My Science School

Seahorses can change color, move their eyes independently of one another, and even have prehensile tails (like monkeys). The fact that male seahorses also get pregnant and give birth is sure to leave you in total awe of these fascinating fish!

While we celebrate all the scuba diving, freediving, and ocean-loving dads out there, we also want to give a big shout out to the most unique dads that call the underwater world home. In the entire animal kingdom, male seahorses (and their close relatives) are the only male animals that undergo pregnancy and give birth to offspring.

Although male seahorses carry the eggs, they don’t make them. After the male and female seahorses spend time courting, the female deposits her eggs inside the male’s pouch. The male then fertilizes the eggs inside the pouch. Instead of growing their babies inside a uterus like human moms do, seahorse dads carry their babies in a pouch. Their pouch provides oxygen and nutrients, as well as regulates temperature, blood flow, and salinity for the developing eggs.

Depending on the species, male seahorses typically carry their eggs for 2 -4 weeks. Then, they give birth to 100 – 1,000 babies at a time. That’s a lot of adorable, teeny tiny seahorses! Like human moms, seahorse dads give birth through energetically costly muscular contractions.

Credit : PADI

Picture Credit : Google

The hippopotamus or hippo mystified ancient Greeks because it appeared to sweat blood. Although hippos do sweat a red liquid, it isn't blood. The animals secrete a sticky liquid that acts as a sunscreen and topical antibiotic.

Initially, hippo perspiration is colorless. As the viscous liquid polymerizes, it changes color to red and eventually brown. Droplets of perspiration resemble drops of blood, although blood would wash away in water, while hippo perspiration sticks to the animal's wet skin. This is because the hippo's "blood sweat" contains a high amount of mucous.

Yoko Saikawa and his research team at Kyoto Pharmaceutical University, Japan, identified non-benzenoid aromatic compounds as the orange and red pigment molecules. These compounds are acidic, conferring protection against infection. The red pigment, called "hipposudoric acid"; and the orange pigment, called "norhipposudoric acid", appear to be amino acid metabolites. Both pigments absorb ultraviolet radiation, while the red pigment also acts as an antibiotic.

Credit : ThoughtCo

Picture Credit : Google

Newborn hares, called leverets, are fully developed at birth—furred with open eyes—while newborn rabbits, called kittens or kits, are born undeveloped, with closed eyes, no fur, and an inability to regulate their own temperature, Stott said.

Before the 18th century, rabbits were called coneys. The term for young coneys was rabbits. However, that name began to take over in popularity. By the 18th century, rabbit was the more widely used name for these creatures.

It is believed that the term bunny is a leftover mispronunciation of coney. The name bunny was also a popular name used to refer to a young girl.

Another tale of the origin of how the word bunny exploded in popularity relates to the Easter holiday. The tale of the Easter bunny laying eggs for children was originally referred to as an Easter hare. However, it was felt that the name Easter hare was not appealing or cute enough, so it was changed to the Easter bunny.

Whichever is the true origin, it is undeniable that the term bunny is much more widely used when referring to baby rabbits than the word kitten. Rabbits are considered kittens for the first 9 months of their lives. After this, they are fully grown adults.

Credit : Simplemost 

Picture Credit : Google

Polar bears have white fur so that they can camouflage into their environment. Their coat is so well camouflaged in Arctic environments that it can sometimes pass as a snow drift. Interestingly, the polar bear’s coat has no white pigment; in fact, a polar bear’s skin is black and its hairs are hollow. They have a thick layer of body fat, which keeps them warm while swimming, and a double-layered coat that insulates them from the cold Arctic air.

Polar bear paws are ideal for getting around in the Arctic.

They’re huge—as big as dinner plates—and measure up to 30 cm (11.81 in) across. This helps the bears walk on thin ice without falling through. 

The polar bear’s super-paws are also designed for swimming. The forepaws act like large paddles and their hind paws serve as rudders.

Black footpads on the bottom of each paw are covered by small, soft bumps known as papillae.

Papillae grip the ice and keep the bear from slipping. Tufts of fur between their toes and footpads help with warmth, as well.

Thick, curved, sharp, and strong—each measures more than 5 cm (1.97 in) long. Polar bears use their claws to catch and hold slippery seal prey and to gain traction on ice.

Credit : Polar Bears International

Picture Credit : Google

Butterflies don’t really have mouths, much less taste buds, to help them decide if food tastes good or bad. Instead, they use their feet!

To eat, a butterfly unwinds a long, skinny part of its body called a proboscis, and sucks up liquids like nectars and juices. It works for nutrients, but the proboscis does not have sensors to determine taste. Instead, those sensors are located on the back of the butterfly’s legs. The insect will step on its food to sense dissolving sugars.  Even more importantly, a female butterfly will use her feet to drum on a plant and “taste” its juices. This helps her decide if the leaf would be edible to a caterpillar, and therefore, if she has found a suitable place to lay eggs.

In butterflies, these chemoreceptors lie on the tarsus. Insect legs are subdivided into different segments, as the picture below shows. The tarsus is located distally, meaning “away from the body”.

Just as humans can taste the sweet in sugar and the bitterness of medicine, insects can sense different tastes too! They can sense sweet, bitter, sour and salty through their chemoreceptors.

This strategy is crucial for butterfly survival. In a review published in Insect Molecular Biology, the authors noted that multiple behavioral studies have shown that butterflies use taste to make many important choices. This informs not only what in their surroundings is food, but also guides them in choosing a mate, and deciding where to lay their eggs.

Credit : Science ABC

Picture Credit : Google

The story about Benjamin Franklin wanting the National Bird to be a turkey is just a myth. This false story began as a result of a letter Franklin wrote to his daughter criticizing the original eagle design for the Great Seal, saying that it looked more like a turkey. In the letter, Franklin wrote that the “Bald Eagle...is a Bird of bad moral Character. He does not get his Living honestly…[he] is too lazy to fish for himself.”

About the turkey, Franklin wrote that in comparison to the bald eagle, the turkey is “a much more respectable Bird, and withal a true original Native of America...He is besides, though a little vain & silly, a Bird of Courage.” So although Benjamin Franklin defended the honor of the turkey against the bald eagle, he did not propose its becoming one of America’s most important symbols.

The story that Franklin proposed the turkey as the national symbol began to circulate in American newspapers around the time of the country’s centennial and are based on a January 26, 1784, letter in which he panned the eagle and extolled the virtues of the gobbler to his daughter, Sarah. In doing so, though, he was not delivering a critique of the Great Seal but a new medal issued by the Society of the Cincinnati, an association of Continental Army veterans. “For my own part I wish the bald eagle had not been chosen as the representative of our country,” he wrote. The Founding Father argued that the eagle was “a bird of bad moral character” that “does not get his living honestly” because it steals food from the fishing hawk and is “too lazy to fish for himself.”

In contrast, Franklin called the turkey “a much more respectable bird” and “a true original native of America.” While he considered the eagle “a rank coward,” Franklin believed the turkey to be “a bird of courage” that “would not hesitate to attack a grenadier of the British Guards who should presume to invade his farm yard with a red coat on.” While the private letter was a spirited promotion of the turkey over the eagle, Franklin never made his views public, and when the chance had been given to him to officially propose a symbol for the United States eight years earlier, his idea was biblical, not avian.

Credit : History

Picture Credit : Google

Most spiders have eight eyes. Some have no eyes and others have as many as 12 eyes. Most can detect only between light and dark, while others have well-developed vision. Experiments have demonstrated that some spiders can recognize and respond to specific shapes on television monitors. However they're equipped to see, all spiders have highly evolved systems to detect prey and danger.

Some spiders can't see at all. Most spiders don't see very well. Many have eyes that only help them distinguish between light and dark. Only a few species can see well in enough detail to be able to hunt prey effectively.

Those facts may surprise some people. Why? Because spiders have so many eyes! Most spiders have eight eyes. Some species have six or fewer eyes, but they always come in an even number.

Some species of spiders, such as those that live in caves or under the soil, have no eyes at all. Even those species with eight eyes don't usually see very well. For example, most spiders that spin webs have poor eyesight and rely upon their senses of touch and smell to navigate their webs and find prey.

Credit : Wonderopolis 

Picture Credit : Google

Hummingbirds are fascinating and impressive birds. They are not only the smallest migrating bird, measuring 7.5–13 centimeters in length, generally, but they are also the only known birds that can fly backward. The hummingbird moves their wings in figure eight, which allows the bird to easily move backward in the air. Their wing-flapping rates can reach 80 beats per second, and their heart rates can reach 1,260 beats per minute. Their wings beat so fast that they make a humming noise, which ended up earning the bird its name.

With such rapid metabolism, hummingbirds have a long lifespan. A female broad-tailed hummingbird was recorded to live as long as 12 years old. The lifespan of north American species is about three to five years on average.

While in flight, hummingbirds have the highest metabolism among all animals except for insects. This supports their constant wing beating during flights and while hovering. It has been estimated that they can beat their wings at a high rate of 88 times per second. The structure and muscle in a hummingbird’s wings give it total control over the way it flies. This is not present in other birds. Through this, they can fly sideways, backward and forward, even diagonally.

Their shoulder is connected via a ball and socket joint, which gives them the liberty to rotate their wings 180 degrees in every direction. The small size of this bird also allows it to change direction anytime and fly faster and easier than any other bird. It has been observed that the hummingbird exert the same energy when it flies backward and forward. This means flying backward is a normal activity for them, just like flying forward is.

Credit :  CGTN

Picture Credit : Google

No animal has a more distinctive coat than the zebra. Each animal's stripes are as unique as fingerprints—no two are exactly alike—although each of the three species has its own general pattern.

Why do zebras have stripes at all? Scientists aren't sure, but many theories center on their utility as some form of camouflage. The patterns may make it difficult for predators to identify a single animal from a running herd and distort distance at dawn and dusk. Or they may dissuade insects that recognize only large areas of single-colored fur or act as a kind of natural sunscreen. Because of their uniqueness, stripes may also help zebras recognize one another.

Zebras are social animals that spend time in herds. They graze together, primarily on grass, and even groom one another.

Plains zebras are the most common species. They live in small family groups consisting of a male (stallion), several females, and their young. These units may combine with others to form awe-inspiring herds thousands of head strong, but family members will remain close within the herd.

Zebras must be constantly wary of lions and hyenas. A herd has many eyes alert to danger. If an animal is attacked, its family will come to its defense, circling the wounded zebra and attempting to drive off predators.

Credit :  National Geographic

Picture Credit : Google

A snake may appear threatening when it flicks its tongue out, but it's simply trying to get a better sense of its surroundings by "tasting" the air.

To compensate for their poor eyesight and limited hearing , most snakes have an excellent sense of smell. Although snakes have nostrils, they also use their tongues to pick up the scent of nearby prey or predators.

When a snake flicks its tongue, it collects odors that are present in miniscule moisture particles floating through the air. The snake darts the tongue into its Jacobson's organ, which is located inside the roof of the snake's mouth.

The prongs of the forked tongue fit perfectly into the two holes in the Jacobson's organ, which is also known as the vomeronasal organ. After the tongue transfers the moisture-borne scent particles into the vomeronasal organ's opening, some of the chemical compounds they contain bind to the organ's receptor molecules. These receptors send sensory messages to the reptile's brain , which interprets the sensory information as a smell, such as the scent of a mouse.

While the moisture-borne odor particles are detected through Jacobson's organ, air-borne scent particles are analyzed through the snake's nasal chamber, which also contains sensory cells that interpret smells.

Credit : Live Science

Picture Credit : Google

Courtship involves calling. The male calls to the female for attention, to attract the female to a suitable nest, although this may vary from one species to another. The calling may be accompanied with the provision of food, by displaying the prey animals. Copulation may follow once the female accepts the food. In order to initiate breeding among owls, they call and sing. The song plays two important roles, which are for claiming the territory and to attract mates, although the male’s song exercise reduces drastically after pairing. Owls looking for mates may sing endlessly until a mate is found. The uniqueness of the female’s song over the male’s lies in higher pitch and clarity. Males of Tengmalm’s owls (Aegolius funereus) are known to utter only a few phrases of song whenever they bring food for their mates. Copulation among owls may take place in rocks, branches or in the nest, with the female carrying the male’s gift with which she has been ‘bribed’ with her bill, as shown in Figure 4. Females may wander from nests to nests but males are noted to be more faithful to territories. Owls may inhabit different locations for breeding purposes, Tengmalm’s owls, Northern Hawk owls (Surnia ulula) and Tawny owls may inhabit tree holes, larger open cavities of tree stumps or natural holes, respectively.

Owls are known to be monogamous. The same mates may stay together for breeding purposes for several years, although variation may exist from one species to another. The sole responsibility of the female owls during breeding is to lay eggs, incubate and hatch them. It is the responsibility of the male to hunt and provide food for the mate during breeding. The feeding of the mate starts prior to the laying of eggs and continues till about 2 weeks after the eggs are hatched. At about 2 weeks after the eggs are hatched, both parents provide for the brood till they become independent at about 10–12 weeks of age.

Credit : IntechOpen

Picture Credit : Google

Piranhas can make different sounds, especially when they’re feeling afraid or defensive. They may bark, grunt or make thudding or drumming sounds. To do this, they use their swimbladder, an organ most fish have that helps them float in water.

Piranhas live in groups called schools or shoals. Usually a shoal has about 20 individuals but sometimes can have over 100. Swimming together helps keep the fish safe from predators, including larger fish, crocodiles, birds and mammals like jaguars and humans. Piranhas spend most of their day hiding and looking for food.

Piranhas eat smaller fish and nips of other fish’s tails, bugs and worms, crustaceans and carrion (dead meat). Some are omnivorous, eating plants and seeds as well as meat, and one species in Brazil is reported to only eat river weeds. These fish help maintain healthy ecosystems as both predators and scavengers.

Red bellied piranhas are known to be carnivorous and hunt in packs. They can smell and sense movement. At Berkshire Museum, they eat worms and frozen fish called smelt. If one of the piranha in pack is weak or sick, the others will eat it.

Credit : Aquarium Facts

Picture Credit : Google

Dolphins also communicate through a series of clicking sounds and whistles, each with their own unique vocal pitch. These differences in vocal pitch are essential to communicating within the pod so dolphins can decipher who’s speaking.  

Beyond echolocation, clicking and whistling, dolphins communicate with a variety of body language signals including tail and flipper slapping on water, leaping out of water, bumping each other and spy hopping. Depending on the hardness and repetition, tail and flipper slaps can serve as a warning to other dolphins of nearby danger, or be a sign of playful communication. Dolphins can also use their tail and flipper slaps to indicate specific desires, if they’re hungry or if they simply want to play.

Sky hopping is when a dolphin pokes their head above the surface of the water for an extended period of time to survey their surroundings. It’s believed dolphins use this technique to keep an eye out for predators.

Dolphins also communicate through physical contact. Hard bumping with the head and charging are aggressive signals dolphins use to ward off competing males during mating periods. On the other fin, gentle bumping and touching are signs of affection.

Credit : Discovery Cove

Picture Credit : Google

Elephants use their trunks much like people use their hands, and the ends of their trunks are more sensitive than human fingertips. Trunks have as many as 100,000 different muscles and play a central role in the animals' communication with each other. Elephants stroke or caress each others' heads and backs with their trunks to console or comfort loved ones. Calves place the tips of their trunks in their mothers' mouths for reassurance -- a gesture repeated by lower-ranking elephants in interactions with the herd's matriarch. When engaging in courtship behavior, elephant couples engage in friendly trunk wrestling and entwine their trunks together.

Elephants rely on touch and visual cues frequently to express emotions. Whether grazing or gathering around a water hole, family members are in near-constant contact, flapping ears and rubbing bodies together to show care and compassion for one another. When a herd member dies, elephants press together and console each other, grieving for the loss and touching the dead with their trunks and feet. They also have a number of playful, friendly gestures such as flapping ears or flicking tails that express their feelings of camaraderie with their family members.

The bond between mothers and their calves is closer than any other in the herd. Mothers consistently touch their calves, whether taking their tails to guide them or running their trunks lovingly over their heads. Mothers and other herd members are quick to assist a baby or juvenile who's fallen down or gotten stuck. These protective behaviors and empathetic impulses extend beyond the mother-calf relationship to include other members of the herd as well. For example, if a herd member is injured, the rest of the herd may travel more slowly in solidarity so the injured animal isn't left behind.

Credit : Pets on Mom.com

Picture Credit : Google

If the food is nearby, the bee performs a round dance by traveling in loops in alternating directions. The round dance doesn't convey much information about exactly where the food is. However, it's generally close enough that the worker bees can smell it fairly quickly.

When the food is far away, the scout performs a waggle dance. During the waggle dance, the scout runs in a straight line while waggling her abdomen, and then returns to the starting point by running in a curve to the left or right of the line. The straight line indicates the direction of the food in relation to the sun. If the bee runs straight up the hive wall, then the foragers can find the food by flying toward the sun. If she runs straight down the wall, then the foragers can find the food by flying away from the sun. As the dance progresses, the dancing bee adjusts the angle of the waggle run to match the movement of the sun.

The speed of the returning loops lets the other bees know about the quality of the food source, but the bees learn where to go by following the waggle run. By vibrating her wings and waggling her abdomen, the dancing bee moves a lot of air. The bees around her can feel this air movement. The ones directly behind her, where the air movement is greatest, get a clear idea of where to fly and how far to travel. Once they reach the described position, they begin flying in a search pattern until they find the food source. After that, they make up to a dozen trips back and forth between the hive and the food, remembering the food's position each time. During each trip, each bee can carry half her weight in pollen or nectar. If necessary, they perform a tremble dance, in which they run in many directions while trembling, to encourage the other bees to begin unloading nectar.

Credit : How Stuff Works

Picture Credit : Google