Interesting and Unbelievable Facts

African Penguins, also known as Cape or black-footed Penguins, inhabit several locations along coasts in southern Africa (South Africa and Namibia ). These are the only penguin species in Africa. Male and female African penguins produce a call similar to the braying of donkeys to attract mates. It is the reason they are also called “jackass penguins.” African penguins have bare skin around their eyes . This featherless skin becomes pink in hot conditions due to the accumulation of blood. It assists in regulating temperature by cooling blood through the outside air. They also push their feathers outwards to release heat. There were more than 140,000 breeding pairs of African penguins in the 1950s, but their numbers decreased to 25,000 by 2009. Consequently, IUCN declared them endangered on its Red List in 2010. The main reasons behind this decline are commercial fishing, storms, and oil pollution in the Indian Ocean . The South African government allowed the  consumption of African p

Kiwi is a small flightless and tailless bird endemic to New Zealand. They belong to ratites, a group of flightless birds spread on various continents . Kiwi is the only nocturnal bird among ratites. They hide in their burrows during the day and search for food during the night. There are five kiwi species : brown kiwis, southern brown kiwis (tokoeka), great spotted kiwis, little spotted kiwis, and rowi kiwis. The largest is the great spotted kiwi, while the little spotted kiwi is the smallest species. Kiwis are the smallest among ratites  ( ostriches , rheas, cassowaries, etc.) but produce the largest egg relative to its body weight (15% or more) in the avian kingdom. Females lay this egg every year primarily using their stored energy reserves. The egg contains 65% yolk, and its hard shell protects the chick from small predators. ( Source ) The closest extinct relative of chicken-sized kiwis is the elephant bird - the largest bird ever. DNA comparisons have proved that kiwis are clo

Lebanon is a small country in the Levant Region of West Asia. The Mediterranean Sea is at its west, while it has land borders with Syria and Israel. Three Lebanese cities (Beirut, Byblos, and Sidon) are among the ten oldest in the world. The human settlements started in nearly 3,000 BC in Beirut, 4,000 BC in Sidon, and 5,000 BC in Byblos. ( Source ) The world’s  first writing system  originated in the 11 th  Century BC in Phoenicia (modern Lebanon and parts of Syria and Israel). This system only contained consonants without vowels. ( Source ) People in Tyre, a city in Lebanon, invented the  first purple dye  in the world. They produced this costly dye from the mucus of a sea snail found in the Mediterranean. The meaning of Phoenicia, the name of this region in the past, is “land of purple.” ( Source ) Lebanon is the only country in the Arab world  without a  desert . It has enough water resources to fulfill the requirements of its entire population. ( Source ) Christianity and Islam

Crickets are medium to large-sized insects closely related to bush crickets (katydids), grasshoppers, and locusts. They are famous for their extraordinary leaps and chirping sounds by males. There are nearly 2,400 species of crickets in various families. Common types include house crickets, field crickets, ground crickets, tree crickets, etc. Various cricket types are distinguishable through their colors. The body color is generally black in field crickets, brown in house crickets, and green with transparent wings in tree crickets. People usually consider field and house crickets a nuisance due to their continuous annoying sound. These insects can also enter homes and may eat clothes of various materials (cotton, wool, silk, etc.). Spider (or camel) crickets can jump up to 60 times their body length using their six legs and two antennas. Like an aircraft, they land on their strong hind legs, which allow them to jump again immediately. However, they can only jump smoothly when leapi

Tortoises are land-dwelling turtles . They are separate from sea turtles, freshwater turtles, and other terrestrial turtles (box turtles and wood turtles). There are nearly 50 species of tortoises. Galapagos giant tortoises (on Galapagos Islands) and Aldabra giant tortoises (on Aldabra Island) are the largest, having a length of 3.3 feet (1 meter) or more. Padloper tortoises, with a length of 6-8 cm, are the smallest species. The largest mainland tortoise is the African spurred tortoise. The oldest known living animal on land is Jonathan, a Seychelles giant tortoise. In 2022, its estimated age was at least 190 years. Jonathan is also the oldest tortoise ever, surpassing the former oldest tortoise that lived for 188 years and died in 1965. ( Source ) ( Source ) Like other turtles, the most prominent feature of tortoises is a hard shell encompassing their body. Nearly all tortoise species have domed-shaped shells. The  most distinguishing feature  of tortoises is their elephantine legs

Afghanistan is a landlocked country in south-central Asia. It shares borders with countries from Central Asia (Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, and Tajikistan), South Asia (Pakistan), West Asia (Iran), and East Asia ( China ). Afghanistan is one of the most poorly surveyed countries in the world due to its tense history and other factors. Its physical geography includes the northern plains region, central highlands, and the southern plateau with deserts and semideserts. According to estimates, human inhabitants initially settled in Afghanistan nearly 100,000 years ago during the Stone Age. Afghanistan remained under various ancient empires and dynasties from the 6 th Century BCE to the 7 th Century CE. These include the Achaemenid Empire, the Greek Empire, the Mauryan dynasty, the Kushans, the Sasanids, and others. A Jewish community existed in Afghanistan more than 1,000 years ago, while there were around 40,000 Jews in the 19 th  Century. However, the  last Jew left Afghanistan  in 202

Frogs are small tailless amphibians with protruding eyes and strong hind limbs. Their closest living relatives are salamanders. A species of frog was present in Antarctica 40 million years ago. It was the first fossil of a modern amphibian discovered in this continent. ( Source ) There are more than 6,000 species of frogs. According to estimates, these amphibians have been on Earth for over 200 million years. Frogs inhabit all major landmasses except Antarctica , freezing high altitudes, and some remote oceanic islands. However, they are most abundant in the tropics. Various frog species have adapted to live in different environments. These include forests , deserts , tundra, and several other habitats. Frogs and toads belong to the same amphibian order Anura and have many similar features. However, the most prominent differences between these two animals are their skin and the size of their legs. Frogs generally have longer legs and smooth mucus-covered skins compared to shorter