Pharmacy News

27/10/2022

27/10/2022

Interesting facts about s***m whales

Fact 1. In the past, s***m whales, like other whales, were actively exterminated by whalers, so their numbers decreased sharply in the 20th century - several tens of thousands of individuals were taken every year. Since 1985, hunting for any cetaceans has been banned, but now their population is still 2-3 times lower than it was 100 years ago. However, they are not threatened with extinction - these cetaceans are found in all oceans, and their total population, according to some estimates, reaches 450 thousand.

Fact 2. It is s***m whales that are the largest of all predators on Earth. These mammals grow up to 20 meters in length and gain weight up to 50 tons! And huge herds of these marine animals form the largest predatory groups on the planet. In one such herd there can be hundreds, and sometimes thousands of individuals.

Fact 3. Being large and strong animals, s***m whales often fought back whalers. They sank countless whaling boats, and at least three sailing schooners, although the actual statistic is likely much higher. In that era, light sailing whaling ships were not much different in size from an adult s***m whale, and these animals often preferred to fight hunters rather than run away. Sometimes the victory remained with them, so hunting for them has always been considered difficult and dangerous by whalers.

Fact 4. Of all marine mammals, it is s***m whales that hold the record for diving depth. They sometimes go as low as 2000 meters, which is noticeably more than the depth at which blue whales sometimes visit. At the same time, s***m whales can hold their breath for 70-90 minutes, descending into the ocean depths in search of prey.

Fact 5. Sometimes these animals attack other cetaceans, but this rarely happens. They also eat little fish, it accounts for only about 5% of the diet. The basis of the s***m whale menu is shellfish. They often hunt even giant squids that grow up to 12-14 meters in length, that is, their prey is only 2-3 times smaller than themselves.

Fact 6. S***m whales have real teeth, and very large ones, comparable in size to the teeth of extinct predatory dinosaurs. Despite this, in most cases they swallow their prey whole, sometimes without even bothering to chew it. Victims often enter the stomach of s***m whales while still alive.

Fact 7. S***m whales grow throughout their lives, however, the older they are, the slower their growth. Zoologists still do not know how long these marine life can live, but the officially registered record is 77 years.

Fact 8. Of all the animals on earth, the s***m whale is the only one capable of swallowing a person whole without chewing. There is only one such case - having sunk a whaling boat, this predator swallowed one of the sailors. The comrades considered him dead, but they still defeated the s***m whale. Butchering his carcass, they found their comrade inside it, injured, unconscious, but alive. A sailor named James Bartley survived, although his health deteriorated markedly after this incident.

Fact 9. The brain of the s***m whale is the largest of all the inhabitants of the Earth, it is even larger than the brain of any other cetaceans. Its mass can reach 7.5-8 kg! At the same time, the s***m whale kidneys weigh up to 400 kg each, and the liver - about a ton. But the mass of the heart of this animal is only slightly more than 150 kg, which is noticeably more modest than that of the blue whale, whose heart is comparable in size to a small car.

Fact 10. S***m whales are promiscuous, like some sharks, and therefore often swallow inedible objects. A particular threat to their population is the pollution of the seas and oceans with plastic. It is with this that scientists attribute the fact that in especially well-developed water spaces, for example, in the Mediterranean Sea, their numbers are declining, despite the fact that they have not been hunted for a long time.

27/10/2022

Interesting facts about the gray crane

Fact 1. Common cranes are found only on one mainland, our own. However, related species are found all over the world, and are found on all continents except Antarctica and South America. One thing unites them - they do not like either too cold or too hot temperatures.

Fact 2. Of all the species of cranes, gray cranes are the second most numerous, second only to sandhill cranes. Most of the population of these birds lives in Russia, although they are also found in neighboring countries, mainly in China and Mongolia.

Fact 3. The Common Crane is one of the largest flying birds, adults can weigh under 6 kg and reach a height of 110-115 cm with an impressive wingspan of up to 2 meters. This, of course, is not a record, but still the numbers are very impressive.

Fact 4. These birds prefer to live in swamps, preferably remote from people. Moreover, gray cranes breed offspring in the same place, and in order to become less noticeable during the period of incubation of eggs, they specially stain their feathers with mud and silt. This helps them blend in with their surroundings and draw less attention.

Fact 5. Like most other birds, the gray crane cannot take off from a place. To get off the ground, he must first accelerate, gaining speed. To do this, he scatters, spreads his mighty wings and after that takes off.

Fact 6. In flight, Eurasian Cranes stretch their entire body into an arrow - the head is extended forward, the legs, respectively, back. But it can be cold at altitude, and ornithologists drew attention to an interesting feature of the flight of these birds - if they are cold, they press their legs to their stomachs in flight. Looks pretty funny.

Fact 7. Common cranes living in Asia and Europe are migratory birds, and most of them move to warmer regions for the winter. During the winter, they fly mainly to Southeast Asia, the Middle East and North Africa.

Fact 8. These monogamous birds find a couple for themselves once and for life. Common cranes usually look for a new partner only in two cases - either if the former partner died, or if for some reason they fail to have offspring.

Fact 9. These birds are absolutely omnivorous. They ingest both plant and animal food without being particularly picky. On occasion, Eurasian Cranes willingly feed on grain from the fields, sometimes even threatening the harvest, and prey on any small living creature that they can get, from rodents and small reptiles to insects and fish.

Fact 10. The nests of common cranes are up to one meter in diameter, but they are usually built rather carelessly. These birds usually build them from brushwood, simply dumping it in a pile and clearing a place in the center, which is then lined with dry grass. However, despite this casual approach to construction, common cranes often use the same nests for years, simply updating them as needed.

25/10/2022

Interesting facts about newts

Fact 1. Strictly speaking, there is no such definition as newts in official biology, since they include representatives of different types of amphibians from different families. Under this concept, they usually combine those species that lead a lifestyle closely related to water. But there is also the term “real newts”, which is used by zoologists.

Fact 2. Widespread in Russia, and indeed in different countries of Europe, common newts do their best to attract the attention of partners during the breeding season. Mainly males try - they not only change their color to a brighter one, even if this attracts unnecessary attention of predators, but also grow a large crest on their backs. After the end of the mating season, their body returns to normal.

Fact 3. All newts have a pronounced ability to regenerate. They are able to grow a lost tail, and sometimes there are two-tailed individuals - this happens if the tail has been dropped, but not completely. Then the old tail heals, but a new one grows nearby. Other organs can also recover, for example, damaged optic nerves. Newts are generally capable of growing a new limb, a piece of intestine, and much more.

Fact 4. For people, the neighborhood with newts is very useful, since these creatures eat mosquitoes and their larvae, and in general, significantly reduce the population of harmful insects. Alas, they are all very sensitive to the purity of the water in which they live, and due to the widespread pollution of water bodies, many species of newts are under the threat of complete extinction.

Fact 5. Nature adapted these creatures to survive just perfectly. Usually, after hatching from the eggs laid by the females, the larvae get out on land after 3-4 months, and their bodies undergo a number of changes, in particular, they lose their gills. But if the larvae are born in a reservoir with steep banks, which are impossible to climb, their development goes in a different way - the gills are preserved, and they continue to live in the water without leaving the land, like their relatives.

Fact 6. Many species of newts molt from time to time, sometimes several times during the summer. Moreover, some of them, for example, comb ones, eat their own skin immediately after molting. Thus, they absorb the useful substances contained in it, instead of simply throwing them away.

Fact 7. Crested newts can lay up to 200-300 eggs at a time. They hide them in water, usually in shallow water, and each egg (egg) is carefully wrapped in the leaves of aquatic plants. This protects them both from overly big-eyed predators and from the sun's rays.

Fact 8. Unlike most other amphibians, newts tolerate low temperatures well. In the cold, they quickly lose their mobility due to their cold-bloodedness, but this does not prevent them from hibernating for the winter, not caring about warmth. They often hibernate directly in water bodies, under a layer of ice, although more often they still wait out the frosts on land, in some kind of shelter.

Fact 9. In the USA, there are false newts, which zoologists refer to as lungless salamanders. Their unique feature is that they really do not have lungs, but they breathe with the entire surface of the skin. Most likely, millions of years ago, their ancestors returned from land to water, having lost their lungs, and later crawled out onto land again. However, the second time evolution went differently, and they failed to grow lungs.

Fact 10. All newts are exclusively nocturnal, not showing any activity during the day and resting in shelters. But there are exceptions - during the migrations associated with the mating season, these amphibians can move during the day. Or during heavy rain, for example - newts like it so much that their activity in rainy weather increases greatly.

25/10/2022

Interesting facts about the steppe eagle

Fact 1. Being very large birds, Steppe Eagles grow up to 3-5 kg ​​and have a wingspan of up to 2 meters. Moreover, females are always larger than males, although in nature it is often the other way around. They live up to 35-45 years, but this is in ideal conditions - in fact, their life span is often much shorter. The expansion of human civilization is pushing the steppe eagles out of their usual habitat, and these birds often die landing on the lines of high-voltage wires. In Kazakhstan, they were even listed in the Red Book, as they are threatened with extinction.

Fact 2. Steppe Eagle nests are impressive in size - they can be up to a meter in size and weigh tens of kilograms. Most often, these aerial predators build nests on tall trees and rocks, but sometimes, if there is no better place, right on the surface of the earth.

Fact 3. It is not difficult to visually distinguish the Steppe Eagle from any other - they are given out by a red spot on the back of the head, which almost all individuals have. Although a stone eagle lives in India, confusingly similar to the steppe eagle, and ornithologists generally considered them one species for a long time, until they discovered some minor differences.

Fact 4. For the winter, the steppe eagles living in Russia and Central Asia fly to warm lands, even reaching Africa. In winter, prey becomes tight, as many of the small animals they hunt, such as rodents, hibernate, and it is almost impossible to find prey under the snow. Although these birds are not too picky in the choice of food - they eat not only meat, but also insects, and even carrion.

Fact 5. The phenomenally sharp vision of the Steppe Eagles, in whose eyes there are 5 times more sensitive cells than in ours, allows them to see small prey like a mouse or a squirrel at a distance of up to 1.5-2 km, if the air is sufficiently transparent. And their wings have a special shape, which allows them to develop tremendous speed in a dive, up to 300-320 km / h. The study of the wings of the Steppe Eagles even made a significant contribution to the development of aviation - their features were applied in the design of aircraft.

Fact 6. These birds spend a minimum of energy on climbing. They do not flap their wings too fast, but simply spread them, allowing air currents to lift them up. It is also easy for the Steppe Eagles to maintain height, they simply soar in the air in a relaxed state, and can do this for hours without getting tired.

Fact 7. These are monogamous creatures, they choose a couple of times for themselves and for life, although in the event of the death of a partner they can find another in the future. The couple always takes care of each other, and while the female incubates the eggs, the male tirelessly hunts and brings her food.

Fact 8. There is a saying - "the eagle does not catch flies." In fact, it may not catch flies, but steppe eagles regale themselves with insects willingly, and not only if there is no more enviable prey. At the same time, they really do not hunt airborne insects. Instead, the bird descends to the ground and collects insects from it in much the same way that chickens and other poultry do.

Fact 9. The eyes of the Steppe Eagle are protected by two eyelids at once. The first eyelid, very thin, completely transparent - it is designed to protect the eyeball from headwind and dust. The second eyelid is denser, it closes the eye when the bird sleeps.

Fact 10. These birds breed slowly. Females usually lay only 1-2 eggs, rarely three, but never more. The chicks hatched from them learn to fly a couple of months after they are born, but often only one of them survives.

23/10/2022

Interesting Platypus Facts

Fact 1. Platypuses are one of two species of mammals on our planet that can sense the electric field of other living beings. This helps them to hunt - leading a nocturnal lifestyle, they feed mainly on fish and crustaceans, which in such conditions are simply not visible visually. But they feel their electric field, and are guided by it.

Fact 2. The digestive system of platypuses is unique. These animals do not have a stomach at all! At the same time, the rest of the set of organs they have is quite standard. However, this is not a joke of nature, because even a person with a stomach removed for some reason can live a long life by following a certain diet.

Fact 3. Platypuses are on a very short list of poisonous mammals. True, their poison is not hidden in their mouths, but on spurs, which are located on their hind limbs. This poison is quite strong - it cannot kill a person, but the pain at the injection site and around it may, in some cases, not go away for months.

Fact 4. Despite the fact that the platypus is a warm-blooded animal, its normal body temperature is unusually low, only 32 ° C. This is a consequence of a slow metabolism, although platypuses are one of the few living creatures that have complete control over their metabolism. Once in extremely cold conditions for them (for example, in water with a temperature of only 5 ° C), they can speed up their own metabolism by a factor of three in order to maintain their normal body temperature.

Fact 5. After the discovery of Australia, when the first stuffed platypuses were delivered to Europe, the scientific community decided that this was a fake, since no one simply could believe in the possibility of the existence of such an animal. It was possible to convince scientists only years later, when the sailors managed to deliver a living individual to Europe.

Fact 6. Leading zoologists of the world for 27 years could not decide who to attribute platypuses to - birds (because of the beak), reptiles (since they lay eggs) or mammals. As a result, they were attributed specifically to mammals, although these indigenous inhabitants of Australian rivers excelled here too - they do not have ni***es at all. Females simply secrete milk from their mammary glands, and the cubs lick it off their fur.

Fact 7. The beak of platypuses is only superficially similar to a bird's. It is actually soft, and it consists of a U-shaped bone covered with leather. And they also have teeth, however, only in childhood. Over time, they are erased, and keratinized plates grow to replace them. True, these plates help only partially, so platypuses often use small pebbles that they store in their cheek pouches to grind food.

Fact 8. Platypuses live only in fresh water, and they are very sensitive to any pollution. In southern Australia, they have already disappeared over the past half century, and scientists attribute this to the unfavorable environmental situation in the region.

Fact 9. The dwelling of these amazing animals is a long, up to 9-10 meters, hole, which is certainly equipped next to a lake or river. Its distinctive feature is the obligatory presence of two entrances, and one of them always lies below the water level, and the other is located on the surface, somewhere in inconspicuous thickets or bushes.

Fact 10. On average, 10 hours a day, adult platypuses spend in water, that is, all night, from evening twilight to morning. All this time they hunt, as they need a large amount of food. For 4 days, an adult platypus eats as much food as it weighs itself.

21/10/2022

Birds are some of the most captivating creatures in the world. They are covered in feathers and come in remarkable colors. From the hummingbird to the perching birds, we have over 18,000 species of birds all over the planet. Read on to discover 22 intriguing facts about birds that we have curated.

21/10/2022

You probably know that birds have feathers and can fly (usually). Here are 10 other facts related to metabolism, communication, evolution, and more.

21/10/2022

Interesting facts about penguins

Fact 1. There are 18 species of penguins in the world, and there are both similarities and differences between them. The largest of them, the imperial ones, grow up to 110-120 cm, and the smallest, small - only up to 30-33. All of them spend a significant part of their lives in the water, with the only exception here being the magnificent penguin living in New Zealand, which rarely leaves the land. In addition, this is the only species whose representatives do not stray into large colonies, but live apart.

Fact 2. The legs of penguins really do not freeze, because the skin on them is very thick, and there are very few nerve endings in it. These birds, standing on the ice, almost do not feel the cold, and in the icy water of the Southern Ocean they are protected by a thick layer of fat and feathers that are very tight to the body, it is generally impossible to get them wet. Penguins living in Antarctica are able to survive at temperatures down to -60 ° C! Although in such conditions they have to be inventive. To warm themselves, on land they gather in a large crowd, in the center of which it is always warm. Warmed individuals move from the center of the penguin cluster to the edge, making room for frozen relatives.

Fact 3. The worst enemies of penguins are killer whales, which often prey on them. And since these marine predators are not visible under water, groups of penguins often stand for a long time on the edge of the ice floe, not daring to jump into the water. The denouement comes when one brave bird nevertheless dares to do this, and if it does not die, all the rest follow its example.

Fact 4. On land, penguins do not feel very confident. Clumsy and slow, they waddle, avoiding the snow, into which they easily fall. However, they know how to move through the snow, lying on it with their stomachs and pushing off with their wings, like oars. And in the water, the penguins are completely transformed, and there is no trace of their clumsiness.

Fact 5. These birds feed mainly on fish, and, hunting for it, they can dive 150-200 meters under water. Moreover, in the water they move very quickly and deftly, developing a decent speed. The fastest swimmer is considered to be the gentoo penguin, capable of swimming at speeds up to 35 km / h. This is comparable to the flight speed of the tit, which is widespread in Russia. The diving record belongs to emperor penguins, who can hold their breath for 15-18 minutes and dive 500-530 meters under water.

Fact 6. Emperor penguins, the largest of all, are always monogamous - they form pairs once and for life, although in the event of the death of a partner they can find another. They rarely hunt, eating in reserve, on average once a week or two. After that, they digest the absorbed food for a long time, and by the time of the next hunt they become very thin, losing up to 30% of their mass.

Fact 7. The color of the plumage of different types of penguins varies, but they also have a common feature - all of them always have a black back. Black reflects sunlight the worst, thus absorbing the maximum amount of heat. And there is not much heat in such cold and harsh conditions.

Fact 8. These amazing creatures are able to drink salty sea water, and they do not need freshwater sources. Even in the process of hunting, penguins willy-nilly drink salt water, but special glands filter it out, and excess salt is removed through organs like the lacrimal glands located above their eyes.

Fact 9. From time to time, all penguins are forced to go on a long diet. In the process of molting, they cannot swim, and, accordingly, look for food for themselves. The molt lasts from 1 to 3.5 months, depending on the species, and all this time the birds are starving. During this time, they often lose up to half their body weight.

Fact 10. These waterfowl are able to climb even a steep bank. Observations of them proved that penguins can literally jump out of the water with a powerful jerk to a height of up to 1.8 meters! This gives them the opportunity to literally jump onto the shores and icebergs with steep sheer walls.

21/10/2022

Interesting facts about flying squirrels

Fact 1. Despite their name, flying squirrels cannot fly in the truest sense of the word. These rodents only know how to plan, gradually losing altitude during the flight. Their different types, depending on weather conditions and other factors, are able to make short gliding flights over a distance of 20-30 to 100-120 meters. In order to fly between trees without descending to the ground, this is more than enough.

Fact 2. Of the 36 existing species of flying squirrels, only one lives in Russia. Two more are found in North America, and all the rest are found in the warm regions of Asia. In Russian forests, flying squirrels are found almost everywhere - in the European part of the country, and in Siberia, and in the Far East.

Fact 3. Without exception, all types of flying squirrels lead a twilight or nocturnal lifestyle, so it is almost impossible to see these animals during the day. In addition, they are very careful - flying squirrels almost do not descend to the ground, fearing predators, and immediately after the flight, clinging to the bark of a tree, they immediately run across to its opposite side in order to avoid a possible attack. Some nocturnal birds of prey, such as owls, will readily attack them on occasion, so these precautions cannot be called superfluous.

Fact 4. Despite the fact that they only plan, flying squirrels are masterfully able to control their short flight. They use their tail as a rudder, landing unmistakably where they need to. Moreover, they can even turn 180° in flight.

Fact 5. In Asia, flying squirrels are found even in the mountains, and at considerable heights. In the Himalayas, they live at an altitude of up to 4000 meters above sea level, despite the fact that it is simply cold there, and the air is already quite rarefied, which reduces the flight efficiency. Under normal conditions, at sea level, flying squirrels lose 1-3 meters of height by 10 meters horizontally, depending on the direction of the wind, but it is much more difficult for them to fly high in the mountains.

Fact 6. Despite the fact that these animals seem quite fragile, like ordinary squirrels, they have very muscular legs. They need them to work as "shock absorbers". The landing of a flying squirrel on a tree is comparable to a collision, and the impact energy needs to be extinguished somehow. Therefore, nature has endowed flying squirrels with strong enough paws to cope with this task.

Fact 7. The basis of the diet of flying squirrels are nuts. One animal collects up to 12,000-15,000 pieces per year, but not all of them are eaten. Like normal squirrels, flying squirrels make more than one store of supplies, and sometimes forget their location.

Fact 8. Despite the fact that flying squirrels lead a solitary lifestyle, they do not protect their lands from relatives as zealously as some other animals. When they meet, they never come into conflict. Moreover, cases have been recorded when adults allowed their brethren deprived of shelter to live in their nest.

Fact 9. Usually, flying squirrels of most species build nests for themselves, using twigs, grass, leaves, and everything else as building materials. But if they find a ready-made suitable shelter, for example, an unoccupied hollow, then they will gladly occupy it so as not to build their own dwelling.

Fact 10. Before predators, flying squirrels are absolutely helpless. They have nothing to oppose to the animals that hunt them, so the only thing that can save them is caution. But even this does not always help, therefore, in nature, flying squirrels usually live for about 4-5 years, and in captivity up to 12-15 years.

18/10/2022

Interesting facts about porcupines

Fact 1. Not only porcupines have needles on their bodies, but also some other animals, such as hedgehogs and echidnas. But it is in porcupines that they reach record values ​​- up to 40 centimeters in length, and at the base they can have a diameter of 6-7 millimeters! The needles are hollow inside, so they weigh a little. Moreover, thanks to them, these animals are excellent swimmers, since the needles filled with air play the role of floats, helping them to stay on the surface of the water.

Fact 2. Among all the rodents of the world, crested porcupines are the third largest, second only to beavers and capybaras living in South America. Adults of this species can grow up to 27 kg in weight and 90 cm in length, excluding the tail! Although usually they are noticeably smaller, and individuals larger than 12-15 kg are rare.

Fact 3. In total, there are 8 species of porcupines in the world, and they live only on two continents, Eurasia and Africa. Once they were also found on the territory of modern Russia, but in the Ural region they died out about 100,000 years ago, and in the Altai Mountains - about 27,000 years ago. The reason for their disappearance from these parts is considered to be global cooling.

Fact 4. Porcupine quills are modified hair. Cubs are born already with needles, however, with soft ones, and over time they harden. At the same time, in addition to needles, they also have ordinary hair that resembles bristles. They grow even on the back of these rodents, between the needles.

Fact 5. Porcupines are found in North America, animals that some biologists classify as porcupines, although, strictly speaking, they are not, for a number of reasons. They are even called North American porcupines, and they are notable for the record number of quills on the body, which can be up to 30 thousand pieces.

Fact 6. Any predator trying to eat a porcupine can regret it very much. The needles of these rodents do not sit tightly in the skin, like those of hedgehogs - if necessary, they are easily discarded, remaining sticking out in the body of an unfortunate hunter. And the porcupine itself will easily grow new needles to replace the lost ones, even if it takes some time for it. However, cougars and wolverines hunt these animals quite successfully.

Fact 7. The basis of the diet of porcupines is made up of various plants, roots and leaves. But on occasion they are happy to feast on fruits and vegetables, and in some regions of Asia from time to time they ruin farms, raiding fields under cover of night. But these animals are not vegetarians - they also eat insects.

Fact 8. In captivity, porcupines live up to 20 years, with the official longevity record of 27 years. In the wild, their lifespan is about half as long, and they are rather weakly tamed. Keeping them is also another task, the strong teeth of these rodents allow them to gnaw through even the metal mesh used for the quick construction of fences and barriers.

Fact 9. All their species are distinguished by their overweight physique and short legs, and therefore they are not able to develop high speed. Porcupines prefer to move slowly, waddling, but when frightened, they may try to escape. They run pretty funny and clumsy.

Fact 10. Porcupine quills and between them accumulate not only a significant number of parasitic insects, but also a lot of bacteria, dirt and microbes. Therefore, a needle prick often leads to inflammation if the wound is not immediately decontaminated and treated.

18/10/2022

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