Horny Whales

The narwhal, or moon whale, is a species of white whale. What makes the narwhal so facinating is the 10 foot tusk that juts out of it's jaw. Until the 1600's it's tusks were often pass off as unicorn horns. Queen Elizabeth the I actually had one as a sceptre.

Dog Humor

Ever notice a particular happy pitch in your dog's panting when you're playing with him? He's laughing. When recordings of dog laugher are played to stressed-out shelter dogs, they all settle down and stop barking. Scientists are now looking for ways to use dog laugher to help socialize shelter dogs to make them more comfortable and adoptable.

I've Half A Mind To...

Whales and dolphins must always remain conscious as they have to be always aware of their surfacing to breathe. But they do sleep, the two halves of their brain take turns sleeping.

A Very Windy Day

The largest tornado outbreak on record happened in southern Ontario and 13 US states on April 3rd and 4th in 1974. Not only did 148 tornados touch down in only 18 hours, many of them were of the F4 and F5 variety. Somewhere between 300 and 330 people lost their lives during that outbreak.

Jumpers

Fleas can jump over 200 times their own body length. This makes them the best jumper in nature.

Ink Clouds

The ink of the octopus that it ejects as a defensive measure is made of melanin, which is the same chemical that gives humans their skin and hair color. In addition to clouding the water to hide them from sight of their predators, it also dulls their smell in the water which help them evade animals that hunt by scent, like sharks.

Brains and Legs

Octopi are actually very intelligent. They have shown both short and long term memory. Fisherman have observed them climbing aboard their vessels and into crab holding tanks for a snack.

An Octopus of a Different Color

The mimic octopus can change its color and shape to look like more than fifteen different sea creatures including jellyfish, mantis shrimp, sea snakes, seashells, stingrays, lionfish, flatfish and sea anemones. Not only does it mimic the appearance of these other animals, it can also imitate their movements.

Chow Down

If the opportunity presents itself, a Tasmanian Devil can eat 40% of its own body weight in only 30 minutes.

No Sibling Rivalry

Baby pandas are only 3.2 to 4.6 ounces at birth. That's only 1/900th of what it will weigh as an adult. Baby pandas are born so small and helpless. If a mother has a multiple birth, she has to choose one and leave the others to die.