DID YOU KNOW: A distressed wasp releases pheromones that alert her colony to join her in stinging her attacker. Ouch.
DID YOU KNOW: Fire ant “rafts” can survive up to three weeks and have 165% more venom inside them than normal fire ants. ??
DID YOU KNOW: An octopus’s arms have different personalities. (Go here to read more truly crazy octopus facts!!!)
DID YOU KNOW: Most centipedes are carnivorous, feasting on crickets, ants, and other small creatures.
DID YOU KNOW: Cordyceps fungus is about as metal as it gets. The parasite takes over an insect’s body and can then control its behavior. One species forces its prey to climb up a plant stem and die, and its spores are then scattered by the wind to infect more insects. I WANT MY MOM.
DID YOU KNOW: Deer shed their antlers and the velvet that coats them and then regrow a new set every year. (The shedding doesn’t cause them any discomfort.) Some athletes take deer velvet supplements as an illicit performance enhancer, as the velvet contains a growth hormone similar to insulin.
DID YOU KNOW: Holy shit, these salmon are crossing a damn road.
DID YOU KNOW: OK, THIS IS REAL. It’s called a brinicle, and it’s an underwater icicle of brine. You can read about how they’re formed here, but basically once they reach the sea floor, they create an expanding cone of ice that freezes to death everything in its path.
DID YOU KNOW: Jaguars, unlike most other cats, are good swimmers and often prey on water animals like fish and turtles.
DID YOU KNOW: Lava is so hot that it can literally explode when it hits ocean water.
DID YOU KNOW: Eagles typically eat fish, but can kill and eat animals the size of large waterfowl.
DID YOU KNOW: Killer whales often strike seals with their tails to debilitate them first, as seals and sea lions have sharp claws and teeth and can fight back.
DID YOU KNOW: Female lions do most of the hunting; male lions typically hang back from the action until a kill is made.
DID YOU KNOW: Water, earthquakes, and vegetation growth all contribute to rockfall, which is obviously impossible to predict.
DID YOU KNOW: The goblin shark’s creepy long snout acts like a “metal detector” to pick up on the electric currents found in living things. Once it’s located its prey, its huge jaw snatches forward to engulf it.
DID YOU KNOW: Mother rabbits are fiercely protective of their babies and will take on any predators who approach their nests.
DID YOU KNOW: Venus fly traps can emit a fluorescent blue glow to attract bugs.
DID YOU KNOW: The highly toxic venom of the snail paralyzes its fish prey instantly so it can’t wiggle away.
DID YOU KNOW: Stingrays are carnivorous and chew their prey with their tiny jaws.
H/T buzzfeed.com
