Did you know that horses and cows sleep while standing? Or that sheep have four stomachs, each to help them digest the food they eat? Can you wrap your head around the fact that Polar Bears are actually black in color?
If these animal facts caught your fancy, read on for 10 more. Prepare, once again, to be amazed because you know nothing.
1. China has ridiculously large, human-sized salamanders.
There are two species of this ginormous amphibian – one in China that can grow to about 6 feet, and a smaller version in Japan which grows to 5 feet.
Other distinguishing characteristics of these big boys are that they smell like pepper, move at a deceptively quick pace and have really tiny eyes.(source)
2. While fishing off of Northland’s Karikari Peninsula, a fisherman discovered a see-through fish!
Stewart Fraser was fishing in Northland’s Karikari Peninsula with his sons, when a see-through fish swimming near the surface of water caught his eye. Unable to identify it from a distance, Fraser reeled in the translucent fish to get a closer look. However, he said that he had absolutely no idea what the creature was.
It was later discovered that Mr. Fraser’s catch is actually one of the ocean’s most important inhabitants and not all that rare. The translucent fish is called a Salp and made of cellulose. They can eat even the smallest particles, like bacteria or planktons, and have the magical ability to combat global warming!(source)
3. Remember Scrat? The saber-toothed squirrel, featured in the 2002 film ‘Ice Age’, was believed to be fictional…until the fossilized skull of one was discovered in 2011.
In 2002, paleontologists stumbled upon the, mostly, complete skull of a fanged, shrew-like mammal in Argentina. However, the skull was covered in rock and its identity remained shrouded in mystery.
The rock was, then, painstakingly cleaned away and the skull was identified as the remains of a saber-toothed, squirrel like creature.
Scrat, is that you?
4. ‘Starbuck’ is a famous Canadian bull, whose genome was so desirable that his sperm sold for $25 million during his life. Today, he has more than 200,000 daughters.
Born on April 26, 1979, Starbuck was a certified legend. Weighing in at a massive 2,580 pounds, this Canadian bull was a good-looking chap. So good-looking that, in pursuit of his highly desirable genome, his sperm sold for $25 million.
And why shouldn’t it? From 1986 to 1995, Starbuck won the title of ‘Premier Sire’ 27 times at five major Holstein shows held in Canada and the US.
5. The Darwin’s bark spider spins the largest webs in the world, with a silk that’s tougher than any known biological substance.
Caerostris darwini, or Darwin’s bark spider, spins webs that can cover 30-square-foot areas, hanging in mid-air from 80-foot-long anchor lines. What’s more is that the strands of the web are “10 times better than Kevlar,” according to University of Puerto Rico zoologist, Igni Agnarsson. This means that the strands are made of a silk that’s tougher than anything else!
The inch-wide arachnid was discovered in the jungles of Madagascar and the size of the spider, in comparison to the size of its web, has left many befuddled.
6. Spiders in Australia are so big that they feast on snakes!
If these animal facts caught your fancy, read on for 10 more. Prepare, once again, to be amazed because you know nothing.
1. China has ridiculously large, human-sized salamanders.
There are two species of this ginormous amphibian – one in China that can grow to about 6 feet, and a smaller version in Japan which grows to 5 feet.
Other distinguishing characteristics of these big boys are that they smell like pepper, move at a deceptively quick pace and have really tiny eyes.(source)
2. While fishing off of Northland’s Karikari Peninsula, a fisherman discovered a see-through fish!
Stewart Fraser was fishing in Northland’s Karikari Peninsula with his sons, when a see-through fish swimming near the surface of water caught his eye. Unable to identify it from a distance, Fraser reeled in the translucent fish to get a closer look. However, he said that he had absolutely no idea what the creature was.
It was later discovered that Mr. Fraser’s catch is actually one of the ocean’s most important inhabitants and not all that rare. The translucent fish is called a Salp and made of cellulose. They can eat even the smallest particles, like bacteria or planktons, and have the magical ability to combat global warming!(source)
3. Remember Scrat? The saber-toothed squirrel, featured in the 2002 film ‘Ice Age’, was believed to be fictional…until the fossilized skull of one was discovered in 2011.
In 2002, paleontologists stumbled upon the, mostly, complete skull of a fanged, shrew-like mammal in Argentina. However, the skull was covered in rock and its identity remained shrouded in mystery.
The rock was, then, painstakingly cleaned away and the skull was identified as the remains of a saber-toothed, squirrel like creature.
Scrat, is that you?
4. ‘Starbuck’ is a famous Canadian bull, whose genome was so desirable that his sperm sold for $25 million during his life. Today, he has more than 200,000 daughters.
Born on April 26, 1979, Starbuck was a certified legend. Weighing in at a massive 2,580 pounds, this Canadian bull was a good-looking chap. So good-looking that, in pursuit of his highly desirable genome, his sperm sold for $25 million.
And why shouldn’t it? From 1986 to 1995, Starbuck won the title of ‘Premier Sire’ 27 times at five major Holstein shows held in Canada and the US.
5. The Darwin’s bark spider spins the largest webs in the world, with a silk that’s tougher than any known biological substance.
Caerostris darwini, or Darwin’s bark spider, spins webs that can cover 30-square-foot areas, hanging in mid-air from 80-foot-long anchor lines. What’s more is that the strands of the web are “10 times better than Kevlar,” according to University of Puerto Rico zoologist, Igni Agnarsson. This means that the strands are made of a silk that’s tougher than anything else!
The inch-wide arachnid was discovered in the jungles of Madagascar and the size of the spider, in comparison to the size of its web, has left many befuddled.
6. Spiders in Australia are so big that they feast on snakes!
Such as the giant gold orb spider, for instance. This super spider devoured a snake that measured half a metre, because, apparently, that’s what spiders in Australia do.
This is exactly the kind of stuff your nightmares are made of. Especially you, Ron Weasley. Head on over and watch the video. At your own discretion, of course.
7. ‘Horror Frog’, when threatened, breaks the bones in its toes and forces the ends through its skin to create claws. *Gulp*
There are a number of frog species that possess this seemingly-painful ability. The Hairy Frog, found in Central Africa, and the Otton Frog, from Southern Japan, are two of the most well-known.
The Hairy Frog, when under attack, breaks the bones in its toes and pushes them through its skin to create claws, while the Otton Frog, has a retractable ‘spike’ hidden within a false thumb.
8. Really bizarre! Mike, the Headless Chicken, lived for 18 months after his head had been cut off.
If you have your doubts about the authenticity of this one, you’re not alone. When rumors of Mike, the Headless Chicken, began doing the rounds, a lot of people were skeptical. The story dates back to September 10, 1945 when farmer, Lloyd Olsen tried to cut down a five-and-a-half-month- old cockerel, Mike, for his family’s supper.
Imagine his surprise, then, when the axed chicken got up and walked around! Olsen realized that he had missed a vital jugular vein that drains blood from the head, brain, face and neck, transmitting it to the heart. In fact, most of the brain stem and one of Mike’s ears were left completely intact.
Mike went on to live for an unbelievable 18 months, after the botched axing. He became something of a celebrity, first in his hometown of Fruita, Colorado and then worldwide.
9. The wood frog has the ability to freeze solid during the winter months, thaw in the spring and still remain perfectly healthy!
There’s actually a pretty smart mechanism that allows the wood frog to freeze and thaw, without harming itself. Urea is accumulated in the tissues, in preparation for overwintering. Also, liver glycogen is converted to glucose, in large quantities. Both urea and glucose act as cryoprotectants to limit the amount of ice that is formed and, in turn, reduce osmotic shrinkage of cells.
10. A Siberian Husky’s coat enables it to withstand temperatures from -58 to -76 degrees Fahrenheit.
A Siberian Husky’s coat is much thicker than the coat of any other dog. It is made up of two layers – a thick undercoat and a longer topcoat of short and straight guard hairs.
That’s basically how they can withstand the harsh Arctic winters, while still looking absolutely adorable.
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