Amazing Facts about Dragonfly

Scientific classification

Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Odonata
Suborder: Epiprocta
Infraorder: Anisoptera

Amazing Facts about Dragonfly

1. Eye contains 30,000 lenses.
2. A bee flaps its wings about 300 times per second, but a dragonfly flaps its wings at only about 30 beats per second. (fact, dragonflies have two sets of wings so they don’t have to beat them as much to fly.)
3. A dragonfly is a very strong and good flyer, and can fly at speeds of up to 36 miles per hour. (fact, but not all dragonflies are that fast – one was clocked at this speed in Australia)
4. Dragonflies are known as snake doctors because they can bring dead snakes back to life. (myth)
5. There were huge dinosaur dragonflies that lived 300 million years ago. (fact – the largest fossil found had a 2 ½ foot wingspan, and currently there are dragonflies in Costa Rica that measure 7 ½ inches across the wings.)
6. Dragonflies have huge stingers and some people are allergic to their stings and can die. (myth – the thing that looks like a stinger on a dragonfly is actually called a clasper and the male dragonfly uses it to hold onto the female when they are mating.)
7. There are about 5,000 different species of dragonflies all over the world except in Antarctica. 450 of the species can be found in the United States and about 80 species in British Columbia. (fact, most of the 5,000 species are found in remote, tropical areas.)
8. A dragonfly’s eyes have about 30,000 lenses and a dragonfly can see all the way around it, but they don’t see details very well. (fact, a human eye only has one lens and sees better than a dragonfly, but only to the front and side of them.)
9. From the time a dragonfly egg hatches, it can live anywhere from six months to six years, but only about two months as an actual dragonfly. (fact, most of the time spent is as a nymph in the water before the dragonfly’s metamorphosis into a full grown dragonfly.)
10. In the old days, dragonflies would seek out bad kids and sew their mouths together with their claspers while they slept. Dragonflies were known as the devil’s darning needles. (myth – dragonflies don’t have pockets to carry the thread to the beds of sleeping wicked children.)
11. A dragonfly’s scientific name is Odonta, which comes from the words “tooth-jawed” because the entomologist (insect scientist), Johann Christian Fabricius, who named them studied the dragonflies’ mouths in order to distinguish the different species. Now their wings are studied as well to classify dragonflies. (fact – other names for dragonflies around the world are water dipper in England, old glassy in China, and the ancient Celts called dragonflies big needle of wings.)

Common species

Southern hemisphere
Common Spreadwing Lestes plagiatus
Common Threadtail Elattoneura glauca
Goldtail Allocnemis leucosticta
Swamp Bluet Africallagma glaucum
Pinhey's Whisp Agriocnemis pinheyi
Black-tailed Bluet Azuragrion nigridorsum
Common Citril Ceriagrion glabrum
Yellow-faced Sprite Pseudagrion citricola
Gambel's Sprite Pseudagrion gamblesi
Hagen's Sprite Pseudagrion hageni
Hamon's Sprite Pseudagrion hamoni
Kersten's Sprite Pseudagrion kersteni
Masai Sprite Pseudagrion massaicum
Pseudagrina\atal Sprite Pseudagrion spernatum
Orange Emperor Anax speratus
Common Thorntail Ceratogomphus pictus
jack Notogomphus praetorius
Paragomphus cog panorpoides and Acisoma trifidum
Banded Groundling Brachythemis leucosticta
Broad Scarlet Crocothemis erythraea
Little Scarlet Crocothemis sang
Blck Percher Diplacodes lefebvrii
Black-tailed Skisciothemis farinosa
Two-striped Skimmer Orthetrum caffrum
Epaulet Skimmer Orthetrum chrysostigma
Julia Skimmer Orthetrum julia
Palpopleura p\ithemis arteriosa
Dropwing Trithemis furva
Kirby's Dropwing Trithemis kirbyi
Jaunty Dropwing Trithemis stictica

Northern hemisphere
Broad-bodied ChaserEmperor, Anax imperator
Keeled Skimmer, Orthetrum coerulescens
Black-tailed Skimmer, Orthetrum cancellatum
Common Whitetail, Libellula lydia
Migrant Hawker, Aeshna mixta
Azure Hawker, Aeshna caerulea
Southern Hawker, Aeshna cyanea
Norfolk Hawker, Aeshna isosceles
Common Hawker, Aeshna juncea
Red-veined Darter, Sympetrum fonscolombii
Common Darter, Sympetrum striolatum
Vagrant Darter, Sympetrum vulgatum
Yellow-winged Darter, Sympetrum flaveolum
Broad-bodied Chaser, Libellula depressa
Four-spotted Chaser, Libellula quadrimaculata
Scarce Chaser, Libellula fulva
Green Darner, Anax junius
Downy Emerald, Cordulia aenea
Blue-eyed Darner, Aeshna multicolor
Roseate Skimmer, Orthemis ferruginea
Widow Skimmer, Libellula luctuosa
Great Pondhawk, Erythemis vesiculosa
Comet Darner, Anax longipes
Banded Pennant, Celithemis fasciata
Somatochlora margarita, Somatochlora margarita

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Amazing Facts about Dolphin

Suborder Odontoceti, toothed whales

Family Delphinidae, oceanic dolphins

Genus Delphinus

Long-Beaked Common Dolphin, Delphinus capensis

Short-Beaked Common Dolphin, Delphinus delphis

Genus Tursiops

Common Bottlenose Dolphin, Tursiops truncatus

Indo-Pacific Bottlenose Dolphin, Tursiops aduncus

Genus Lissodelphis

Northern Rightwhale Dolphin, Lissodelphis borealis

Southern Rightwhale Dolphin, Lissodelphis peronii

Genus Sotalia

Tucuxi, Sotalia fluviatilis

Costero, Sotalia guianensis

Genus Sousa

Indo-Pacific Hump-backed Dolphin, Sousa chinensis

Chinese White Dolphin (the Chinese variant), Sousa chinensis chinensis

Atlantic Humpbacked Dolphin, Sousa teuszii

Genus Stenella

Atlantic Spotted Dolphin, Stenella frontalis

Clymene Dolphin, Stenella clymene

Pantropical Spotted Dolphin, Stenella attenuata

Spinner Dolphin, Stenella longirostris

Striped Dolphin, Stenella coeruleoalba

Genus Steno

Rough-Toothed Dolphin, Steno bredanensis

Genus Cephalorhynchus

Chilean Dolphin, Cephalorhynchus eutropia

Commerson's Dolphin, Cephalorhynchus commersonii

Heaviside's Dolphin, Cephalorhynchus heavisidii

Hector's Dolphin, Cephalorhynchus hectori

Genus Grampus

Risso's Dolphin, Grampus griseus

Genus Lagenodelphis

Fraser's Dolphin, Lagenodelphis hosei

Genus Lagenorhynchus

Atlantic White-Sided Dolphin, Lagenorhynchus acutus

Dusky Dolphin, Lagenorhynchus obscurus

Hourglass Dolphin, Lagenorhynchus cruciger

Pacific White-Sided Dolphin, Lagenorhynchus obliquidens

Peale's Dolphin, Lagenorhynchus australis

White-Beaked Dolphin, Lagenorhynchus albirostris

Genus Orcaella

Australian Snubfin Dolphin, Orcaella heinsohni

Irrawaddy Dolphin, Orcaella brevirostris

Genus Peponocephala

Melon-headed Whale, Peponocephala electra

Genus Orcinus

Killer Whale (Orca), Orcinus orca

Genus Feresa

Pygmy Killer Whale, Feresa attenuata

Genus Pseudorca

False Killer Whale, Pseudorca crassidens

Genus Globicephala

Long-finned Pilot Whale, Globicephala melas

Short-finned Pilot Whale, Globicephala macrorhynchus

Genus Australodelphis

Australodelphis mirus

Family Platanistidae

Ganges and Indus River Dolphin, Platanista gangetica with two subspecies

Ganges River Dolphin (or Susu), Platanista gangetica gangetica

Indus River Dolphin (or Bhulan), Platanista gangetica minor

Family Iniidae

Amazon River Dolphin (or Boto), Inia geoffrensis

Family Lipotidae

Baiji (or Chinese River Dolphin), Lipotes vexillifer (possibly extinct, since December 2006)

Family Pontoporiidae

La Plata Dolphin (or Franciscana), Pontoporia blainvillei

Six species in the family Delphinidae are commonly called "whales" but genetically are dolphins. They are sometimes called blackfish.

Melon-headed Whale, Peponocephala electra

Killer Whale (Orca), Orcinus orca

Wolphin Kawili'Kai at the Sea Life Park in Hawaii.

Pygmy Killer Whale, Feresa attenuata

Wolphin Kawili'Kai at the Sea Life Park in Hawaii.

False Killer Whale, Pseudorca crassidens

Long-finned Pilot Whale, Globicephala melas

Short-finned Pilot Whale, Globicephala macrorhynchus

Dolphins are marine mammals that are closely related to whales and porpoises. There are almost forty species of dolphin in seventeen genera. They vary in size from 1.2 m (4 ft) and 40 kg (90 lb) (Maui's Dolphin), up to 9.5 m (30 ft) and 10 tonnes (9.8 LT; 11 ST) (the Orca or Killer Whale). They are found worldwide, mostly in the shallower seas of the continental shelves, and are carnivores, mostly eating fish and squid. The family Delphinidae is the largest in the Cetacean order, and relatively recent: dolphins evolved about ten million years ago, during the Miocene. Dolphins are among the most intelligent animals and their often friendly appearance and seemingly playful attitude have made them popular in human culture

Amazing Facts about Dolphin

1. Like bats, dolphins use echolocation for movement and locating objects.
2. Can hear frequencies up to at least 100,000 Hz.
3. dolphins are mammals? They give birth to live young and nurse them with milk.
4. dolphins have to come up to the surface to breathe? Most dolphins surface every few minutes, but they can stay under water for up to 15 minutes. A dolphin breathes through the blowhole on top of its head.
5. dolphins evolved from land animals? The land ancestor of the dolphin lived about 50 million years ago and looked a little like a wolf. This animal hunted in shallow waters and by and by adapted itself to life in water: the forelegs became flippers, the hindlegs disappeared and the fluke evolved, the fur disappeared and the nostrils moved to the top of the head.
6. dolphins use echolocation to navigate and to find food? Dolphins send out clicks that are returned from other objects in the water (just like an echo). This way a dolphin can locate food, other dolphins, predators or rocks.
7. dolphins live in families? These families are usually led by a female dolphin. The dolphins in a family help each other, for example when raising their young. When travelling or hunting, several families might join together to make a larger group, a school of dolphins.
8. the largest dolphin is the orca? It can reach up to ten metres in length. For more information on this dolphin, read our text about orcas.
9. … dolphins have a thick layer of fat beneath their skin? This layer of fat is called blubber. As dolphins have no fur, they need the blubber to keep warm. Dolphins in colder waters usually have a thicker layer of fat than dolphins in warm waters.
10. dolphins are endangered? Humans are the greatest threat to dolphins: environmental pollution, habitat destruction and overfishing are the main reasons why so many dolphin species are endangered. Lots of dolphins get stuck in fishing nets and in some countries, dolphins are deliberately killed because they eat the fish that the fishermen want to catch. If we do not do anything about it, dolphins might soon be extinct.
11. not all dolphins live in seawater? There are some species that live in fresh water: the river dolphins. Unfortunately, river dolphins are critically endangered and it is even feared that one species, the baiji, has already died out.
12. you can help to protect dolphins? Educate yourself about these animals and tell others about them. Care more about our environment and start to recycle more things. Raise money for an organisation that helps to support dolphins.

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Amazing Facts about Dog

109 Amazing Facts about Dog

Scientific classification

Kingdom: Animalia

Phylum: Chordata

Class: Mammalia

Order: Carnivora

Family: Canidae

Genus: Canis

Species: C. lupus

Subspecies: C. l. familiaris

Trinomial name : Canis lupus familiaris

Amazing Facts about Dog

1. Has olfactory membrane up to 150 sq. cm.
2. Can hear sound as high as 40,000 Hz.
3. Dogs have social and impulsive internal structures that are similar to those of human being's, and this allows us to understand their behavior.
4. Many dog owners treat their dogs the wrong way as if they were children when the truth is that dogs are a completely different species.
5. All dogs have a strong need to be around others whether it is humans or other animals and if they are isolated from social contact, they can start escaping from the house or their behavior changes in search of attention from the owner.
6. A dog's sense of smell is about thirty seven times stronger than ahuman's.
7. The areas of the brain that process the signals that come from the dogs nose are much bigger in size and complex than those same areas in the human mind.
8. Fearful dogs tend to have problems capturing and communicating messages to other dogs and this often times leads to a fight.
9. When a dog wags his tail it means the dog is excited. This does not mean though, that the dog is trying to be friendly, and it is important to learn how to interpret the rest of the dog's body language before getting close to a dog that is wagging his tail.
10. Some signals dogs do such as inclining themselves and bending their front legs are seen in all dogs around the world. These types of universal signals do not need to be learned because dogs everywhere understand them.
11. Dogs that are well trained learn to adjust their behavior in order to be accepted by other dogs.
12. Compared to children, dogs have less capacity to understand the sounds and signs and it is very difficult for them to learn words like "Sit", "Heel" etc.
13. It is a myth that dogs are color blind. They can actually see in color, just not as vividly as humans. It is akin to our vision at dusk.
14. Dogs DO have better low-light vision than humans because of a special light-reflecting layer behind their retinas
15. A German Shepherd guide dog led her blind companion the entire 2100 mile Applachian Trail
16. If never spayed or neutered, a female dog, her mate, and their puppies could product over 66,000 dogs in 6 years!
17. Dogs’ only sweat glands are between their paw pads
18. Like human babies, Chihuahuas are born with a soft spot in their skull which closes with age
19. The breed Lundehune has 6 toes and can close its ears
20. Teddy Roosevelt’s dog, Pete, ripped a French ambassador’s pants off at the White House
21. President Lyndon Johnson had two beagles named Him and Her
22. Franklin Roosevelt spent $15,000 for a destroyer to pick up his Scottie in the Aleutian Islands
23. In Roman times, mastiffs donned light armor and were sent after mounted knights
24. The Russians trained dogs during WWII to run suicide missions with mines strapped to their backs
25. A dog’s mouth exerts 150-200 pounds of pressure per square inch with some dogs exerting up to 450 pounds per squre inch.
26. A one year old dog is as mature, physically, as a 15 year old human
27. The U.S. has the highest dog population in the world
28. France has the 2nd highest
29. The average city dog lives 3 years longer than a country dog
30. 87% of dog owners say their dog curls up beside them or at their feet while they watch T.V.
31. Dogs can be trained to detect epileptic seizures
32. 15 people die in the U.S. every year from dog bites
33. In 2002 alone, more people in the U.S. were killed by dogs than by sharks in the past 100 years
34. Gidget is the name of the Taco Bell dog
35. Newfoundlands are great swimmers because of their webbed feet
36. Basset Hounds cannot swim
37. Greyhounds are the fastest dogs on earth, with speeds of up to 45 miles per hour
38. Bingo is the name of the dog on the side of the Cracker Jack box
39. The bible mentions dogs 14 times
40. Three dogs survived the sinking of the Titanic – a Newfoundland, a Pomeranian, and a Pekingese
41. The Labrador Retriever is the #1 favorite breed in the U.S., Canada, and the U.K.
42. Obesity is the #1 health problem among dogs
43. An estimated 1,000,000 dogs in the U.S. have been named as the primary beneficiaries in their owner’s will
44. An American Animal Hospital Assoc. poll found that 33% of dog owners admit to talking to their dogs on the phone and leaving answering machine messages for them while away
45. Dog’s nose prints are as unique as a human’s finger prints and can be used to accurately identify them
46. At the end of the Beatles’ song “A Day in the Life”, a high-pitched dog whistle was recorded by Paul McCartney for his sheepdog
47. 70% of people sign their pet’s name on greeting and holiday cards
48. 58% put pets in family and holiday portraits
49. There are only 350 Cisky Terriers in the world – perhaps the rarest breed
50. The phrase “raining cats and dogs” originated in 17th century England when it is believed that many cats and dogs drowned during heavy periods of rain.
51. Dogs have no sense of “time”
52. Humans have kept dogs as pets for over 12,000 years
53. The largest breed of dog is the Irish Wolfhound
54. The world’s smallest dog breed is the Chihuahua
55. The St. Bernard is the heaviest
56. Only dogs and humans have prostates
57. But dogs do not have an appendix
58. Every dog on earth likely descended from a species knows as the Tomarctus – a creature that roamed the earth over 15 million years ago
59. The oldest known breed is likely the Saluki – originally trained by Egyptians to help them track game.
60. In 1957, Laika became the first living being in space via an earth satellite while JFK’s terrir, Charlie, father 4 puppies with Laika’s daughter
61. An African wolf dog known as the basenji is the only dog in the world that cannot bark
62. There are 703 breeds of purebred dogs
63. Dachshunds were originally bred for fighting badgers
64. The world’s smartest dogs are thought to be (1) the border collie, (2) the poodle, and (3) the golden retriever while the dumbest dog is believed to be the Afghan hound
65. A dog’s smell is more than 100,000 times stronger than that of a human’s which they need because their eyesight is not as keen as a human’s.
66. Dogs judge objects first by their movement, then by their brightness, and lastly by their shape
67. Chocolate contains a substance known as theobromine (similar to caffeine) which can kill dogs or at the very least make them violently ill
68. George Washington had thirty six dogs – all foxhounds – with one named Sweetlips
69. All dogs are identical in anatomy – 321 bones and 42 permanent teeth
70. Smaller breeds mature faster than larger breeds
71. Female dogs are only ready to mate – “in heat” – twice a year for a total of roughly 20 days
72. Puppies sleep ninety percent of the day for their first few weeks
73. Rin Tin Tin was the first Hollywood dog star and he really signed his movie contracts – all 22 of them – with a pawprint
74. The Wizard of Oz’s Toto was played by a female Cairn Terrier named Terry
75. Up until the late 1800’s, Collies were known as Scottish Sheepdogs
76. Dogs have two times as many muscles to move their ears as people
77. The longer a dog’s nose, the more effective it’s internal cooling system
78. An elderly woman was saved by her 12 pound Yorkshire Terrier who fought off an 80 pound Akita and survived with only 9 stitches
79. U.S. Customs dogs “Rocky” and “Barco” were so good at patrolling the border that Mexican drug lords put a $300,000 bounty on their heads
80. Dogs are all direct descendants of wolves
81. Wolves and dogs can mate to produce fertal offspring
82. Female wolves have been known to travel great distances to regurgitate full meals for their hungry pups
83. Cerberus was the tri-headed dog that guarded the underworld in Greek mythology
84. Female dogs bear their young for 60 days before they’re born
85. Dogs’ sense of hearing is more than ten times more acute than a human’s
86. Humans can detect sounds at 20,000 times per second, while dogs can sense frequencies of 30,000 times per second.
87. The earliest dog fossil dates back to nearly 10,000 B.C.
88. Bloodhounds are prized their ability to single out and identify a number of scents simultaneously
89. Dalmatian puppies are born completely white.
90. The Ancient Chinese carried Pekingese puppies in the sleeves of their robes
91. Boxers are so named because of their manner of playing with their front paws
92. All breeds of dog have been found to attack livestock – from 3 month old puppies, all the way up to thirteen year old poodles
93. A dog’s heart beats up to 120 times per minute, or 50% faster than the average human heartbeat of 80 times per minute
94. The oldest dog on record – a Queensland “Heeler” named Bluey – was 29 years, 5 months old
95. Davy Crockett had a dog named Sport
96. Dogs were first domesticated by cavemen
97. Dogs live 15 years on average
98. Many foot disorders inn dogs are simply an issue of long toenails
99. More than 5,000,000 puppies are born in the U.S. every year
100. More than 1 in 3 American families own a dog
101. Average body temperature for a dog is 101.2 degrees
102. The Girl Scouts and Boy Scouts both offer merit badges in dog care
103. Dogs are natural pack animals
104. They are naturally submissive to any creature with higher pack status – human or canine
105. Dogs instinctively require the pack leader’s approval
106. Dogs with little human contact in the first three months typically don’t make good pets
107. The Chihuahua was named after the state in Mexico where they were discovered
108. After birth, puppies’ eyes do not fully open until they’re about 12 days old
109. Their vision is not fully developed until after the 1st month

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