Tuesday Trivia

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Critters again. Seems I find more than the average share of critter trivia, doesn't it? Wonder why?


DUCKS

Ducks were once wild until they were domesticated by the Chinese many hundreds of years ago.

Ducks keep clean by preening themselves with their beaks, which they do often. They also line their nests with feathers plucked from their chest.

Ducks' feathers are waterproof. There is a special gland that produces oil near the tail that spreads and covers the outer coat of feathers. Beneath this waterproof layer are fluffy and soft feathers to keep the duck warm.

Ducks' feet have no nerves or blood vessels. This means ducks never feel the cold, even if they swim in icy cold water.

Ducks can live from 2-12 years, depending on the species.

A duck's quack has no echo (Of course, we ALL know that,, and we also know that no one knows why).

INSECTS
A little quote to start this off.

If all mankind were to disappear, the world would regenerate back to the rich state of equilibrium that existed ten thousand years ago. If insects were to vanish, the environment would collapse into chaos. --Edward O. Wilson, (1929-), American biologist, researcher (sociobiology, biodiversity), theorist (consilience, biophilia), naturalist (conservationism) and author.

A flea can jump 150 times its size. That is the same as a person able to jump up 1,000 feet in the air.

A housefly can only ingest liquid material. They regurgitate their food to liquefy the food that they are going to eat. Tasty!

A house fly's feet are 10 million times more sensitive than a human tongue.

Dragonflies can fly up to 50 miles per hour.

A mosquito flaps its wings 500 times a second. Boy, their wings must get tired!

The lifespan of a firefly is about seven days. During these days, they are busy trying to find a mate. Imagine only having a week to find yourself a mate!

TURTLES

Turtle fossils have been found linking them to the Triassic Period, about 230 million years ago.

Turtles are present in the mythology of many civilizations. The Chinese, for instance, around 2500 B.C. favored a symbol of a snake entwined with a turtle to ward off evil spirits.

In the year 456 B.C., the Greek playwright, Aeschylus was killed when a turtle was dropped on his head by an eagle. Generally, however, turtles are quiet, docile companions.

Turtles are cold-blooded. They need an external heat source. If they get too cool, they can’t digest their food and may hibernate.

Some types of turtles, such as the leatherback turtle can swim at speeds up to 23 miles per hour.

Turtles, as opposed to tortoises, live in or around water. Some varieties only leave the water to lay eggs.

RANDOM ANIMAL STUFF

An adult lion's roar can be heard up to five miles away, and warns off intruders or reunites scattered members of the pride.

An albatross can sleep while it flies. It apparently dozes while cruising at 25 mph.

An iguana can stay under water for 28 minutes.

Animal gestation periods: the shortest is the American opossum, which bears its young 12 to 13 days after conception; the longest is the Asiatic elephant, taking 608 days, or just over 20 months.

Camels have three eyelids to protect themselves from blowing sand.

Catnip can affect lions and tigers as well as house cats. It excites them because it contains a chemical that resembles an excretion of the dominant female's urine.

A father sea catfish keeps the eggs of his young in his mouth until they are ready to hatch. He will not eat until his young are born, which may take several weeks.

By feeding hens certain dyes they can be made to lay eggs with varicolored yolks.

The Canary Islands were not named for a bird called a canary. They were named after a breed of large dogs. The Latin name was Canariae insulae - "Island of Dogs."

Siamese fighting fish, also known as Betta Splendens, have a special respiratory organ that allows them to breath air directly from the surface.

Most species of woodpeckers prefer dead trees or "snags," and drill out a space for them to nest. Only the Red- cockaded Woodpecker uses living trees to nest.

A chimpanzee can learn to recognize itself in a mirror, but monkeys can't.

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