All facts — Page 43
The complete ONAURE library, newest first. Every fact has an explanation and a source you can check.
2056 facts
Owls cannot move their eyes because they are fixed in their sockets.
Owls cannot move their eyes because they are fixed in their sockets. To compensate, they can rotate their heads up to…
The sea otter has the densest fur of any mammal.
The sea otter has about one million hairs per square centimetre, the densest fur of any mammal. This density creates…
The tongue of a blue whale can weigh as much as an elephant.
The tongue of a blue whale can weigh about 2.7 tonnes, equivalent to an adult elephant. Its heart is also enormous…
Most bats are right-handed.
Most bats are left-handed. Studies show that about 70 percent of bats preferentially use their left paw to grip and…
Reindeer eyes change colour in winter.
In summer, reindeer eyes are golden and reflect little light. In winter, they turn blue and reflect much more light…
Male gentoo penguins offer stones to females as a courtship gift.
Male gentoo penguins look for the smoothest stone they can find and offer it to the female. If she accepts, she uses…
The human body produces about 1.5 litres of saliva per day.
The salivary glands produce between 1 and 1.5 litres of saliva per day. Saliva helps digest food, lubricate the mouth…
Nerve impulses travel at about 1 kilometre per hour.
Nerve impulses travel at speeds between 1 and 400 kilometres per hour, depending on the type of nerve and the…
The fat in the human body would be enough to make about 7 bars of soap.
The average adult human body contains about 16 percent fat, equivalent to approximately 10 to 12 kilograms. This…
We are shorter in the morning than at night.
We are about 1 to 2 centimetres taller when we wake up than when we go to bed. During the day, the body's weight…
Rhubarb leaves are toxic.
Rhubarb leaves contain high levels of oxalic acid, which can cause kidney failure and other serious problems if…
Cinnamon is a root.
Cinnamon is the inner bark of several tree species of the genus Cinnamomum. The bark is removed, dried and rolled…
Coffee is a fruit.
Coffee beans are the seeds of the fruit of a plant of the genus Coffea. These fruits are red or purple berries…
The artichoke is a root.
The artichoke is actually the unopened flower of a plant of the genus Cynara. The part we eat is the fleshy bracts…
La Paz, Bolivia, is the highest capital in the world.
La Paz is at an altitude of about 3,640 metres, making it the highest administrative capital in the world. Although…
The largest mountain range in the world is underwater.
The Mid-Ocean Ridge is the largest mountain range on the planet, about 65,000 kilometres long. It crosses all the…
Egypt has more pyramids than Sudan.
Sudan has about 200 pyramids, more than Egypt's roughly 140. The pyramids of Meroe, built by the Kingdom of Kush, are…
The snow leopard uses its tail to balance on cliffs.
The snow leopard has a long tail that can measure almost as much as its body. It uses it to balance on narrow…
The Arctic fox changes colour in winter.
The Arctic fox has white fur in winter and brownish-grey fur in summer. This colour change helps it camouflage in the…
The star-nosed mole has 22 tentacles on its nose to detect prey.
The star-nosed mole has 22 fleshy appendages on its nose, covered by more than 25,000 touch receptors. These organs…
The spleen can be removed without the person dying.
The spleen plays a role in filtering blood and immune defence, but it can be surgically removed. After removal, the…
The gallbladder can be removed without serious consequences.
The gallbladder stores bile produced by the liver, but it can be surgically removed. After removal, the liver…
The fingers have unique fingerprints, but the toes do not.
The toes also have unique prints, as do the palms of the hands and the soles of the feet. All these surfaces have…
The cashew shell contains urushiol, the same substance as poison ivy.
The urushiol in the cashew shell causes severe skin irritation. That is why cashews are always roasted or boiled…