Why doves are a symbol of peace

Do you know the reason why doves are a symbol of peace? If you can't give the best answer, here are suggestions for you

That’s a very interesting question. These gentle birds, that mate for life and take care of their young, were used as a peace symbol almost universally from the beginning of recorded history. The birds have always nested in areas close to developments with an unusual trust that they will be unharmed or even protected by humans. Egyptians were the first to record doves used in ceremonies to announce, to the people, the rise of a new pharaoh.

Central Asia also has a legend about two kings heading for war. One king calls for his armor and is told a dove has made a nest in his helmet. The king’s mother pleads with her son to leave the mother dove, a gentle bird associated with love, innocence, tenderness and purity, undisturbed.

The king agrees to leave the dove family and heads out to meet his enemy without protection. That might be one of the most awesome animal facts you had no idea before. The second king sees the king without armor and calls for a parley. Both kings lay down their weapons and talk. When the second king hears about the first king’s compassion for the mother dove he wonders if he has misjudged the man he thought was a tyrant. Both kings come to an agreement to seek peace for the two kingdoms instead of war. And the dove becomes known throughout the land as a bird of peace. 

In ancient Greek myth, Aphrodite, was often depicted with doves because She brought love and beauty and peace in which to enjoy the bounties of love. And the dove was the bird of Athena because it represented the renewal of life. How much do you know about tiger facts for kids ?

European superstition holds that the devil and witches can turn themselves into any bird shape except the Dove.

In Hinduism the dove is an emblem of the spirit, and the infinite capacity the spirit has for love.

Japan uses the dove with a sword as a symbol to announce the end of war. 

Some Native American cultures believe that the spirit of the recently deceased take the form of a dove. 

In America, perhaps the most well known depiction of the dove is from the bible. In the Old Testament a dove is released by Noah after the great flood to search for land. It returns with an olive branch to show that the Biblical flood has receded. The dove then symbolized deliverance and God's forgiveness. (Genesis 8:11). Take a quick look at funny pictures with captions that can help you reduce stress quickly.

These peaceful birds have woven themselves into histories of cultures all around the world through their gentle presence and fearlessness of humans. Their soulful calls and coos bring many people hope in a chaotic world.

Can pigs really digest everything but human teeth?

Can pigs really digest everything but human teeth? Reading and enjoying these below facts on pigs and the most awesome animals facts you had no idea before.

Pigs cannot digest human or animal teeth. Human bones can be digested by a pig if they have broken into small enough pieces after being chewed.

Pigs have a similar digestive system to human beings, according to everydayfactoflife. They eat both plants and animals to survive in the wild. All food eaten must be chewed extensively for a pig to properly digest it. Berries have the best nutritional content to keep a pig healthy. Domesticated pigs are descendants of the wild boar family that originated in Asia and Europe. Some species of pig have large front teeth and large tusks which they use for self defense and digging roots out of the ground. That might be one of the most awesome interesting facts ever.

Why do we have hair on our head?

That might be common question but not easy to answer: Why do we have hair on our head? If you can't give the best answer, check out this article to know interesting science facts

As with the traits of any animal, we have evolved in certain ways based on our environment and the need to adapt to that environment. The hair on our heads provides warmth for cooler seasons (since we lose approximately 25% of our body heat through our scalp). The hair on the head also provides protection from UV rays, and from minor injuries.

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Our earlier ancestors (evolutionally speaking) had much more hair on all parts of their bodies. But with technological advancements (learning to make and tend fires, finding or making shelter, etc.) we became better able to withstand our environment and the need for the excess of hair began to decrease. Those individuals who were born with less hair were just as able to survive, and therefore their subsequent generations had less hair.

Hair remained in specific locations because it served other purposes. The armpits and groin retained hair because those areas are key heat-release zones (as evidenced by the practice of using tepid compresses at these areas to reduce fever quickly). The hair in these areas serves as a lubricant for the joining points of the body and prevents chafing of the skin because of the friction of the areas rubbing together.

The scalp also may have kept hair because it helped the body retain heat, but there is also the likelihood that the hair of the scalp was seen as esthetically pleasing and therefore attracted a mate more readily.

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Cycads facts you had no idea about

Cycads are group of unique plants that appeared on the planet during Permian, 280 million years ago. Cycads can be found around the world. 70% of all species are native to China, Vietnam, Australia, South Africa and Mexico.

1. Certain types of cycads shed their leaves during extremely hot and dry season.
2. Some species of cycads look like palm trees, while others look like ferns at the first glance. Despite similarities in morphology, cycads, palms and ferns are not genetically related.
3. Cycads live in symbiosis (mutual beneficial relationship) with cyanobacteria which are able to fixate atmospheric nitrogen. These bacteria produce neurotoxin that can be found in various parts of the plant, including the seeds.
4. Cycads do not produce flowers. Male and female reproductive organs develop on separate plants (dioecious). Male plants produce egg-shaped cones that are usually yellow to brown in color. Female plants develop ovules and seeds on leafy structures called sporophylls.
5. Wind and beetles are in charge for the pollination. Cycads produce specific smell which attracts beetles and ensures successful pollination. Still boring? Check out our funny images to get relaxing moments in your freetime.
6. Cycads produce small seeds that are covered with yellow or reddish flesh. Even though seeds contain toxin, they are used in human diet in some parts of the world.
7. Cycads can be cultivated as houseplants. They can be propagated via seed or tissue cuttings.
8. Cycads are source of food for many animals. Larvae of certain butterflies and ants eat secretion from the leaves, cattle feeds on the leaves, while fruit bats eat seeds.
9. Cycads were used for the production of flour in the 9th century in India.
10. Certain types of cycads are known as bread trees because they contain starch which is important part of diet of indigenous people.
11. Leaves and cones of cycads are used in traditional Asian medicine.
12. Most cycads grow slowly, but they can survive over 1000 years in the wild.

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Cycads facts you had no idea about

Cycads are group of unique plants that appeared on the planet during Permian, 280 million years ago. Cycads can be found around the world. 70% of all species are native to China, Vietnam, Australia, South Africa and Mexico.

1. Certain types of cycads shed their leaves during extremely hot and dry season.
2. Some species of cycads look like palm trees, while others look like ferns at the first glance. Despite similarities in morphology, cycads, palms and ferns are not genetically related.
3. Cycads live in symbiosis (mutual beneficial relationship) with cyanobacteria which are able to fixate atmospheric nitrogen. These bacteria produce neurotoxin that can be found in various parts of the plant, including the seeds.
4. Cycads do not produce flowers. Male and female reproductive organs develop on separate plants (dioecious). Male plants produce egg-shaped cones that are usually yellow to brown in color. Female plants develop ovules and seeds on leafy structures called sporophylls.
5. Wind and beetles are in charge for the pollination. Cycads produce specific smell which attracts beetles and ensures successful pollination. Still boring? Check out our funny images to get relaxing moments in your freetime.
6. Cycads produce small seeds that are covered with yellow or reddish flesh. Even though seeds contain toxin, they are used in human diet in some parts of the world.
7. Cycads can be cultivated as houseplants. They can be propagated via seed or tissue cuttings.
8. Cycads are source of food for many animals. Larvae of certain butterflies and ants eat secretion from the leaves, cattle feeds on the leaves, while fruit bats eat seeds.
9. Cycads were used for the production of flour in the 9th century in India.
10. Certain types of cycads are known as bread trees because they contain starch which is important part of diet of indigenous people.
11. Leaves and cones of cycads are used in traditional Asian medicine.
12. Most cycads grow slowly, but they can survive over 1000 years in the wild.

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Weird science facts that will make you nervous

Do you know that fly larvae helps to heal wounds quicker? Enjoy our amazing science facts as below

Fly larvae helps to heal wounds quicker

Long ago, some doctors noticed soldiers that had maggots on their wounds healed quicker than those without maggots. Maggots eat the dead skin cells and bacteria. Maggot Therapy (also known as Maggot Debridement Therapy (MDT), larval therapy, larva therapy, or larvae therapy) is the intentional introduction of live, disinfected maggots or fly larvae into non-healing skin or soft tissue wounds of a human or other animal. This practice was widely used before the discovery of antibiotics, as it serves to clean the dead tissue within a wound in order to promote healing. 

Animals can naturally explode

Natural animal explosions can occur for a variety of reasons. On 2004, a buildup of gas inside a decomposing sperm whale, measuring 17 meters (56 ft.) long and weighing 50 tons, caused it to burst in Taiwan. The explosion was reported to have splattered blood and whale entrails over surrounding shop-fronts, bystanders, and cars. 

A significant population of toads in Germany and Denmark were exploding in April 2005 in an act described as a self-defence mechanism that failed, as it consisted of puffing up to look bigger while under attack by crows. 

You can still have an erection once dead

A death erection (sometimes referred to as "angel lust") is a post-mortem erection which occurs when a male individual dies vertically or face-down with the cadaver remaining in this position. During life, the pumping of blood by the heart ensures a relatively even distribution around the blood vessels of the human body. Once this mechanism has ended, only the force of gravity acts upon the blood. As with any mass, the blood settles at the lowest point of the body and causes edema or swelling to occur; the discoloration caused by this is called lividity. 

If an individual dies vertically such as in a hanging, the blood will settle in the legs and pool at the feet. The pressure will be greatest as the weight of the blood pushes down. This causes the blood vessels and tissues in the feet to engorge to their greatest elastic capacity and hold the greatest volume of blood possible. This effect occurs right up the legs although to a lesser extent than the feet and is also notable at the waist. The blood which remains in the torso attempts to move to a lower position due to gravity, and as the blood in the waist (which cannot move down due to the legs being full) causes the penis, consisting of erectile tissue, to fill with blood and expand. This is the death erection. As long as the body remains in this position the effect will continue. This is one of the most amazing facts ever.

Male seahorses can get pregnant

Seahorses reproduce in an unusual way: the male becomes pregnant. Pipefishes and seahorses are the only species in the animal kingdom to which the term "male pregnancy" has been applied. 

The male seahorse has a brood pouch in which he carries eggs deposited by the female. The mating pair entwine their tails and the female aligns a long tube called an ovipositor with the male's pouch. The eggs move through the tube into the male's pouch where he then fertilizes them. The embryos develop in ten days to six weeks, depending on species and water conditions. When the male gives birth he pumps his tail until the baby seahorses emerge. 

The male's pouch regulates salinity for the eggs, slowly increasing in the pouch to match the water outside as the eggs mature. Hatched offspring are independent of their parents. Some spend time developing among the ocean plankton. At times, the male seahorse may try to consume some of the previously released offspring. Other species (H. zosterae) immediately begin life as sea-floor inhabitants (benthos). 

A fetus can get trapped inside of its twin

Fetus in fetu (or Foetus in foetu) describes an extremely rare abnormality that involves a fetus getting trapped inside of its twin. It continues to survive as a parasite even past birth by forming an umbilical cord-like structure that leeches its twin's blood supply until it grows so large that it starts to harm the host, at which point doctors usually intervene. Invariably the parasitic fetus is anencephalic (without a brain) and lacks internal organs, and as such is unable to survive on its own, though it may have almost human (albeit underdeveloped and bizarre) features such as limbs, digits, hair, nails and teeth. Fetus in fetu is such a rare condition that only some 91 cases worldwide have ever been reported. Fetus in fetu happens very early in a twin pregnancy, when one fetus wraps around and envelops the other. The dominant fetus grows, while the fetus that would have been its twin lives on throughout the pregnancy, feeding off its host twin like a kind of parasite. Usually, both twins die before birth from the strain of sharing a placenta. Sometimes, however, the host twin survives and is delivered. 

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Top 17 mind-blowing nervous system facts

Dive in our top 17 mind-blowing and amazing facts about nervous system as following. The nervous system is a complex network of nerves and cells that carry messages to and from the brain and spinal cord to various parts of the body.

#1

Structurally, the nervous system has two components: the central nervous system and the peripheral nervous system. 

#2

The nervous system is a complex structure of nerves of neurons that transmit signals around the body to coordinate actions. It is in effect our body's electrical wiring. This might be one of the most science facts awesome that had surpprised to us.

#4

The nervous system of vertebrates (which includes humans and animals that have backbones and spinal columns) has two parts, the central nervous system (CNS) and the peripheral nervous system (PNS).

#5

The CNS includes the brain, spinal cord and retina of the eyes. The brain is protected by the skull, and the spinal cord by the skeletal vertebrae.

#6

The PNS includes all other nervous system structures that sit outside the CNS but that help connect the CNS to areas of the body.

#7

Nerves are enclosed bundles of long fibers called axons which are made up of nerve cells. There are two types of nerve cells: neurons and glial cells.

#8

Glial (or glia) cells are derived from the Greek word "glue". They are specialized cells that provide structure and support to neurons. They help hold neurons in place, supply nutrients to neurons, destroy germs, remove dead neurons, and direct axons of neurons.

#9

Some types of glial cells generate a substance called myelin that coat axons and work as electrical insulation to help them quickly and efficiently transmit signals.

#10

Neurons quickly and precisely send signals as electrochemical waves along axons to other cells. There are two types of neurons, sensory neurons and motor neurons.

#11

Sensory neurons change light, touch and sound into neural signals which are sent back to our CNS to help our body understand and react to its surroundings.

#12

Motor neurons transmit neural signals to activate muscles or glands. This is the truth, not only jokes to get relaxing moments.

#13

There are approximately 100 billion neurons in the human brain and 13.5 million neurons in the human spinal chord.

#14

The nervous system can transmit signals at speeds of 100 meters (328 feet) per second.

#15

The field of science that focuses on the study of the nervous system is called neuroscience. Neurology is the medical branch of study and treatment, while doctors and surgeons in this field are called neurologists and neurosurgeons.

#16

Nerves in our body can be vulnerable to both physical damage and damage through diseases. Damage to nerves can cause great pain, loss of feeling, or loss of muscle control.

#17

Physiatrists help rehabilitate patients with nervous system damage.

Top 10 amazing World Series facts

Here are top 10 amazing World Series facts that will challenge your knowledge

1. Championship Game Predates World Series

Prior to the first World Series in 1903 and from 1884-1890, an Exhibition Series occurred between the champions of the National League and the American Association (a rival association that folded in 1891). The event was disorganized and thrown together by the teams themselves. Sometimes the Series lasted three games and others as many as 15. When the American Association dissolved, the National League continued as the only league.

2. Only one “world champion” team didn’t come from the United States

Despite the competition’s all-inclusive name, only one team not based in the United States has won the World Series: the Toronto Blue Jays, victors in both 1992 and 1993. Only one other international team—the now-defunct Montreal Expos—has ever even played in the major leagues, though they never appeared in the Fall Classic. Though there are talks of expanding into Mexico or other nearby countries (travel time makes a truly international sport difficult), an American “world champion” is a virtual guarantee for now.

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3. Only One No-Hitter

It is the fact that Yankees’ pitcher Don Larsen recorded the only no-hitter (in this case a perfect game) in World Series history during Game 5 of the 1956 Series.

4. Most Consecutive Scoreless Innings Pitched was 33

With 33 consecutive scoreless innings pitched, Whitey Ford holds the World Series record. Previously, the record holder was Babe Ruth, who pitched 29 2/3.

5. World Series was Cancelled Twice 

The player’s strike in 1994 cancelled that year’s Fall Classic, while a rivalry between the Boston Pilgrims and the New York Giants ended the 1904 Series. During World War II, the Series continued, however many of the best players fought overseas and were missing from the games. In 1943, the New York Yankees won the Series without Hall of Famers Joe DiMaggio, Phil Rizzuto, and Red Ruffing.

6. First Pinch-Hit Home Run was in 1947

Yogi Berra hit the first pinch-hit home run in World Series history in Game 3 of the 1947 World Series against the Dodgers’ pitcher, Ralph Branca. The Yankees lost the game, but won the Series in seven games.

7. Managers with 7 Wins had the Most in a World Series 

Former Yankee managers, Joe McCarthy and Casey Stengel, set the record with each winning seven World Series games during their managerial careers.

8. It’s a Small World

It may be called the World Series, but it doesn’t seem like the rest of the world gets to play. The Toronto Blue Jays are the only team outside the US to have won the World Series – they were back-to-back champions in 1992 and 1993.

9. Most Stolen Bases was in 1967

Super-fast Lou Brock from the Cardinals set the single-season record with seven stolen bases in the 1967 World Series and in 1968 he tied it. He also shares with Eddie Collins the largest number of career stolen bases in the World Series, 14.

10. Before Championship Rings, Players took Home Watches or Medallions

Since 1967, the winner of the World Series has received the Commissioner’s Trophy and traditionally each winning team has presented its members with championship rings. Previously, players were given pocket watches or medallions. In 1922, the New York Giants became the first team to issue rings.

Aboves are the selected facts on World Series from factoflife that can help you know more about this. Hopefully, this article will prod you to love and follow for this year’s final chapters of America’s beloved sport. At the same time, you can also have a look at our rich source of entertainment facts on interesting films, amazing arts, joke of the day, music types, spectacular games and much more.

Widen your knowledge about science fact

Widen your knowledge with top 56 funniest science facts as belows:

• In a full grown rye plant, the total length of roots may reach 380 miles (613 km).
• In a full grown rye plant, the total length of fine root hairs may reach 6600 miles (10,645 km).
• A large sunspot can last for about a week.
• If you could throw a snowball fast enough, it would totally vaporize when it hit a brick wall.
• Boron nitride (BN) is the second hardest substance known to man.
• The female Tarantula Hawk wasp paralyzes a large spider with her sting. She then lays her eggs on the motionless body so that her developing young have a fresh supply of spider meat to feed on.
• The seeds of an Indian Lotus tree remain viable for 300 to 400 years.
• The only letter not appearing on the Periodic Table is the letter “J”.
• Velcro was invented by a Swiss guy who was inspired by the way burrs attached to clothing.
• Hershey's Kisses are called that because the machine that makes them looks like it's kissing the conveyor belt.
• October 10 is National Metric Day.
• If you stretch a standard Slinky out flat it measures 87 feet long.

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• The microwave was invented after a researcher walked by a radar tube and a chocolate bar melted in his pocket.
• Super Glue was invented by accident. The researcher was trying to make optical coating materials, and would test their properties by putting them between two prisms and shining light through them. When he tried the cyano-acrylate, he couldn't get the prisms apart.
• No matter its size or thickness, no piece of paper can be folded in half more than 7 times.
• A car traveling at 80 km/h uses half its fuel to overcome wind resistance.
• Knowledge is growing so fast that ninety per cent of what we will know in fifty years time, will be discovered in those fifty years.
• According to an old English system of time units, a moment is one and a half minutes.
• The typewriter was invented in 1829, and the automatic dishwasher in 1889.
• The wristwatch was invented in 1904 by Louis Cartier.
• When glass breaks, the cracks move at speeds of up to 3,000 miles per hour.
• By raising your legs slowly and laying on your back, you can't sink in quicksand.
• Ten minutes of one hurricane contains enough energy to match the nuclear stockpiles of the world.
• Most gemstones contain several elements. The exception? The diamond. It's all carbon.
• Diamonds are the hardest substance known to man.
• Which of the 50 states has never had an earthquake? North Dakota.
• When hydrogen burns in the air, water is formed.
• Sterling silver contains 7.5% copper.
• Cars were first made with ignition keys in 1949.
• J.B Dunlop was first to put air into tires.
• Alexander Graham Bell, who invented the telephone, also set a world water-speed record of over seventy miles an hour at the age of seventy two.
• It is energy-efficient to turn off a fluorescent light only if it will not be used again within an hour or more. This is because of the high voltage needed to turn it on, and the shortened life this high voltage causes.
• The Earth's equatorial circumference (40,075 km) is greater than its polar circumference (40,008 km).
• Lake Baikal is the deepest lake in the world.
• Due to gravitational effects, you weigh slightly less when the moon is directly overhead.
• The Earth's average velocity orbiting the sun is 107,220 km per hour.
• There is a high and low tide because of our moon and the Sun.
• The United States consumes 25% of all the world’s energy.
• Flying from London to New York by Concord, due to the time zones crossed, you can arrive 2 hours before you leave.
• There is enough fuel in a full tank of a Jumbo Jet to drive an average car four times around the world.
• The surface speed record on the moon is 10.56 miles per hour. It was set with the lunar rover.
• If you could drive to the sun -- at 55 miles per hour -- it would take about 193 years
• The moon is one million times drier than the Gobi Desert.
• Just twenty seconds worth of fuel remained when Apollo 11's lunar module landed on the moon.
• A Boeing 707 uses four thousand gallons of fuel in its take-off climb.
• The planet Saturn has a density lower than water. So, if placed in water it would float.
• Since 1959, more than 6,000 pieces of 'space junk' (abandoned rocket and satellite parts) have fallen out of orbit - many of these have hit the earth's surface.
• It takes 70% less energy to produce a ton of paper from recycled paper than from trees.
• Every year in the US, 625 people are struck by lightning.
• Hawaii is moving toward Japan 4 inches every year.
• The rocket engine has to supply its own oxygen so it can burn its fuel in outer space.
• The North Atlantic gets 1 inch wider every year.
• Oxygen is the most abundant element in the Earth’s crust, waters, and atmosphere (about 49.5%)
• A stroke of lightning discharges from 10 to 100 million volts & 30,000 amperes of electricity.
• A bolt of lightning is about 54,000°F (30,000°C); six times hotter than the Sun.
• The average distance between the Earth & the Moon is 238,857 miles (384,392 km). 

It's hard to say whether or not the above awesome facts are full, but mostly there. So now, are you interested in funny jokes?

How many Tortoises facts do you know?

It's great to read an amazing article about animal facts like this. Keep reading to know a list of Tortoises facts

1. A TORTOISE IS A TURTLE, BUT A TURTLE ISN'T A TORTOISE.

A turtle is any shelled reptile belonging to the order Chelonii. The term "tortoise" is more specific, referring to terrestrial turtles. (Of course, there's always an exception. In this case, the land-dwelling box turtle.) Tortoises are usually herbivorous and can't swim.

One easy way to tell 'em apart: look at their feet and shells. Water turtles have flippers or webbed feet with long claws, and their shells are flatter and more streamlined. Tortoises have stubby, elephant-like feet and heavier, domed shells.

2. A GROUP OF TORTOISES IS CALLED A CREEP.

But you won't see a creep very often. (Not that kind, anyway.) Tortoises are solitary roamers. Some mother tortoises are protective of their nests, but they don't care for their young after they hatch.

3. TORTOISES INSPIRED THE ANCIENT ROMAN MILITARY.

During seiges, soldiers would get in testudo formation, named after the Latin word for tortoise. The men formed rows and held shields in front or above them to completely shelter the unit.

4. "TESTUDINAL" MEANS "PERTAINING TO OR RESEMBLING A TORTOISE OR TORTOISE SHELL."

5. TORTOISES HAVE AN EXOSKELETON AND AN ENDOSKELETON.

The shell has three main parts: the top carapace, the bottom plastron, and the bridge that fuses these pieces together. You can't see them, but every tortoise has ribs, a collar bone, and a spine inside its shell.

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6. THE SCALES ON THE CARAPACE ARE CALLED SCUTES.

Made of the same keratin found in fingernails and hooves, scutes protect the bony plates of the shell from injury and infection. The growth rings around scutes can be counted to determine the approximate age of wild tortoises.

7. THE LIGHTER THE SHELL, THE WARMER THE ORIGIN.

Tortoises from hot places tend to have lighter-colored shells than tortoises from cooler areas. The light tan sulcata originates from the southern part of the Sahara Desert.

8. THEY CAN'T SWIM, BUT TORTOISES CAN HOLD THEIR BREATH FOR A LONG TIME.

They're extremely tolerant of carbon dioxide. It's a good thing—tortoises have to empty their lungs before they can go into their shells. You'll often hear them exhale when they're startled and decide to hide.

9. AND YES, THEIR SHELLS ARE SENSITIVE TO TOUCH.

Shells have nerve endings, so tortoises can feel every rub, pet, or scratch ... and sometimes they love it. Note: This delightful creature is a turtle, not a tortoise.

10. SULCATAS ARE ONE OF THE MOST POPULAR PET TORTOISES—AND ONE OF THE BIGGEST.

Get ready to move to the suburbs and amend your will. Sulcatas are the third largest tortoise species in the world, behind the Galapagos and Aldabra giant tortoise. They can live more than 100 years and weigh up to 200 pounds.

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What noise do giraffes make?

It's great to read an amazing article like this. Keep reading to know what noise do giraffe, giraffe baby make

University of Vienna researchers now say they've determined that giraffes do indeed "produce vocalizations" that may serve as a means of communication.

The researchers recorded animals at three European zoos, amassing 947 hours of recordings over eight years. They then analyzed the recordings visually, in a process they describe in BMC Research Notesas "time consuming, tedious, and very challenging." They believed the animals might produce "infrasonic vocalizations" — that is, below the level of human perception—and were looking for such low-frequency sounds.

And they did indeed find "structurally interesting humming vocalizations" that occurred mainly at night and hovered around 92 hertz in frequency; as one New Scientist commenter notes, they sound a little like the Kraken (listen for yourself here). The hum isn't infrasound, but it's not exactly easy to hear either; Wired notes the researchers shared the vocalizations with zookeepers, and the sound was unfamiliar to them.

Though the researchers couldn't prove the sound is used for communication, they found "suggestive hints" that the hum might serves as a "contact call, for example, to re-establish contact with herd mates." They speculate the hums may be occurring at night because giraffes' typically keen vision is less effective then. "Future studies should test in a well established experimental setting whether giraffes are more vocal when visual communication cues are absent," they conclude. (Giraffes are silently disappearing.)

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Can elephants run?

Learn all information you wanted about elephants for kids by this article: Can elephants run?

Most animals don't think anything of breaking into a run: they switch effortlessly from walking to a high-speed bouncing run. But what about elephants? Their sheer size makes it impossible for them to bounce up in the air at high speeds. So how are high-speed elephants moving: are they running or walking?

At a first glance, fast-moving elephants look as if they are walking, according to John Hutchinson from the Royal Veterinary College, UK. But closer analysis of elephant footfall patterns by Hutchinson suggested that speedy elephants' front legs walk while their hind legs may trot. Norman Heglund from the Université catholique de Louvain, Belgium, realised that the only way to resolve the conundrum was to measure the immense forces exerted on the animals by the ground as they move and found that elephants run in some senses, but not in others.

To measure these forces, Heglund had to construct and calibrate an 8m long, elephant-sized force platform from sixteen 1m2 force plates. Crating the 300kg force plates, cameras and computers in Belgium and shipping the equipment to the Thai Elephant Conservation Centre in Lampang, Thailand, Heglund, Joakim Genin, Patrick Willems, Giovanni Cavagna and Richard Lair built a reinforced concrete foundation and assembled the force platform ready to measure the enormous ground reaction forces generated by the animals.

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Encouraged to move by their mahouts, 34 elephants ranging from an 870kg baby up to a 4 tonne adult moved over the force platform at speeds ranging from a 0.38m/s stroll to a 4.97m/s charge. Based on the force measurements, the Belgian team was able to reconstruct the movement of each animal's centre of mass and found that the elephant's movements are extremely economical. Consuming a minimum of 0.8J/kg/m, an elephant's cost of transport is 1/3 that of humans and 1/30 that of mice.

Heglund explains that the elephant's cost of transport is low because the animal's step frequency is higher than expected and they improve their stability by keeping an average of two feet on the ground even at high speeds, and three at lower speeds. Combining these approaches, the elephant's centre of mass bounces less than other animals', reducing the giant's cost of transport.

Next the team calculated the way that each animal recycles potential energy into kinetic energy to find out whether they run. According to Heglund, running animals continually recycle potential energy stored in tendons and muscles into bouncing kinetic energy -- just like a pogo stick -- while walking animals convert potential energy at the start of a stride into kinetic energy as they step forward -- much like an inverted swinging pendulum. By tracking how elephants cycle potential energy into kinetic energy over the course of a stride, the team could distinguish whether the high-speed animals were running or walking.

Plotting the potential and kinetic energy of the elephants' centres of mass over the course of many strides at different speeds, the team could see that the elephants were walking like an inverted pendulum at low speeds, but as they moved faster, the kinetic and potential energy plots shifted to look like those of runners. However, when the team analysed the movements of the elephant's centre of mass, they could see that it almost maintained a constant level as the animal shifted its weight from one side to the other, but bobbed down and up like a runner's during the second half of the stride.

So the elephants were running by one measure but not by another and it seems that the forelimbs trot while the hind limbs walk at higher speeds. 'High-speed locomotion in an elephant doesn't fall nicely into a classic category like a run or a trot. It really depends on your definition of "run",' says Heglund.

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How Similar Are Human and Animals?

Reading and enjoying the science facts about similarities between human and animals

It is very difficult to find reliable data comparing the human genome to animal genome. The principal reason is that few animals have had their full genome sequenced. Even those that have cannot be easily compared in terms of percentages because the genomic length and chromosomal division can vary greatly from one species to another.

Scouring the Web, here is what I have found so far.

- Genome-wide variation from one human being to another can be up to 0.5% (99.5% similarity)

- Chimpanzees are 96% to 98% similar to humans, depending on how it is calculated.

- Cats have 90% of homologous genes with humans, 82% with dogs, 80% with cows, 79% with chimpanzees, 69% with rats and 67% with mice. 

- Cows (Bos taurus) are 80% genetically similar to humans.

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- 75% of mouse genes have equivalents in humans (source), 90% of the mouse genome could be lined up with a region on the human genome (source) 99% of mouse genes turn out to have analogues in humans 

- The fruit fly (Drosophila) shares about 60% of its DNA with humans.

- About 60% of chicken genes correspond to a similar human gene.

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Facts on Elephants for kids

Enjoy our wide range of elephant facts now:

• An elephant is one of the few four legged animals, which cannot run or jump.
• At birth, the baby elephants are blind and they depend on their trunk and their mothers to help them.
• Females can mate and have babies until they are around 50 years old, and they tend to give birth every 2.5 to 4 years.
• Elephants feed around 16 hours a day and they consume around 300 to 600 pounds of vegetation every day.
• Male elephants go through bouts of aggression, which last for short periods.  Hence, female elephants are kept at the zoos and used in the circus, as they are gentler in nature.
• Elephants are social animals and they are often seen touching and caressing one another and playing around with the trunks.
• An elephants tusk grows up to around 10 feet and weighs around 200 pounds.
• Elephants cool themselves by fanning their ears. This cool down the blood in their ears, which completely cools them off.

• Despite the size of elephant ears the quality of hearing is poor! The body at the back of an elephant ear is surprisingly soft, and called the knuckle, this area is used by trainers to steer and give commands to the elephant. The ears on an African elephant are flapped to help keep the animal cool
• Elephants are herbivores, they eat varying types of vegetation including grass, leaves, fruits, and bark
• Elephants have a walking speed of approximately 4 mph. A surprising fact is that they are able to swim for long distances!
• Elephants walk behind each other in a single line when they are travelling.
• An elephant poops around 80 pounds of feces in a day.
• The elephant rests by raising one foot and crossing it behind the other one.
• Just like dolphins and parrots, the elephant can also do mimicry. Some elephants in Kenya who were raised near the highway were heard to make truck sounds.
• On an average, the elephant sleeps for around 2 hours in a day.
• Elephant’s tusks are of ivory and they are actually the elongated and enlarged incisors.
• Elephants have a very sharp memory and they have the largest brains in the kingdom.
• They are great swimmers and are able to swim for long distances.

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What is the usage of elephant trunk

Have you thought about this mystery: What is the usage of elephant trunk? Let's us give you answer about amzing elephant facts

The elephant is the largest land mammal in the world, and adult male bulls can weigh up to a massive 6,000 kg. Both males and females have tusks, but the males tend to be larger. The tusks grow continually throughout their life, and the longest tusk ever recorded was 355cm. Elephants can live for as long as 60 years.

  The Elephant used to only have a small snout in The Beginning.  This didn't bother him unduly, in fact he was rather proud of his small nose because it never got in the way of feeding and drinking.
Because of his great size, mealtimes were very important to Elephant, and he had to eat and drink a great deal in order to keep his great strength up.
However, he did find it uncomfortable, because he had to go down on bended knees to reach anything.
One day, Elephant was at the river, and was kneeling down drinking from the fresh water.
Crocodile swam past, and saw Elephant at the water's edge.  Crocodile was feeling particularly hungry, and saw an opportunity for a good meal.
Crocodile swam stealthily up to where Elephant was, and suddenly lunged out of the water and grabbed Elephant by the nose.
Elephant was startled, and tried to pull away, but Crocodile had a firm grip on his nose.

However, Elephant was also very strong, and he dug his feet into the bank and fought back.
The 2 battled for hours, and with every pull and tug, Elephant's nose stretched a little more. Eventually, Crocodile became too tired to pull any more, and let go of Elephant.
Elephant ran off, with his now very long nose hanging down in front of his feet.  He was distraught, and hid in the bush as he was too embarrassed to face the other animals.
Soon, Elephant realised that his new stretched nose was more useful than his previously small snout.  He was able to reach food and drink without kneeling any more, and could even reach high branches and pull them down to eat the fruit and leaves.
All the other Elephants soon realised the benefits of having a long trunk, and one by one they too visited the river and taunted the Crocodile to try and pull them into the water.
The Elephants always won the tug-of-wars, and all ended up with lovely stretched snouts, but Crocodile remained hungry.
To this day, all Elephants still have their long trunks rather than a small snout, and Crocodiles have learnt that it is a waste of time and energy attacking Elephants when drinking at the water's edge.
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A list of amazing Bengal tiger facts

It’s hard to say what it is about animals that we love the most – their cute or beautiful looks or their natural innocence. Because there are some dangerous but cute animal that people wnat to know their animal facts. Today, I will introduce you a selected list of Bengal tiger facts:

As of 2010, Bengal tiger populations in India have been estimated at 1,706–1,909. As of 2014, they had reputedly increased to an estimated 2,226 individuals, but the method used in the census may not be accurate.

Bengal tigers number around 440 in Bangladesh and 163–253 in Nepal. Prior censuses placed the population of tigers in Bhutan at around 65-75 individuals, however, the latest census estimated that 103 wild Bengal tigers are living in the country.

Bengal is traditionally fixed as the typical locality for the binomen Panthera tigris, to which the British taxonomist Reginald Innes Pocock subordinated the Bengal tiger in 1929 under the trinomen Panthera tigris tigris.

The Bengal Tiger is one of the largest species of tigers in the world. They are also the one that offers the highest number of them in the wild. Don’t get to excited though as they are still at a high risk of being endangered. There are only about 2,500 of them in the wild.

What is also interesting is that there is about 1% which are DNA verified hybrids. They have one parent that is a Bengal Tiger and one that is a Siberian Tiger. These hybrid tigers seem to do quite well in the wild with most of the males being sterile. It is believed that this genetic link though was the result of mistakes in breeding while in captivity and then released to the wild instead of a natural occurrence that takes place in the wild. You may find many similarities between the Bengal Tiger and the Siberian Tiger.

The biggest threat to the in India is that their natural habitat continues to be cut away by logging companies. As a result they struggle to survive in less area and with less prey to feed upon. Finding enough water is a common problem for them as well. This is because the former is a subspecies off the latter.

This particular species of tiger can weigh up to 500 pounds for a full grown male and about 310 pounds for a full grown female. They also feature very long tails and heads that are larger than that of other species. They are excellent hunters and feed on a variety of prey found around India. They include deer, antelope, hogs and buffalo. They have also been seen consuming monkeys, birds, and other small prey when their main food selections become scarce.

In some areas there has been a problem with the Bengal Tiger eating livestock as well. Humans continue to try to live in these areas that used to be home to the tigers. Then they wonder why the animals they are raising become meals for them. Many of these ranchers engage in the illegal killing of tigers too so that they can protect their investment in such livestock.

There have also been reports of the Bengal Tiger killing and eating humans. However, most tigers avoid humans and this doesn’t happen regularly. They tend to consume up to 60 pounds of food at one time.

It is estimated that less than 2,500 of the Bengal tigers remain at this time. This is less than half of what the population was just 10 years ago. As a result there is a very aggressive protection plan in place for them. The efforts are working to an extent but poaching of these tigers is still a huge concern.

Also see elephant facts