Fun Facts

Can animals be used as earthquake barometer, or it is just a plain myth? Centuries ago, in the absence of sophisticated equipment to gauge imminent earthquakes, China has been using animals to predict earthquakes.

In 1975, after sensing the movements of animals strangely, Chinese officials ordered families to evacuate Haicheng city a few days before the killer earthquake struck the city with a 7.3 magnitude.

If the Chinese did not believe on the ability of animals as earthquake sensors, there should have been no evacuation done and victims could have been numerous. They traced the prediction from restless movements of dogs and howling even during daytime. Even birds were restless and cats were hiding, just days before the violent earthquake.

Historians revealed that animals such as rats, snakes, and weasels abandoned the Greek City of Helice in large groups within 2-3 days prior to a violent earthquake that devastated the city.

Many stories of the same nature have come out from foreign lands. Chickens were restless and wandered around even at night. Bees could be seen flying in groups as if trying to escape something violent that will occur. Cats and dogs became very restless and howled even during daytime without any reason.

But no one could say the reasons why it was happening and many people said it was rather mysterious and unbelievable than taking it as a prediction.

A theory came out that animals possess stronger sensory perception of underground vibration than human beings. Other theories attributed the actions of animals to a strong vibration from objects or chemicals coming from underground.

It is amazing to know that even today, seismologists cannot detect in advance the coming of earthquakes and where they would exactly occur. Destructive earthquakes have been detected each year around the world; some were sensed by humans and some of them caused tremendous damage to humans and properties.

Japan, being an earthquake-prone country has had numerous devastating earthquakes which took a great toll in human beings and properties.

Japanese scientists have been carefully studying the reactions of animals in the hope of finding a clue as to why these animals display a strange behavior days before an earthquake will occur.

However, American seismologists doubt the truth of attributing the prediction to animals. To-date, even in the presence of documented films and stories about this phenomenon, American scientists dismiss the idea as plain myth. Scientists disagree that there is any relationship between the occurrence of earthquakes and animal behaviors even now.

Scientists argue that animals tend to react to so many things. When they are hungry, defending their territories and their mating process make them react. Therefore, they conclude that there is no scientific proof that animals can sense earthquakes.

Researchers in the world continuously try to uncover the secrets of animal behavior on earthquakes.

However, American geologists do not believe in this idea and argue that it’s just a psychological effect where people tend to remember facts and events only when they occur. If they did not happen, they will not remember anything.

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Early history tells that animals can sense earthquakes and this has been discovered centuries ago.  Historians revealed that animals such as rats, snakes, and weasels abandoned the Greek City of Helice in large groups for 2-3 days prior to a devastating earthquake.

This was followed by stories of the same nature in other foreign lands for centuries.  It was observed that catfish was moving restlessly, chickens stopped laying eggs and bees left their hives showing extreme panic that something violent will occur.  A lot of pet owners have noticed that their cats and dogs were very restless and continuously making noises without transparent reasons.

However, no one could tell exactly what was happening.  No one could tell precisely that the animals acted in a strange way because of an incoming ground tremor.  In fact, some people said it was more of mystery rather than prediction.

One theory that surfaced is that wild animals can sense underground vibration than human beings.  Other concepts attributed the actions of animals to an electrical reaction in the wind or gas coming from the ground.  Earthquakes are still under question even today.

Even seismologists have no means of detecting in advance the date or place of coming earthquakes and where they would exactly occur.  Approximately 500,000 earthquakes were detected each year around the world; 100,000 sensed by humans and many of them caused tremendous damage to properties.

Japan is frequently experiencing earthquake as an earthquake-prone country and devastation took its great toll in human beings and properties.  Scientists in Japan have long been trying to discover the method of predicting earthquakes.

They have carefully studied the reactions of animals in the hope of finding a clue as why these animals display a strange behavior days before an earthquake will occur.

On the other hand, American seismologists doubt the veracity of attributing the prediction to animals.  Even if there are a lot of documented films and stories about this phenomenon, American scientists dismiss the idea as plain myth.  Researchers said that the relation between the occurrence of earthquake and animal behavior has not been established to-date.

They argue that animals react to so many things like when they get hungry, in defense of their territories, mating process and predators.  So there is no valid proof that indeed animals can predict earthquakes.

However, researchers around the world do not stop discovering the truth.  In the year 1975, after sensing the movements of animals strangely, Chinese officials ordered families to evacuate Haicheng city a few days before the killer earthquake struck the city with a 7.3 magnitude.

If no people were evacuated ahead of the killer earthquake during those days, the victims could have exceeded 150,000.  They traced the prediction from continuous howling of dogs in the night, restless birds in cages and cats hiding, just days before the big disaster.

In spite of this, however, geologists do not agree to this concept and state that it’s just a sort of psychological effect where people tend to remember facts and events only when they recur.  If it did not occur, people will totally forget the past events.

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As the Roman Catholic Bible would narrate the beginning of life as well as of the world, human beings were created and co-existed with plants and animals.  We can immediately draw some wild guesses that the closeness between human beings and animals can be attributed to the length of their being together.  This marvelous bond between these creations have indeed come a long way and is surpringsingly great for this pact still exists amongst the modern virtual realities that are happening right now.

It is always amazing to see the happy people going round and about inside a zoo.  Children in particular are awed by the sight of such cute and huge animals.  They emit a certain glow once given a trip to their favorite zoo or pet shop.  A mere sight of a bird brightens up a kid’s day.  Grown-ups too are always in a learning mode each time an animal documentary is on the television.  Various advocates are currently into this “animal preservation” stuffs. Our leaders in the government continue to provide laws to fight the extinction of rare ones. Millions of experts are continuously discovering facts about animals every single day.  An angle or theory that involves the animals is always present in our science laboratories and books.  In a sense, a house without a pet cannot be considered a home.

Animals are probably the next best thing to human beings when it comes to the idea of existence and such other aspects.  Unfortunately, these animals are among those who have been continually victimized by selfish and abusive people.  The animals have been suffering long enough because of man’s “inhuman” activities.  Wide varieties of those are fast becoming rare due to extinction.  But before humanity’s next generation comes along, it would be at least, on our own little way preserve vital information on them and share the same as those next in line may not see and enjoy them anymore. (knock on wood…)

I was fortunate enough to visit some cyber zoos and gather some interesting, odd and funny stuffs about our favorite animals.  You may have already known some but it may be a new fact to others, so here it goes… (Let’s pretend that we are all on our first zoo trip and try to classify the animals according to what’s in front of us – in random)

Do you know that…….;

A.  Birds and anything that flies

• The eye of the ostrich’s is much bigger than its brain (poor bird);

• Nectar bats is recorded to have longest tongue amongst all mammals;

• A total of 14 feet worms is just enough for a baby robin’s day;

• Singapore is home to the world’s largest bird;

• White eggs are what all owls produce;

• The kiwi cannot fly and lays only a single egg yearly;

• The Americans tried to train bats in World War II to drop bombs (then came batman….maybe);

• Some birds from South America do breed in the summer in Canada;

• When exiting a cave, bats always do turn left (one way, I guess);

• Birds cannot go into outer space as they will die of choking (leave it to superman);

• An additional pigeon must always be present when a female is about to lay eggs;

• The feathers of a pigeon weigh more than its bones.

• You can find 40 different muscles in a bird’s wing (now that’s a lot!).

• Amongst any other bird, the Woodpeckers have longer tongues;

• A “quack” (duck) does not echo; (hey Donald, you mind explaining this?);

• Most bird’s babies are born with their eyes open;

• The Flamingos live up to as long as 80 years.

• The Philippines’ “Kalaw” bird makes a load noise each noon and known as the clock of the mountains; and,

• Hens does not have any teeth;

B.  Mammals

• The sometimes pesky rats cannot actually burp;

• The only dog that is capable of getting gout is the Dalmatian;

• Speaking of rats, their babies are called “pinkies”;

• Some of the no-no’s to a dog as it is considered toxic is the Macadamia nuts;

• The largest cat in the world is the Siberian Tiger;

• 70% of a cat’s day is mostly spent on sleeping;

• Koala bears and humans has one thing in common – their fingerprints can be mistakenly recognized;

• Rabbits don’t and cannot vomit;

• The ears of the elephant are used actually used to regulate its body temperature;

• And these large mammals (elephants) do also cry;

• During ancient times, captains of the ships maintain pigs on board (lucky charm?);

• All mammals actually have tongues;

• To protect themselves from sand in the deserts, Camels has three eyelids;

• The actual length of a giraffe’s tongue is 18 to 20 inches long (tongue twister?);

• A mere blink of a dog shows that he’s being friendly;

• A strand of a Reindeer’s hair is as hollow as a tube;

• It was in 1773 that the kangaroo’s first picture was seen;

• They usually kept some cats in the Tower of London – Lions;

• Bulls are basically colorblind and it is not the color that the matadors’ wave that makes them angry.  Its actually the matador’s motion;

• One of the koala’s ancestors is the wombat;

• And these animals actually spends 18 hours a day sleeping;

• There are actually eight existing bear species all over the world;

• Hippos are killer animals and have killed more African people than any other wild animal;

• Hippos’ real name meaning is “river horse”;

• A horse eats more of his weight.  A 1200-pound horse will eat about 7 times of his own weight yearly (Wow, that’s what I call an appetite!);

• Apart from using it for its body temperature, the Elephant’s ear is so unique and can actually be used to identify fingerprints (take a look at this FBI guys);

• Talk about maturity, the Elephants, by the time they are 13 or 14 years old, are believed to have reached their puberty;

• It’s amazing that Cows really don’t have any upper front teeth;

• Wild cats have scattered its 36 species all around the world; and,

• An Elephant’s death is not caused by its old age but by his hunger (It’s feeding time!);

C.  Fishes and others that swim

• Try this if you want:  hide a Goldfish in a room that is dark and the humble fish will eventually turn into white (Magic!);

• The seahorse has approximately 35 species;

• How loud a blue whale shouts – 188 decibels or more (Shhhhh!);

• Pacific salmon has five species (delicious!);

• Jaws’ killer whale can actually swim at a speed 50km/h or more;

• 27,000 – number of taste buds that a catfish has;

• The expensive Lobster was believed to be a food for poor people back then;

• Talk about readiness, the Parrotfish have their own sleeping bags for them to doze on anytime they feel like;

• Fish scales are the common ingredient present on some lipsticks;

• Not all jellyfish has brains (they do?);

• Shrimps are all born as males but some of them eventually grow to be females (sex change?);

• The heart of a blue whale actually beats nine times per minute;

• Man does not know that sharks cannot get sick of cancer;

• It takes about two days out of the water before a climbing perch fish die;

• For a shrimp, empty his head and you’ll get his heart;

• Dissect a Starfish and you’ll find no brain; and,

• But it can actually re-grow a torn arm (of the five?);

D.  Reptiles

• The chameleons has tongues that are much longer than its body length;

• “A terrible lizard”.  That’s what the word “dinosaur”  (Greek) actually means;

• In swallowing large amounts of food, Kermit and his likes actually use their eyeballs (and the tongue for seeing?);

• You can make faces with a croc as it cannot stick its tongue out in return;

• Giving birth to as close as 200 is one of Puff Adder Snake’s amazing abilities (Better get her some nannies!);

• The world’s largest Crocodile Farm can be found in Thailand;

• With a slight resemblance to humans, Snakes are believed to continue to grow until the day they die;

• New Zealand’s Tuatara lizards have three eyes.  Two at the center of the head and one at the top;

• Arizona’s Gopher Snake are not poisonous but can imitate the hiss that a rattlesnake makes (copycat!);

• A mallet chipping rock and a tinkling bell – that’s how a tree frog croak sound like;

• The Caribbean islands lizard is 16-millimeter in length, the smallest reptile in the world;

• Approximately two weeks is all it takes for the sloth to digest their food.

E.  Tiny little creatures (these one’s are noteworthy of their cruelties and killer instincts)

• The lovely Butterflies actually has their sense of taste in their feet;

• The praying mantis’ mating process starts with the female ripping her mate’s head off. (Ouch!) This is a fact because the male cannot “do” it with its head attached to his body (Shy, perhaps!);

• A Person who is sensitive can be easily killed by Fire Ants (small wonders!);

• Never let a honey bee sting you because the same dies after stinging;

• It is true that Spiderman’s ancestors as well as himself, are not insects after all;

• More the king sprees…The Black Widow female spider oftentimes devours on the male ones after mating;

• “White man’s flies” are what the Indians call the Honey bees during those times.

There you are, a rundown on some of the millions of fascinating facts about our favorite animals, pets and not so “pet-table” creatures that have been together with us since time immemorial.  And please remember and always bear in mind to be kind to animals, please.

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