lets learn about things

[Xena]

I just saw a moth bouncing around the window trying to get to my lamp (it was outside trying to get in) and it occurred to me that I didn't know exactly WHY moths are attracted to light. Is it because they think it's the moon? Or is that just a myth? hmm

anyway I googled moths, and it took me to wikipedia, and I've just spent the past 20 minutes randomly reading about moths and butterflies. It was pretty interesting.

So I was just thinking, there must a TON of stuff I don't know about. Things that it's just never occurred to me to find out about.

So who's up for a spot of learning something new?

I challenge the next person to go and read up about hippos

they have to read about hippos, then list five facts about hippos they didn't know before

then set the challenge for the next person anything they think the next person won't already know much about.



edit: incidentally, my 5 facts about moths and butterflies are:

1) The study of butterflies and moths is known as lepidoptery

2) Most butterflies have thin slender filamentous antennae which are club shaped at the end. Moths, on the other hand, often have comb-like or feathery antennae, or filamentous and unclubbed.

3) Some butterflies have evolved symbiotic and parasitic relationships with social insects such as ants.

4) There are an estimated 17,500 species of butterflies (Papilionoidea) out of about 180,000 species of Lepidoptera.

5) Many butterflies migrate over long distances.

 

[Melanie]

1. Hippos are too heavy to swim, but navigate under water by walking on the bottom or pushing off against the bottom of the river.

2, Hippos have killed more than 400 people in Africa - more than any other wild animal.

3. The hippo's yawn is not a sign of sleepiness or boredom but is actually a threat gesture, displaying long, thick, razor-sharp canine teeth, or tusks, with which it is capable of biting a small boat in half.

4. Hippo's excrete a natural sunscreen through their pores which turns red and then brown as it dries and protects their skin.

5. A group of hippos can called a herd, bloat, or crash.


I think id like the next person to tell me about hedgehogs.

 

[Misslarue]

What a great thread!! I love learning new facts and always try and make 'mental notes' of everything I read! Sorry I haven't got time to look for hedgehogs as Dan and I have got to go out but I will def play later

..............I knew hippos are really dangerous but never knew they were too heavy to swim and walked along the bottom. You learn something new everyday!

 

[maybebaby]

Fantastic idea! Here are my facts about hedgehogs:

1. There are no hedgehogs native to Australia

2. Some folk names for the hedgehog include 'urchin', 'hedgepig' and 'furze-pig'

3. In 2006, McDonald's changed the design of their McFlurry containers to be more hedgehog-friendly. Previously, hedgehogs would get their heads stuck in the container as they tried to lick the remaining food from inside the cup. Then, being unable to get out, they would starve to death.

4. Hedgehogs have a natural immunity to snake venom

5. The male hedgehog's penis is in the middle of his tummy and the female can curl her tail up so that her vulva protrudes behind the rest of her body. This means that the male doesn't have to get completely on top when they mate, reducing the chances of him being stabbed!


Can the next person please find out 5 things about... clouds

By the way Xena did you find out why moths are attracted to light?

 

[chickadee1976]

Hedgehog spines are made from Keratin. the same as humans nails.

Hedgehogs are lactose intolerant and will make themselves ill eating milk and cheese left out for them by well meaning people.

It is possible for a hedgehog's lung to be injured in such a fashion that air is trapped under its skin, causing it to inflate to enormous size

Hedgehogs are used as food in many cultures.
A common recipe is to cover a hedgehog with clay and bake it. The hedgehog is then removed and the clay cracked open, taking the spikes of the hedgehog with it

Id like someone to tell me about pandas

 

[x-kirsty-x]

Great thread, I love learning new stuff

Clouds:

1) Each of the droplets in a cloud are about one hundred times smaller than a raindrop.

2) The cumulonimbus cloud is the biggest of them all, reaching up to 6 miles in height and holding half a million tons of water.

3) The single cloud can be anything from a few metres long, to over 10 miles long.

4) A greenish tinge to a cloud is produced when sunlight is scattered by ice. A cloud which shows green is an imminent sign of heavy rain, hail, strong winds and possible tornadoes.

5) Red, orange and pink clouds occur almost entirely at sunrise/sunset and are the result of the scattering of sunlight by the atmosphere. The clouds are not that color; they are reflecting the long (and unscattered) rays of sunlight which are predominant at those hours.

Still got Pandas to do for chickadee, but I also want to learn about DREAMS

 

[LilysMummy]

Dreams:

*You would be amazed to know that usually children watch nightmares. The usual age group is 3 and it continues up to 8.
*Blind people also view dreams. Their images are in accordance of the time when they got blind.
*Good news for those who snore a lot. You cannot dream while snoring.
*If you are giving up smoking then get ready for some long and intense dreams.
*Kids up to the age of 3 and 4 never dream about themselves.


I would like to know about Ducks

 

[zebrastripes]

- Ducks make really bad mothers. if you want your duck eggs to hatch, stick em under a hen.

- Ducks have retractable penises. The argentinian duck has the largest penis in the world.

- Aylesbury ducks are really thick

- Ducks often think they are hens as a result of being hatched by one. They will often try to hump hens. This must be stopped as they could break the hens back.

-Unlike hens,Ducks will not go into their duckhouse of their own accord but must be herded in. otherwise they will roost in the open and be eaten by a fox.

- Ducks need water, but not as much as you'd think. An old bathtub will do.

Sorry, this is just gleaned from my knowledge of our ducks!

 

[A&J]

What a great thread!

Pandas

1) There are two different species of Pandas:

* Ailuropoda melanoleuca (Giant Panda Bear)
* Ailurus fulgens (Red Panda, or Lesser Panda)


2) The name of a male is referred to as a boar or he-bear
The name of a female is referred to as a sow or she-bear


3) Giant Pandas spend up to 16 hours eating

4) Giant Panda Bears do not hibernate during the winter.

5) The Giant Panda sticks mostly to the ground, the Red Panda spends a lot of time in the trees.

How about Kangaroos for the next person?

 

[MagicMarkers]

My Kangaroo facts,

Kangaroos can move at a speed of upto 40 mph and most kangaroos can only move both back legs together and not one at a time, and cannot walk backwards !

Kangaroos live in groups called "mobs" lol a mob of kangaroos !

Kangaroos can have 3 babies at one time. One becoming mature and just out of the pouch, another developing in the pouch and one embryo in pause mode. There are 4 teats in the pouch and each provides different milk for the different stages of development.

(had to copy and paste that one cus it made me go )

Kangaroos need very little water to survive and are capable of going for months without drinking at all.

One species of kangaroo is only 2.5 centimetres long when it is born and
newborn kangaroos weigh around 0.03 ounces which is small enough to fit in a teaspoon.



Well interesting thread relli feel like iv gained some useless yet entertaining knowledge.

Id like to know about walrus's please

 

[Misslarue]

Walruses can live for up to 40 years.

Walruses live in large herds, sometimes with more than 2000 individuals.

Their skin can be 4cm thick and the blubber beneath can reach 15cm in thickness.

Walrus gestation is 15 to 16 months.

Most walruses have 18 teeth. A walrus' upper canine teeth are modified into long ivory tusks.

Id like to know about Thomas Jefferson

 

[JoAnn&Aimee]

Thomas Jefferson:

1. Thomas Jefferson was born on 13th April, 1743.

2. He was the 3rd of 8 children.

3. He was the 3rd president of the united states and was in office from 4th March, 1801 - 4th March, 1809.

4. Thomas tried to eliminate all crimes that were punishable to death in Virginia except for murder and treason. He was defeated by just one vote.

5. He died on 4th July, 1826 which was the 50th anniversary of the adoption of the Declaration of Independance.

I want to learn about dolphins!

 

[LilysMummy]

1. Dolphins can swim up to 260 m. below the surface of the ocean, although they are mainly shallow divers.

2. Dolphins can stay up to 15 minutes under water although they usually stay only a few minutes diving.

3. Dolphins use a technique called echolocation to find food and navigate.

4. There are 32 species of ocean dolphins and 5 species of river dolphins.

5. The largest dolphin is the "killer whale" (orca), which can grow to 6.1 meters long.

Tell me about Orchids