January 21, 2016

Did you know that I have been posting facts of the day since January 21, 2013? Yay for three years! Unfortunately I did not start my blog until August 2015. But I have posted many of my old facts from before so they can all be in one place. Now for the real fact of the day...

Did you know ants don't have lungs? In fact, they don't even have blood vessels. Instead their respiratory system consists of spiracles, tiny holes on the side of their body, and trachea, tubes allowing oxygen to travel directly to the tissues. Although it's a great way to get oxygen directly to your cells without having to you know...exchange gas at the lungs and then pump the oxygenated blood around the body through arteries...an insect's tracheal lining needs to comes off when an insect molts. So in addition to shedding its skeleton, it also needs to pull its "lungs" out of its mouth. Eeps!

January 16, 2016

Did you know you could make frozen watermelon treats for your doggy friends? (I know. Might not be the best time for the year for frozen treats, but at least you'll have the recipe for the summer. :D) First you mix together watermelon puree, unsweetened coconut milk, and a bit of honey. Then you pour the mixture into ice cube trays and freeze them into little snacks. All the ingredients are safe for dogs and it can help them keep cool during the summer. (All credits to the youtuber, Gone to the Snow Dogs!)

January 12, 2016

Did you know that you are not suppose to put your hand near a dead rattlesnake? Why? Even after 30 minutes, the snake's nervous system is still functioning. Rattlesnakes have thermal sensors at the front of their faces, so anything emitting heat right in front of it causes the snake to automatically lunge forward and bite. It's a pretty handy reflex when it comes to hunting at night...maybe not so much when you're dead.

January 10, 2016

Did you know that there is a mussel that feeds off fish blood? The Lampsilis Mussel has a fleshly extension in the shape of a fish. This "bait" fools larger fish into trying to eat it. Once contact occurs, the mussel releases its young, which can live inside one of those larger fish and feed off its blood.

January 8, 2016

Did you know that the Monarch butterfly has a doppelganger...the Viceroy butterfly? Both species look almost identical AND both are toxic. A perfect example of Mullerian mimicry.

January 7, 2016

Did you know the male angler fish is much smaller than the female? Once it's time to mate, he bites into the female. Over time his body begins to fuse with hers. Eventually he loses his mouth, eyes, and most of his internal organs. The only things left are his testes which the female can use to impregnate herself. The female angler fish can fuse with as many as 6 males.

January 6, 2016

Did you know honey is just regurgitated nectar? When a honey bee collects nectar from flowers, she (all worker bees are females) stores it in the second stomach, the "honey stomach." While in the stomach, the nectar is broken down into simple, more digestible sugars by the bee's enzymes. Afterwards, she heads back to the hive and passes the nectar to another worker bee using their tongues! This worker bee also processes the nectar. Eventually the product is placed into one of the honeycomb cells and left to dry out into a thick syrup.

January 5, 2016

Did you know a Venus Fly Trap doesn't automatically close when an insect lands on it? Instead it needs a signal. The plant has 6 tiny hairs located near the center of each of its leaves. When a fly touches two of these hairs within 20 seconds, the leaf quickly snaps shut.

January 4, 2016

Did you know there is a fish that can live both on land and in water? The Mudskipper can breathe air and keeps its skin moist by rolling in the moist sand along beaches. The male of one species digs a u-shaped tunnel for its young. There is an opening, a tunnel underwater, and a chamber full of eggs. The eggs are located out of the water, where there is more oxygen. However, the male needs to swim back and forth between the opening and chamber to gulp and then supply the oxygen to the chamber. Such hard working dad!

January 3, 2016

Did you know there is danger lurking under the ocean floor? The Indian Walkman, also called the Demon Stinger Fish, is a venomous fish that blends into the surrounding sand. It has poisonous spines along its back and modified fins that look like four little insect legs. This walking fish would even travel 200 miles to find its mate! Remember to be cautious when diving in shallow waters. A part of the ocean floor you think is just sand and rock may be an Indian Walkman. If felt cornered, it will charge.

January 2, 2016

Did you know that the barbel fish get their food from a walking cafeteria? That's right! The hippo! When hippos enter their lake, barbel fish gather around cleaning their skin and mouths. They nibble off any unwanted parasites AND they even eat the hippos' droppings.

January 1, 2016

Happy New Year! The fact to start off 2016 is...

Did you know that there are sharks that hunt along the ocean floor? The wobbegong is a bottom dwelling shark that spends most of its time resting on the sea floor. It camouflages with its surroundings and waits to gulp down its prey. Pretty typical of ambush predators. Unlike the hammerhead shark, which needs to continue swimming or else it'll drown, the wobbegong passes water through nostrils on the top of its head. This water then passes through the gills, allowing the shark to breathe. Pretty cute fella!