encyclopedia

Identical twins share the same genetics and DNA. However, they have small differences that might occur in the womb environment. Not every aspect of our physical appearance is determined by our genes. When a single fertilized egg splits in two after conception, twins are born who share the same DNA. Chance fluctuations of hormone level […]

Snails and slugs have this unique ability to secrete a mucus from their bottom, which enables them to move efficiently. This slimy substance enables them to move easily. It also protects them from the dangers in and around them in their environment. Without the mucus, it becomes extremely dry and difficult for the snail to

Gorillas have multiple ways to communicate. It could be verbal and non-verbal. It could be a warning and challenge from an elder male to a younger male to back off and not challenge. Otherwise, there would a fight! Gorillas’ beating or thumping their chests is a sign of victory; when they’ve beaten an opponent or

The female anglerfish are bigger while its males are extremely small, 1/40th of the female size. After a certain stage of maturity, the male anglerfish’s digestive system starts shutting down. It needs a female fish to anchor to, else it will die. The male fish has small hooked teeth at the front in its jaws,

Chasing or giving chase is one of the most primitive instincts of a dog. A dog chases to fulfil its acute sense of smell and its thrill for the chase. Some dogs’ breeds (hound-dog types) are more prone to chasing, given their basic hunting instinct, ‘prey-drive’, that is mostly found in predators (wolves, foxes, wild

Otters are nocturnal wild animals and domesticating these animals might be a daunting task. Some otters produce and spray a pungent smell, just like the skunk. These animals need a lot of water, preferably rivers, and love to be outdoors all the time. They love to eat fish and can eat up to 15-25% of

Fishing spiders usually live near water. They seem to defy gravity and will appear to walk on the surface of the water. They have this ability because they are able to utilize the surface tension of the water as other water striders and surface dwelling aquatic insects do. These spiders have short hair that repels

This behaviour is due to the structure of its mouth and the entire process of lowering its long, graceful neck into the water. Flamingos are referred to as ‘filter feeders’. A flamingo will scoop in mouthful of water and close its mouth while forcing the water out with its tongue. Hairy projections called ‘mandibles’ in

There are two main reasons why an elephant’s ears are so large. The first reason is for hearing. Elephants can often be a long way from one another in the wild and when they want to tune in to something that is happening a distance away, they turn towards the sound. Then, they open their

A horse’s hooves are made up of a tough protein called ‘keratin’, like human nails and hair, and these nails need to be trimmed to keep them short and healthy. The horse’s hoof growth approximates to the hoof per year. However, the horse’s hooves wear down rather quickly when horses work extensively in farms, or

The Bermuda Triangle is somewhat of a supernatural, a complete myth or even a conspiracy, and most definitely a mystery. Also known as ‘The Devil’s Triangle’, it is a loosely defined region in the mid-Atlantic near the island of Bermuda. The place is infamous for its innumerable tales of disappearing aircraft and ships in an

An anthill is functional due to hundreds of ants working together. Each anthill has its own smell and any interloper with a different smell is chased away. Whenever an ant finds food, it will sprinkle its unique smell on it and rush back to inform others. On its way, it will sprinkle its smell at

Zebras, donkeys and horses might look like they belong to the same family; yet, there are very important differences among them. Their tails make a big difference. Zebras and donkeys have thin tails with tufts while horses have beautiful tails full of long hair. The former primarily use their tails to swat away flies, while

Mosquitoes’ buzz is nothing more but the beating of their wings rapidly. It’s something that they do naturally. Whenever they circle over our heads looking for a suitable place to sit and drink our blood, the buzz sounds louder and much closer. The difference in the buzz is that the male mosquitoes will not come

Bread turns brown when we put it in a toaster because the dry heat removes any trace of moisture from within the bread and carbohydrates and proteins in bread react chemically in the presence of heat. The chemical process is called ‘Maillard Reaction’, in which there is a chain of reactions that gradually break down