27/10/2022
Piranhas are more diverse and less dangerous than commonly believed. Learn the truth behind their misleading reputation with these 12 piranha facts.
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27/10/2022
Interesting facts about piranhas
Fact 1. There are 31 species of piranhas on earth, and all of them, without exception, are formidable pack predators. They are found only in fresh water, and are found only in South America. The average size of adults ranges from 12 to 30 cm, depending on the species, but in the composition of a large flock they are all dangerous without exception. Such a pack is able to gnaw to the bone a large mammal like a man in just a few minutes.
Fact 2. All piranhas are incredibly cowardly. They are a formidable force only as part of a pack, but individually they are afraid of everything in general. These fish can generally die from fear, for example, from loud noises, and this is not a joke. It is impossible to scare a flock, but even a sharp slam of a room door can bring a lonely piranha in an aquarium to a heart attack.
Fact 3. Dolphins, caimans and some other animals living in South American rivers themselves are not averse to eating piranhas if they are tucked up one by one. Indigenous locals also eat these river predators, claiming that they taste very good. But fishing on them is associated with a certain risk, and careless fishermen can easily be left without fingers.
Fact 4. Local shepherds have long developed the only method that works in such conditions to drive herds of cattle through rivers teeming with piranhas. They give one or more animals to these predatory fish, and while the piranhas are busy with them, the rest of the herd is distilled to the opposite shore with minimal risk.
Fact 5. These fish are often called orderlies of the rivers, since their victims are usually, first of all, sick and weak animals. At the same time, piranhas never kill more than they need for food. A well-fed flock will not attack prey, even if it is under its nose.
Fact 6. The jaws of these river predators are very unusual. When they slam shut, it turns out that the sharp diamond-shaped upper and lower teeth close completely, leaving no gap. This allows piranhas to literally cut a piece of flesh from the body of prey, and with little or no effort.
Fact 7. Scientists have found that the pressure force of the jaws of piranhas is higher than that of any other living creature that has ever lived on our planet, not excluding even the tyrannosaurus rex. Taking into account the proportions of the body, of course, these fish are still small in themselves, large specimens rarely weigh more than 3 kg. Most of their species are even smaller, and weigh no more than 1 kg.
Fact 8. Many piranhas living in the Amazon are excellent at adapting to environmental changes. They quickly adapt even to changes in the chemical composition of the water in which they live, and therefore can survive even if it is significantly polluted.
Fact 9. Piranhas can only live in warm water, so in the climate of central Russia, for example, they would not survive. But somewhere in the rivers of Southeast Asia, they would feel great, so the introduction of this species into other ecosystems is strictly prohibited. Once in suitable conditions, these fish could quickly conquer their living space and displace other local inhabitants.
Fact 10. Their sense of smell is, without exaggeration, excellent. Like sharks, piranhas are able to feel a couple of drops of blood that have fallen into the water at a distance of up to several kilometers. However, in any case, there are few people who want to swim in South American rivers, there are too many different dangerous living creatures.
27/10/2022
Interesting facts about eagles
Fact 1. It is the eagles that are one of the largest winged predators on earth, some of their species can reach a wingspan of 2.5 meters with a body weight of up to 7 kg. This size is reached by golden eagles, which are the largest representatives of eagle birds. They are so big and strong that they hunt even such large prey as lambs or deer cubs.
Fact 2. Being territorial birds, eagles, however, protect their territory in the first place, and not the nest with eggs or chicks. Being disturbed by a person, they rarely try to drive him away. Instead, they quite easily leave the nest to their fate and simply fly off somewhere else.
Fact 3. The life expectancy of eagles is one of the highest in the world of birds, it can reach 50 years, sometimes even more. But, contrary to popular belief, upon reaching a certain age, eagles do not break their beaks, and do not do other dubious operations with their bodies. Their claws grind off, and the beak, although it grows throughout life, does not grow to such a size as to cause them inconvenience.
Fact 4. Given the lifestyle of these raptors, perfect body control in flight is vital for them. Therefore, eagles, having lost a feather on one wing, discard the same one on the other, in order to avoid even the smallest imbalance. In total, they have about 7,000 feathers on their bodies, but the exact number depends on the specific species and the specific individual.
Fact 5. Eagles of different species prey on different prey, but the basis of their diet is small mammals, as well as other birds. In large golden eagles, the mass of prey, for example, usually ranges from 500 g to 5 kg, while in small dwarf eagles, the menu consists mainly of rodents, reptiles and other small animals.
Fact 6. When possible, eagles land only on high places, and not on the ground, as this makes it easier for them to take off later. No, of course, they can take off from ground level, but it is much easier for them to do this if they can rush down from a height, spread their wings and immediately pick up high speed.
Fact 7. In terms of flight speed, golden eagles, they are one of the first places in the world, second only to falcons, which are capable of diving at a speed of more than 330 km / h. Observation of golden eagles shows a speed slightly lower, but also exceeding 300 km/h. At the same time, they even surpass peregrine falcons in horizontal flight speed.
Fact 8. In some species of these birds, eaglets, after hatching from the nest, try to discard their brothers and sisters from their nests in order to access more food delivered by their parents. If the forces are approximately equal, and it is not possible to get rid of the neighbors, the chicks calm down and forget about enmity, and at the age of about 3 months they already learn to fly and get their own food.
Fact 9. The eagle's nest is the largest of all that birds build, it can have a diameter of more than 2 meters with a wall height of half a meter. The age of old nests can be hundreds of years old, as eagles live on them from generation to generation. Moreover, each bird usually has 2-3 nests, and sometimes more than a dozen. Just like that, just in case.
Fact 10. Eagles have not one eyelid, but two. The inner one is thin and transparent, it protects the eyeball from oncoming wind and dust, and the second, thicker and more opaque, is used only when the bird goes to bed.
25/10/2022
Interesting facts about dolphins
Fact 1. No one questions the intelligence of dolphins. In a number of countries, the keeping of these animals in captivity is even prohibited by law, since dolphins are recognized as individuals. This initiative has already been supported by India, Hungary and some other states.
Fact 2. Cases of rescue of drowning people by dolphins are not so rare. Even ancient philosophers and historians, in particular, Herodotus and Aristotle, based on their observations of them, established that these creatures are characterized by feelings of compassion and friendship. And, apparently, they were not mistaken.
Fact 3. Now there are about 40 different species of dolphins in the world, but some of them are endangered from the face of the planet. The reason for this is the pollution of the world's oceans. Baiji, or river dolphins, lived in China until recently, but in 2017 they were declared extinct. They could not survive in the extremely polluted river water, and they could not exist in salt water. Although there are much more marine species of these amazing animals in the world than freshwater ones.
Fact 4. Immediately after birth, a pod of dolphins assigns a name to a newborn cub that remains with him forever. And each dolphin regularly responds to its name, only we still could not pronounce it. To communicate with each other, these animals use about 14 thousand sound signals, but for human sound they are all very similar to each other. To us, they seem like whistles and clicks, but the number of different sound signals used by dolphins is approximately equal to the number of words in the vocabulary of an average person.
Fact 5. Dolphins have no sense of smell, they are not able to smell at all. But they have an incredibly sharp sense of taste, very sharp hearing and excellent vision. In addition, dolphin eyes provide their owners with a view of about 300 degrees, that is, almost circular. This helps them avoid predator attacks.
Fact 6: Dolphins are always on the move and require a lot of energy to maintain an active lifestyle. They hunt a lot, eating a variety of fish, and in a day an adult is able to eat a huge amount of prey, the mass of which can reach 20-25% of the body weight of the dolphin itself.
Fact 7. If necessary, dolphins can exist mutually beneficially not only with each other, but also with people, which is another proof of their intelligence. In Brazil, for example, lake dolphins have long cooperated with fishermen who hunt on Lake Laguna. They help people by driving shoals of fish into their nets, and the fishermen share the caught prey with them.
Fact 8. Dolphins are able to feel the pregnancy of other living beings, including humans. Moreover, they usually react to this very violently and joyfully, clearly expressing positive emotions. Of all living creatures on Earth, only they have such a unique “ultrasonic” ability.
Fact 9. Living beings that need oxygen breathe fully automatically. But not dolphins - they, unlike us, need to consciously control the process of breathing. If for some reason this animal loses consciousness, it will stop breathing and die. But during sleep, their respiratory processes still continue.
Fact 10. In dolphins, each member of the pack occupies a certain position in the social hierarchy. Like in a pack of wolves - everyone has their roles. At the same time, there are cases when an orphaned dolphin was accepted into its ranks by another flock. These animals do not grow very fast, and for the first three years of life, cubs usually stay with their mother, because they need care and guardianship.
25/10/2022
Interesting facts about armadillos
Fact 1. Of all the animals in the world, armadillos can be called one of the laziest. They are usually awake no more than 5-5.5 hours a day, devoting this time to searching for food. The rest of the time they prefer to sleep in burrows that can reach 4-5 meters in length. Moreover, they usually have a lot of holes, 4-5 pieces, although sometimes up to 10-12.
Fact 2. Armadillos are mammals, and therefore are warm-blooded animals. But the body temperature of some of their species is quite low - about 32 ° C, 4.6 ° C lower than that of humans. Therefore, they do not tolerate cold well, and already at +22 ° C they begin to tremble, freezing. Although these creatures are found even in North America, where winters are cool, but the relatively warm hole helps them survive short-term frosts.
Fact 3. Due to their heavy shell, they cannot swim, but wildlife researchers have found that armadillos can walk along the bottom of water bodies. Their bodies are dense enough so that they do not float at the same time, and they can hold their breath for 4-6 minutes. This is enough to cross a small river.
Fact 4. In nature, armadillos lead a solitary lifestyle, and they meet with relatives only during the mating season. According to its results, females give birth to several cubs, as lucky - their number can vary from one to twelve. Moreover, newborn cubs see already from the first minutes of life, and after an hour and a half they can already walk quite confidently.
Fact 5. They feed mainly on insects, and most often ants get to them for lunch. Armadillos are immune to ant poison, and their body is reliably protected from bites almost everywhere, so they ruin anthills with almost impunity. For one meal, an adult can swallow up to 30-40 thousand ants. However, on occasion they eat mushrooms, small reptiles, and plant foods.
Fact 6. Living in South America, the long-haired armadillo got its name because of the long bristly hair that covers its shell. This animal is interesting for its inaccuracy in eating - hunting for any small living creatures, it absorbs a large amount of sand together with prey, which, however, is then excreted from the body without harm to the armadillo. The ratio of the volume of food eaten to the volume of swallowed sand in this species can reach 50 to 50.
Fact 7. The smallest armadillos, dwarf ones, grow only up to 10-12 centimeters in length, although they weigh quite a lot, up to 700-900 grams. In case of danger, they, like turtles, hide entirely in their shell. Other species of these animals, in order to protect themselves, usually curl up in a ball in much the same way as hedgehogs and some porcupines do.
Fact 8. The giant armadillo, the largest of all, is the absolute champion in the number of teeth among all land mammals. He may have over 100 of them! And its claws are among the longest in the world, up to 20 cm long, twice the length of a brown bear's claws. Giant armadillos weigh up to 40-60 kg, and sometimes grow up to 1 meter in length.
Fact 9. The indigenous inhabitants of central South America, globular armadillos, have developed a very cunning way to discourage predators from contacting them. At the sight of danger, they roll up into an invulnerable ball, leaving a narrow gap, and as soon as the enemy tries to stick a paw into it, the armadillos slam it shut with force, closing the edges of the shell.
Fact 10. According to the chemical composition, armadillo shells are close to human nails. They consist mainly of keratin, just like rhino horn, which is known for its strength.
23/10/2022
Interesting facts about killer whales
Fact 1. In the wild, killer whales (that's right, not “killer whales”, through “a”) form very complex social groups of 18-20 individuals. Of all the mammals, these groups are second in complexity of organization only to those of humans, elephants, and some great apes. Families of killer whales are headed by females, their family ties are very strong, and the dominant feeling in her is always unquestioning loyalty to her mother.
Fact 2. Despite the fact that killer whales are active predators, we humans are not interested in them as food. There is not a single recorded case of these animals fatal attacks on humans, while there is enough evidence that they usually show peaceful curiosity towards us. However, there are cases of death of trainers who worked with them.
Fact 3: Orcas have a very fast metabolism and need to eat a lot and often. Not getting enough food, they become irritable and aggressive before our eyes, while losing all legibility in food. A hungry killer whale will not hesitate to attack anyone at all.
Fact 4. Killer whales are found throughout the World Ocean, and they are found in all the seas of Russia, except for the Azov, Black, East Siberian and Laptev Seas. Being at the very top of the food chain, these marine inhabitants are not afraid of anyone, and they have no natural enemies. They are not even afraid of s***m whales, because they are not interested in them as prey.
Fact 5. Groups of killer whales communicate with each other using sounds. Moreover, they use both sounds characteristic of all representatives of this species as a whole, and sounds that are used only by a member of their family. This helps to communicate both with each other and with relatives “from outside”.
Fact 6. In length, adult killer whales can reach 10 meters in length and 8 tons of weight, and they need 100-150 kg of food per day. They hunt mainly for seals and other pinnipeds, in the Southern Ocean they willingly include penguins in their diet. Their teeth reach 11-13 cm in length, and their powerful jaws are capable of tearing apart any prey.
Fact 7. The level of intelligence in orcas is very high, and it is probably not inferior to that of other dolphins, to which these creatures belong in terms of zoology. They lend themselves well to training, but every year more and more countries impose a ban on keeping them in captivity. Modern science says killer whales are too smart to be treated like mere animals.
Fact 8. The total number of killer whales in the oceans is estimated at about 50,000 individuals, and all of them belong to a single species. In the past, there was another species of them, but it has long since died out. Outwardly, he did not differ in any way from his modern relatives, but noticeably inferior to them in size, being about half the size.
Fact 9. The upper fin of these animals resembles that of sharks, and when the killer whale moves shallowly under the surface of the water, it sticks out defiantly from under it, terrifying all who see it. In height, the fin can reach 1.5 meters! By the way, on occasion, killer whales often hunt sharks, even the most dangerous of them.
Fact 10. They are great at hunting. For example, fish, for example, are driven together by a dozen individuals into a dense school, after which they drown it with the blows of their tails. And killer whales can get seals and penguins right from the ice floes - they jump out of the water and flop back, so that the wave washed away the prey from a safe surface.
21/10/2022
Do you enjoy wild animal facts? Here are a few fascinating factoids about some of our wild African animals. Despite resembling dogs, hyenas are more closely
21/10/2022
Read about 29 amazing animal facts that are interesting, weird, and cool. And check out the gorgeous animals too! They are so cute.
21/10/2022
Interesting facts about yaks
Fact 1. Originating from Tibet, yaks are popular as beasts of burden. In addition, they are bred for meat and milk, and they are very common not only in their historical homeland, but also in other countries, mainly among nomads, including the Mongols. In Russia, these animals are bred only in Tyva, where, according to rough estimates, there are about 10 thousand heads.
Fact 2. In the wild, yaks have survived only in the Tibetan Plateau in the Himalayas, about 90% of their population lives there. Now there are about 15,000,000 of them in the world, but the population is slowly declining, so that in the near future these herbivores will be threatened with extinction. But the number of their domesticated relatives is quite stable.
Fact 3. Unlike most breeds of cows, both males and females have horns in yaks, and they are of impressive size - the distance between their ends in an adult can reach 90 cm. These artiodactyls themselves, however, are quite large , an old male can easily weigh a whole ton and have a body length of up to 4 meters.
Fact 4. The coat of these animals is long and shaggy, it often grows to such a length that it hangs almost to the ground, completely covering the legs. In traditional Chinese theater, yak wool is still used to make fake beards, mustaches, and wigs. But for the manufacture of textiles, this wool is almost never used, as it is very rough.
Fact 5. In the wild, yaks live in a very original way - they huddle in herds, but only females and young. Males lead a solitary lifestyle, and join any herd only in the mating season, after which they leave again. Wild yaks differ from domesticated ones in that they hardly make any sounds, while domestic yaks are sometimes called “grunts” because an angry animal actually makes sounds similar to the grunting of a pig.
Fact 6. In agriculture, yaks are indispensable animals for many peoples. One female gives up to 400 liters of milk per year, that is, more than a liter daily, and an adult animal can easily carry 200-220 kg of cargo on its back. In some regions, they are also used for plowing fields, harnessing them to a plow.
Fact 7. Wild yaks live only in the mountains, at an altitude of 3000 to 6000 meters above sea level. Below or above these marks, they do not climb, avoiding too hot or too cold climates. Where they live, it is almost always cold, but fatty deposits and thick wool help them easily withstand the most frosts down to -50 ° C, combined with hurricane winds.
Fact 8. The blood of wild yaks is extremely saturated with oxygen, which helps them survive in the cold and at low atmospheric pressure, where people already lack oxygen for breathing. That is why these animals are not able to survive for a long time at temperatures above +15 C ° and with an excess of oxygen in the surrounding atmosphere. But their domesticated relatives feel fine even at sea level, and they tolerate warm weather better.
Fact 9. Visually, female yaks differ from males only in size. Both of them are large and shaggy animals with wide horns, but females are usually inferior to males by about half in size. They rarely reach the mark of 400 kg of weight.
Fact 10. Wild yaks have practically no enemies, with the exception of humans. Predators rarely dare to attack the herd, prudently fearing powerful horns and hooves. A wolf pack usually runs the risk of attacking only a lone individual, and then only if it is stuck in deep snow, which hinders movement.
21/10/2022
Interesting Lemming Facts
Fact 1. In terms of reproduction rate, lemmings occupy one of the first places among not only rodents, but all mammals in general, and only rabbits can compare with them in terms of fertility. During the year, a female lemming can bring offspring 5-6 times, and each of them can have up to 5-6 cubs. Moreover, they acquire the ability to reproduce already at the age of 2-3 months.
Fact 2. Contrary to popular myth, lemmings do not commit mass su***de during migrations. But when their population increases and food is no longer enough, they really begin to feverishly search for food, eating even poisonous plants from hunger or attacking large predators. In such cases, these animals seem to go crazy, and when overcoming water obstacles, some of them inevitably drown, from which the aforementioned myth came about.
Fact 3. Being extremely prolific animals, lemmings occupy an important place in the diet of some polar predators, such as arctic foxes or snowy owls. These animals are so dependent on lemmings that if their population is suddenly reduced, owls do not even lay eggs - they hunt them every day, and eat about 1,500 individuals a year.
Fact 4. The largest of the lemmings reach a body length of 17-18 cm and a weight of 150-180 grams, while the smallest are much more modest in size, sometimes only 8 cm in length and 20 grams in weight. Almost all of their species are found in Russia, mainly in the Far East, although they are also found in the north of the European part of our country.
Fact 5. Many lemmings, permanent residents of the tundra, dig holes in the ground during the warm season, and their length can reach 5-6 meters. In winter, when the ground freezes, these rodents do not change their habits, but since it is impossible to lay holes in the frozen ground, they dig them in the snow.
Fact 6. In the wild, lemmings live a short time, usually about 1 year, sometimes up to 2 years. Such a low life expectancy is due to the fact that they are almost at the very bottom of the food chain, and they are hunted by everyone who is not lazy. Surrounded by care, they could live much longer as pets, but no one has yet bothered to domesticate lemmings - they are not adapted to life in warmth.
Fact 7. For the first time, the myth of the mass su***des of these rodents arose in the century before last due to the fact that scientists could not explain the reasons for the sudden and sharp fluctuations in their numbers. And in 1958, Disney popularized this myth by making a wildlife documentary, White Wasteland, in which they talked about the same thing. Moreover, the shooting was carried out where lemmings are not found at all, and in order to portray their “su***de”, the animals brought to the filming location were simply pushed into the river with a broom.
Fact 8. Sometimes these animals get lunch not only to predators, but also to herbivores. Reindeer, for example, feed mainly on mosses and lichens, but in famine years they do not disdain fresh meat. On occasion, they willingly eat both adult lemmings and their cubs.
Fact 9. Among other species, the so-called ungulate lemmings are found in Russia. Of course, they do not have real hooves, but their toes on their front paws are distinguished by very long claws of a peculiar shape, and the skin is rough and keratinized. All together it is very reminiscent of a hoof. Interestingly, these claws grow only in winter, and by the onset of heat they return to normal.
Fact 10. A variety of these animals called Vinogradov's lemmings are real builders. They do not just dig holes for themselves, but build their entire complexes with 20-30 exits to the surface, and the area of such a complex can exceed 30 m².
19/10/2022
Interesting facts about the polar owl
Fact 1. The snowy owl differs from other owls and owls not only in the most severe habitats and impressive size. Of all the birds of the family, only she hunts during the day, while the rest are exclusively nocturnal. At the same time, she is a strictly carnivorous predator, since she does not eat plant food at all - only animal food.
Fact 2. Of all the owls that live in the north, polar, or white, as it is also called, is the largest. Moreover, it is generally the largest bird of the tundra, adults weigh up to 3 kg and have a wingspan of up to 150-160 centimeters.
Fact 3. Snowy owls lead a solitary lifestyle, and therefore they are silent. Not only do they fly absolutely silently, they usually make sounds only during the breeding season, when they are looking for a partner. After the meeting, the partners disperse, and the female is engaged in raising the offspring, but usually only about 50% of the chicks survive.
Fact 4. Being a large winged predator, the snowy owl hunts not only small rodents, but even dangerous animals, such as stoats. Although the basis of its menu is still lemmings. On average, one adult eats 4-5 lemmings per day.
Fact 5. After birth, chicks differ from adults not only in size, but also in the color of their plumage - it is also brown, but after the first molt it becomes white. They learn to fly about 2 months after hatching from eggs, but before that they are under threat - foxes and arctic foxes, avoiding fights with adult snowy owls, nevertheless, sometimes destroy their nests and eat eggs and chicks.
Fact 6. The image of white owls living only in Eurasia and North America is also used in heraldry. These birds are the symbol of Quebec, one of the provinces of Canada. Also, a polar owl can be seen on the coat of arms of the Russian city of Novy Urengoy.
Fact 7. They prefer to lead a sedentary lifestyle, and if there is enough food in the area, the snowy owl can live in the same place for years. If for some reason there is not enough prey around, the bird can migrate and find a new home for itself.
Fact 8. Other birds, especially small ones, often settle closer to her nest. They have long understood that the snowy owl never hunts near the nest, so as not to draw attention to it. And since various small predators naturally fear her, smaller birds settle nearby, using her protection.
Fact 9. These birds can live for a long time. The officially registered longevity record for a snowy owl is 28 years, and in captivity individuals who have crossed the 20-year milestone are far from uncommon. But in the wild, they rarely live more than 9-10 years.
Fact 10. Like other owls and owls, her eyes are absolutely motionless in their sockets, and they cannot rotate. This drawback is compensated by a movable neck that can rotate 270 °.
19/10/2022
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