Interesting and Unbelievable Facts

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...

Slovenia is a small country in central Europe . Its land is mostly mountainous and forested, while the only major flat area is the northeast. Archaeologists discovered the  oldest surviving wheel  from Slovenia in 2002. According to estimates, it is dated around 3500 BCE. ( Source ) The Trbovlje Power Station in Slovenia has the  tallest chimney in  Europe , having a height of 360 meters. The new route of this chimney is the world’s highest multi-pitch route. ( Source ) Slovenia remained part of several famous empires and states in history. These include the Roman Empire, the Holy Roman Empire, the Habsburg monarchy, the Kingdom of Hungary, the Republic of Venice, etc. Slovenia joined the Kingdom of Yugoslavia in 1918 after WW1. Nazi Germany and Italy annexed Slovenia during WW2. However, it rejoined the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia in 1945 after the end of the war. Slovenia gained independence from Yugoslavia in 1991 after the  Ten-Day War . It w...

The main features of rainforests are tall trees, several layers of plants, and abundant rain. They grow in areas with warm and wet climate throughout the year. There are two main types of rainforests: tropical and temperate. Tropical rainforests are generally present in Central and South America, Southeast Asia , and western and central Africa . Temperate forests are usually present in coastal and mountainous areas in western North America, Chile, southern Australia, New Zealand, Japan, Norway , and the UK . Rainforests are the oldest living ecosystem on Earth. Some of these are tens of millions of years old. Rainforests receive the heaviest amount of rainfall among all biomes. Tropical rainforests receive 200-1000 cm (80-400 in.) of rain per year, while temperate rainforests get 150-500 cm (60-200 in.) of rain annually. Temperate forests compensate for less precipitation through dense fog. Daintree Rainforest (180 million years) in Australia , Borneo Lowland Rainforest (140 milli...

Slovakia is a landlocked country in Central Europe. It shares borders with Ukraine and four Central European countries. Slovakia has the  highest production of cars  per capita in the world. It produced 185 cars per 1,000 people in 2020, far more than Czech Republic, the second country on this list. ( Source ) Slovakia has the second highest share of  nuclear power production  for electricity generation. It fulfills 59.2% of its electricity requirement through nuclear power, which is only less than  France  (62.6%). ( Source ) More than 90% of Slovakian citizens have their own homes. It is one of the world’s highest rates of  home ownership . ( Source ) Slovakia has the  largest average household size  in the EU, with 2.9 members. It retained this household size from 2009 to 2022. This Central European country also has the highest percentage (33.9%) of households with children and the lowest proportion of single parents. It is the only EU m...

The turkey is a large bird native to North America. It has two extant species : wild turkeys (eastern and central North America, particularly in the USA) and ocellated turkeys (Yucatan Peninsula in Mexico). Indigenous people of North America domesticated wild turkeys around 2,000 years ago. However, this process never happened for ocellated turkeys. Europeans initially transferred Turkey from its native land to Europe during the 16 th Century. It arrived in Spain in 1519 and in England in 1541. The name of this bird is after the Eurasian country of a similar name, Turkey. It is either due to its transportation from Turkey to Britain or due to its resemblance to another bird named “Turkey coq.” ( Source ) Turkeys belong to the turkey-pheasant branch of the pheasant family. Its closest relatives are prairie chickens, ptarmigans, and grouse. Wild turkeys appeared on Earth around 5 million years ago . There were 10 million turkeys before the arrival of Europeans in the Americas. Howe...

Tunisia is the smallest country in the Maghreb , a region in North Africa. The Mediterranean Sea is located at its north and northeast, while it shares land borders with Libya and Algeria . The Great Mosque of Kairouan in Tunisia has the oldest complete minaret in the world. The construction of this mosque ended in 836 AD. ( Source ) The amphitheater of El Jim, in the center of Tunisia, is the largest colosseum in North Africa . It was founded in the 3 rd Century BC and could accommodate up to 35,000 spectators. ( Source ) The northernmost points on both mainland Africa and the African continent are in Tunisia. Ras ben Sakka (Cape Angela) is the northernmost point on Africa (mainland), while Galite Islands is the northernmost point on the entire continent. The initial inhabitants of Tunisia were Berbers (Amazighs). According to estimates, these indigenous people currently comprise a tiny minority of the Tunisian population and reside in mountainous areas of the south. ( Source ) ...

Raccoons are nocturnal mammals that belong to procyonids. The other members of this mammal family are coatis, olingos, ringtails, etc. Their closest relatives are bears . There are seven raccoon species . The most well-known is the common (or North American) raccoon. The other six species are limited to Central and South America . Various experiments have proved that raccoons are intelligent, creative, and innovative . They can understand and copy lessons. Sometimes they use unique methods to solve problems. ( Source ) At the beginning of the 20 th  Century, scientists initially tried to  use raccoons in labs  instead of rats due to their intelligence and curiosity. However, they could not take this place due to their frequent escapes from cages and other practical issues. During these experiments, raccoons showed a better memory than rats and dogs, comparable to human children. ( Source ) Raccoons are omnivorous that eat small (aquatic and land) animals , eggs, fruits,...