Documentary

10 Animal Myths Debunked

By admin ⋅ July 8, 2008 ⋅  Email This Post ⋅  Print This Post ⋅ Post a comment ⋅ 19,582 views

We all have common misconceptions about animals, mostly from the wrong information we are exposed to on a daily basis. Most of them come from movies, animations or stayed with us since childhood. That is why we’ve thought about spread  come correct information this time by debunking the 10 most common myths about animals.

Hares are cowards

It might seem all warm and cuddly, but the hare has an ace up its sleeve. All it needs is beating his paws relentlessly to escape from predators. Commonly known as boxing, the hare’s defense mechanism is probably the source of inspiration for the well-known expression “mad as a March hare”. Apart from self-defense, boxing is also used by females to “suggest” to the male that it is not yet ready for mating.

Bears are slow

If you see a bear coming towards you in the forest, you better speed it up and get a head start. If the bear moves both of the paws on one side of its body at the same time, it can reach a speed of up to 50 km/hr (30 mph.). They’re hardly the slow, lazy animals they are often portrayed as. This would mean 13.5 meters/second (44 feet/second), as compared to the speed of a human, of 10 meters/second (33 feet/second).

Hippos are clumsy

Another common misconception about large animals is that they are lazy and clumsy. With its heavy body, stubby legs and large mouth, the hippo is one of the heaviest land animals, but not the slowest. It can reach speeds of up to 30 mph (48 lm/h), which is faster than an Olympic sprinter. It’s not lazy, moreover the hippo is considered one of Africa’s most dangerous animals, being aggressive towards crocodiles and attacking humans quite often.

Badgers are sad and lonely

Or at least this is the way they are depicted in fairy tales and animations. They’re actually quite sociable, living in groups of 2 to 15 members. Even though they can fight off wolves, coyotes and even bears, they are extremely playful, especially badger cubs. They can often be seen chasing and play-fighting with each other and with adults.

Giraffes are flexible

Even though they are one of the tallest animals on Earth and their head is 6 meters above ground, giraffes only have 7 cervical vertebrae, like any other animal. They might seem flexible, but giraffes are not even able to turn their head back. The size of their necks is still a mystery, but scientists think that the size is less used for feeding and more for fighting.

Zebras are given away by their stripes

The misconception that zebras have a poor camouflage mechanism is perhaps only available in zoos. In the wild, when they are forced by predators to run away, stripes help them blend into the crowd, disappearing into a grey color spot. If a zebra is not moving in matching surroundings, the predator may overlook it completely.

Rattlesnakes rattle before they attack

These snakes actually rattle when they are frightened. They also do this to indicate their presence and avoid being stepped on. Rattlesnakes usually don’t give out any warning before they strike, so don’t expect them to warn you with the sound of the rattle.

Octopuses use camouflage to protect from enemies

Yes, octopuses are the world’s most skilled camouflage artists. They produce elaborate color patterns, being able to blend in to practically any environment. But some of these individuals don’t use camouflage only to escape predators. Male cuttlefish use their color to camouflage from other competing males and protect their females.

Lizards climb with the use of suction

Lizards actually have van der Waals interactions between their setae footpads that stick them to the surface. A single foot contains 500,000 setae, these organisms being able to adhere to almost anything, apart from liquids. The setae are self cleaning, as to remove dirt from preventing the lizards to climb. The only surface they cannot stick to is the Teflon.

Elephant have a thick skin

Actually its skin, except over the back and sides where it can be 2-3 cm thick, is very sensitive. Elephants can feel a simple touch, are sensitive to the sun, reason for which the mother constantly provides shade for the babies. They even bathe in mud to protect themselves from the sun.

photo sources: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10