Category Archives: Facts

Facts

Can spiders lay eggs in human skin?

No, spiders don’t lay eggs in human skin. It’s a myth. Other insects may do this—, like the mite; that create the skin disorder scabies—, but spiders are far too concerned with the well-being of their offspring to entrust them to the likes of us. Warmth isn’t what mother spiders are necessarily seeking for their egg sacs, [...]
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When you cut an earthworm in half will both halves grow back?

If it were true that earthworms could grow back if cut in half, then worms could dispense with that messy sex business. Worm sex is messy, although pretty efficient. Worms are hermaphrodites, so they can mate with any other worm of their species (although not, as some would have you believe, with themselves). They do that in a [...]
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How do bugs survive in cold temperatures in the Arctic region?

It’s a good question. It gets unbelievably cold in the Arctic, —down to an average temperature of 90 degrees below zero, with a windchill factor like you wouldn’t believe. The animals living in the Arctic have developed strategies to help them beat the cold. These include ears and tails that reduce heat loss, lots of body [...]
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What bird can dive the deepest underwater?

The penguin dives the deepest underwater of all the birds on earth. This is probably because it’s an excellent swimmer. Some species can dive 900 feet, the height of a typical seventy-five-story building, and hold their breath for nearly twenty minutes while swimming.
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Would penguins survive if they were transported from the Antarctic to the Arctic?

Scientists penguins would probably not survive if they were transported from their native environment in the Antarctic to the Arctic. For one thing, they would find none of the landmarks that they used to establish their ancestral breeding grounds. For another, they don’t defend themselves and their young well—, they thrive so well in the Antarctic precisely [...]
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Could penguins ever fly before they became flightless birds?

We know it’s hard to imagine flocks of penguins flying overhead, but millions of years ago penguins did fly. Eventually, though, flying became superfluous to their lives. They didn’t have any land-bound natural enemies that would make fast escape by air necessary, and they spent most of their time in the water. Air wings gave way to [...]
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How do you tell a male alligator from a female alligator?

Alligators, like many other reptiles, don’t have sex chromosomes. As a result, alligator gender isn’t determined by the interaction of the parents’ genes. Instead, it is completely decided by temperature. When it’s egg-laying time, the female finds a nice large area on the bank of her swamp and digs a large hole, up to six feet wide. [...]
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How do the suction cups on lizards’ feet work and do they ever lose their suction?

The lizards that climb walls and ceilings don’t usually fall off. But it’s not because they have great suction. Actually, they’re not really using suction at all. Here’s how their feet work: On the bottom, there are dozens and dozens of grooves. (You can see them if you look closely at the bottom of a lizard in [...]
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What is the difference between a newt and a salamander?

A newt is a type of salamander in that it fulfills the basic requirements: its skin is thin, it breathes through gills until its lungs grow, and the adults can leave the water and walk among us as land-dwellers. The biggest difference from other salamanders is that adult newts have flatter tails than most. This isn’t [...]
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Why do frogs blink when they swallow?

Frogs don’t have teeth, so blinking when they swallow helps them get their food down. Frogs’ eyes, not unlike those of the hippopotamus, are big, bulgy, and located on the tops of their heads. This helps them to see, even when their bodies are submerged in water. The problem is that it also means these huge eyeballs [...]
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