Animals never cease to amaze us. They are an endless source of joy and entertainment. Here are 6 fun facts about animals that we couldn't help but laugh at!
Pigeons 'headbang' for better vision
Because a pigeon has its eyes on the side of its head, it has difficulty estimating depth. Pigeons receive images from multiple viewpoints from rapid head-shaking, which it combines to see depth. Also, a pigeon can see movement better through head-shaking because when walking, its head is temporarily stationary.
A giraffe's tongue can be half a meter long
The average length of an adult giraffe's tongue is 45 centimeters, and it is not uncommon for the tongue to be longer than 50 centimeters! A giraffe uses its tongue to ingest leaves and twigs. The longer the tongue, the more it can eat in one bite.
The bones of some whales act as a sound box
Recent research has shown that the skull of a baleen whale in particular acts as a sound box. Because the sounds whales use is of a very low frequency (10 - 130 Hz) they need a large receiver. The whale's skull captures the vibrations and works closely with the whale's hearing.
A dolphin recognizes itself in the mirror
This is quite extraordinary. Many animals think they see another animal in the mirror. Research on young dolphins has shown that dolphins really look in the mirror and recognize themselves!
The horn of a rhino is made of the same material as your hair
The horn consists of keratin, a fiber protein that acts as a structural element. Among other things, human hair, nails, claws, and horns are composed of keratin. Until recently, there were all sorts of fables surrounding rhino horn, but scientists have used modern techniques to prove that it is not "compressed hair," or anything mythological.
Moths fly toward a light because they think it's the moon
Moths flying toward the light? Actually no; moths use the moon to navigate in the dark. In recent decades, of course, there are many more light sources observable at night than just the moon. Moths get confused by this and think a lamp is a moon!