Some of the most amazing Meerkat facts

Right here in this article, you can learn about all your favourite animals, and even some you may have never heard of some of the most amazing Meerkat facts

1. THEY RECOGNIZE EACH OTHER’S VOICES

Just as humans can identify our friends’ and family’s voices over the phone, a 2011 study showed that meerkats can distinguish between the calls of different members of their clan. Scientists played a recording of the same meerkat from hidden speakers on opposite sides of test animals. According to WIRED, "The situation was similar to hearing a friend shout from the kitchen, then from the second-floor bathroom just a second later." Indicating that they recognized this as an impossible situation, the test meerkats showed “a prolonged vigilance, paying much closer attention than they did to other recorded calls. The situation didn’t compute.”

2. THEY WORK TOGETHER ...

Meerkat clans, also known as mobs and gangs, hunt together in a collaborative effort that involves designated lookouts who rotate regularly and rely on a series of distinct calls to communicate to their compatriots. If a predator like a snake is detected, the gang will gather to harass the snake, biting and clawing at it until it retreats or is killed—a bold move one meerkat could never attempt alone.

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3. ... AND EVEN BABYSIT EACH OTHER’S PUPS.

While most of the gang is out foraging and hunting for food—or standing guard—one male or female, adolescent or young adult stays behind in the burrow to “babysit” any pups. This is not an official job—whichever adult is least hungry is put on pup-sitting duty—but the other meerkats do reward their sitter with food at the end of the day.

4. THEY TEACH THEIR YOUNG.

Adult meerkats are immune to scorpion poison—a good thing when you regularly make treats out of the stinging arthropods. But it takes talent to tuck into that sort of prey—even with their poison nullified, a scorpion can still do damage with his pinchers—and pups aren’t born prepared for such a vicious meal. Research done in 2006 showed that “helper” meerkats actively teach the younger generation how to hunt through a series of increasingly difficult tasks. "So when pups are very little they get brought dead prey, like scorpions, lizards, and spiders; as they start to get older, helpers will bring them prey that's been disabled, so if it's a scorpion the helper might bite the sting off before giving it to the pup,” scientist Alex Thornton told the BBC.

5. GANGS ARE MATRIARCHAL.

Meerkat gangs, which can reach up to 40 or 50 animals, are structured around an alpha couple to whom most of the other members are somehow related. Within the dominant pair, ultimately it is the female who rules the burrow, and she isn’t always a benevolent boss. Only the alpha female is allowed to reproduce; if subordinate females get pregnant, the alpha female will banish them from the burrow or even kill their pups. Research conducted in 2013found that some subordinate females will serve as wet nurses to alpha female pups in order to re-ingratiate themselves after getting banished. Anyway, this may be one of the most fascinating animal facts until now

6. MATRIARCHS ARE REALLY REALLY SELFISH

As if infanticide and exile weren’t bad enough, alpha females only have their own interests at heart. A 2013 study showed that when a gang of meerkats approaches a road—which represents an unknown and potential danger—alpha females tend to suddenly fall back, letting lower ranking females brave the pavement first.

7. THEY USE THEIR BELLIES TO KEEP WARM.

Meerkats' fuzzy tan coats give way to a sparsely covered patch on their underbellies [PDF]. The hair is thin enough there that you can see their black skin underneath—which is precisely the point. After a restful night in the chilly burrow, meerkats climb back out into the desert sun and stand up to expose to their bare bellies to the rays, which absorb heat and warm the animals up.

8. THE FORKED-TAIL DRONGO MIMICS MEERKAT CALLS.

The African drongo scavenges for food by tricking other animals into abandoning their hard-earned meals with carefully crafted calls that imitate the warning sounds of other species. So after a gang of meerkats has made their kill or foraged sufficient food, the drongo will descend among them and mimic the same warning call a meerkat sentry might make in the event of a predator. The gang scatters, and the drongo gets a free meal.

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Open your mind with Jaguarondi facts

Open your mind with Jaguarondi facts

Jaguarondi (jaguarundi) is a species of wild cat that resembles large otter in appearance. Because of that, it is also known as otter cat. Jaguarondi lives in Southern parts of North America, Mexico and South America. 

There are 8 subspecies of jaguarondi that can be found in wide variety of habitats: tropical rainforests, savannas, semi-arid areas, woodlands and swamps. Number of jaguarondis in the wild is decreased for several reasons. Farmers kill jaguarondis because they hunt and feed on their poultry. Jaguarondis often end up trapped in the nets set for other animals. Finally, habitat loss greatly reduces number of jaguarondis in the wild. Despite all this, jaguarondis are not listed as endangered species.

1. The jaguarundi is a very unusual cat that is often described as having a weasel-like appearance. It has a long slender body, short legs and a small flattened head with short rounded ears, the cat is often described as.
2. Sometimes referred to as the ‘otter-cat’, the jaguarundi is closely related to the puma.
3. One of the smaller New World cat species, they are about twice the size of a small house cat. Jaguarundis are unusual as they do not have spots, unlike most other South American small cats. This might be one of the most amazing facts about animals ever seen
4. Jaguarundis are very elusive animals and there is still a lot to be learnt about them.
5. Population numbers of the jaguarundi are much less than once thought. They live in very low densities and their shy nature makes it difficult to estimate their population size. Overall the population is in decline due to habitat loss to agriculture.
6. They have some of the most variable colourations of wildcats, with two main groups: a dark morph which includes cats with black, brownish and grey colours, and a paler red morph ranging from tawny yellow to a bright chestnut red.
7. For many years, it was thought the two morphs were separate species but it is now known that both colours can occur from the same litter.
8. Generally, it seems the darker morph is more common in rainforest habitats and the paler morph in drier environments.
9. Unlike most other cat species, the jaguarundi tends to be most active during daytime rather than dawn or dusk.
10. Jaguarundis are very vocal cats, with at least 13 distinct calls that include chirps, purrs, whistles and even a scream.
11. Choosing to spend more time on the ground than many other big cat species, the jaguarundi tends to hunt small mammals, birds and reptiles on the ground. They have also been witnessed to jump as high as two metres off the ground to swipe a bird from the air!
12. Jaguarundis have very large home ranges. Some males were recorded as having a range from 88 to 100km2! Females tend to have much smaller ranges – varying from 13 to 20km2.
13. The Texan population of jaguarundis may now only consist of a few remaining cats. Habitat loss has caused this population decline. Let’s discover some interesting science facts that will amaze you.
14. In parts of North America there have been some reintroduction efforts but these are hindered by the lack of scientific knowledge about the animal, its needs and behaviours.
15. The breeding behaviour is not well known; scientists are unsure whether jaguarundis raise cubs alone or as a pair. Females will have between 1-4 young which remain in the den for around 28 days.
16. The jaguarundi are not hunted for their fur like many other cats but they will often be caught in traps set for other animals such as the ocelot.

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List of fun, weird and just plain amazing black-footed ferret facts

List of fun, weird and just plain  interesting facts about black-footed ferret and information are right here

Once thought to be globally extinct, black-footed ferrets are making a comeback. For the last thirty years, concerted efforts from many state and federal agencies, zoos, Native American tribes, conservation organizations and private landowners have given black-footed ferrets a second chance for survival. Today, recovery efforts have helped restore the black-footed ferret population to nearly 300 animals across North America. Although great strides have been made to recover the black-footed ferret, habitat loss and disease remain key threats to this highly endangered species.

Black-footed ferret facts

1. The endangered black-footed ferret is a member of the weasil family. It is the only ferret native to North America.
2. It is roughly the size of a mink, and differs from the European polecat by the greater contrast between its dark limbs and pale body and the shorter length of its black tail-tip.
3. These solitary animals live alone, and in May and June females give birth to litters of one to six kits that they raise alone.
4. Kits are born blind and helpless and stay below ground until they are about 2 months old. At this age, the female begins to take her young on hunting forays and separates the kits into different burrows. Let’s discover some interesting science facts that will amaze you.
5. Black-footed ferrets are nocturnal and primarily hunt for sleeping prairie dogs in their burrows.
6. They are most active above ground from dusk to midnight and 4 a.m. to mid-morning. Above ground activity is greatest during late summer and early autumn when juveniles become independent.
7. Climate generally does not limit black-footed ferret activity, but it may remain inactive inside burrows for up to 6 days at a time during winter.
8. Up to 91% of the ferret's diet is composed of prairie dogs which are essential to their survival, though they will sometimes eat squirrels, mice and other rodents.
9. A ferret may eat more than 100 prairie dogs in one year.
10. Black-footed ferrets once numbered in the tens of thousands, but widespread destruction of their habitat and exotic diseases in the 1900s brought them to the brink of extinction. Only 18 remained in 1986.
11. The animals were once found on black-tailed prairie dog colonies across the Great Plains from southern Canada to northern Mexico, and on white-tailed and Gunnison’s prairie dog colonies across the intermountain west. By 1986, they were completely gone from the wild.
12. Today, they have been reintroduced to 15 locations within their former range in Wyoming, South Dakota, Montana, Arizona, Colorado, Utah, Kansas and Chihuahua, Mexico.
13. Ferret reintroduction efforts have been mixed. Populations need viable prairie dog towns to survive, but they also face threats from predators such as golden eagles, owls, and coyotes. Reintroduced animals lack some survival skills so their mortality rate is high.

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How can monkeys protect themself

Wondering how monkeys protect themself? This fun facts will be answered in this today article as below. Enjoy!

Monkeys always live in groups that have a distinct hierarchy, and it is the responsibility of the leaders of these groups to organize the other monkeys to defend against predators. When fighting with each other, monkeys may bite or scratch.

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When threatened by ground-based predators such as hyenas and jackals, adult monkeys gather together to bark, bare their teeth and possibly throw sticks or other debris in an attempt to scare them off. If this does not work, the monkeys may attack the predator as a group. Some monkeys, such as capuchins, can use sticks as clubs. Monkeys that live in trees have little defense against airborne predators such as eagles and simply attempt to hide from and avoid them.

Some types of male monkeys may fight among themselves for dominance in the hierarchy and to display their abilities to females. They may exhibit any of the techniques they use against predators when fighting amongst themselves. Monkeys have also sometimes been used in fights against other types of animals, a practice known as monkey-baiting. Records of some of these fights indicate that an adult male monkey was consistently able to defeat dogs by leaping onto their backs and clawing and biting at their windpipes.

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A Bengal tiger killed its first human six weeks ago

Do you know about a Bengal tiger killed its first human six weeks ago? See for more details

A Bengal tiger prowling near villages in northern India claimed its tenth victims last night, a day after making a narrow escape from a trap set by hunters.

The female big cat, which killed its first human six weeks ago, savaged a 50-year-old man, taking bites of his leg and abdomen while he was out collecting firewood.

It is believed that the animal strayed from Jim Corbett National Park, a 200-square-mile reserve created to give the animals space to roam. It struck its latest victim outside Kalgarh village in Uttarakhand state.

On the prowl: A tiger similar to this one has been stalking the lands outside Corbett Tiger Reserve, and has killed ten people

Saket Badola, deputy director of the national park, said the tiger facts that tiger was scared away from its prey by fellow villagers waving metal rods and shovels, but the man had already been badly injured and later died.

Hunters had almost captured the tiger a day before the latest killing, by using a calf as bait.

Mr Badola said: 'On Saturday night the tigress almost fell in trap and was close to the calf. But she did not attack the bait and left silently.'

Reports that a killer tiger was on the loose began circulating in late December, when a 65-year-old man was mauled in Sambhal district of Uttar Pradesh state, across the border from Uttarakhand.

Since then, thousands of terrified villagers have been told to watch out for the animal and to avoid the forests. The tiger has been on the prowl across an area spanning 80 miles.

There are animal facts that animal has started attacking humans because it is not getting its natural prey,' said Rupek De, chief wildlife warden of Uttar Pradesh. 'The tigers must be tired because it is not getting adequate rest.'

He said the hunters hired to kill the animal were having trouble tracking it in dense forests, and were suffering from staffing issues after half their team did not show up for work.

Habitat: The tiger is through to have strayed from the Jim Corbett National Park, pictured

Mr De said that only three of the six men asked to track and capture the tiger actually made an appearance.

On factoflife, angry villagers seized a national forestry office, demanding protection and compensation for the families of the dead.

'We can understand the predicament of the villagers,' Mr Badola said.

'The villagers do not have toilets in their homes. They go out in the open or forest areas to answer nature's call. In this scenario it is difficult to give protection to each and every villager. We have advised them to move in groups.'

India's wild tigers are considered endangered because of rampant poaching and shrinking habitat as India undergoes breakneck development to accommodate the staggering growth of its 1.2billion people.

India today has more than half of the world's remaining 3,200 tigers.

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What are yellow-eyed penguins?

Have you ever seen yellow-eyed penguins? What are they? Let's see to know this kind of penguin facts

The yellow-eyed penguin is one of the few penguin species found north of the Antarctic Ocean, and as it's name suggests, this species of penguin is easily idenitfied by it's yellow coloured eyes and bright yellow band that runs from it's eyes round the back of the yellow-eyed penguin's head.

The yellow-eyed penguin inhabits the southern island of New Zealand, Steward Island, Campbell Island and the Auckland Islands. It is listed as an endangered species. Adults grow to 24 to 31 inches high and weigh 12 to 18 pounds. They have white undersides, gray back plumage, yellow bands running from their eyes to the backs of their heads and yellow irises.

Also see tigers facts

The main diet of yellow-eyed penguins is fish. They consume blue cod, red cod, silversides, opal fish, sprat and cephalopods, such as squid. To feed, they swim up to 16 miles offshore and dive to depths of 100 to 400 feet. Breeding season begins in mid-August and lasts until mid-February. Breeding pairs are monogamous and often return to the same nests, which are usually constructed against rocks or trees or in dense vegetation. The female lays two eggs, and both parents take turns incubating them. When the eggs hatch after 39 to 51 days, one parent guards the chicks while the other forages for food. By mid-February, the fledglings are ready to go off on their own.

In 2010, the number of yellow-eyed penguin adults was 4,000 to 4,800. Dangers to yellow-eyed penguins include habitat loss due to human settlements, entanglement in fishing nets, avian malaria, blood parasites and predation by sharks, sea lions, ferrets, ermines, cats and dogs.

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The ways giraffes take care of their young

Keep the learning going by this article about the ways giraffes take care of their young - baby giraffe. Enjoy!

Giraffes are the tallest known animals on planet earth. At birth a baby giraffe, called a calf, is typically six feet tall. Calves are active, playful and energetic, but it’s rare to spot a baby giraffe when out on a safari in Africa. One of the widely asked questions is: how are the young taken care of? Extensive research and a few treks into the safari give the answer.

The Life of the Giraffe

According to University of Michigan's Animal Diversity Web, female giraffes will not breed until they are at least 4 or 5 years old, while males might not breed until they are around 7 years of age. Young giraffes are vulnerable to predators, so females rely on each other to keep their babies safe.

Baby's Coming

There's no specific breeding season for giraffes, so births occur at different times throughout the year. Mom is pregnant for up to 465 days before the baby -- usually one, although twins are possible -- comes around. Once it is time for the delivery, Mom will step away from the herd so she can give birth alone.

Baby's Here

At the time of birth, babies can be as tall as 6.6 feet. That's a good thing, since Mom gives birth standing up -- and it would be a long way to the ground if the babies were much smaller. Babies will be up and walking within minutes, and they'll begin to suckle right away. The mother and baby will remain isolated for about a week before they join a larger group. During that first week, babies will remain rather quiet and hidden, according to Animal Diversity Web. Mom will step away for short periods of time during the first few weeks, but will return at night to protect and nurse the baby.

Although giraffes are social animals, they don't form lasting relationships with partners or family members. That means the young ones will only stay with Mom -- Dad doesn't stick around -- as long as necessary to learn surviving skills. Weaning can take as long as 16 months, with females staying with their mothers longer than males. Once the young become part of a group, all females become "nannies," watching over them when moms step away to feed or drink.

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Strange tiger facts

You can get tigers facts by this writing that is really amazing 

1. Tigers have eyes with round pupils, unlike domestic cats, which have slitted pupils. This is because domestic cats are nocturnal whereas tigers are crepuscular – they hunt primarily in the morning and evening.

2. Despite not being strongly adapted to the dark, tigers’ night vision is about six times better than humans’.

3. Most tigers have yellow eyes, but white tigers usually have blue eyes, due to the gene for blue eyes being linked to the gene for white fur. The gene for being cross-eyed, or boss-eyed, is also linked, so many white tigers have crossed blue eyes.

4. Tigers scratch trees and use their urine to mark their territories. Their urine smells strongly of buttered popcorn.

5. Tigers have spiked penises. Also see penguin facts

Ouch. Just writing that sentence made me uncomfortable! Tigers are unable to become erect when aroused. Instead, males penises’ have a bone located inside (called a baculum) and are covered with barbs. Those prickly spikes aid in “keeping the connection” (no pun intended) between the male and female during copulation.

6. A backhand from a tiger can kill you

While tigers typically prefer to use their 10 cm long teeth to crush a victim’s jugular (lovely!), a single strike is enough to do some serious damage. One swipe from a tiger’s front paw is strong enough to smash a bear’s skull or even break its back

7. Tigers do not normally roar at other animals, but instead they roar to communicate with far-off tigers. A tiger about to attack will therefore not roar, but might hiss and fuff instead.

8. When several tigers are present at a kill, the males will often wait for females and cubs to eat first, unlike lions, which do the opposite. Tigers rarely argue or fight over a kill and simply wait turns.

9. The stripes on each tiger are unique, like human fingerprints.

10. Tigers’ have wicked short term memories. A tiger has a short term memory about 30 times longer than a humans’. That means it can remember how amazing that wild boar take-down it just performed was for a while. “Wow, I’m good…”

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How old grows a penguin?

It is not easy to answer the penguin facts question: "How long does a penguin live?" or "How old grows a penguin?" or "What is the life expectancy of a penguin?", here are some general remarks about it

"The average lifespan of penguins is probably 15 to 20 years. Some individuals live considerably longer (Sparks and Soper, 1987)."

(Source: Longevity and causes of death : Seaworld)

"Penguins in captivity will live longer than penguins in the wild since they are fed nutrionally balanced meals and do not have to contend with predators. Generally, penguins will live from 15 to 20 years. A female Humboldt penguin in my study group (in captivity) lived to 17 years."

(Source: Kevin Welch)

"How long do penguins live? In the wild there haven't been any reliable long term studies of individual penguins that can tell how long they live. The only such study was carried out in the 1940's and 50's by Lance Richdale in New Zealand. He monitored a population of Yellow-eyed penguins over a 15 year period. Certainly there were some chicks that he saw hatch that survived through most of the study; so it is reasonable to put the lifespan of Yellow-eyed penguins at 15 years or more. The only other information comes from studies on captive birds. Zoos and aquaria often know how old their birds are when they die. However, the common causes of death in captivity (Avian Malaria and Aspergillosis) are not particularly prevalent in the wild so the experiences with captive birds are probably under-estimates. On the other hand the captive birds will not suffer starvation if fish stocks go down suddenly and they have no predators (such as leopard seals and killer whales) to kill them. Anyway, zoos reckon birds live 10 to 20 years depending on species, with the larger species generally being longer lived."

(Source: Pete and Barbara's penguin page FAQ's)

"The oldest known penguins are about 20 years old. Most penguins don't get that old however. Less than half of all chicks live through their first year of life and about 90% of the adult penguins live from one year to the next. The average age of a penguin that shows up at Palmer to breed is probably around 6 or 7 years old."

Source: Antwoord op "Penguin's life span" door John Carlson, Research Assistant, Dr. Fraser's Team, 

Palmer Station, Antarctica, Sat, 15 Feb 1997, NASA)

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Elephant eating habits

Keep reading for more interesting information about elephant facts, about their food.

Elephants living in the wild eat mostly grasses, sort of like cows do, but they also eat tree leaves and shrubs and even branches. It is believed their favorite is the acacia. They are also very happy to raid farmers' crops and eat all manner of vegetables. 

Diet

• Elephants eat between 149 and 169 kg (330-375 lb.) of vegetation daily.

• Elephants consume several hundred pounds of vegetation daily.

• An Asian elephant at Busch Gardens Tampa Bay eating a palm frond.
• Sixteen to eighteen hours, or nearly 80% of an elephant’s day is spent feeding. Elephants consume grasses, small plants, bushes, fruit, twigs, tree bark, and roots.

• Nearly 80% of an elephant's day is spent feeding.
• Tree bark is a favorite food source for elephants. It contains calcium and roughage, which aids digestion. Tusks are used to carve into the trunk and tear off strips of bark.

          For more facts tigers facts

• Elephants require about 68.4 to 98.8 L (18 to 26 gal.) of water daily, but may consume up to 152 L (40 gal.). An adult male elephant can drink up to 212 L (55 gal.) of water in less than five minutes.

• Elephants drink up to 40 gallons of water a day.
• Elephants can use their trunks to spray water in their mouths.
• To supplement the diet, elephants will dig up earth to obtain salt and minerals. The tusks are used to churn the ground. The elephant then places dislodged pieces of soil into its mouth, to obtain nutrients. Frequently these areas result in holes that are several feet deep and vital minerals are made accessible to other animals. Ex: Over time, African elephants have hollowed out deep caverns in a volcano mountainside on the Ugandan border, to obtain salt licks and minerals. Hills have been carved by Asian elephants in India and Sumatra searching for salt and minerals. These carved areas in the landscape provide valuable food and shelter resources for a diverse array of native wildlife.

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Why tiger is considered as India's national animal, not lion?

Keep reading for more interesting information about tiger facts and the reason why tiger is considered as India's national animal, not lion?

First, let me state upfront, as someone who works to conserve wildlife, no beast is greater or lesser than the other.

But the lion, majestic as he is — lacks national character, given his very limited range. For nearly two centuries, it has been confined to a small part of Saurashtra in Gujarat — the Gir National Park, and increasingly its surrounds. Once upon a time, its range extended over northern India (Emperor Akbar hunted lions near Mathura), in the east it extended up to Bihar, with the Narmada river marking the southern limit, till it was exterminated by hunting. The last wild Asiatic lion was reported outside Saurashtra in the 1890s.

A national animal by its very definition must have a wide range in our country, it must be familiar to its citizens, representative of its varied ecosystems, rooted in our culture — part of our lore.

The tiger is all of it, and more. Saving the tiger has earned India the position of a pioneering leader in conservation. The tiger today is a beloved symbol of the country, has spanned a business around its tourism, and serves as India's brand ambassador. Even when some US Presidents come visiting, like Bill Clinton, meeting the tiger is on their agenda.

This proposal is strange, given that Gujarat has fiercely held on to its pride — refusing to part with even few of its lions to send them to an alternate home — even though science argues that confining the lion to a small, single area places the population at greater risk for genetic inbreeding and the fear of an epidemic.

If the lion becomes the national animal, one wonders if it will be allowed to cross borders.

One must add here that the Gujarat government has done extremely well by its lions, but given the fact that the tiger is a resident of varied states, and a wanderer across borders, its conservation — while the prime responsibility of states — must have national stewardship, particularly amid of the increasing threats it faces.

Related to: elephant facts for kids

I hasten to add that this is true not just for the tiger, but for all wildlife.

In fact, the lion was India's national animal between 1952-72, when the Indian Board of Wildlife took a decision to anoint the tiger as it was found in largest swathes of the country — there are tiger reserves in 18 states and tiger presence extends to atleast four others. The tiger is truly representative in its range, found in diverse ecosystems — along the Himalayan foothills of Haryana through to Uttarakhand, UP, Bihar, North Bengal, extending upto Assam; in the sholas of the Western Ghats, the deciduous forests of the Eastern Ghats, the evergreens of the northeast, and the sal jungles of central India. It thrives in the dry forests of Rajasthan and in the mangrove delta of Sunderbans. The big cat has been known to survive in the higher ranges of Nainital, and even above 10,000 feet in the Himalayas — in Sikkim, Arunachal.

The tiger was made the national animal as its numbers were declining, there was an urgent need to protect it.

More importantly, the idea of protecting the tiger was not just about saving this one animal, however charismatic it is. Saving the tiger meant that we saved its forests — forests from which rivers birthed and flowed, that heralded monsoons, nourished our soils, and served as carbon sinks.

The tiger is not just the soul of India. Saving the tiger means that the ecosystems it lives in, which sustain India, thrive too.

This is why saving the tiger must rise above politics and continue to represent the nation.

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The most dangerous snakes in the world

You know animal facts that a number of species can be quite dangerous if you cross them in nature, especially if they feel threatened. Even snakes that are generally friendly can kill you with their venom if you take them by surprise. Here are 10 of the most dangerous snakes on the planet.

1. Russell’s Viper

Russell’s Viper (Daboia russelii) / Photo: Vishalbeec / License

At the top of our list of the world’s most dangerous snakes is the Russell’s viper. Another member of India’s “Big 4”, this snake kills more people than any other animal (except humans) with a staggering 25,000 fatalities a year in India alone. The global figure is even higher if we consider that the Russell’s viper is found throughout the Indian subcontinent and sub-species are even more widespread.

Like all the snakes on this list the Russell’s viper’s venom is very powerful, although less so than most. However, what it might lack in potency it makes up for in quantity with an adult snake possessing enough venom to kill around 20 people. Not only is the bite of the Russell’s viper often fatal, it is also described as excruciatingly painful. Unlike the super-fast acting neurotoxins of snakes like the black mamba the venom of the Russell’s viper is a hemotoxin which works by destroying the body’s tissues.

2. Rattlesnake

When most people think of poisonous snakes, the rattlesnake springs to mind pretty quickly. These snakes are found throughout the Americas and are actually a type of viper. Their name comes of course from the rattle which is found at the end of the tail and which creates a distinctive noise. Eastern Diamondbacks are the most poisonous of all rattlesnakes. Thankfully, only about 4% of bites result in fatalities with prompt treatment, but untreated, any rattlesnake bite has the potential to kill. The venom can also cause permanent damage to organs and may even lead to the loss of a limb.

3. Death Adder

You know that famous legend about Cleopatra using a snake to kill herself? The type of snake she supposedly used was a death adder. You can find these snakes throughout Australia, New Guinea, and other regions. A bite can result in paralysis, respiratory arrest, and death inside of only six hours. With fast treatment, a patient is unlikely to die, but without treatment, about 50% of bites are lethal. Death adders also prey on other snakes.

4. Inland Taipan

While it’s difficult to be as impressed by the Inland Taipan after learning about the concentration of venom in a Belcher’s Sea Snake bite, it’d be foolish to discount the Taipan just because its bite can only kill as many as 100 people! Taipans usually avoid human contact, however, and you are unlikely to ever encounter ones

5. Eastern Brown Snake

This type of snake is among the few which are actually aggressive. It is commonly found in Australia, and may be found in populated areas like cities, not just remote locations. If it perceives someone as a threat, it will actually chase that person out of its territory. If the snake is not confident of its safety, it may decide to bite. If it does so, it may bite many times during a single attack. Less than half contain venom, but those that do can cause paralysis or death. Because of its proximity to population centers and its aggression, you could argue the Eastern Brown Snake is the most dangerous snake in the world.

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How do birds fly?

Let's us anwer an interesting animal facts question: the reason why birds can fly, but not human and other animals as below:

One adaptation birds have for flight are their wings. To get power for flight, birds must flap their wings by contracting their large breast muscles, which are anchored to a keel on their sternum. Many birds use the air currents to soar and glide, while other species must continuously flap their wings to hover. However, not all birds fly. Some birds have evolved to be flightless in the absence of predators or to enable them to swim, which is the case for penguins, states Birds in Backyards. Also, a bird's body temperature is around 104 degrees Fahrenheit, which is higher than the temperature of an average mammal, according to Birds in Backyard. This is due to their insulating feathers and a layer of fat that can be found in certain species. Their higher body temperature allows the cells in their muscles to work 2.2 times faster, and as a result, allows their muscles to relax more rapidly, explains Birds in Backyards.

If a bird is just gliding (or "soaring"), that is, not flapping its wings, it flies in pretty much the same way that an airplane flies. The wings push air down, so by Newton's third law the air must push them up. Partly, the push comes from the angle the wings are held at and partly from the curvature of the wings. The air travels faster above the bird's wing than it does below, and this makes the pressure lower above the wing. Here's a about such airfoils.

Let’s talk about aerodynamics (air-oh-die-NAM-icks). That’s the science of how air moves around things. It helps explain how birds fly. A bird uses its legs to push off the ground into the air. That’s called thrust. It flaps its wings to stay in the air. That’s called lift. When you put thrust and lift together, a bird flies. Its wings also have a curved shape, like an upside-down spoon. This shape helps the air move above and below the wings and keep the bird in the air. Birds’ feathers also help them fly. Air rushes through the feathers, creating more lift.

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Awesome world of animal facts

A lot of amazing animal facts that people can share with others, which raises a broader and more interesting about them as below
1. Dogs will sneeze to tell other dogs that they’re playing, so when they’re playing rough it doesn’t turn into a fight.

2. Gray squirrels bury nuts all over the place, and often forget them, growing new trees. This makes them more ecologically friendly than red squirrels, who store nuts in piles on the ground which don’t take root.

3. Infant Pygmy Marmosets babble to develop their language skills, similarly to the way human babies babble.

4. Two-toed sloths cannot shiver to stay warm like other mammals due to their low metabolic rates and little muscle tissue.

5. Yawning is infectious because it supplies a method for the most sleepy to forcefully communicate their need for rest and thus ensures that the group rests/sleeps together.

6. Crows are actually super smart. They even play pranks on each other just for fun.

7. Rare white tiger facts carry a gene that is only present in around 1 in every 10000 tigers.

8. The red panda uses its long bushy tail not only for balance, but also as a blanket during chilly winter nights.

9. The blue whale weighs as much as thirty elephants and is as long as three Greyhound buses.

10. A herd of sixty cows is capable of producing a ton of milk in less than a day.

11. A grasshopper can leap 20 times the length of its own body.

12. Baby Japanese Macaques make snowballs. They do not use them for any survival purposes, they just like to have fun.

13. Slow loris may be cute, but it’s the only venomous primate in the world. When it raises its arms, it’s performing a defensive stance, and preparing a venom.

14. At birth, baby kangaroos are only about an inch long – no bigger than a large water bug or a queen bee.

15. The smell of a skunk can be detected by a human a mile away.

16. There is a butterfly in Africa with enough poison in its body to kill six cats!

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