Bear Necessities: Fascinating Facts About Our Majestic Friends and 9 facts you must know!

Bears are some of the most fascinating and diverse creatures on our planet. Here are some incredible facts that highlight their uniqueness:

1. Diverse Species

• There are eight species of bears, each with distinct traits. From the giant polar bear to the small sun bear, they inhabit a wide range of environments, from the Arctic ice to tropical forests.

2. Impressive Size

• Bears are among the largest land mammals. The polar bear can weigh over 1,500 pounds, while the tiny spectacled bear may only weigh around 150 pounds. Their size varies significantly, depending on species and habitat.

3. Hibernation Heroes

• Many bears hibernate during the winter, slowing their metabolism and living off body fat for months. Interestingly, they can go without food, water, or waste for extended periods, showing remarkable physiological adaptations.

4. Keen Senses

• Bears have an extraordinary sense of smell—up to seven times better than that of dogs! This incredible olfactory ability helps them locate food from miles away, making them skilled foragers.

5. Omnivorous Diet

• Most bears are omnivores, enjoying a varied diet that includes fruits, nuts, insects, and fish. Some, like the panda bear, primarily consume bamboo, showcasing their adaptability to different food sources.

6. Social Behavior

• While often thought of as solitary animals, some bear species exhibit social behaviors. For instance, black bears may gather in groups at rich food sources, and polar bears can be seen sharing their kills with one another.

7. Communication Skills

• Bears communicate through vocalizations, body language, and scent marking. They can make a range of sounds, from grunts to growls, and use their powerful sense of smell to convey information about their presence to other bears.

8. Cultural Significance

• Bears have a rich presence in various cultures and mythologies around the world. They symbolize strength and courage in many Native American traditions and are often featured in folklore and art.

9. Conservation Concerns

• Despite their resilience, many bear species are threatened by habitat loss, poaching, and climate change. Conservation efforts are crucial to protect these majestic animals and their ecosystems.

Bears are not just powerful and captivating; they play vital roles in their ecosystems. Understanding and respecting these magnificent creatures can help ensure their survival for future generations. Whether you're an animal lover or simply curious, there's always more to learn about these incredible animals!

So far, if you like the article and check out some awesome videos,

 

Why the sky is BLUE?

 

During the day, Rayleigh scattering, a phenomenon, gives the sky its blue appearance. Sunlight strikes air molecules like oxygen and nitrogen when it enters the atmosphere of the planet. Blue light, which has shorter wavelengths than other colors, is scattered more than other colors by these gas molecules in all directions.  This causes the blue light to be more widely dispersed and visible from all angles, giving the appearance that the sky is blue. As the sun is lower in the sky at sunrise and sunset, more of the Earth's atmosphere must be traversed by the light, which scatters even more of the shorter blue wavelengths and causes the sky to seem more red, orange, or yellow.

How many earthquakes occur every year all around the world?

How fast earth is moving around the sun?

How far below diamonds form here on earth?

One of the amazing benefit of HONEY!

What is the world's smallest ocean?

Answer: 

The Arctic Ocean is the world's smallest ocean. 

According to National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration,

"With an area of about 5.4 million square miles, the Arctic Ocean is about 1.5 times as big as the United States. It is bordered by Greenland, Canada, Norway, Alaska, and Russia. The average depth of the Arctic Ocean is 12,000 feet and it is 17,850 feet at its deepest point."

Source: https://oceanservice.noaa.gov/facts/smallestocean.html

Who Came Up With Using SALT for Preservation

Who Came Up With Using SALT for Preservation

Using salt to preserve, food, even human body isn't nothing new, but have you ever asked yourself who came up with this idea? Lets learn!

• Egyptians were the first to realize using salt for preservation 

• "Salt was gathered from the lake during the dry season, when the water evaporated and flats of salt were exposed. The Egyptians got their salt from Nile marshes, while early British towns clustered around salt springs"

Source: Butler, Stephanie. "Off the Spice Rack: The Story of Salt." History.com. A&E Television Networks, 10 Jan. 2013. Web. 22 July 2013.

World's Smallest/Tiniest Bird

Hummingbird is the World's TINIEST Bird!

Cool facts: 

• Hummingbirds are very intelligent; they can remember every flower they have been to, and how long it will take a flower to refill

• Tongue is grooved like the shape of a “W”

• Heart beats up to 1260 times per minute

• Weight anywhere between 2-20 grams

• Body smaller than a penny

                                                

                                   Source: http://www.worldofhummingbirds.com/facts.php

What are the name of the insects that make food for HUMANS??

Name one INSECT that make a form of food for humans?

HONEY BEES!! Yes! Honey bees are the only one insect that make a form of food for us. Aren’t you little intrigued about Honey bees now? Let see some crazy facts about them.

▲Honey bees never sleep!

▲3 types of Honey bees: Queen, Worker, and Drone

▲The queen may lay 600-800 or even 1,500 eggs each day during her 3     or 4 year lifetime. This daily egg production may equal her own weight.

▲She is constantly fed and groomed by attendant worker bees.

▲Honey bees' wings stroke 11,400 times per minute, thus making their distinctive buzz

▲Honeybees are responsible for pollinating approx. 80% of all fruit, vegetable and seed crops in the U.S.

………What it takes them to make honey?????

To make one pound of honey, the bees in the colony must visit 2 million flowers, fly over 55,000 miles and will be the lifetime work of approximately 768 bees

Source:

"Fun Facts." [Online]  <http://www.utahcountybeekeepers.org/fun_facts.html>

World's TALLEST Tree

Hyperion is the world tallest tree. It is currently located in Redwood National Park, California. Even though we know it is in Redwood park, the exact spot is not known due to concern over vandalism. Hyperion's height is 379.1 foot-tall.

Just to add couple more facts: 

•  Redwood National Park is bought during president Carter administration in 1978.

• Two hikers named Chris Atkins, and Micheal Taylor discovered Hyperion.

Source:
"Sequoia sempervirens." [Online]  January 2011. <http://www.conifers.org/cu/Sequoia.php>.

Lightning

Cool Facts & Stats

Lightning is a giant discharge of electricity accompanied by a brilliant flash of light and a loud crack of thunder.

It is freaking HOT and POWERFUL!....

• The spark can reach over five miles (eight kilometers) in length, 
• It can raise the temperature of the air by as much as 50,000 degrees Fahrenheit (27,700 degrees Celsius)
• It contains approximately 100 million electrical volts.

Some interesting statistics

•  Lightning detection systems in the United States monitor an average of 25 million strokes of lightning from clouds to ground during some 100,000 thunderstorms every year.

• It is estimated that Earth as a whole is struck by an average of more than a hundred lightning bolts every second.

• The odds of becoming a lightning victim in the U.S. in any one year is 1 in 700,000. The odds of being struck in your lifetime is 1 in 3,000.

• Lightning can kill people (3,696 deaths were recorded in the U.S. between 1959 and 2003) or cause cardiac arrest.

• Injuries range from severe burns and permanent brain damage to memory loss and personality change.

• About 400 people survive lightning strokes in the U.S. each year.

Safety

• People should stay away from windows and doors and avoid contact with anything that conducts electricity, including landline telephones. Most people hurt by lightning while inside their homes are talking on the telephone at the time.

•  People shouldn't be swimming during the thunderstorm; it is very dangerous because water is a good conductor of electricity

• An umbrella can increase your chances of being struck by lightning if it makes you the tallest object in the area.

Source:
National Geography. "Flash Facts About Lightning." [Online] 24 June 2005

World Largest Rain Forest?

Amazon Rain Forest!

• The Amazon rain forest is the world’s largest tropical rain forest. It covers about 2 million square miles (5.2 million square kilometers). It is more than seven times as big as Texas

• The Amazon rain forest has more kinds of plants than any other place in the world. Tens of thousands of different kinds of trees and other plants grow there. The tallest trees are more than 165 feet (50 meters) high—or as tall as a 14-story building. Nuts, cocoa, rubber, and other useful products come from the plants.

• The Amazon rain forest also has more kinds of animals than any other place in the world. More than 1,300 kinds of birds make their home in the rain forest. The rivers have up to 3,000 kinds of fish. As many as 30 million different kinds of insects may live there.

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*Amazon rain forest."  World Book Discover. World Book, 2012. Web. 18 Nov. 2012

What is Acid Rain?

Obviously, it is not manmade chemical solution....

• Acid rain is rain, snow, sleet, or hail that contains acids. Acid rain harms lakes and rivers and kills fish and other water life.Scientists believe it damages forests, soil, statues, bridges, and buildings too. 

• When chemicals from automobiles and factories mix with the water, they form acids. Most of those chemicals come from burning coal, oil, and fuel. Acid rain has caused damage in parts of North America, Europe, and Asia. Since the 1950's, the damage is worse. Now it harms areas far away from cities.

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*"Acid rain."  World Book Discover. World Book, 2012. Web. 18 Nov. 2012