Facts about Peepal Tree

 Peepal Tree is also known as Bodhi Tree and the Sacred Fig. They are found in the Indian Subcontinent. Gautama Buddha, the founder of Buddhism, meditated for days under a Peepal tree at Bodh Gaya in Bihar, which was called Bodhi tree, at the end of which he attained enlightenment. It has a religious significance to Hinduism, Buddhism and Jainism. Peepal tree is also the state tree of Odisha, Bihar and Haryana. Bharat Ratna, the highest civilian award of India is shaped like a peepal tree's leaf. The tree can live for 900- 1500 years. 

Facts about Rhinoceros

 

Rhinoceros is from Greek which means "nose-horned". They are found in Africa, South and Southeast Asia. They are herbivores. They are also the second largest land animal after the elephant. They have a weight of  3500 kg. There are five species of rhinoceros in the world. The five species are White Rhinoceros, Black Rhinoceros, Indian Rhinoceros, Javan Rhinoceros and the Sumatran Rhinoceros. White Rhinoceros is the largest rhino species.  Indian Rhinoceros are protected in national parks like the Kaziranga National Park in Assam. Javan Rhinoceros are slightly smaller than the Indian Rhinoceros and both are single horned. Sumatran Rhinoceros is the smallest rhino species. 

Facts about Tardigrade

 

Tardigrades are also known as water bears and moss piglets. They have eight legs and are microorganisms. They have a length of 0.5-1.5 cm only. They get the name "water bear" because they walk like a bear. They are found in tropical rainforests, Antarctic region, mountaintops, etc. We can see them only in bright sunlight with our naked eye. Tardigrade literally means "slow steppers". Tardigrades have 1300 known species. 

Facts about Superb Bird of Paradise

  

Superb Bird of Paradise is also known as Greater lophorina. They are found in Indonesia, New Guinea and Australia. Male birds dance with their tail feathers around the female birds. They look as scary as a ghost when they dance. There is only a little population of females but males have a bigger one. Their predators are birds of prey and snakes. They are Least Concern as recorded in the IUCN red list.  

Facts about Blue Whale

 Blue Whale is the largest animal on Earth.  With a mass of 199 tons and a length of 29.9 m they are bluish grey in colour. They eat tons and tons of krill which is their diet. Orcas or killer whales are their predators. They breathe through blowholes. They are found in Eastern Canada and the Eastern United States. Their tongue and heart is as big as an elephant and a 400 pound piano respectively. Their veins are so big that we can swim through them. They are also the loudest animal on Earth. 

Facts about Saltwater Crocodile

 Saltwater Crocodile has the strongest bite with a power of 3700 psi. They live in Southeast Asia, Sundaic region, Northern Australia and Micronesia. They inhabits saltwater habitats and brackish wetlands. They are also the largest reptile with a mass of 1-1.5 tons. They are called in different ways like saltie,  sea crocodile etc. They feed on sharks, crustaceans, amphibians, reptiles, birds and even humans. They are also deadly and dangerous to humans. Its main threats are illegal killing and habitat loss.

Facts about Rafflesia

 Rafflesia arnoldii is the largest flower in the world. It is also known as stinking corpse lily. Because it has the smell of rotten meat even though it is beautiful! Ugh! These flowers are found in Southeast Asia . They have five petals and does not have stems, leaves or roots. Rafflesia is known as Padma in Malaysian and Indonesian which is derived from Sanskrit "Padma" meaning lotus. Its smell attracts small flies called carrion flies.

Facts about Cheetah

 

Cheetah is the fastest land animal on Earth with a speed of 93-104 km/hr. They have tawny to pale buff fur with black spots. They have a long tail and long legs which help them to run fast. Their habitats are in Africa and Central Iran. They have relatives like puma and jaguarundi. They feed on chinkara, impala, blackbuck, etc. Their babies are called cubs.

Facts about African Bush Elephant

 

African Bush Elephant is the largest terrestrial mammal with a mass of 5.2- 6.9 tons. They live in 37 countries of Africa and inhabits forests, grasslands, wetlands and savannahs. They communicate with each other using their trunks. They are herbivores so they feed on grasses, creepers and herbs. They also eat sugarcane, papaya and other fruits. Female elephants are pregnant for 22 months , making it the longest gestation period. It is an endangered animal, as it is recorded in the IUCN list. Its tusks are used for ivory.

Facts about Capybara

Capybara is the largest living rodent. They are found in all countries in South America except Chile. They are semiaquatic mammals. As herbivores, they feed on  aquatic plants, grasses, fruit and tree bark. Its relatives are guinea pigs and rock cavies. They are excellent swimmers and mostly spend its time near water bodies. Their babies are called pups. They are hunted for meat, hide and grease from its skin.

Facts about Ostrich

Ostrich is the largest bird and it is a flightless bird. They are also the fastest bird on land. Ostrich has three stomachs. It is also known as the Camel Bird. Its feathers are used as plumes for ceremonial headgear. There are two species of ostrich- The common ostrich and the Somali ostrich.  Ostrich eggs are the largest eggs in the world with a weight of 1.35 kilograms. 1 ostrich egg is about 24 chicken eggs!  How big!
 

Facts about Whale Shark

 Whale Shark is the largest fish in the world. It is not a whale but a shark. Its colour is bluish-grey.   Its bellies are white and they have a unique pattern of strips and dots in white. With a length of 12.6 m and weight of 21.5 tons, they have 4000 teeth in 350 rows.  Although they have 4000 teeth, they are as small as a match head. They live in tropical and warm temperature between 30 degree north and 35 degree south.

Facts about Peregrine Falcon

 

Peregrine falcon is the fastest animal on Earth with a speed of about 389 km/hr. It is found everywhere on Earth, except polar regions, high mountains, and many tropical rainforests. It feeds on birds like pigeons, doves, waterfowl,  parrots, seabirds, etc. It is known as duck hawk in North America. Peregrine Falcon is the national bird of Qatar.

Facts about Three-toed Sloth

 Three-toed sloth is the slowest mammal on the planet. They are also very lazy. They will take so many weeks to digest their food because of slow metabolism.