TRIVIAPEDIA

The Piranha is a bony freshwater fish belonging to the family Serrasalmidae, inhabiting South American rivers and lakes. Though small in size (5"-14"), they have powerful jaws and are predatory animals, feeding on fish and sometimes underwater plants. They hunt in groups and usually go for the tail and eyes of their prey. Contrary to popular belief, Piranhas are shy, rarely attack humans, and their attacks are seldom fatal.  Only the black and red-bellied piranhas are actually dangerous to humans, and even they do not usually attack full-grown humans. Cases, where humans have already drowned, are usually highlighted.   The word 'piranha' actually means 'fish tooth' in the native language of the Amazon basin. They are notorious for their razor-sharp teeth and their ability to devour animals bigger than them as they hunt in groups. They need warm water to survive. They have a sensitive nose and can bark too. What's more, native Sout...

The Seahorse is not at all a 'horse', rather it is a type of fish in the genus Hippocampus, and having the scientific name Hippocampus heptagonus. They are found practically in all the oceans and prefer living in sheltered areas near the seabed. Seahorses are named so, as they have a head and neck like a horse, a body armour, and an upright posture along with a curled tail. The reproduction mechanism of the seahorse is a unique one. Here, the male seahorse does the incubation. It has a pouch on the ventral side of its tail, where the female seahorse deposits up to 1500 eggs when mating. The eggs are carried for about a month, after which, the young seahorses are released into the seawater. They serve as food in the early stages; those who survive, grow and the cycle continues. Credits : pinterest Size of seahorses ranges from 0.6 inches to 14 inches. Like razorfish, Seahorses swim upright, using pectoral fins for steering and the dorsal fin for propelling. The ca...

The Giant panda is a bear native to south-central China, whose scientific name is Ailuropoda melanoleuca . It is characterized by large, black patches around its eyes, over the ears, and across its round body. They may appear sedentary, but they are skilled in tree-climbing and swimming. They grow to a height of 5 feet and can weigh about 300 pounds.   Giant pandas are folivores, with bamboo shoots and leaves making up more than 99% of their diet. They eat for a whopping 12 hours out of 24 hours and relieve themselves dozens of times a day. 28 pounds of bamboo stalks are plucked with elongated wrist bones to satisfy a giant panda's daily dietary needs. These animals will occasionally eat other grasses, wild tubers, honey, or even meat in the form of birds, rodents, and fish. Giant pandas favor high humidity and a cool, wet climate, and live in bamboo forests in remote, mountainous regions in central China . They are classified as vulnerable in t...

The octopus is a soft-bodied, mollusc of the or der Octopoda . About 300 species of octopi have been recognized. The scientific name of the common octopus is Octopus vulgaris . Octopi are extremely agile and can squeeze through small gaps as they have no hard shell or covering. Octopi can grow up to 16 feet and weigh around 110 lbs.   The octopus has three hearts. One pumps blood through its organs, while the other two pump blood through its gills. What's more, octopus blood it blue as it has a copper-based protein called hemocyanin. When an octopus is swimming, the heart delivering blood to the organs stops beating, hence they prefer to crawl than swim. They swim and respire using a siphon, by expelling a jet of water, propelling their body forward.   Octopi inhabit various regions of the ocean, including coral reefs, swampy waters, and the seabed. They have a complex nervous system and excellent sight, and are among the most intelligent inver...

Despite its name, the Electric eel is a South American electric knifefish, whose scientific name is Electrophorus electricus. Electric eels have long, cylindrical bodies and flattened heads and are generally dark green or grayish on top with yellowish coloring underneath.  They can reach up to 8 feet in length and 44 pounds in weight. Electric eels live in the swamps and shallow streams of the Amazon and Orinoco basins. They have a unique ability to discharge high voltage electric shocks to stun predators and prey. Their bodies contain electric organs with about 6,000 electrocytes (cells) that can store power like batteries. When threatened or attacking prey, these cells discharge simultaneously and the other animal gets a shock. Electric eels feed upon fish and amphibians. They are air breathers and must come to the water surface frequently. Human deaths from electric eels are extremely rare . They also have poor eyesight but can emit charge less than 10 volts,...

The anableps is a fish belonging to the family anablepidae with scientific name Cobitis anableps . These fish inhabit fresh and brackish water and are rarely coastal marine. They are native to southern Mexico and northern South America. They mate only on one side, right-"handed" males with left-"handed" females and vice versa. These fish spend most of their time on the surface of water, and here's where their unique eyes come into play. Anableps have two eyes, positioned on the top of the head, and while floating, the lower half of each eye is below the water, while the upper half is above it. The two halves of each eye are separated by a band of tissue. These fish have four pupils connected by a part of the iris. Even the lens changes in thickness top to bottom to account for the difference in the refractive indices of air versus water, enabling these fish to see above and below the water at the same time. This adaptation also helps when the a...

The goat is a domesticable herbivore, native to Southwest Asia, and Eastern Europe. It is a member of the animal family Bovidae and is closely related to the sheep. There are over 300 distinct breeds of goat. Goats are one of the oldest domesticated species of animals and have been used for milk, meat, fur, and skins across much of the world. Goat milk has medicinal values but is usually turned into goat cheese. Its scientific name is Capra aegagrus. Goats have rectangular eyeballs, which looks weird but serves a vital purpose. Goats are prime targets for many predators, particularly big cats like the lion, tiger, and leopard. They have horizontal, almost rectangular pupils which give them a field of vision of 330°. This enables them to see virtually everything except their own backs giving them a much better chance of noticing a predator before it gets too late. This property is very useful in grasslands and helps the animal to save its life. As they have rectangular ...

The hippopotamus is a large, mostly herbivorous semi-aquatic mammal belonging to the Hippopotamidae family and has a scientific name Hippopotamus amphibius. Hippos have barrel-shaped torsos, wide-opening mouths with large canine tusks, almost hairless bodies, columnar legs, and large size; adults averaging about 1,400 kg. They can run up to 20mph. They live in mangroves and swamps and are highly aggressive and unpredictable. They are threatened by habitat loss and poaching for their meat and ivory canine teeth. T he word hippopotamus is derived from Greek, where it means 'the horse of the river'. Hippos mystified ancient Greeks because they appeared to sweat blood. Actually, they secrete a sticky liquid that acts as a sunscreen and topical antibiotic. When the animals first secrete this liquid through special sweat glands, it is colorless. Polymerization reactions happen to lead the liquid becoming red, and finally brown. Perspiration droplets resemble blood d...