the fungus appeared to stimulate the immune system. In other studies, which have reported that Cordyceps may be useful in treating Hepatitis B. A study from Thailand reported that Cordyceps nipponica might be of value in the treating malaria. Another review concluded that Cordyceps might be promising as a possible support for heart & lung function. Interesting fact is that Chinese Olympic athletes use this fungi to improve their performance and stamina.
Strawberry is not a fruit, it is a receptacle. California is the largest producer of strawberries with almost 20000 acres dedicated to growing the fruit. Surprisingly the entire land of the USA is considered to be fertile for growing strawberries. If consumed in the right amount this fruit can fill in almost 20% of human body's daily requirement for folic acid and 140% of Vitamin C. It is the only fruit with the seeds on the skin and a strawberry on an average has 200 seeds. The fruit belongs to the family of rose and has a museum situated in dedicated to it. Strawberries are considered to be a fruit of love making and flirtation. Some people believe that strawberries are symbol of Venus (Goddess of Love).
There are certain types of caterpillars which are carnivorous in nature. However, only one percent of all caterpillars eat meat, and generally feed upon soft flesh like insects and spiders. There are several species found in different parts of the world with slightly different characteristics. They begin their life by eating plants of a specific type, but as they grow they switch to certain types of insects. The most interesting thing about them is the way they kill in order to arrange for food. Some use seductive smells or camouflage in order to trap their prey. A certain species in Hawaii disguise itself as the bark of a tree in order to hunt for spiders and insects. In Australia, the killer caterpillars specifically go for green tree ants and dovours the brood. On the other hand, certain Denmark species reside along with ants underground. It is a highly unusual behavior for caterpillars to hunt for meat, as we know them to grow as butterflies and moths. However, this kind of caterpillars are very hard to find, and are slowly on the path of extinction due to their complex life cycle.
Earwigs (Order Dermaptera) are small bugs that got their name from the myth that they climb into people's ears and therein lay their eggs or tunnel into the brain. Earwigs also have two penises! Both are larger than it's body and if it needs the second one just in case one of them snaps off! "It's an interesting phenomenon," says Mike Siva-Jothy of the University of Sheffield, UK. He thinks there must be some evolutionary advantage to the earwig's "unusually long" and fragile organs.
Elephants are well known for their intelligence and caring for each other. Elephants cry and laugh and they are largest animals that live on land. Elephants live long, between 60-70 years. Elephant's musk has more than 100,000 muscle units and elephant poops around 80 pounds a day. It is known that elephants take a great care over dead bones of their family members. However, it is the myth that they carry them to secret "elephant burial grounds". Interesting elephant fact is that periodically male elephants go through musth or extremely aggressive sexual behavior. Musth in Persian means "intoxicated" and it is recorded that male elephant in musth has 60 times higher level of testosterone than in the normal elephant. Elephant male in the musth will kill and destroy everything in his path. Take a look at this shocking vicious video to learn more about this highly aggressive elephant behavior. Again we repeat THIS VIDEO IS VERY AGGRESSIVE!
What happens when a male lion and a female tiger breed? A Liger - the largest of all felines. A liger looks like a giant lion with diffused stripes and some male ligers grow sparse manes. These massive creatures are 10 feet long on average and weigh about 700 lb (320kg). Liger love swimming - trait common to tigers but lacking in lions. Ligers have been bred in captivity, deliberately and accidentally, since shortly before World War II. The largest liger alive today is appropriately named Hercules and lives in Jungle Island in Miami.
Cannabis was first cultivated in China around 4000 B.C. and the U.S. Declaration of Independence was written on hemp paper. Twelve Americans receive prescribed marijuana from the U.S. government. There are three main types of Marijuana: Cannabis Sativa, Cannabis Indica and Cannabis Ruderalis. Cannabis Sativa grows taller and it gives more of a head high. Indica is a short bushy plant and the high is more muscle relaxing throughout the body. Cannabis Ruderalis grows in colder climates (Eastern Europe and Russia). Skunk is the strong Cannabis Indica hybrid. Interesting fact about marijuana is that marijuana cures/prevents more than 100 diseases including cancer and depression. We advise you to watch following videos:
If you ever swim in the Amazon and Oranoco Rivers of South America please think twice before urinating in the water. Fish called Candiru or Carnero is attracted by urine smell (urea and ammonia) and it can insert it self into the penis or vagina while urinating. Then penis fish lodges itself somewhere in the urinary tract with its spines and it uses its mouth for feeding by sucking the blood. It is almost impossible for fish to survive inside of the human body. Removal of the fish is extremely hard due to the spines and if problem is not treated it can result in removal of the genitals.
Goats can climb trees! In Morocco goats climb Argan trees to consume delicious berries which are similar to the olives. Local farmers follow these goats because fruit of the Argan tree has the nut inside which is used to make delicious cooking oil. Interesting fact (besides the climbing goats) is that Morocco goats spit or excrete these nuts, which then farmers use to make the Argan oil. However, Argan trees are close to extinction because of the tree wood harvesting. Some organizations are trying to promote Argan oil to became marketing success in order to preserve these weird trees. We all hope that these goats will continue their climbing adventures!
There are more than 5000 ladybird species. Ladybirds usually eat plant lice. However, Asian species when introduced to the Europe attacked European ladybirds. Dots on the ladybirds have nothing to do with the years of living. Some ladybirds have up to 22 dots on the back. Average lifespan of these cute bugs is three years. Some people believe that ladybirds can predict the weather. If they fell off your hand it would rain, if they flew away it would be fine.
An interesting fact regarding this insect is that, while they are mating, the female praying mantis eats the males head. No one knows for sure why, but it could be that protein from male body helps the eggs develop. Praying mantis have excellent eye sight and they can see up to 18 meters (60 feet) away. They are not dangerous creatures (well at least not to the humans) and their average lifespan is around 12 months. Who wants to be a mantis?
It is believed that in a small town in North Eastern part of India (Jatinga) birds commit suicide in a particular 1.5 km long and around 200 meters wide strip of field area. These birds are not suicidal since their behavior may be attributed to heavy rains and floods and submergence of their natural habitat in the surrounding areas. Also the local villagers light torches which attract the birds migrating at night. They then clobber them to death with bamboo poles and eat them!
Although most known Scottish shepherd, Lassie, is white-brown, original Collies were mostly tricolor: white, brown and mostly black (on the back).
It's also interesting that Collies are better known as "Lassie", than "Collie" or "Scottish shepherd".
Do you wonder where fireflies got their internal light? Fireflies actually contain the so-called Luciferin. This substance when combined with oxygen will enable them to produce light. This process is called bioluminescence and they light up to attract the mate. Same is true with angler fish which also produces light, but they use it to catch the prey.
Did you know that the average chocolate bar in the U.S. contains at least 8 pieces of an insect in it? Harvesting of the cacao beans occurs in the tropical countries of South America with low sanitation levels. Cacao tree beans are cut and piled in the farmer's field where they ferment for 6 days. During this process, children and adults walk over the piles; insects, rodents, small animals and other living things that make their nests in the piles. Actually the The U. S. Department of Health publishes a book entitled "The Food Defect Action Levels" in which they list unavoidable defects in food (insect, rodents etc.) all allowed by FDA.
A pound of armadillo meat contains 780 calories. Most armadillos seen dead on the road did not get hit by the wheels. When an armadillo is frightened it jumps straight into the air. Armadillos have four babies at a time, always all the same sex. They are perfect quadruplets, the fertilized cell split into quarters, resulting in four identical armadillos. Armadillos get an average of 18.5 hours of sleep per day. Armadillos can walk underwater.
Tasmanian tiger-wolf is an extinct wolf like carnivorous marsupial of Tasmania having stripes on its back. Despite its popular name, this animal is neither a tiger nor a wolf and it is closely related to the kangaroo. Tasmanian tiger-wolf has a pouch for its babies to climb in. The extinction of the Tasmanian wolf is attributable solely to activities of human beings, it was said to become extinct in 1936.
In the Second World War, during the Blitzkrieg campaign, German tanks were too fast and too powerful for Russian military. Russians idea was to train the dogs to carry bombs under the German tanks. The trainers would first starve the dogs, and then train them to find a food under the tank. Unfortunately, problem was that dogs trained under the Soviet tanks not the loud German diesel tanks. Plan backfired on Soviets, but they did manage to disable a reported 300 German tanks.
The largest octopus weighs about 15kg (Octopus dofleini). An Octopus has three hearts and it can squeeze through a hole the size of a 10-cent coin. Hapalochlaena species can inject enough venom in one bite to kill several adult humans. They can adopt a two-tentacles "walk" that frees up their six remaining limbs and makes them look like an armed vehicle.
Only female mosquitoes bites humans and drinks their blood. Male mosquitoes are much bigger than females, but they are harmless to the humans. Female mosquito uses blood to produce eggs since certain proteins are needed for reproduction. Actually mosquitoes are principally nectar feeders except of course for the females. However, mosquito family Toxorhynchites never drinks blood.
Hyenas live in a female dominated society. Female Hyenas are the most masculine females in the animal kingdom. They have very high levels of hormones that are usually found in the males. Also many female hyenas have enlarged clitoris, to the point of looking like a penis. The female hyena urinates, mates and gives birth through this modified clitoris (it is inverted for mating).
When a female horse and a male donkey mate, the offspring is called a mule, but when a male horse and a female donkey mate, the offspring is called a hinny. When a male zebra and a female donkey mate the offspring is called a ‘zedonk’ or ‘zebrass’. All of these resulting offspring are sterile (can't have babies).
People that are allergic to cats will be able to pet them without sneezing and scratching. Genetically engineered cats will be produced to help people with allergies enjoy their sneeze-free kitties Allerca, Inc., a biotechnology firm in San Diego, California, says it has bred Hypoallergenic Cats and is now taking orders from customers in the United States.