I have noticed that some authors like to use animal analogies when they make their observations about the human condition. Since then, I have been more conscientious about recording down fun animal facts so that I may make reference to pertinent animals. I noted how I would use these facts in some instances.
- The cornea of the shark eye is very similar to the human eye. It is so similar that shark corneas have been transplanted into humans.
- Most hornbills build their nest in hollows of trees made by woodpeckers. The female hornbill will lay her eggs inside the hollow while the male will seal the hollow from the outside with mud. The female hornbill then regurgitates a slimy liquid to mix into the mud and then uses it to plaster up the hole. The male hornbill hunts for food daily to provide for its mate inside the hole.
- A seahorse can move its eyes in opposite directions.
- Sperm whales have the heaviest brains on the planet.
- If the longest blue whale could stand on its tail, it would be as tall as a ten-storey building.
- A shark can grow and lose up to 30,000 teeth in its lifetime. It can live for six weeks without eating.
- Newborn dolphins sleep for only a few seconds at a time. Dolphins sleep with one eye open.
- The Japanese royal family has been eating Echizen crabs since 1909. The male crab is caught from November to March every year, while the period for harvesting female crabs is even shorter, to protect the species from becoming endangered.
- The female octopus stops hunting for food so that she can continually blow water over her eggs to keep them oxygenated. Hungry, she will tear off her arms to feed herself. She usually dies by the time her eggs are hatched - the ultimate sacrifice to ensure the continued survival of her species.
- Did you know that a beetle has two pairs of wings - hard wings and soft wings? The hard wings (elytra) on its outside are meant for protecting its body. There is a pair of soft wings inside the elytra. The elytra opens up when the beetle wants to fly, thus allowing the soft wings to unfold and take flight. Sounds like a metaphor for putting your best foot forward.
- Not just fungi and bacteria welcome dung, but the dung beetle mother goes as far as to lay her eggs in dung. Smart move because when the eggs hatch, the larvae have a ready source of food to consume. Having two children grow up eating natto (fermented soybeans), I can thump my chest and state how the larvae won’t mind the foul smell. Even if I can’t get into the mind of a little dung beetle.
- An example of small but (bloodily) mighty. Firefly larvae will capture and inject a snail with digestive enzymes to immobilize it. The body of the snail will be liquefied and turned into a food source for the larvae.
- Penguins are wonderfully adaptable beings when it comes to water. Besides drinking fresh water and eating snow, they also drink seawater due to a special gland in their bodies that can remove the salt from saltwater. When the salt is removed, it forms a concentrated liquid that drips out of the grooves in the beaks of penguins.
- Lobsters shed their shells at least 5 times a year. And each time a lobster sheds its shell, it will increase its size by about 20%.
- Most wild animals such as hippopotamuses and elephants eat soil to supplement mineral nutrients such as copper, cobalt. Some animals eat stones and soil to help their digestive system or as a remedy for diarrhoea.
- Owls can turn their head for 270 degrees.
- Decorator crabs will use the hooked bristles on their backs to hang algae, rocks or coral on their bodies to camouflage themselves. When they shed their shells, they will reuse the decorations from their old shell and move them to the new shell. I can use this example whenever I want to discuss how people don’t remove their masks even when immersed in a new environment.
- Most chinstrap penguin families have twins.
- Switch from eating beef to eating kangaroo because kangaroo farts don’t contain methane
- Crocodiles cannot stick their tongues out, but a veiled chameleon’s tongue can stretch one and a half times the length of its body. Crocodiles can climb trees though.
- Many kinds of cats chase targets over long distances but a jaguar silently sneaks up to prey such as tapirs before ambushing its meal.
May you witness a growth in my writing!
This post might be more relevant and engaging in the ~Dogs_And_Cats territory.