Interesting and Unbelievable Facts

Clownfish are marine fish, present in the Indo-Pacific region. These reef fish are famous for their bright colors, white stripes, and relationship to sea anemones. Clownfish are one of few animals that can change gender after birth . Every clownfish in a group is born male. In every group, the largest and most dominant fish becomes female, while the next biggest male becomes her breeding partner. If the female clownfish in a group dies or is removed, her partner becomes female. Afterwards, the next largest fish takes the role of a dominant male fish and this cycle continues. Various clownfish species differ in their colors and number of white stripes. These fish naturally have orange, yellow, brown, or, black skin colors, while the number of stripes is from zero to three. Red saddleback clownfish is famous for having no stripes during adulthood. Common clownfish, depicted in the animated film “Finding Nemo,” have three white stripes. ( Source ) Adult red saddleback clownfish are witho...

Pallas’s cat, also known as manul, is a small wildcat native to the steppes and grasslands of Central Asia and its surrounding areas. Mongolia and Russia have the highest population of Pallas’s cats. The range of these wildcats is from China and Mongolia in the east to Iran in the west. The IUCN status of Pallas’s cat is “ Near Threatened .” These cats have become extinct in Azerbaijan and Armenia . Additionally, they are endangered or near threatened in countries like China, Turkmenistan, Pakistan, Mongolia, and Kyrgyzstan. The main reason behind their declining population is hunting due to the cat’s skin, fat, meat, and organs. ( Source ) Pallas’s cat has thick and long fur that protects its body from freezing conditions of its native steppe and grassland region. The dense fur also makes the cat look bigger than its actual size. Apart from the fur, its snowshoe-like paws and thick tail also assists the cat to withstand the freezing mountain climates. Pallas’s cat is named after ...

  A hippo or hippopotamus is a big semi-aquatic mammal, present in sub-Saharan Africa. Hippos are among the largest land animals , behind only elephants and white rhinos. Adult male hippos are bigger than other rhino species.  There are two hippo species : common hippos and pygmy hippos. Common hippos live throughout sub-Saharan Africa, while pygmy hippos are limited to areas of West Africa. Pygmy hippos are smaller than common hippos and both have slightly different food choices. However, both species have many similar features.  Hippos spend their lives on land and in shallow waters. However, they are the closest living relatives of whales , the marine mammals. Hippos are the only extant animals that share the DNA sequence of whales. ( Source ) Hippos protect their skin during intense sunlight using an extraordinary skin secretion , known as blood-sweat. The name is due to the red and orange colors of this unique natural sunscreen. This oily substance provides four adva...

The lion ( Panthera leo ) is a large big cat, second only to tigers in size. They survive in various types of habitats including savannas, grasslands, open woodlands, etc.  Lions were once present in vast areas of Asia , Africa, and Europe . Currently, their range is limited to sub-Saharan Africa (African lions), and Gir National Park in India (Asiatic lions).  Lions can sleep up to 20 hours a day, one of the longest durations among big cats. Lions hunt during dusk and dawn, the time when their prey is less active. Therefore, long sleeping hours during the day enable them to conserve energy for hunting at the right time.  A lion can produce the loudest roar of any big cat , up to 114 dB. This roar can reach  as far as 8 kilometers (5 miles) away. Lions are the most social big cats . They live in groups, known as pride, containing 5 to 30 members. Comparatively, other big cats are primarily solitary. ( Source )  These social mammals form groups, known as pride...

A rock is a natural solid mass of one or more minerals. It is the primary unit of the Earth’s outer layers: crust and mantle. The core, on the other hand, consists of iron (85%) and nickel (15%). There are three major classes of rocks , categorized by their formation: igneous, sedimentary, and metamorphic rocks. They are further divided into various groups and types based on their chemical, mineralogical, and textural differences. Igneous rocks are formed either within the Earth (magma that solidifies underground) or with lava spewed from volcanoes and solidifying on the surface. Common examples are granite, basalt, and pumice. Sedimentary rocks are formed from layers of sand, silt, animal skeletons, and dead plants. Some common types are shale, chalk, sandstone, and banded iron. Metamorphic rocks are the result of changes in existing underground rocks. These changes occur due to the impact of temperature, pressure, or chemicals. Widely known rocks include marble (a metamorphosed lime...

The snow leopard is one of the five species of big cats . The other name of this mammal is ounce . The snow leopard remained on the IUCN “endangered” list from 1986 to 2017. However, the organization changed its status to “vulnerable” in 2017 after finding errors in the 2008 Population assessment. The current estimated population of snow leopards is up to 10,000 adults in the wild. China , with an estimated population of over 2,000 individuals, has the largest population of snow leopards. Several factors have declined the population of snow leopards. The biggest threats are hunting for illegal animal trade of their hides and bones, killing by herders to protect their livestock, and habitat destruction due to the expansion of herding and ranching. Snow leopards are present in the mountains of Central Asia and the Indian Subcontinent. They inhabit an elevation of around 18,000 feet in the summer and 6,000 feet in the winter. The name suggests snow leopards are closely related to le...