Goats were one of the first animals to be tamed by humans and were being herded 9,000 years ago.
Goat meat is the most consumed meat per capita worldwide.
Goats can be taught their name and to come when called.
Goats are social animals, however unlike sheep, who they are closely related to, they are not flock-orientated.
Goats communicate with each other by bleating. Mothers will often
call to their young (kids) to ensure they stay close-by. Mother and kid
goats recognise each other's calls soon after the mothers give birth.
Kids can follow their mothers almost immediately after being born.
They are very close to their mothers and are weaned after around 6
months.
Goats are very intelligent and curious animals. Their inquisitive
nature is exemplified in their constant desire to explore and
investigate anything unfamiliar which they come across.
Goats have excellent coordination. They have great balance and are
thus able to survive in precarious areas such as steep mountains. They
can even climb trees and some species can jump over 5 feet high.
The goat is one of the 12 Chinese zodiac animals. It represents introversion, creativity, shyness and being a perfectionist.
The latin ‘Capra’ is the root of the word ‘capricious’ which means quirky, whimsical, fanciful and apt to change suddenly.
Like sheep, a goat’s eye is rectangular rather than round. They have
excellent night vision and will often browse during the night.
Goats discovered coffee! Apparently in Ethiopia a goat herd saw
goats behaving more actively and energetically after eating from a
particular bush. He then tried it himself and felt uplifted, awake and
full of energy.
In Scotland feral goats are descendants of livestock which were
abandoned during the highland clearances. They therefore act as a
reminder of a turbulent past.
1. You can immediately identify earthworms because they are found living in moist soils of all types. They are often reddish-brown in color, and have a body that is slimy and appears to be in segments, or different pieces connected all together.
2. Earthworms have no ears or eyes. They do have one end of their body that is more sensitive to light than the other.
3. There are well over 6,000 different types of earthworms around the world.
4. Earthworms are on every continent except Antarctica. They even live in some oceans.
5. Earthworms actually breathe through their skin.
6. If an earthworm stays outside in the light for more than an hour, they will die. They may also be in danger if they are either in soil that is too wet or too dry.
7. The reason that worms feel slimy is because they secrete a fluid that helps them to crawl and dig better through dirt, all while keeping their skin moist.
8. The earthworms that you see after heavy storms are usually from the species commonly known as the rain worm.
9. Worms that typically come out at night at known as night crawlers.
10. The worms that you might find being sold as fish bait are called angleworms.
11. Worms can dig down over 6 feet underneath the surface of the soil.
12. Earthworms have no bones or skeletons.
13. Believe it or not, earthworms are not boys are girls. They are both, at the same time. All adult earthworms can lay cocoons, or eggs.
14. Most worms will live between 1 and 2 years. However, they can live as long as up to 8 years.
15. In the tropical areas of the world, some species of earthworms can reach up to 14 feet long.
16. The largest earthworm ever found measured 22 feet long.
17. Of the types in the US, worms that you grow can get up to 14 inches long.
18. Worms love to eat both soil and fallen leaves. They eat their body weight in these materials each day.
19. Each small part of the body of the earthworm (segments) are covered with hair like bristles that are used by the worms for wriggling through dirt.
20. These same bristles allow worms to sense touch.
21. If earthworms are native to the area, then they will help gardeners and plants by mixing air with the soil and loosening it around the roots of various plants. Because of this, earthworms are very important to the ecosystem.
22. Worm tunnels also help to hold soils in place and stop erosion through water.
23. Pesticides might kill common garden pests, but they can also negatively impact the earthworm population.
24. Worms can crawl both backward and forward in the soil.
25. The castings produced by worms (or earthworm poop) is actually a very desirable natural fertilizer for plants. Some gardeners even purchase earthworm castings to mix with their soil.
26. When they are born, earthworms are actually hatched from very tiny eggs that look a little like lemons. Baby earthworms look just like adults after they hatch. It takes them from 10 to around 55 weeks to become adults.
27. Each adult earthworm can produce up to 80 eggs each year.
28. In only 90 days, the total number of earthworms in a given area can actually double.
29. Despite the fact that they may not seem like the smartest creatures, earthworms actually do have the ability to remember some things. You can even teach them to avoid dangers.
30. If an earthworm gets injured and part of their body is cut off from another, they can replace that part by growing another. This only works for the part of the original worm that still has the head. Reproducing parts is also very difficult for the worms, but it can be done.
31. Do not cut a worm in half! You will kill it, just like you would any other living creature.
32. Earthworms have red blood, just like humans.
33. Lots of other animals eat earthworms in the wild. This includes toads, foxes, moles, birds, snakes, slugs, and beetles.
34. In some areas of the world, people actually eat earthworms.
35. Some earthworms might have up to five hearts.
36. We are 75% water. Earthworms are 90% water.
37. Over a million earthworms are found in every single acre of land.
38., we recommend raising them on your own (which you can do) by creating an earthworm farm in a terrarium, jar, or plastic box. Just add soil with some leaves and grasses. Chances are (if the soil is fresh from the outdoors) a few worms will already be there.
39. Earthworms come in a seemly infinite variety—around 6,000 species worldwide.
One of the most familiar of them, the sort you may see in your garden, is commonly known as the night crawler (it typically surfaces after dark), the angleworm (its makes popular bait for fishing) or the rain worm (it leaves waterlogged soil after storms).
40. Of the more than 180 earthworm species found in the U.S. and Canada, 60 are invasive species, brought over from the Old World, including the night crawler.
41. Lacking lungs or other specialized respiratory organs, earthworms breathe through their skin.
42. The skin exudes a lubricating fluid that makes moving through underground burrows easier and helps keep skin moist. One Australian species can shoot fluid as far as 12 inches through skin pores.
43. Each earthworm is both male and female, producing both eggs and sperm.
They mate on the surface of the earth, pressing their bodies together and exchanging sperm before separating. Later, the clitellum (a collar-like organ that goes around the worm’s body the way a cigar band does a cigar) produces a ring around the worm. As the worm crawls out of the ring, it fills the ring with eggs and sperm. The ring drops off, seals shut at the ends and becomes a cocoon for the developing eggs.
44. Baby worms emerge from the eggs tiny but fully formed. They grow sex organs within the first two or three months of life and reach full size in about a year. They may live up to eight years, though one to two is more likely.Earthworm egg cases look like tiny lemons. When earthworms hatch, they look like tiny adults. Photo credit: U.S. Department of Agriculture
45. Full size for an earthworm varies among species, ranging from less than half an inch long to nearly 10 feet. The latter monsters don’t occur in U.S. backyards—you’ll have to go to the Tropics to see one of them. The homegrown versions top out at around 14 inches.
46. The glaciers that crawled across Canada into the northern tier of the lower 48 states during the most recent ice age wiped out earthworms in those areas.
In other parts of the U.S., you may find native earthworm species, but the worms living in the regions scoured by glaciers are invaders from overseas, brought here intentionally by early settlers on the assumption that the worms would improve the soil, or carried accidentally in shipments of plants or even in dirt used as ballast in ships.
47. The earthworm’s digestive system is a tube running straight from the mouth, located at the tip of the front end of the body, to the rear of the body, where digested material is passed to the outside. Species vary in what they eat, but by and large their devouring of fallen leaves and/or soil allows the worms to move nutrients such as potassium and nitrogen into the soil.
Friday 22 July 2016
Interesting Peacock Facts:
Male peafowl is called peacock while female is called peahen.
They are one of the largest flying birds. Their length (including tail) can reach 5 feet. They can weigh between 8-13 pounds.
They are omnivores (eat both plants and animals). They like to eat insects, arthropods, amphibians, flowers, seeds…
Their main predators are tigers, leopards, mongoose… When they sense a danger, they fly and hide in the trees. They spend nights on trees for the same reason.
Family of peafowl is called "bevy".
Group of peafowl is called "party".
Beautiful and colorful tails are characteristic only for the males.
Colors of the tail will look different every time you change the angle of looking because of the reflection of the light. Tail feathers have eye-like spots, surrounded with red, green, gold and red feathers.
Tail makes 60% of peacock's total length.
Peahen chooses its partner by the length, width and coloration of the tail.
Peacocks are polygamous (mate with more than one female) and usually form a harem that consists of 2-5 females. Left alone peacocks are very sad and heart-broken.
Although very beautiful, peacocks produce unpleasant sounds.
Females lay 3-5 eggs. Young birds will hatch after 28 days.
One day old baby peafowl can walk, eat and drink without assistance.
Peafowl live up to 20 years both in the wild and in the captivity.
The name of a baby peafowl is a peachick.
Peacocks are best known for their amazing eye-spotted tail feathers or plumage. During a display ceremony the peacock will stand its tail feathers up to form a fan that stretches out nearly 2 m in length.
This colourful display is believed to be a way to attract females for mating purposes, and secondly to make the peacock look bigger and intimidating if he feels threatened by predators.
There are 3 varieties of peafowl, the Indian, the Green and the Congo.
The most common type of peafowl found in many zoos and parks around the world is the Indian peafowl. The head and neck of which is covered in shining, blue feathers arranged like scales. It is native to South Asia areas of Pakistan, Sri Lanka and India (where it is the national bird).
The Congo peafowl is native to central Africa. It doesn't have a large plumage like other varieties. It is the national bird of the Democratic Republic of Congo.
The Green peafowl is native to Southeast Asia, it has chrome green and bronze feathers. It lives in areas such as Myanmar (its national symbol) and Java. It is regarded as an endangered species due to hunting and a reduction in its habitat.
White varieties of peacocks are not albinos, they have a genetic mutation that causes the lack of pigments in the plumage.
Peacock feathers accounts for 60 percent of the bird's total body length and with a wingspan measuring 5 feet, it is one of the largest flying birds in the world.
A peafowl can live to over the age of 20 years, the peacocks plumage looks its best when the male reaches the age of 5 or 6.
Peacocks have spurs on their feet that are primarily used to fight with other males.
Peafowl are omnivorous, they eat many types of plants, flower petals, seeds, insects and small reptiles such as lizards.
In Hindu culture, Lord Karthikeya, the god of war, is said to ride a peacock.
There are more than 12,000 species of ants all over the world.
An ant can lift 20 times its own body weight. If a second grader was as strong as she would be able to pick up a car!
Some queen ants can live for many years and have millions of babies!
Ants don’t have ears. Ants "hear" by feeling vibrations in the ground through their feet.
When ants fight, it is usually to the death!
When foraging, ants leave a pheromone trail so that they know where they’ve been.
Queen ants have wings, which they shed when they start a new nest.
Ants don’t have lungs. Oxygen enters through tiny holes all over the body and carbon dioxide leaves through the same holes.
When the queen of the colony dies, the colony can only survive a few months. Queens are rarely replaced and the workers are not able to reproduce.
The total weight of all the ants in the world is the same as, if not larger than that of all humans.
Some ants can support up to 100x their own weight upside down on glass.
The largest ant colony ever found was over 6000 Km or 3750 miles wide.
Ants are the longest living of all insects, living for up to 30 years.
One ant species owns the record for the fastest movement within the animal kingdom.
There are over 12,000, known different species of ants.
The ant is one of the worlds' strongest creature in relation to its size.
One ant species is the most venemous insect in the world.
Dozens of colonies of the worlds smallest ant could live in the brain case of the worlds largest ant.
Ants move an estimated 50 tons of soil per year in one square mile.
Fire ants cause an estimated $5 billion worth of damage in North America per year.
All worker, soldier and queen ants are female.
Some ant species are asexual, they clone themselves and do not require any males.
Ant and humans are the only creatures that farm other creatures.
Ants have two stomachs, one to hold food for themselves, and one for others.
Some ant species make slaves out of another ant species.
Ants can be found on every continent accept Antarctica.
Some ants can swim.
Most ants can survive around 24 hours underwater.
Some ants have no eyes.
Some wingless ants can perform a controlled glide when free falling.
Ants sleep frequently and are often quite lazy.
In many parts of the world, ants are eaten by humans as a delicacy.
Ants worst enemies are not us, but other ants.
Monday 18 July 2016
Facts about King Cobras…
The fear of snakes, known as ophidiophobia, is one of the most common fears in the world, and any snake, big or small, is often enough to send a lot of people scrambling and screaming. No snake, however, has a reputation as fearsome as that of the king cobra, which is easily recognized by its flaring hood, narrower and longer than that of other cobras. (In fact, the king cobra is not actually a true cobra, but belongs to a genus of its own.) But are king cobras truly worth fearing? How much do you actually know about them? Read on to learn some of the most important and interesting facts about the king cobra.
1. Are King Cobras Poisonous?
One of the reasons the king cobra is so feared is because it is a venomous snake. This means that it stores poison in glands behind its mouth, and when it strikes, it delivers the poison through its fangs, killing with a single bite.
Is it poisonous? When we say an animal is poisonous, this means that the animal can be harmful when eaten or touched, in contrast to venomous, when the animal actually delivers the poison, as through a bite. King cobras can be poisonous when eaten whole, but with their venom glands removed, they are safe to eat, and are in fact served as a delicacy in exotic restaurants in parts of Asia.
2. Are King Cobras Deadly?
The answer, unfortunately, is yes. While the king cobra is not the world’s most venomous snake — that title belongs to the inland taipan — nor is it responsible for the most human deaths, it can deliver a lot of venom in just one bite — enough to kill twenty people, or even bring down an elephant! If left untreated, a human can die from a king cobra’s bite in as little as a half an hour. This is because the king cobra’s venom targets the central nervous system, eventually leading to kidney, heart and lung failure. Initial symptoms include pain, drowsiness, a stumbling gait, blurred vision, paralysis of the limbs, convulsions, headache and loss of consciousness. So try to avoid getting bitten!
3. The Longest Venomous Snake
In addition to its venom, the king cobra is feared for its size. It is the longest venomous snake in the world, with the longest captive specimen growing up to 18.8 feet (5.7 meters) long! In the wild, king cobras usually grow 8 to 13 feet (2.4 to 4 meters) long, with males being longer than females. While the longest non-venomous snake in the world is the reticulated python — which can grow over 25 feet (7.6 meters) long, and the heaviest snake is the green anaconda — able to weigh over 100 pounds (45 kilograms), even a small king cobra is still pretty big if it’s slithering toward you!
The heaviest king cobra found in the wild was recorded at 26 pounds (11.8 kilograms), while a captive specimen at the New York Zoological Park weighed as much as 28 pounds (12.7 kilograms). Normally, the king cobra’s weight is about 20 pounds (9 kilograms). The eastern diamondback rattlesnake and the gaboon viper are heavier, however, weighing over 30 pounds (13.6 kilograms).
4. Where Are King Cobras Found?
King cobras can be found on the Indian subcontinent (India, Bangladesh, Pakistan, Nepal, Bhutan and Sri Lanka) as well as in parts of Southeast Asia (Myanmar, Cambodia, Thailand, the Philippines, Laos, Vietnam, Indonesia and Singapore). It can also be found in parts of China.
The king cobra can adapt to various habitats, both wet and dry, but prefers dense forests with streams and swamps.
5. King Cobra’s Adaptations
What makes the king cobra able to thrive in different environments? Its most significant adaptation is its skill as a hunter and its potent venom. With that killer combination, it can find food practically anywhere.
Speaking of hunting skills, the king cobra has excellent vision, able to spot prey from 300 feet (91 meters) away. It also has a superb sense of smell, having one of the longest forked tongues in the snake kingdom. As you know, snakes use their tongues to smell, picking up particles in the air. While king cobras may not have ears, they can sense vibrations on the ground, which is how they are able to dance to a snake charmer’s flute.
King cobras are usually olive green, brown or black, with pale bands, which help them to blend in with vegetation. They also have large, stretchable jaws, which allow them to swallow prey whole.
6. Can King Cobras Swim?
The king cobra is not just great at climbing trees and slithering on land. It can also swim, which is why it is usually found near water.
7. The King Cobra’s Diet
The scientific name of the king cobra is Ophiophagus hannah, from the Greek ophio “snake” and phagus “to eat”. Indeed, the king cobra does feed mostly on other snakes, venomous and non-venomous alike, such as kraits, true cobras and small pythons, as well as other king cobras. It has also been known to eat lizard eggs, frogs, rats and birds, and even monitor lizards!
King cobras hunt during the day. When they find prey, they approach slowly and strike rapidly. As soon as their venom takes effect, paralyzing the helpless animal, the king cobra begins to swallow its prey whole.
8. Fight or Flight?
The king cobra has a reputation for having a bad temper but in truth, it is more likely to flee when encountering humans.
When it does happen to be in a bad mood or is cornered, the king cobra will first take up its signature defensive stance, lifting up to a third of its body off the ground. If it can grow up to almost 19 feet (5.8 meters) — remember that longest one above? — then it would stand over 6 feet (1.8 meters) tall! It will look its attacker in the eye, extend its hood and produce a low growling sound. At this point, it is best to back away slowly, and throw a hat or a shirt on the ground as a distraction. If you don’t, the next thing the king cobra will do is strike and, mind you, it can strike from 7 feet (2.1 meters) away. It can deliver several bites, too, or deliver just one and hold on.
9. Mother King Cobras
Most snakes do not have a reputation for being good mothers. They lay their eggs and then vanish. The female king cobra is different, though. After mating, she lays twenty to fifty eggs in a nest made of twigs and leaves. Then she covers the eggs and rests on top, guarding the eggs until they hatch, which can take up to 90 days. Just before hatching time, the female leaves the nest. Why? Scientists believe it may be to avoid the temptation to eat her own young, since she hasn’t hunted and is starving at that point.
10. What Eats King Cobras?
With all that venom, you might think the king cobra is at the top of the food chain, but this isn’t the case. King cobras can be eaten by mongooses, which are immune to the venom and are agile enough to avoid their strikes. Of course, they can also be preyed on by humans.
Young king cobras have even more predators. At birth, king cobras may already be nearly 2 feet (0.6 meters) long and have as much venom as their parents, enabling them to hunt from birth. They are often hunted, however, falling prey to mongooses, civets, saltwater crocodiles, adult king cobras and even army ants and giant centipedes.
11. Are King Cobras Endangered?
Currently, the king cobra is listed as a Vulnerable Species, which is one step above Endangered. This means that its population is decreasing and it is likely to become endangered if reproduction rates do not increase and/or the threats to its population are not lessened.
The largest threat to the king cobra is currently loss of habitat due to deforestation. Also, it is hunted for its meat and skin, and its bile is used as an ingredient in traditional medicines
Enjoy these fun tiger
facts . Learn about different types of tigers, how big they
are, how fast they run, how they hunt and more.
Check out the wide range of interesting facts about tigers and their cubs.
The tiger is the biggest species of the cat family.
Tigers can reach a length of up to 3.3 metres (11 feet) and weigh as much as 300 kilograms (660 pounds).
Subspecies of the tiger include the Sumatran Tiger, Siberian Tiger, Bengal Tiger, South China Tiger, Malayan Tiger and Indochinese Tiger.
Many subspecies of the tiger are either endangered or already extinct. Humans are the primary cause of this through hunting and the destruction of habitats.
Around half of tiger cubs don’t live beyond two years of age.
Tiger cubs leave their mother when they are around 2 years of age.
A group of tigers is known as an ‘ambush’ or ‘streak’.
Tigers are good swimmers and can swim up to 6 kilometres.
Rare white tigers carry a gene that is only present in around 1 in every 10000 tigers.
Tigers usually hunt alone at night time.
Tigers have been known to reach speeds up to 65 kph (40 mph).
Less than 10% of hunts end successfully for tigers
Tigers can easily jump over 5 metres in length.
Various tiger subspecies are the national animals of Bangladesh, India, North Korea, South Korea and Malaysia.
There are more tigers held privately as pets than there are in the wild.
Tigers that breed with lions give birth to hybrids known as tigons and ligers.
Fun Facts of Goat
