We’ll talk about their experiences and why they were chosen to endure spaceflight. What Are 10 Animals That Have Been to Space? Human spaceflight occurred fewer than 100 years ago. These flights were undertaken to send humans to space and then safely return them. Scientists needed a lot of data to reach that goal. Instead of sending human beings at first, animals made the first trips into space. Their sacrifices allowed humanity to reach into the heavens....
Most people know that birds can sing. You can hear birds singing by walking around your neighborhood or keeping certain species as pets. But did you know that many other types of animals sing as well? Check out our list below for some unexpected mammalian, amphibian, aquatic, and invertebrate musicians. What constitutes “singing?” Some researchers posit that only birds and humans sing. But by definition, a song consists of “musical modulations of the voice....
A study by The Royal Botanic Gardens in Kew, England suggests we’ve lost 571 plant species since 1750. It matters because flowers are part of the ecosystem. Without flowers, pollination doesn’t occur and our food sources are threatened. Here are 10 extinct flowers we’ll never admire again. 1. Cry Violet (Viola cryana) The aptly named cry violet was native to France, but by the 1950s it was extinct due to over picking by enthusiastic botanists and quarrying in its native limestone habitat....
Below are 10 incredible facts you probably didn’t know about bearded dragons. 1. Bearded Dragons Do Not Actually Have Beards While they are widely known as bearded dragons, bearded dragons do not actually have beards; at least not in a human sense. If you get a close look, you won’t find facial hair or anything of the sort. However, they do have scales around their neck which is their own version of beards....
1. Some “Crabs” Are Not True Crabs Crabs come in two varieties: true crabs and fake crabs. Brachyurans, or true crabs, have short abdomens and four pairs of long legs that they utilize to move about. Anomurans, often known as false crabs, have larger abdomens and fewer walking legs. Crabs come in around 5,000 species, of which 4,500 are actual crabs, and 500 are fake crabs. Blue crabs, spider crabs, and snow crabs are a few instances of real crabs....
1. Desert Tortoises Are a Keystone Species A keystone species is an animal which benefits the entire ecosystem. They are incredibly important and without them the ecosystem would be completely different. In fact, certain aspects of it might even not exist at all! Although other animals can still do their parts, keystone species influence and benefit the environment more than other species do. Desert tortoises are a keystone species and many other animals would cease to exist without the help that they provide....
1. Flamingos Are Not Always Pink Since 1957, millions of plastic pink flamingos have decorated lawns across America. However, did you know that flamingos are not always pink? Baby flamingos are born with gray or white fluffy plumage, and do not develop pink coloring for at least two or three years. In fact, even adult flamingos can lose their iconic colors! One of the incredible facts about flamingos is that the pink coloring of their feathers comes from the food they eat....
Here, we’ll find out just what makes pufferfish so fascinating. Read on to learn 10 incredible pufferfish facts! 1. Pufferfish Don’t Live in the Deep Ocean Pufferfish is the common name given to the nearly 200 species of puffers in the Tetraodontidae family. Members of this family occur primarily in warm, tropical waters close to the equator. They’re found in the shallow coastal waters of Central America, northern South America, Africa, the Indian subcontinent, Southeast Asia, Indonesia, and northern Australia....
Let’s learn more about these long-tailed animals by exploring 10 incredible rat facts! 1. There Are 56 Known Species Of Rats Currently, on the planet, there are at least 56 species of rats. The most known species of rat would be the black rat and brown rat. They are known as Old World rats that originated in Asia and derived from older species of rats during the Pleistocene era. Rats are often much larger than their mice relatives but typically do not weigh over 17 ounces....
Syrian hamster facts are plentiful. Besides these alluring little creatures, also known as Golden hamsters, they are among the most popular pet rodents globally. These lovable little hamsters can live up to three years and are low-maintenance pets, perfect for kids. But Syrian hamsters are also feisty and can be grumpy if startled. Let’s find out more about these cute little Syrian hamsters. 1. Syrian Hamsters Are Not Native to Pet Shops As the name implies, they are native to northern Syria and southern Turkey....
#10: Hacklemesh Weaver The hacklemesh weaver is a member of the family Amaurobiidae. While many species in its family are native to Australia, you can also find these spiders in California and scattered throughout the southern United States. Generally speaking, most hacklemesh weavers measure between 6 and 11 millimeters in length. Their abdomen is predominantly dark brown or tan and its carapace and legs are reddish-brown. People sometimes confuse the hacklemesh weaver with the brown recluse, but it lacks the latter spider’s distinctive violin-shaped marking....
#10: Striped Fishing Spider Dolomedes scriptus, or the striped fishing spider, is a member of the nursery web spider family Pisauridae. Its range extends throughout much of the United States and Canada. If you’re looking for these spiders in Minnesota, you’ll likely encounter them near fast-flowing streams, lakes, or ponds. Adult females measure up to 2.5 centimeters long and sport a leg span of up to 6 centimeters. They appear predominantly light brown but may also look tan or greyish....
13 Snakes Near the Washington DC Region The California mountain kingsnake, common garter snake, Great Basin gopher snake, Pacific gopher snake, night snake, northwestern garter snake, rubber boa, eastern racer snakes, eastern ring-necked snake, sharp-tailed snake, striped whipsnake, western terrestrial garter snake, and the western rattlesnake are 13 species of snakes found near the Washington DC region. California mountain kingsnake The California mountain kingsnake is a nonvenomous colubrid snake that looks a lot like a coral snake....
15 Insanely Clear Lakes and Why They’re So Clear 1. Blue Lake, New Zealand New Zealand is well-known for its natural beauty, with mountainous terrains surrounding crystal clear lakes whenever you hop out of the city. But the country is also famous for having the clearest lake in the world! Blue Lake has underwater visibility up to 70 to 80 meters or 230 to 260 feet down, which is insane! Apart from being the world’s clearest lake, it’s also the clearest body of natural freshwater....
What Are the Biggest Spiders in Tennessee? Some big spiders live in Tennessee, but none of them compare in size to the largest tarantulas. Instead, you’ll find that most of the biggest spiders in Tennessee only measure 3 inches or fewer. We’ll pick five of the most sizable species, only one species per genus, and show you where they can be found, how big they get, and whether or not their bites are dangerous to people....
This video footage shows a line of eight sharks swimming together. The person filming stands high up above on an overlook or dune. This gives viewers a great chance to see the scope of the environment and how the sharks fit into it. The footage was taken in Plettenberg Bay, an area along the southern coast of South Africa. These sharks are swimming through the Robberg Nature Reserve. This area has plenty of overlooks that allow for wildlife sightings like this one....
Let’s see how they compare and which of them would reign supreme on the ground and in the water. Comparing an Alligator and a Tiger What Are Key Differences Between an Alligator and a Tiger? The biggest differences between an alligator and a tiger are their morphology and geographical locations. Alligators are commonly found in North America and parts of Asia, and they are reptiles resembling large lizards with massive mouths, scaly skin, and long tails....
The Case For Coconuts as Mammals The notion that coconuts are the same as mammals is predicated on a concept known as morphology — or the notion that animals can be biologically grouped together based on the fact that they share the same structural qualities. And in morphological terms, there’s a decent surface-level argument that coconuts are mammals. There are a lot of different characteristics that are common in most mammals, but there are only three that persistent among every member of the species....
Do Lionfish Bite? Lionfish are equipped with numerous, tiny teeth. But they do not use these to bite predators away because they have a much greater weapon located in their fins. Instead of biting, the lionfish uses its venomous spine-like fins located at its dorsal, anal, and pelvic regions. The lionfish sting is surprisingly painful, depending on the depth of the spine penetrating the skin. It can cause a roster of symptoms caused by the fish’s venom and can even trigger allergic reactions....
Here, we’ll learn about ten of the most recently extinct birds in North America. We’ll find out how each one lived and died. Along the way, we’ll learn a little more about what each looked like, what they ate, and what their primary threats were. 1. Ivory-billed Woodpecker The ivory-billed woodpecker is perhaps the most famous of all extinct birds in North America. The last time these woodpeckers were reliably sighted was in 1944, though reports of their presence in remote parts of the southeastern United States have lingered up until today....
