5 Animal Facts That Will Surprise You

1. Worms make frogs grow extra legs

It sometimes happens that American tree frogs develop extra fingers. And sometimes the paws grow together so that they cannot be moved. In some cases, an additional pair of limbs grows, and not even one. In general, the poor amphibian is disfigured so much that you do not wish the enemy.

The reason for such terrible malformations of the frog organism is a parasitic worm, a nematode of the genus Ribeiroia.

It infects tadpoles and creates they have an excess of retinoic acid in their bodies, a form of vitamin A. This causes abnormal limb growth.

Why does the parasite do this? It's just that Ribeiroia parasitizes birds - frogs serve only as an intermediate host. And individuals with extra legs jump less, swim with difficulty, and it is harder for them to run away from birds.

A heron eats a sick frog, the nematode enters its digestive tract and begins to multiply there. Here is such a sadistic way of transferring worms to birds.

2. Sand shark fetuses devour their brothers in the womb

There is a charming predatory fish - an ordinary, or Argentine sand shark. Despite Name, she lives not only off the coast of this country, but also in the seas near the USA, Africa, Australia and Southeast Asia. Predatory habits in sharks are manifested from childhood. From early childhood. Literally in the womb.

Sandy sharks - viviparous, their pregnancy lasts from 9 to 12 months, and inside the female there are usually several dozen eggs. But some develop faster than others. And the germs emerging from them float around the mother's womb and are eating each other. They devour both unfertilized eggs, which serve as a kind of protein reserve, and their less fortunate brothers and sisters.

Survival of the fittest, that's all.

Usually from litter remains one shark, maximum two. When the length of the "baby" reaches one meter and he eats all the competitors, the shark finally gives birth to him. And us the light appears already ready to hunt marine predator.

3. Japanese macaques love deer

Yes, they love them, literally. Japanese macaques are generally quite sexually uninhibited creatures. The females of this species, for example, practice same-sex relationships - well, just not to be bored.

Deprived of attention, males at this time are looking for alternative ways to satisfy their natural needs. AND are engaged deer sex. The latter do not particularly mind, because macaques are small and light and cannot cause them serious inconvenience.

Young female macaques, by the way, too use deer for their needs and rub against them with pleasure, as well as bite and pull the antlers. It is also considered by scientists as a form of sexual behavior.

4. giraffes eat bones

What do giraffes eat? Well, it’s not for nothing that they grew such long necks - to gnaw the foliage from the branches of trees. Sometimes, however, these animals bend down to eat from low bushes - for this they have to spread their front legs very widely, because they are not able to bend them.

But sometimes giraffes pick up from the ground not only grass-ants, but also something less appetizing. For example, the bones of dead animals.

Scientists are not sure why giraffes eat them - this, by the way, is called osteophagy. But, most likely, in this way spotted herbivores replenish lack of calcium and phosphorus in the body.

The diet of giraffes includes the bones of both African buffaloes and their own fallen relatives - everything will go into business. Giraffes chew them thoroughly and rub them with their tongues before swallowing them.

5. Ring-tailed lemurs compete to see who stinks the most

The ring-tailed lemurs, the cute-looking inhabitants of Madagascar, have a very peculiar way of sorting things out. When the season comes breeding, they do not fight for females. Hand-to-hand combat is too primitive for such refined creatures.

Instead, a lemur, wanting to drive a rival from its territory, rubs tail secretions from one's own armpits. The latter, by the way, smell just disgusting. Then the lemur begins wagging its tail in front of the opponent's face. He also lubricates the tail with a secret and drives it along the opponent's face. The male that can't stand the scents first and runs away will be considered defeated.

Scientists called such a rivalry "stinking fights." Sometimes lemurs, having smeared their tail with urine, which smells no better, lift it up as high as possible - for this they do a handstand - and wave it in all directions, demonstrating their high position in hierarchy.

In order to attract females, lemurs rub their tails with wrist discharge, which is slightly less disgusting.