Category: Animal Facts

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Electrifying Facts About Eels

The deepest parts of the ocean remain a mystery to people and scientists alike. And eels are just a tiny part of it. But, they are still incredibly interesting.

Here are some eel facts that will slither right into your brain and shock you.

So many options

There are over 800 different species of eels in the world. They can be as short as the 2-inch one-jawed eel, or as long as the 13-foot slender giant moray eel.

Most eels live in the shallow waters of the ocean, but some live in waters as deep as 13,000 feet.

They can burrow into sand, mud, or among rocks.

They are rarely seen in the wild

Most eels are also nocturnal, so they’re rarely seen by people.

And they come in all sizes

The heaviest eel is the European conger. The maximum size reported of one of these eels is 240 pounds.

That’s a lotta eel.

They are not cute babies

Most eels begin life as larvae. The larvae are flat and transparent, and they eat marine snow, which are small particles floating in the water.

From there, they become glass eels, so named for their appearance.

At this stage, they transition from the ocean to freshwater.

And they have different names

As they grow, they become what are called elvers.

In the 19th century, Londoners would call the passage of young eels along the Thames “eel fare.” It’s been theorized that that’s where the term “elver” comes from.

After being elvers, eels mature into yellow stage eels, and finally, silver stage eels.

At this point, most eels will be back in the ocean to mate.

Everyone knows them for their spark

One of the most commonly known types of eel, the electric eel, is not actually an eel at all!

It’s really a South American knifefish, and it’s more closely related to carps and catfish than to true eels.

Electric eels can emit shocks up to 650 volts. That’s over five times the power of a standard American wall socket. But despite their electrifying power, these eels aren’t usually very aggressive.

They’ll usually just shock to stun prey or ward off predators. They also use a weak electric pulse as a kind of radar because their eyesight is very bad.

They’re delicious

The eel used in sushi is usually unagi, which are freshwater eels.

But some are protected

The European eel, a common type of freshwater eel is currently an endangered species.

And they can be extremely dangerous

Eel blood is toxic to humans and other mammals if it is directly injected into the bloodstream.

Serum from an eel is about three times as poisonous as the most venomous viper. Luckily, the toxins in eel blood can be easily killed either by cooking or digestion.

Who knew eels could be suck fascinating creatures.

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This Is What Happens to Mosquitoes in the Winter

The greatest thing about winter is the lack of bugs. No pesky mosquitoes making you itch every time you go outside at night! It’s such a relief — but, like, what even happens to mosquitoes in winter? Do they fly south, like birds?

Not quite, according to Mental Floss.

Mosquitoes have difficulty surviving in any temperatures below 50 degrees Fahrenheit, but their strategy depends on their sex. Males simply die off, though not directly due to the cold — instead, the winter just happens to coincide with the end of their life cycle, when they’ve already finished mating. They actually only live for about 10 days anyway.

Females, on the other hand, enter what is called diapause, a rested state similar to hibernation. They find a hollow log to burrow into, slow their metabolism, and hunker down until the cold is over. Females can stay in diapause for up to six months, thanks to the large reserves of energy that they hoard beforehand — they eat up to 10 times their normal body weight in blood to prepare for this stage.

Photo Credit: iStock

After warm weather returns, females leave their burrow and return to their normal metabolism. Then they must search for more food (blood) to nourish their eggs, and the whole dreadful cycle starts all over again.

Photo Credit: iStock

Unfortunately, there are some exceptions to all this. Some types of mosquitoes can actually breed underground in the winter and forego food, allowing them to stay alive all throughout the cold months. A species called Culex pipiens molestus invaded a poor Manhattan neighborhood in exactly this manner.

Bummer.

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7 Cute Facts About the Mouse Deer

Not too long ago, a species of Chevrotain that had not been seen for over 30 years was spotted in Vietnam, and no one can get over how little and adorable these creatures are.

Rightfully so.

If the mouse deer is your new obsession and you’re curious to know more, well, we’ve got you covered.

7. They have super fierce fangs.

They have two front teeth that are super long and sharp like needles – they use them to stab each other during combat.

6. They’re not deer, nor are they mice.

They do share a suborder with deer (Ruminantia), but have their own family, called Tragulidae.

5. Swimming is a defense mechanism.

The water chevrotain swims underwater to avoid predators – they can even walk on the riverbed in order to avoid being swept along by the current, grabbing hold of reeds to assist.

They can hold their breath for about 4 minutes, but tire easily while swimming.

4. The species vary by weight.

Species can vary in weight from 4 to around 33 pounds, though none get larger than a medium-sized dog.

3. They’re very shy.

They are prey animals, and with nothing but their sharp teeth for protection, all of the species lead fairly secluded, quiet lives. Some are nocturnal, and most graze alone, only hanging out together to mate.

2. There are many variations.

The family has two genera (Hyemoschus and Tragulus), and the spotted mouse deer have their own, Moshiola. All look very similar, however.

1. Their hooves are quite loud.

The males of some species can angrily beat their hooves on the ground four to seven times a second to warn off predators, or to warn their fellow chevrotains to take cover.

 

I just love that these little guys are back in the spotlight, and I hope they don’t go back into hiding for another three decades!

What’s your favorite forgotten and/or little known animal? We’d love to hear about it in the comments!

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