Facts of Animals, Birds and Insects-19 401. A cat has slit- shaped pupils. These can open very wide in the dark and let in more light, thus enabling it to see in the dark. 402. A snake has large eyes. But in detecting its prey, it is the tongue that aids it best. 403. Birds have the keenest vision. An eagle can spot its prey from great heights. 404. One queen...

Facts of Animals, Birds and Insects-18 391. In the early days in China, the dragon was considered the symbol of power. In India, it was Garuda, the white- necked eagle. And in Assyria, it was the winged bull. 392. A snake’s heart continues to beat for many hours even after its head has been cut off. 393. In the 19th century in America, migrating flocks of more than 2000 million passenger...

Facts of Animals, Birds and Insects-17 371. It takes 24 hours for a tiny newborn swan to peck its way out of its shell. 372. Cattle are the only mammals that are retro-mingent (i.e., they pee backwards). 373. Insects have yellow blood , while octopuses have blue. 374. A cat’s jaw cannot move sideways. 375. Frogs do not need to drink water as they absorb it though their skin. 376. The...

Facts of Animals, Birds and Insects-16 361. The sloth is a lazy bear. It sleeps 18 hours a day and hangs upside down while it sleeps. 362. The peacock was declared the National Bird of India on January 31, 1963. 363. The polar bear cover its nose with its feet so that it cannot be seen easily while hunting. 364. A kitten is born blind as a protective measure. Nature thus...

Facts of Animals, Birds and Insects-15 351. A rodent’s highly developed sense of smell helps it to communicate with other rodents through odors released from scent glands on its body. 352. It is normal and good if your dog eats grass like a cow. Grass adds fiber to a dog’s diet and helps in the digestion process. Sometimes dogs eat grass to vomit out food when they have over- eaten, or...

Facts of Animals, Birds and Insects-14 341. The Siberian tiger is the largest cat in the world. It weighs about 330 kg and can eat up to 27.2 kg meat in a day. 342. The hippopotamus can run faster than a human being. 343. The elephant, the rhinoceros and the hippopotamus have mud baths to keep themselves clean. When the mud dries, it falls off, and along with it, the irritating...

Facts of Animals, Birds and Insects-13 331. The eye of a housefly is made up of more than 100 small eyes. 332. The cat is unable to see in complete darkness even though its eyes shine. 333. Before lying down, the dog turns round and round. Its ancestors in the wild did this to flatten the grass. Today, it still does the same even when offered a soft bed. 334. In...

Facts of Animals, Birds and Insects-12 321. A chameleon’s tongue is twice the length of its body. It is normally rolled up inside its mouth. 322. The ostrich can run at a speed of 60 kilometers per hour – faster than a race house. 323. The age of a horse can be told by its teeth: a one – year- old has 12 teeth and a five- year- old has 324....