Ants - life underwater | BBC wildlife

Do you know that:
Ants started farming long before human beings.
Ants are capable of carrying objects 50 times their own body weight with their mandibles.
Around 700,000 members can be found in a typical Ant colony of Army ants.

Sometimes soldier ants use their heads to plug the entrances to their nests and keep intruders from gaining access.
Ants lived alongside the dinosaurs over 100 million years ago.
Certain ant species defend plants in exchange for food and shelter.

Every ant has two stomachs. In the first one it stores food for itself and in the second it stores food that is to be shared with other ants.
The total biomass of all the ants on Earth is roughly equal to the total biomass of all the people on Earth.
The ants have very strong legs. They help them to run very quickly.

Ants sometimes herd or tend to insects of other species, like aphids or leafhoppers.
The common Black Ants and Wood Ants have no sting, but they can squirt a spray of formic acid.
Ants are capable of enslaving other ants, keeping them captive and making them do work for the colony.

The average life expectancy of an ant is 45-60 days.
Some ants form "super-colonies,". These are massive communities of ants that can stretch for thousands of miles.
If a worker ant has found a good source for food, it leaves a trail of scent. The other ants follow those scent trails laid by scout ants to gather food.
At night the worker ants move the eggs and larvae deep into the nest to protect them from cold.

March of the Penguins and "Flying Penguins"

Do you know that:
Penguins can adapt to various climates.
They waddle while walking.
Baby penguins have soft feathers. Those feathers are known as down.

Penguins live in large colonies called rookeries.
Penguins spend most of their lives in water.
Penguins have the ability to walk faster than humans.

Penguins use body language to communicate with each other.
They don’t fear humans but are endangered by oil spills, water pollution, and the over harvesting of ocean fish.
Penguins have more feathers per square inch and that keeps them warm in frigid waters.

Penguins are very social creatures.
Their body is insulated with a thick layer of blubber that keeps them warm.
Penguins can hold their breath under water - for about 20 minutes.

Rockhopper penguins have very loud calls and are very noisy.
Penguins are dresses in classic white and black. They are counter-shaded for camouflage.
The baby penguins count on their parents for food until they grow up with waterproof juvenile feathers.

Penguins can leap out of water while swimming.
They pick up stones and store them in their crop. This helps them to float when they are in water.
Penguins can control their blood flow through the amount of fat in their bodies.

Here is a very funny video – BBC: Penguins April fool joke:

Dog and cat funny play

The Komodo dragon

Do you know that:
People believe that there are now only 4 thousands Komodo dragons left on the planet.
The Komodo dragon has a long life expectancy of about 50 years.
There are about 4 times as many male Komodos as females, in the wild.

Komodo dragons are easily confused with crocodiles. They are called the “Ora” or “land crocodile” by locals.
The Komodo dragon is the heaviest and largest living lizard in the world.
Komodos are able to grow as long as 10 feet and weigh more than 300 pounds.

Komodo dragons eat almost any kind of meat.
Komods are able to see prey and other objects as far as 985 feet away.
These dragons can run just as fast as humans can - up to 11 miles an hour. They just tire quickly.

There was an old belief in China that the tail of a dragon, when ground into powder, was a powerful medicine. Some believed that it could even stop a person from growing old!
The Komodo dragon is able to eat almost 80% of its weight in one meal.
Komodos hunting strategy is very simply. They will go for the feet, and bring down the prey. Then the Komodo dragon will rip its victim to pieces.

The Komodo dragons ancestors date back over 100 million years.
Komodos mouth saliva contains a host of deadly bacteria.
A Komodo will go through about 4 or 5 sets of teeth in his life.

These dragons have no natural enemies. The greatest threat they face is from other dragons, and humans.
Once a female dragon lays her eggs, she never comes back to check up on them.
Young Komodo dragons are able to climb trees, to help protect them, and to find food.

Hedgehogs - cute and funny animals

Do you know that:
Hedgehogs possess incredible sense of smelling.
Hedgies can be found in woods, parks, farmland, gardens.
All hedgehogs are capable of swimming and climbing trees.

When hedgies are born, their spines are very short and very soft.
Hedgehogs eat mice, birds, worms, slugs, adore eggs and various plants and fruits.
Hedgehogs Latin (scientific) name is “Erinaceus europaeus”.

Hedgehogs are nocturnal animals. Also they hibernate from November to the end of March every year.
Strangely hedgies live up to 3 years in the wild and in captivity – up to 10 years.
Hedgehogs prefer leading solitary lives.

Hedgehogs are very loud animals. They make various rather loud sounds (sneezing, snorting, purring, squealing, etc.).
Hedgies are born with closed eyes.
Many people posses hedgehogs as pets. Hedgies are very interesting to look at, they are not aggressive and have no odour.