Amazing planet

22/02/2022

Capuchin monkeys wash their hands and feet in urine.
Monkeys are undeniably cute. They can also be pretty darn gross. Capuchin monkeys, for example, urinate on their hands and feet when they're feeling "randy." "We think the alpha males might use urine-washing to convey warm, fuzzy feelings to females, that their solicitation is working and that there's no need to run away," primatologist Kimran Miller told NBC News. "Or they could be doing it because they're excited." Either way, ew!

18/02/2022

Cows painted with zebra-like stripes can avoid being bitten by flies.
Cows have to deal with pesky flies that are beyond annoying for the docile creatures. Luckily, farmers can now protect their animals by painting them with zebra-like stripes. According to a 2019 study published in PLOS One, "the numbers of biting flies on Japanese Black cows painted with black-and-white stripes were significantly lower than those on non-painted cows and cows painted only with black stripes." IFL Science suggests this might work because "the stripes may cause a kind of motion camouflage targeted at the insects' vision, confusing them much in the way that optical illusions … confuse us."

18/02/2022

There's a kind of ant that only lives in a small area of Manhattan.
If you're ever in the area of "the Broadway medians at 63rd and 76th streets" in New York City, keep an eye on the ground for crawling critters and you might spot something rare. That's where the "ManhattAnt" can be found, an ant that only lives in the one small area of the city. "It's a relative of the cornfield ant, and it looks like it's from Europe, but we can't match it up with any of the European species," Rob Dunn, a biology professor at North Carolina State University, told the New York Post. Dunn and his team discovered the isolated ant variety in 2012.

18/02/2022

16/02/2022

Moray eels have a second pair of "Alien-style" jaws.
If you already thought that eels were kind of creepy, then this fact isn't going to make you feel any better about them. Moray eels have what's called pharyngeal jaws, which are a second pair of "Alien-style" jaws that are located in the throat and emerge to grasp prey before pulling the unfortunate meal down into the eel's gullet.

16/02/2022

A housefly buzzes in an F key.
When you hear a housefly buzzing around your home, you might be annoyed by the persistent sound. However, the next time it happens, try to soothe yourself by noting that the airborne pest is actually buzzing in an F key. How melodious!

14/02/2022

Snow leopards don't roar.
Snow leopards have less-developed vocal cords than their fellow large cats, meaning that they can't roar, but make a purr-like sound called a chuff instead. For a 2010 study published in the Biological Journal of the Linnean Society, scientists researched why some cats have a higher-pitched meow than others. They found that it's not size that determines a kitty's call, but habitat.

12/02/2022

Sea Lion
It may be hard to imagine that sea lions, a staple of most zoos and aquariums, were ever endangered. Sadly, increased predation was thought to account for a decline of up to 80 percent in the Steller sea lion population by the late 1990s. Steller sea lions were subsequently added to the Endangered Species List, and have been steadily growing in number since. Steller sea lions were taken off the Endangered Species List in 2013.

12/02/2022

Gray Whale
Even the gray whale's long lifespan—up to 70 years—didn't do much to keep its population stable. By the 19th century, the gray whale was extinct in the North Atlantic, and whaling caused its Pacific-based population to dwindle, too. However, a reduction in whaling has helped the population flourish. An estimated 26,000 gray whales live in the Pacific today. Whether you want to add whale watching or snowboarding to your next travel itinerary, these winter weekend escapes are well worth the trip.