Buzz
Nature never fails to astound us with its beauty and mystery, and it's full of curious facts that add to the wonder! This marks our first collection of strange facts for 2009, and it’s just the beginning of one of our most beloved series! We hope you enjoy these facts, and if you have any others to share, feel free to leave them in the comments!
10. Miracle Mice
Interesting Fact: A mouse can squeeze through an opening as small as the tip of a ballpoint pen
In the warmer months, mice usually live outdoors, content in their natural environment. But as the temperature drops, they head indoors in search of warmth. Thanks to their flexible skulls and constant gnawing, they can squeeze through a hole as small as a ballpoint pen (6mm – 1/4 inch). Once inside, they will gnaw on just about anything, including concrete, lead, and plastic, to keep their teeth from growing too long. Despite popular belief, mice don't have a particular fondness for cheese, though they'll eat it when necessary. Mice are capable of jumping as high as 46cm (18 inches), swimming, and even climbing or hanging upside-down. To keep them out of your home, check for small openings using a ballpoint pen – if it fits, mice can get through.
9. Square Eyes
Interesting Fact: Unlike most animals, goats have rectangular pupils
We typically think of pupils as round, as that's the shape we are most familiar with (especially in humans). However, goats (and many other hoofed animals) have horizontal slits for pupils, which become nearly rectangular when dilated. This unique eye structure gives goats a remarkable field of vision, spanning 320 to 340 degrees, allowing them to see almost everything around them without needing to move. In comparison, humans only have a field of vision ranging from 160 to 210 degrees. Additionally, creatures with rectangular pupils can see better in low light, as their larger pupils can contract more during the day to reduce light intake. Interestingly, octopuses also possess rectangular pupils.
8. Sightless Horses
Interesting Fact: Horses cannot see directly in front of them
Horses have incredibly wide vision, with the largest eyes of any land mammal, allowing them to see up to 350 degrees around them. However, they have two blind spots: one directly in front of them and another behind their head. When it comes to detail, horses are red colorblind and have vision that's 20/33, which is not as sharp as the perfect human vision of 20/20.
7. Ill Rats
Interesting Fact: Rats cannot vomit
Rats are unable to vomit or burp due to a barrier between their two stomachs and their lack of control over the diaphragm muscles required for those actions. Similarly, rabbits and guinea pigs also cannot vomit. This inability makes rats particularly vulnerable to poisoning, which is why they’re often used in rat control. To assess whether food might make them ill, rats nibble on it first. If they don't feel sick, they'll eat it all.
6. Gorilla Gorilla Gorilla
Interesting Fact: The scientific name for a gorilla is “Gorilla Gorilla Gorilla”
To clarify, this is the scientific name for a specific type of gorilla – the Western Lowland Gorilla, which is the type you'll most often see in zoos and is the most common overall. For some odd reason, these gorillas were given a rather unusual name – if you're not a Gorilla gorilla gorilla, you might be a Gorilla gorilla diehli, Gorilla beringei beringei, or Gorilla beringei graueri. Interestingly, the Bwindi Gorilla, a subspecies of Gorilla beringei, hasn't received a trinomen yet. For fun, I suggest it be named Gorilla beringei ChuckNorris. If this makes no sense to you, don’t worry – I’m in the same boat!
5. Dangerous Swans
Strange Fact: A swan can break a person’s arm
The next time you’re feeding those beautiful swans and think about giving one a friendly pat – don’t! Swans are highly protective of their young and will use their immense wings to defend against dogs (and sometimes humans). With a wingspan of around 2.75 meters (9 feet), they’re more powerful than you’d think. In 2001, a young man in Ireland had his leg broken by a swan when he tried to provoke it. The following year, another individual had their arm broken.
4. Delicate Spider
Interesting Fact: If a tarantula falls, it can shatter
Firstly, unless you’re allergic to their venom, tarantulas are generally harmless to humans (though their bite can be painful). Some tarantulas can even shoot “hairs” from their legs that may penetrate human skin and cause significant discomfort. Now, back to the interesting fact. Tarantulas have an exoskeleton (meaning their skeleton is on the outside), much like crayfish and crabs. They regularly shed this exoskeleton, typically by lying on their backs. While shedding, they’re vulnerable and may attack if approached. Because their exoskeleton is so fragile, dropping a tarantula from even a short height can cause it to shatter and die.
3. A Fiery Defense
Interesting Fact: The Bombardier beetle fires boiling liquid as a defense mechanism
The fascinating bombardier beetle possesses a remarkable and unique ability: when it feels threatened, it shoots a boiling hot chemical mixture from its abdomen in rapid bursts, up to 70 times. The liquid is a combination of hydrogen peroxide and hydroquinones, which react inside the beetle, creating a powerful chemical reaction. This liquid is deadly to small insects and can cause intense pain to humans. You can witness this extraordinary reaction in the video above.
2. Twitching Leaves
Weird Fact: The telegraph plant can move rapidly – even without wind
The Telegraph plant is a tropical species commonly found in Asia, though it can also be spotted in the South Pacific. This plant possesses the fascinating ability to shake its leaves, which rotate on their axis and move up and down. While there are other plants with rapid movements (like the Venus flytrap), the Telegraph plant is the most unusual and lesser-known. When we say “rapid” in relation to plants, it’s not lightning fast, but it’s certainly noticeable to the naked eye. I’ve linked a real-time clip of the plant in action above (apologies for the music – it's not my clip or it would be much cooler).
1. Spicy Danger
Interesting Fact: Nutmeg is toxic
Nutmeg, often used to flavor delicious treats like custard tarts and fruit cakes, is actually a hallucinogenic drug and a deadly poison. Consuming just 2 grams of nutmeg can give you effects similar to amphetamines (the less unpleasant side effect) but also brings on nausea, fever, and headaches. Ingesting 7.5 grams causes convulsions, and eating 10 grams can lead to hallucinations. Eating a whole nutmeg could result in “nutmeg psychosis,” marked by feelings of impending doom, confusion, and agitation. There have been two recorded fatalities from nutmeg poisoning (one in 1908 and one in 2001).
