Humans are one of the most intelligent animals, but even with our vast knowledge there are still things about nature that not everyone knows about. For instance, did you know that when a wasp goes into a bee hive, instead of stinging it they instead cover the wasp and start vibrating really fast so that the wasp overheats and burns alive? Is it a good tactic? No, but it is better than just stinging it because many other bees die in this process.
Mosquitos are in first place as the most dangerous animal to humans. But in a very close second place is actually humans themselves, which makes a lot of sense given how many humans kill each other. According to the CDC, the average number of homicides each year in the US is 20,162. At the bottom of the list is deer and, according to CNET, 130 humans have died to deer each year.
Now, most people have been led to believe that the cheetah is the fastest animal on the planet. But in reality the fastest animal on the planet is the peregrine falcon who can reach a diving speed of over 240 MPH. The fastest marine animal is the sailfish, capable of reaching speeds of over 68 MPH. Compared to the peregrine falcon, that may not sound that fast, but in the water that is actually pretty impressive as it is harder to move in water.
Rhinos sometimes look like giant, vicious creatures but in reality they’re mostly protective, territorial, and overall just some gentle giants. Rhinos have developed an almost symbiotic relationship with tiny birds such as oxpeckers and egrets who help clean their backs. Most rhinos feed on short grass and they do this because of their square shaped upper lip which makes it easier to grab lots of grass with one bite. Black rhinos have pointier upper lips that they use to pluck food from trees and bushes.
Another animal people get wrong are koalas. People think that they are cuddle bugs and very friendly. But in reality most koalas have some sort of disease and are usually roadkill in Australia. There are, however, some positive fun facts like the fact that they have a specific diet of poisonous leaves. Even though they resemble bears, not just in appearance but also with their climbing skills, they actually share more similarities with kangaroos as both animals have pouches for their offspring and both are named joeys. They also don’t live in social groups, and when a joey is fully mature they leave the pouch to live on their own until they find a mate and then the cycle continues.
With the many species of apes and monkeys there is only one monkey that stands above the others and that is the orangutan. This is because of their long limbs which reach up to seven feet long. They can also use tools, specifically sticks, to get ants and termites out of trees. Male orangutans have these flaps of fat and tissue on the side of their faces called flanges. These flanges develop when they’re around 30 years old and some females have considered flanges to select a mate. Orangutans mostly eat fruit like mangos, lychees, and figs but they also like smelly foods, specifically the durian, a large spikey fruit known for its horrible sewage smell.
It’s clear to see Earth has a wide variety of wildlife, making it a fascinating place to live.
