Interesting Facts about Wolves

An elongated snout, sharp teeth, thick fur, long legs, narrow chests, pliable paws and an expressive furry tail altogether make up a ‘Grey Wolf’. It is known as the largest wild member of the canine family. Designed to hunt for meat, the Grey Wolf spends most of its time roaming tirelessly in search of large prey. Let us learn some interesting facts about this distant relative of the domestic dog.

1. The Grey Wolf (Canis Lupus) is a mammal and has common ancestors with dogs. Grey wolves are mostly found in cold countries. Their bulky, wooly fur protects them from cold weather.

2. Grey wolves stand from 0.6 to 0.9 meters tall and weigh about 25 to 65 kg. Like all other wild animals, they rely on their senses. The wolves use these senses to hunt and communicate with other wolves. They can hear another wolf howling from at least 3 to 4 miles away. Their sense of smell is 100 times keener than a human’s.

3. Capable of running about 35 to 40 miles per hour, the Grey Wolf’s paws provide support in the snow. Grey wolves raise their heads only when alert, and usually carry their heads at the same level as their backs. This meat-eating animal could eat almost anything – from deer, rabbits and rodents to elk, yak, moose and sheep.

4. The Grey Wolf is a social animal. Irrespective of the number of members in one group, wolves will stay together. The group is known as the pack and is ruled by a powerful male wolf. Interestingly, the wolves hunt together, play together and even howl together. Overall, the pack is strongly hierarchically organized.

5. Another significant fact is that the wolves are basically color blind, and their pups are born deaf and blind. They begin to see only after 9 to 12 days. With a fast growth rate, these pups' weight will increase nearly 30 times in their first four months.

Wolves are not yet thought to be at risk of extinction, but their local population is still threatened. Not only are they hunted but they are also gaining popularity as pets. Their hunting should be restricted and we should also try not to damage their habitat, in order to safeguard their future.

Interesting & Amazing Information on Wolves

• A mated wolf pair usually stays committed for life. Only when one of them dies, does the other look for another mate.
• A wolf is opportunistic and will always attempt to catch the easiest and most vulnerable animal.
• Wolves actually have a low hunting success rate.
• A wolf's sense of smell is more than 100 times greater than that of a human.
• Wolves usually mate during the months of January to April; the higher the latitude, the later the mating time.
• All members of a wolf pack take part in caring for the young ones.
• It is common for wolves to be on move eight to ten hours in a day and a pack may cover distances from 30 to 125 miles in a day.
• The coyote is believed to have evolved from the wolf, over 500,000 years ago.
• Wolves have two types of 'fur coat'. The undercoat (closest to the skin) is soft and keeps the wolf warm, while the overcoat is made up of long hair and acts as a weather barrier.

• Wolves shed their hair in the spring and summer season. However, they shed it out in sheets, unlike most dogs.
• The highest ranking member in a wolf is ‘Alpha wolf’, the second ranking one is ‘Beta wolf’, while the one with the lowest rank is called ‘Omega wolf’.
• There are two hierarchies in a wolf pack, a group of wolves, one for females and one for males.
• The jaws of a wolf are extremely powerful and are capable of generating 1,500 psi pressure.
• The mortality rate in case of wolf puppies can be as high as 50 percent.
• The wolf has one of the widest ranges of size, shape and color of any mammal in North America.
• Wolves communicate with each other more by harmony and integration, rather than aggression and submission.
• Wolf is generally a docile animal, with a strong aversion to fighting and aggression.
• Wolves are territorial and use vocalizations and scent marking to defend their territory.
• Wolves communicate through a number of ways, including scent marks, vocalizations, visual displays, facial and body postures and rituals.
• Wolves howl to greet each other, indicate their location, define their territory or call the pack together.
• Lone wolves have no social territory and rarely scent-mark or howl.

PBS Nature 2007 In the Valley of the Wolves

A Man Among Wolves

Salmon Fishing Wolves of Alaska, Very Rare Footage! wolf vs grizzly bear

source: www.environmentalgraffiti.com; lifestyle.iloveindia.com; youtube.com

Interesting Facts about Penguins

• Penguins are birds.
• The name is derived from Welsh terms ‘pen’, meaning head and ‘gwyn’, meaning white.
• Penguin is an unofficial symbol of the United States Libertarian Party.
• They mate for life.
• Linux mascot tux is also a penguin.
• They are ancient species that appeared 40 million years ago in the Eocene.
• Penguins don't fly, they swim.
• Penguins lay eggs.
• Penguin chicks have fluffy feathers.
• A group of penguins is called colonies or rookery.
• They usually move in huge groups.
• Penguins use their wings for swimming.
• Penguins live in the Southern Hemisphere.
• Some penguins live in Antarctica, Coast of South America, South Africa, Galapagos, Southern Australia and New Zealand.
• Penguins hunt for fish, squid or shrimp like krill in the oceans to fill their stomach.
• Most penguins can swim about 15 miles per hour.
• Penguins have insulating layers of air, skin, and blubber.
• Penguins have tightly packed feathers that help them to keep warm.
• Penguins open their feather to feel the cold.
• There are at least 18 different species of penguins.
• There may be as many as 100 million penguins in the world.
• Penguins can be endangered by oil spills, water pollution, and the over harvesting

Penguins Fun Facts

• Penguins are social creatures.
• They adapt to various climates.
• They live in large colonies called rookeries.
• They waddle when they walk.
• Penguins are dresses in classic black and white.
• Penguins communicate with each other through body language.
• They spend most of their lives in water.
• They don’t fear humans but are endangered by oil spills, water pollution, and the over harvesting of ocean fish.
• Their body is insulated with a thick layer of blubber that keeps them warm.
• They leap out of water while swimming.
• They can walk faster than humans.
• They can hold their breath for about 20 minutes under water.
• They have more feathers per square inch that keeps them warm in frigid waters.
• They are counter-shaded for camouflage.
• Baby penguins have soft feathers known as down.
• They count on their parents for food until they grow up with waterproof juvenile feathers.
• They pick up stones and store them in their crop. This helps them to float when they are in water.
• They can control blood flow through fat.
• Rockhopper penguins have very loud calls.

source: Penguins Facts

Penguins - BBC



King penguins and their young - David Attenborough - BBC wildlife



Do penguins fly?

Interesting Facts about Dolphins

How do dolphins sleep?
Dolphins have to be conscious to breath. This means that they cannot go into a full deep sleep, because then they would suffocate. Dolphins have "solved" that by letting one half of their brain sleep at a time. This has been determined by doing EEG studies on dolphins. Dolphins sleep about 8 hours day in this fashion.

A dolphin's behavior when sleeping/resting depends on the circumstances and possibly on individual preferences. They can either:
1. swim slowly and surface every now and then for a breath
2. rest at the surface with their blowhole exposed
3. rest on the bottom (in shallow water) and rise to the surface every now and then to breath.
How smart are dolphins?
The short answer to this is that we do not know. There is no reliable method to measure intelligence in humans across cultures, so it is not surprising that comparing humans, dolphins, apes, dogs, etc. is impossible. There are some indications of their potential: they are fast learners and can generalize (which is also true of pigs). Also they can learn to understand complicated language-like commands (which is also true of the great apes).

How much do dolphins eat?
Bottlenose dolphins eat several kinds of fish (including mullet, mackerel, herring, cod) and squid. The compostion of the diet depends very much on what is available in the area they live in and also on the season. The amount of fish they eat depends on the fish species they are feeding on: mackerel and herring have a very high fat content and consequently have a high caloric value, whereas squid has a very low caloric value, so to get the same energy intake (calories) they will need to eat much more if they feed on squid than if they feed on mackerel or herring. On average an adult dolphin will eat 4-9% of its body weight in fish, so a 250 kg (550 lb) dolphin will eat 10-22.5 kg (22-50 lb) fish per day.

How long do dolphins live?
The maximum age for bottlenose dolphins is between 40 and 50 years. The average age a dolphin can get (the life expectancy) can be calculated from the ASR Annual Survival Rate (the percentage of animals alive at a certain point, that is still alive one year later). For the dolphin population in Sarasota Bay, the ASR has been measured to be about 0.961. This yields a life expectancy of about 25 years. For the population in the Indian/Banana River area, the ASR is between 0.908 and 0.931. This yields a life expectance between 10.3 and 14 years. So the actual life expectancy differs per region.

How deep can a dolphin dive?
The deepest dive ever recorded for a bottlenose dolphin was a 300 meters (990 feet). This was accomplished by Tuffy, a dolphin trained by the US Navy. Most likely dolphins do not dive very deep, though. Many bottlenose dolphins live in fairly shallow water. In the Sarasota Bay area, the dolphins spend a considarable time in waters that are less than 2 meters (7 feet) deep.

Other whale and dolphin species are able to dive to much greater depths even. The pilot whale (Globicephala melaena) can dive to at least 600 meters (2000 feet) and a sperm whale (Physeter macrocephalus) has been found entangled in a cable at more that 900 meters (500 fathoms) depth.

Recent studies on the behavior of belugas (Delphinapterus leucas) has revealed that they regularly dive to depths of 800 meters. The deepest dive recorded of a beluga was to 1250 meters.

Do dolphins drink salt water?
Most dolphins live in the ocean and the ocean water is too salty for them to drink! If they would drink sea water, they would actually use more water trying to get rid of the salt than they drank in the first place. Most of their water comes from their food (fish and squid). Also, when they metabolize (burn) their fat, water is released in the process. Their kidneys are also adapted to retaining as much water as possible. Although they live in water, they live as desert animals with no direct source of drinkable water.

Mass strandings: Why?
If a single whale or dolphin strands, it usually is a very sick (and exhausted) animal. Such an animal often has some infections (pneumonia is almost always one of them) and a lot of parasites (worms in the nasal passages are very common). Sometimes these animals can be rehabilitated, but often they are so sick they won't make it.

Some species of whales and dolphins occassionally strand in groups. A stranding of 2 or more animals is usually called a mass stranding. There are a number of theories that try to explain the occurrence of mass strandings. No theory can adequately explain all of them. In some cases it will be a combination of causes. The most common explanations are:

*
deep water animals (the species that most often are the victim of mass strandings) can not "see" a sloping sandy beach properly with its sonar. They detect the beach only when they are almost stranded already and they will panic and run aground.
*
whales and dolphins may be navigating by the earth's magnetic field. When the magnetic field is disturbed (this occurs at certain locations) the animals get lost and may run into a beach.
*
in some highly social species, the group leader may be sick and wash ashore. The other members try to stay close and may strand with the group leader.
*
when under severe stress or in panic, the animals may fall back to the behavior of their early ancestors and run to shore to find safety.

source: dolphinear.com

Interesting Facts about Reptile

The first reptiles evolved in the Upper Carboniferous period, at least 300 million years ago. The Class Reptilia consists of three orders:

# Order Crocodilia, consisting of roughly 30 species and subspecies of crocodile, alligator and caiman

# Order Chelonia (tortoises and turtles), at least 244 species

# Order Squamata, includes lizards (over 3,750 species), snakes (about 3,000 species) and the lesser known Amphisbaenians or "worm lizard."

# There are about 160 species of Amphisbaenians, and they are found in Africa, Europe, Asia, North and South America. They are burrowing animals, up to 2 feet long, whose ring like scales gives them an earthworm like appearance.

# The fourth Order, Rhynchocephalia, flourished in pre-historic times but is now almost extinct. The number of species making up the single living genus, represented by the Tuatara, is still being argued.

# The Tuatara is extremely rare, found on just a few islands near New Zealand. Superficially lizard like, the Tuatara has unique eye and jaw anatomy, which among other factors separate it taxonomically (that is, the factors which determine its place in our classification of order, family, genus and species). Unusually for reptiles, Tuataras are adapted to life at temperatures as low as 6 degrees Celsius (43 degrees Fahrenheit).

Other interesting facts:

# Reptiles, like birds, have voluntary control over the muscles in their eyes, which determine their pupil size. This means that they are able to constrict or dilate their pupils at will, not just in response to light.

# The brain of a reptile is not more than 1 percent of his body mass. This means that the brain of a 70-pound python is no larger than a lima bean. Unlike amphibians, however, the reptilian brain has two hemispheres. Since man appears to use very little of his brain mass, the reptilian brain appears to be highly and efficiently adapted. The nervous systems of reptiles are sufficiently complex and similar to those of mammals that we can conclude that their senses and pain perception are highly refined. We are only beginning to understand just how highly specialized these animals are.

# Reptiles were the first vertebrates to evolve with 12 cranial nerves. "Lower" vertebrates have 10 pairs of these important nerves, which govern activities of the senses, such as sight, hearing and taste.

# The jaw structure of a reptile does not permit chewing; they can only tear their food.

# Some reptile species are known to store sperm and produce young 3 and perhaps 6 or more years after a single, successful mating. In some cases, it is possible to have an infertile clutch followed by a fertile clutch without further matings.

# The sex of a turtle is determined by the temperature at which the egg is incubated, with warmer temperatures producing females, cooler temperatures producing males and temperatures in the middle resulting in a mixed clutch. The situation is reversed for crocodiles, with males predominating at higher temperatures. The gender of a snake is determined by chromosomes, as it is in the case of mammals and birds.

# Reptiles do not have sweat or sebaceous glands; therefore, they are not slimy. They are, however, waterproof, and this, in addition to lacking a metamorphic stage is one of the distinctions between amphibians and reptiles (tadpoles metamorphose, or change, into frogs). The reptilian egg, with calcium in its shell is not dependant on development in water, as is the amphibian egg.

# Reptiles are not "cold blooded"; rather they are ectothermic animals, which rely on heat to be provided by the environment, as they produce little of their own. Behavior, such as seeking shade, gaping and shunting blood toward or away from the body surface allows impressively fine control of body temperature several degrees above or below the ambient temperature. When housed in suitable environments, most reptiles when active, maintain a body temperature similar to that of mammals.

source: petplace.com

Interesting Facts About Turtle

There's a lot to admire about turtles and tortoises. They seem to have a steadfast character, and a plodding yet undeniable gait that sooner or later gets them to where they are going. Here are some other facts about these creatures that may make you scratch your shell in wonder.

# Testudo, the Latin word for tortoise, shell, arch or vault, was also the name given to a technique used by Roman soldiers in warfare. Standing close together, in the shape of a rectangle, they held their shields flat over their heads, to form a protective dome, allowing them to approach the enemy en masse, unharmed by spears, stones and arrows.

# The black soft-shelled turtle figures importantly in Hindu mythology. The animals are believed to represent the souls of long ago sinners, transformed into reptiles by a 13th century saint, are in a tank attached to a temple in Bangladesh. Each animal is considered sacred, and so none can be removed.

# The oldest known tortoise may have been a radiated tortoise from Madagascar (Astrochelys radiata), which died in 1965. She was at least 188 years old, having been given to the Tonga royal family, by Captain Cook in 1773 or 1777.

# The Galapagos tortoise is the largest living species, weighing in some cases, over 570 pounds.

# The carapace or upper shell of the tortoise or turtle is composed of about 50 bones, which include modified ribs, vertebrae and bony skin plates. The lower shell or plastron has evolved from the clavicles or collarbones and the ribs. The bony structure joining the two is called the bridge. The shell is very much alive, not dead tissue, like nails or hair.

# The growth rings on the scutes or scales on a tortoise cannot be used to determine the animal's age with any degree of accuracy, as in most instances, growth spurts and interruptions in growth are determined largely by environmental conditions.

# In leatherback and soft-shelled turtles, the bony scutes have been replaced with tough, leathery skin.

# Some species have hinges on either the carapace or the plastron, which allow closure of the shell.

# The snapping turtle (Macroclemys sp.) has a worm-like, fleshy structure on its tongue, which it wiggles to attract fish.

# Turtles cannot protrude their tongues from their mouths, but they can smell. Flapping the loose skin under the chin or throat moves air over the Jacobsen's organ.

# Tortoises and turtles do not have teeth.

# Tortoises store sperm and have been known to produce fertile eggs three years after the last mating.

# Stupendemys geographicus was a prehistoric turtle that was 10 feet long and probably weighed 4,000 to 5,000 pounds.

source: petplace.com

Interesting Butterfly Facts

• The word butterfly came from the English word Buttorfleoge. Perhaps because, in mediaeval times, butterflies could be seen hovering around butterchurns or that their excrement is yellowish in colour.

• There are 292 species of butterflies in Canada. Most of which are found in British Columbia (176) and the fewest on Prince Edward Island (42). In Ontario we have 142 species.
• Some butterflies, such as the Northern Pearly Eye, will fly at night.
• Butterflies are the second largest group of pollinators.....next to bees.
• Harvester larvae are carnivorous. They feed on aphids not plants.
• Monarchs have been known to migrate over 3000km. In fact a Monarch tagged at Presqu'ile, here in southern Ontario, was recovered in Mexico and is on record as being the longest insect migration.
• Butterflies don't have lungs.
• The larvae of some of the some Blues, Coppers and Hairstreak butterflies produce a sugary excretion that is consumed by ants that in turn protect the larvae from predators.
• Butterflies taste with their feet.
• The Monarch's Mexican wintering site was only discovered in 1975.
• The Mourning Cloak and Compton Tortoiseshell are Canada's longest lived butterfly. They can last up to 11 months.
• In Canada we have two butterflies that use evergreens: the Pine Elfin and the Juniper Hairstreak.
• Monarchs can fly a 1000km without stopping.
• Butterflies make up 20 percent of the order lepidoptera.
• Caterpillars shed their skin to accommodate growth.....just like snakes have to.
• The Giant Swallowtail is the largest butterfly found in Canada. It's wingspan can reach up to 5".
• It takes two years for the Macoun's Arctic to complete one life cycle.
• The largest threat to butterflies is loss of habitat.
• Since butterflies are cold blooded it is necessary for them to warm up their flight muscles. This is done by basking in the sun in order to absorb heat.
• True butterfly antennae are filament like with a bulbous end.
• Butterflies can attain a flight speed of up to 50 kph.
• Even though Skippers are considered to be butterflies their appearance would suggest that their might be more closely related to moths than butterflies. Skippers have a thicker hairy body and hooked antennae....unlike true butterflies.
• Monarchs can attain an altitude of a kilometer or more during migration.
• The major cause of death to the Cabbage White larvae is rain, which knocks them off their plants where they drown or are severely injured.
• Northern Pearly Eyes are very territorial. They will attack other male intruders.
• Butterflies are really cool.
• Eastern Tailed Blue, Marine Blue, Bog Elfin and the Small Checkered Skipper all share top honours for Canada's smallest butterflies at wing a span of 16mm. Worldwide the smallest are the Pygmy butterflies at 11mm.
• The Mourning Cloak has been known to play dead in order to escape predators.
• Mourning Cloaks and Compton Tortoiseshells frequently feed at Sapsucker drillings.
• Butterflies smell with their antennae.
• The Painted Lady is the most wide spread butterfly species in the world. Occurring on all continents accept South American and Antarctica.
• When it rains butterflies find shelter in crevasses, in dense undergrowth and tree cavities.
• Skipper antennae are filament like with a slight hook on the end.
• If the scales are removed from a butterfly's wing what is left is a transparent membrane.
• The Karner Blue butterfly became extirpated in Ontario around 1991.
• The Spring Azure is one of the shortest lived butterflies lasting only a couple of days.
• There are only six species of butterflies, in Canada, that are found above the 75th parallel on Ellesmere Island (that's up there); Polaris Fritillary, Dingy Fritillary, Arctic Blue, Hecla Sulphur, Labrador Sulphur, and the American Copper.
• The male, of some species of butterflies, emits it's pheromones through special scales on their wings.
• Overwintering species of larvae avoid freezing by producing glycerol.....a kind of antifreeze.
• Some larvae communicate with ants by producing sounds.
• Male Monarchs never make the return journey the following spring.
• Some members of the Skipper family of butterflies can attain flight speeds in excess of 50 kph.
• Milbert's Tortoiseshells lay eggs in clusters containing upwards of a thousand.
• Butterflies breath through openings in their abdomen called "spiracles".
• Butterflies are divided into two main groups called skippers (hesperioidea) and true butterflies (papilionoidea).
• Chryxus Arctic displays territorial mating behaviour known as "leks". Although well documented among birds, it would appear to be a rare and unusual behaviour with butterflies.

source: home.cogeco.ca/~lunker

Interesting Facts About Dogs - 2

1. It is a myth that dogs are color blind. They can actually see in color, just not as vividly as humans. It is akin to our vision at dusk.

2. Dogs DO have better low-light vision than humans because of a special light-reflecting layer behind their retinas.

3. A German Shepherd guide dog led her blind companion the entire 2100-mile Appalachian Trail.

4. If never spayed or neutered, a female dog, her mate, and their puppies could produce over 66,000 dogs in 6 years!

5. Dogs' only sweat glands are between their paw pads.

6. Like human babies, Chihuahuas are born with a soft spot in their skull, which closes with age.

7. The breed Lundehune has 6 toes and can close its ears.

8.Teddy Roosevelt's dog, Pete, ripped a French ambassador's pants off at the White House.

9. President Lyndon Johnson had two beagles named Him and Her.

10. Franklin Roosevelt spent $15,000 for a destroyer to pick up his Scottie in the Aleutian Islands.

11. In Roman times, Mastiffs donned light armor and were sent after mounted knights.

12. The Russians trained dogs during WWII to run suicide missions with mines strapped to their backs.

13. A dog's mouth exerts 150-200 pounds of pressure per square inch

with some dogs exerting up to 450 pounds per square inch.

14. A one-year-old dog is as mature, physically, as a 15-year-old human.

15. The U.S. has the highest dog population in the world.

16. France has the 2nd highest.

17. The average city dog lives 3 years longer than a country dog.

18. 87% of dog owners say their dog curls up beside them or at their feet while they watch T.V.

19. Dogs can be trained to detect epileptic seizures.

20. 15 people die in the U.S. every year from dog bites.

21.In 2002 alone, more people in the U.S. were killed by dogs than by sharks in the past 100 years.

22. Gidget is the name of the Taco Bell dog.

23. Newfoundlands are great swimmers because of their webbed feet.

24. Basset Hounds cannot swim.

25. Greyhounds are the fastest dogs on earth, with speeds of up to 45 miles per hour.

26. Bingo is the name of the dog on the side of the Cracker Jack box.

27. The bible mentions dogs 14 times.

28. Three dogs survived the sinking of the Titanic - a Newfoundland, a Pomeranian, and a Pekingese.

29. The Labrador Retriever is the #1 favorite breed in the U.S., Canada, and the U.K.

30. Obesity is the #1 health problem among dogs.

31. An estimated 1,000,000 dogs in the U.S. have been named as the primary beneficiaries in their owner's will.

32. An American Animal Hospital Assoc. poll found that 33% of dog owners admit to talking to their dogs on the phone and leaving answering machine messages for them while away.

33. Dog's nose prints are as unique as a human's fingerprints and can be used to accurately identify them.

34. At the end of the Beatles' song "A Day in the Life", a high-pitched dog whistle was recorded by Paul McCartney for his sheepdog.

35. 70% of people sign their pet's name on greeting and holiday cards.

36. 58% put pets in family and holiday portraits.

37. There are only 350 Cisky Terriers in the world - perhaps the rarest breed.

38. The phrase "raining cats and dogs" originated in 17th century England when it is believed that many cats and dogs drowned during heavy periods of rain.

39. Dogs have no sense of "time".

40. Humans have kept dogs as pets for over 12,000 years.

41. The largest breed of dog is the Irish Wolfhound.

42. The world's smallest dog breed is the Chihuahua.

43. The St. Bernard is the heaviest.

44. Only dogs and humans have prostates.

45. But dogs do not have an appendix.

46. Every dog on earth likely descended from a species knows as the Tomarctus - a creature that roamed the earth over 15 million years ago.

47. The oldest known breed is likely the Saluki - originally trained by Egyptians to help them track game.

48. In 1957, Laika became the first living being in space via an earth satellite, while JFK's terrier, Charlie, father 4 puppies with Laika's daughter.

50. An African wolf dog known as the basenji is the only dog in the world that cannot bark.

51. There are 703 breeds of purebred dogs.

52. Dachshunds were originally bred for fighting badgers.

53. The world's smartest dogs are thought to be (1) the border collie, (2) the poodle, and (3) the golden retriever, while the dumbest dog is believed to be the Afghan hound.

54. A dog's smell is more than 100,000 times stronger than that of a human's, which they need because their eyesight is not as keen as a human's.

55. Dogs judge objects first by their movement, then by their brightness, and lastly by their shape.

56. Chocolate contains a substance known as theobromine (similar to caffeine), which can kill dogs or at the very least make them violently ill.

57. George Washington had thirty-six dogs - all foxhounds - with one-named Sweet lips.

58. All dogs are identical in anatomy - 321 bones and 42 permanent teeth.

59. Smaller breeds mature faster than larger breeds.

60. Female dogs are only ready to mate - "in heat" - twice a year for a total of roughly 20 days.

61. Puppies sleep ninety percent of the day for their first few weeks.

62. Rin Tin Tin was the first Hollywood Dog Star and he really signed his movie contracts - all 22 of them - with a paw print.

63. The Wizard of Oz's Toto was played by a female Cairn Terrier named Terry.

64. Up until the late 1800's, Collies were known as Scottish Sheepdogs.

65. Dogs have two times as many muscles to move their ears as people.

66. The longer a dog's nose, the more effective it's internal cooling system.

67. An elderly woman was saved by her 12-pound Yorkshire Terrier who fought off an 80-pound Akita and survived with only 9 stitches.

68. U.S. Customs dogs "Rocky" and "Barco" were so good at patrolling the border that Mexican drug lords put a $300,000 bounty on their heads.

69. Dogs are all direct descendants of wolves.

70. Wolves and dogs can mate to produce fertal offspring.

71. Female wolves have been known to travel great distances to regurgitate full meals for their hungry pups.

72. Cerberus was the tri-headed dog that guarded the underworld in Greek mythology.

73. Female dogs bear their young for 60 days before they're born.

74. Dogs' sense of hearing is more than ten times more acute than a human's.

75. Humans can detect sounds at 20,000 times per second, while dogs can sense frequencies of 30,000 times per second.

76. The earliest dog-fossil dates back to nearly 10,000 B.C.

77. Bloodhounds are prized their ability to single out and identify a number of scents simultaneously.

78. Dalmatian puppies are born completely white.

79. The Ancient Chinese carried Pekingese puppies in the sleeves of their robes.

80. Boxers are so named because of their manner of playing with their front paws.

81. All breeds of dog have been found to attack livestock - from 3-month-old puppies, all the way up to thirteen-year-old poodles.

82. A dog's heart beats up to 120 times per minute, or 50% faster than the average human heartbeat of 80 times per minute.

83. The oldest dog on record - a Queensland "Heeler" named Bluey - was 29 years, 5 months old.

84. Davy Crockett had a dog named Sport.

85. Dogs were first domesticated by cavemen.

86. Dogs live 15 years on average.

87. Many foot disorders inn dogs are simply an issue of long toenails.

88. More than 5,000,000 puppies are born in the U.S. every year.

89. More than 1 in 3 American families own a dog.

90. Average body temperature for a dog is 101.2 degrees.

91. The Girl Scouts and Boy Scouts both offer merit badges in dog care.

92. Dogs are natural pack animals.

93. They are naturally submissive to any creature with higher pack status - human or canine.

94. Dogs instinctively require the pack leader's approval.

95. Dogs with little human contact in the first three months typically don't make good pets.

96. The Chihuahua was named after the state in Mexico where they were discovered.

97. After birth, puppies' eyes do not fully open until they're about 12 days old.

98. Their vision is not fully developed until after the 1st month.

Michael Torchia Animal Health and Wellness Expert
800.933.8633 www.HealthyPetNation.com info@HealthyPetNation.com

Interesting Facts About The Woolly Mammoth

The Age of Mammals
Small mammals were alive when dinosaurs roamed the earth. No one is quite certain why dinosaurs died out. Some scientists think it could have been a change in the climate. Others have said that there might have been a major disaster, like a comet crashing into the earth. With these large creatures out of the way, the mammals could develop. It took many millions of years. The woolly mammoth lived during one of the ice ages. When scientists named it, they called it Elephus Primigenius. This means 'first born elephant'. Scientist called it this because when fossils were discovered they thought it was a very early kind of elephant, but this was not correct. Other fossil remains which have been discovered show that it was one of the later elephants. Many other elephants had been on the earth before the woolly mammoths appeared. The first true elephants had lived millions of years before the woolly mammoth.

Creature of the Ice Age
There were Ice Ages which lasted for 200,000 years. When this happened the earth was covered with a coat of ice. Plants did grow and the woolly mammoth was able to feed on them. The temperatures were very low, however. To overcome these conditions the woolly mammoth developed a very thick coat of hair. It was a long shaggy coat. To keep the animal warm in these very cold conditions, there were two layers to the coat.

Where did they live?
The remains of the woolly mammoths have been found in the northern parts of Asia, America, and Europe. They lived in the selocations from about the middle of the Pleistocene until the end of that period. The last of the large woolly mammoths probably died out about 10,000 years ago. The Pleistocene was the last period in the Cenozoic era. It is because mammals became the main creatures on the earth during the era that it is often called the 'Age of Mammals'.

How do we know about the mammoth?
We know about most of the animals which lived in the past because of the fossil remains which have been found. Much of what has been written and drawn has been pieced together. There has also been a great deal of guesswork. In the case of the woolly mammoth the situation is different. Although much of the ice disappeared at the end of the last Ice Age, there were still parts of the world which were very cold. They have been very cold since that time. During the Ice Age, mammoths died and were trapped in the ice. The ice has preserved them. Instead of just having bones to examine, as we do with most extinct creatures, whole mammoths have been discovered. With most prehistoric animals we have to guess what the skin looked like. It is very different with the woolly mammoth. Because whole animals have been preserved, we can look at the hair and tusks. In fact, we can look at the entire body.

What did they eat?
Although they were large creatures, woolly mammoths fed on plants. They ate willow, fir, and alder leaves. They also ate the leaves from bushes. We know what the woolly mammoth ate because complete dead animals have been found in Siberia. When the stomach contents were examined many different kinds of leaves were found. Woolly mammoths probably used their tusks to clear snow from the ground so they could get at their food.

What was the earliest elephant like?
The earliest elephants were small. They were like pygmy hippopotamuses or pigs. They grew larger as new species evolved over a long period of time. One of the largest elephants was the imperial mammoth which measured about 13 feet at the shoulder. The woolly mammoth was about 10 feet tall.

Why did the mammoth become extinct?
No one is quite sure why woolly mammoths became extinct. Various suggestions have been made. It could have been due to changes in the climate. When the woolly mammoth lived it was during one of the Ice Ages. The ice gradually melted and the earth got warmer. This change could have affected the woolly mammoth. Man also appeared on the scene. He might have hunted and killed the creature. It is also likely that man moved into the places where mammoths had lived. Man would have used some of their feeding grounds to grow his crops. The woolly mammoths would have been driven out with no where to go.

Source: www.uen.org

Interesting Facts About Gerbils

ORIGINS
The common pet gerbil originated in Mongolia. They became so numerous there that the Mongolian people could no longer sleep at night because the gerbils were constantly running on their squeaky little exercise wheels. Taking heed of P.T. Barnum's advice, the Mongolians shipped all of the gerbils to the United States where gullible consumers bought them as pets. Mongolia is now one of the richest and quietest countries in the world.

GNAWING
Like all rodents, a gerbil's front teeth are constantly growing so it must chew on things to keep them filed down to sharp points. They can chew through metal with ease, sort of like if you or I were to chew on a steel girder. In fact, the word "rodent" is Latin for "Ouch! That must really hurt!"

ECOLOGICAL IMPACT
Gerbils originally lived in the desert, and can cause great harm if released in warm climates. California and New Mexico have laws against importing gerbils. Despite these laws, some gerbils have escaped into the wild where they have bred like rabbits. In the southwestern United States, it is now very common to see roving packs of feral gerbils taking down full-grown cattle.

SUITABLE CAGES
Since gerbils are so good at chewing, care must be taken in selecting an appropriate cage so that your pets will not be able to escape. Wood and plastic cages will not last very long. The best type of cage is a glass aquarium with a tightfitting lid. Many first-time gerbil owners forget to drain the water out of the aquarium and soon discover that gerbils (being desert animals) are not very good swimmers. Luckily, gerbils are very inexpensive to replace.

BEDDING MATERIAL
Many pet stores sell cedar and pine shavings for small animal bedding. While these may be sufficient for a mere hamster or guinea pig, gerbils prefer shredded dollar bills. This bedding should be changed daily.

NESTING MATERIAL
Gerbils build nests to provide shelter and to keep warm while sleeping. Many people give their gerbils bits of burlap or cotton fabric which are quickly shredded into a warm, fluffy nest. However, researchers have found that gerbils prefer angora sweaters and silk dresses for nesting material.

FEEDING HABITS
Pet gerbils are usually fed a mixture of seeds, grains, and rabbit pellets. In the wild, however, gerbils prefer steak, caviar, lobster thermidor, and pa^te` de foie gras. Gout is very common among wild gerbils.

COMMUNICATION
Gerbils rarely squeak, usually you can only hear them if they are fighting or frightened. Scientists have discovered that gerbils actually communicate quite frequently, but since it is ultrasonic, we cannot hear it. Using sophisticated recording instruments, these scientists have been able to slow these sounds so that they fall within the normal range of human hearing. They have reported that gerbils spend most of their time saying "Turn me on, dead man" and "I buried Paul."

RECREATIONAL FACILITIES
Many gerbil owners provide their pets with playwheels and mistakenly believe that they have satisfied their gerbils' exercise needs. Nothing could be further from the truth. An adult gerbil requires a bare minimum of a treadmill, stair climber, exercise bike, and free weights. An occasional round of golf is also quite beneficial.

Source: my.athenet.net

Interesting Facts About Ants

Like all insects, ants have six legs. Each leg has three joints. The legs of the ant are very strong so they can run very quickly. If a man could run as fast for his size as an ant can, he could run as fast as a racehorse. Ants can lift 20 times their own body weight. An ant brain has about 250 000 brain cells. A human brain has 10,000 million so a colony of 40,000 ants has collectively the same size brain as a human.

• The average life expectancy of an ant is 45-60 days. Ants use their antenae not only for touch, but also for their sense of smell. The head of the ant has a pair of large, strong jaws. The jaws open and shut sideways like a pair of scissors. Adult ants cannot chew and swallow solid food. Instead they swallow the juice which they squeeze from pieces of food. They throw away the dry part that is left over. The ant has two eyes, each eye is made of many smaller eyes.
  

• They are called compound eyes. The abdomen of the ant contains two stomachs. One stomach holds the food for itself and second stomach is for food to be shared with other ants. Like all insects, the outside of their body is covered with a hard armour this is called the exoskeleton. Ants have four distinct growing stages, the egg, larva, pupa and the adult. Biologists classify ants as a special group of wasps. (Hymenoptera Formicidae) There are over 10000 known species of ants. Each ant colony has at least one or more queens.

• The job of the queen is to lay eggs which the worker ants look after. Worker ants are sterile, they look for food, look after the young, and defend the nest from unwanted visitors. Ants are clean and tidy insects. Some worker ants are given the job of taking the rubbish from the nest and putting it outside in a special rubbish dump! Each colony of ants has its own smell. In this way, intruders can be recognized immediately. Many ants such as the common Red species have a sting which they use to defend their nest.

• The common Black Ants and Wood Ants have no sting, but they can squirt a spray of formic acid. Some birds put ants in their feathers because the ants squirt formic acid which gets rid of the parasites. The Slave-Maker Ant (Polyergus Rufescens) raids the nests of other ants and steals their pupae. When these new ants hatch,they work as slaves within the colony. The worker ants keep the eggs and larvae in different groups according to ages.

• At night the worker ants move the eggs and larvae deep into the nest to protect them from the cold. During the daytime, the worker ants move the eggs and larvae of the colony to the top of the nest so that they can be warmer. If a worker ant has found a good source for food, it leaves a trail of scent so that the other ants in the colony can find the food. Army Ants are nomadic and they are always moving. They carry their larvae and their eggs with them in a long column.

• The Army Ant (Ecitron Burchelli) of South America, can have as many as 700,000 members in its colony. The Leaf Cutter Ants are farmers. They cut out pieces of leaves which they take back to their nests. They chew them into a pulp and a special fungus grows it. Ants cannot digest leaves because they cannot digest cellulose. Many people think ants are a pest but I like them. To stop them coming into my kitchen I put some sugar outside. They they have so much to eat that they are not interested in coming into my kitchen.

Source: lingolex.com

Interesting Facts about Bird

• The oldest bird was known as an Archaeopteryx and lived about 150 million years ago. It was the size of a raven, was covered with feathers, and had wings.

• The most yolks ever found in a single chicken's egg is nine.

• An ostrich egg needs to be boiled for 2 hours to get a hard-boiled egg.

• The Royal Albatross' eggs take 79 days to hatch.

• The egg of the hummingbird is the world's smallest bird's egg; the egg of the ostrich, the world's largest.

• The now-extinct elephant bird of Madagascar laid an egg that weighed 27 pounds.

• Precocial birds like chickens, ostriches, ducks, and seagulls hatch ready to move around. They come from eggs with bigger yolks than altricial birds like owls, woodpeckers, and most small songbirds that need a lot of care from parents in order to survive.

• Air sacs may make up 1/5 of the body volume of a bird.

• A bird's normal body temperature is usually 7-8 degrees hotter than a human's. Up to three-quarters of the air a bird breathes is used just for cooling down since they are unable to sweat.

• A bird's heart beats 400 times per minute while resting and up to 1000 beats per minute while flying.

• The world's only wingless bird is the kiwi of New Zealand.

• Migrating ducks and geese often fly in V-shape formations. Each bird flies in the upwash of its neighbor's beating wings and this extra bit of supporting wind increases lift, thereby saving energy.

• Pigeons can reach speeds up to 100 mph.

• Swifts, doves, falcons, and sandpipers can approach 200 mph.

• Penguins, ostriches, and dodo birds are all birds that do not fly.

• Hummingbirds eat about every ten minutes, slurping down twice their body weight in nectar every day.

• The homing pigeon, Cher Ami, lost an eye and a leg while carrying a message in World War I. Cher Ami won the Distinguished Service Cross. Its leg was replaced with a wooden leg.

• The only known poisonous bird in the world is the hooded pitohui of Papua, New Guinea. The poison is found in its skin and feathers.

• The American turkey vulture helps human engineers detect cracked or broken underground fuel pipes. The leaking fuel smells like vulture food (they eat carrion), and the clustered birds show repair people where the lines need fixing.

source: peteducation.com

Interesting Facts about Dogs

I've gathered nice collection of facts about dogs, here they are:

That whole one year in a dog's life is the equivalent of 7 in a human's isn't exactly true. A more accurate calculation is as follows: At one year, a dog is the equivalent of 16 human years; at two dog years they are 24 human years; at 3 dog years, 30 human years; and for every dog year after that, add 4 human years.

Canis Familiaris is the Latin name for dog.

The largest dogs among all breeds, at least in terms of height, is the Irish Wolfhound.

Nearly all but two breeds of dogs have pink tongues. The two exceptions? The Chow Chow and the Shar-pei, both with black tongues.

The Poodle haircut was originally meant to improve the dog's swimming abilities as a retriever, with the pom-poms left in place to warm their joints.

Cats can see a lot better than dogs. In fact, dogs first distinguish objects by movement, then brightness, and finally by shape.

Among dogs officially registered with kennel clubs in the U.S., Labrador Retrievers are the most popular breed followed by Rottweilers and German Shepherds.

All dogs, regardless of breed, are direct descendants of wolves and technically of the same species.

A dog's whiskers -- found on the muzzle, above the eyes and below the jaws -- are technically known as vibrissae. They are touch-sensitive hairs than actually sense minute changes in airflow.

Dogs are capable of locating the source of a sound in 6/100ths of a second by using their swiveling ears like radar dishes.

Dogs have a sense of smell that is one of the keenest in nature. Humans might smell a pot of stew cooking on the stove, but a dog can distinguish the smells of each individual ingredient, from the beef itself to the potatoes.

Dalmatian puppies are born pure white, with their spots developing as the mature.

The ancient Chinese royalty loved the Pekingese, carrying them tucked into the sleeves of their royal robes.

Dachshunds were bred to fight badgers in their dens.

The oldest breed of dog native to North America is the Chihuahua.

Survivors of the Titanic included two dogs: a Pekingese belonging to Henry Sleeper Harper and a Pomeranian belonging to Miss Margaret Hays.

Every minute, dogs take ten to thirty breaths.

The only mammals with prostates are humans and dogs.

There are 42 teeth in a dog's mouth.

Whippets can reach a maximum speed of 35 miles per hour.

The Taco Bell dog is actually a female, and her real name is Gidget.

Contrary to popular belief, dogs are not color blind but can, in fact, see color. However, their color scheme is not as vivid as ours and can be likened to our vision at twilight.

There are more than five million puppies born in the United States each year.

Have you ever seen a dog curled up with his tail covering his nose? They do that to keep the nose warm in cold weather.

Many dogs' eyes reflect the color green in the dark, but some also reflect orange or red.

The top five favorite breeds of dogs in the US are: Labrador Retriever, Golden Retriever, German Shepherd, Beagle, and Dachshund.

The Lhasa Apso was used by monks to guard temples.

The Doberman breed was created in the 1860's by Louis Doberman, a German tax-collector who created the dog to protect him while he worked.

Most people think that dogs sweat by salivating, but they actually sweat through the pads of their feet.

The name Pug is believed to have derived from this dog's resemblance to the pug monkey.

There are over 200 different breeds of dogs

The Basenji is the only barkless dog in the world.

You might expect that a Great Dane can eat a lot of food. In fact, they can eat up to 8 ?? pounds a day!

Greyhounds can reach a speed of up to 45 miles per hour.

There are over 800 different dog breeds.

There is only one barkless dog in the world, the Basenji.

Dalmations are born without their spots. The spots appear as they mature.

When a puppy is born, he is blind, deaf, and toothless.

Dogs don't actually sweat by salivating. They sweat through the pads on their feet.

Smiling at a dog causes him to think you are baring your teeth to show aggression.

There are about 68 million dogs with owners in the United States.

If a dog lives to be 11 years old, it will cost approximately $13,550 to own that dog.

The Taco Bell dog is actually a female Chihuahua named Gidget.

The oldest recorded age for a dog is 29.

The oldest known breed of dog is the Saluki, which is an Arabic word meaning noble one. These dogs were raised as hunting dogs by ancient Egyptians.

One of the very first animals domesticated by humans was the dog.

The oldest known dog lived to be 29.

The "spring" in Springer Spaniel referred to this dog's ability to spring or startle game.

In Flemish, Schipperke translates to "Little Captain."

Dogs have been domesticated for 10,000 years.

Laikia, a dog, was the world's first ever space astronaut. She was sent into space in an artificial earth satellite in 1957 by the Russian government.

Greyhounds are no doubt fast. In fact, they can reach speeds of up to 45 miles per hour for short amounts of time.

Interesting Facts about Animals

• The Poison Arrow frog has enough poison to kill 2,200 people.
• Emus can't walk backwards.
• A group of ravens is called a murder.
• A group of bears is called a sleuth.
• Twelve or more cows is called a flink.
• A baby oyster is called a spat.
• Penguins are the only bird that can leap into the air like porpoises.
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• India has 50 million monkeys.
• By some unknown means, an iguana can end its own life.
• Americans spend around $3 billion for cat and dog food a year.
• Pigs can cover a mile in 7.5 minutes when running at top speed.
• A mule won't sink in quicksand but a donkey will.
• The shell constitutes 12 percent of an egg's weight.
• Some fleas have split penises like a Y shape
• A group of unicorns is called a blessing.
• A group of kangaroos is called a mob.
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• More people are killed annually by donkeys than in airplane crashes.
• Animal breeders in Russia once claimed to have bred sheep with blue wool.
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• When a horned toad is angry, it squirts blood from its eyes.
• The typical hen lays 19 dozen eggs a year.
• The ostrich has a 46-foot long small intestine.
• A scallop has 35 blue eyes.
• Dolphins sleep with one eye open.
• Dogs and humans are the only animals with prostates.
• The average garden-variety caterpillar has 248 muscles in its head.
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• A goldfish has a memory span of 3 seconds.
• A swan is the only bird with a penis
• The left leg of a chicken in more tender than the right one.
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• The only dog that doesn't have a pink tongue is the chow.
• A squid has 10 tentacles.
• A snail's reproductive organs are in its head.
• A group of owls is called a parliament.
• An elephant can be pregnant for up to 2 years
• Chickens can't swallow while they are upside down.
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• Just one cow gives off enough harmful methane gas in a single day to fill around 400 liter bottles.
• Cows can have regional accents
• The giraffe has the highest blood pressure of any animal.
• Zebras can't see the color orange.
• The smartest dogs are the Jack Russell Terrier and Scottish Border collie.Dumbest: Afgan hound.
• A rat can go without water longer than a camel can.
• The fat molecules in goat milk are 5 times smaller than thosefound in cow milk. It takes 20 minutes for the stomach to breakdown as opposed tothe hour that it takes to break down cow milk.
• There are more insects in ten square feet of a rain forest than there arepeople in Manhattan.
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• It is possible to lead a cow upstairs but not downstairs.
• Bulls are color blind.
• A cow's only sweat glands are in its nose.
• Mosquitoes have 47 teeth.
• A domestic cat can frighten a black bear to climb a tree.
• In a fight between a polar bear and a lion, the polar bear would win.
• US Secret Service sniffer dogs are put up in five-star hotels during overseas presidential visits.

source: ioframe.com