Interesting and Unbelievable Facts

Tarsiers are primates in the group Prosimian. Other members of this primate group are lemurs, lorises, and galagos. Tarsiers are one of the smallest and lightest among primates. Their average size is five inches, while they can attain a maximum weight of around five ounces. Tarsiers are currently limited to forests in Southeast Asia (Indonesia, Malaysia, Brunei , and the Philippines ). However, researchers have found their fossils from other parts of Asia , Europe , etc. The oldest known fossil of tarsiers is 55 million years old. This fossil, discovered by researchers in 2013 from China , is also the oldest known fossil of any primate. ( Source ) Tarsiers can be divided into three groups according to differences in their physical structure. These include western tarsiers, eastern tarsiers, and Philippine tarsiers. There are around 13 species and subspecies of these mammals . Various tarsier species inhabit forests from sea level to areas at 1500 m height. The only exception is th...

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 Afric...

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...

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. ...

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...