Are You Scared of Sharks? These 10 Animals Also Cause Death and Destruction.

Steven Spielberg changed our collective psyche when he made Jaws in 1975. Along with creating the summer blockbuster, he also gave the world a fear of sharks!

But film channels, urban legends, and our own paranoia have wrongfully made us fear sharks when there are other threats out there as well. Data shows that the chance of dying thanks to animal encounters stands at one in 1,384,594.

Even so, there are some animals you need to be more careful around. Let’s take a look!

10. Dogs

Data shows that dogs kill up to 28 people in the United States per year.

Dogs aren’t a danger to the general public. In many cases, dogs turn against human owners who have maltreated them.

9. Deer

Photo Credit: Pexels

Sweet, innocent deer?!

Yes, deer are responsible for up to 120 deaths in the United States every year.

To be fair, expansion into their habitat is responsible for many of these deaths. Cities and towns across the country consistently build roads and highways in their habitat, which increases the likelihood of car accidents.

8. Hippos

These adorable mammals can kill humans by biting or sitting on them.

Up to 500 people die in sub-Saharan Africa every year. They also have extremely sharp teeth, so there’s that.

7. Snakes

Snakes are obviously much smaller than sharks, but they kill about 50,000 people every year.

Some species are more toxic than others, and other types of snakes are closer to humans because of expansion into their natural habitat.

6. Snails

Photo Credit: Pexels

The humble freshwater snail isn’t harmful on its own, but 200,000 people die on an annual basis because it carries a parasite called schistosomiasis.

The parasite first invades the body, lays eggs that end up in many tissues, and causes symptoms such as anemia that can cause death in up to 10% of those affected.

5. Lions

We all know to stay away from lions if we see any, but they still kill about 100 humans every year.

Many animals on this list often kill humans by accident, but lions have no problem hunting humans at all.

4. Wolves

Wolves are certainly wild, but they don’t usually kill humans on purpose.

Their sharp teeth are only a danger to humans that actively threaten them.

About 10 people die every year from encountering wolves.

3. Mosquitoes

Mosquitoes are small and they exist in almost every part of the world.

They reproduce quickly, suck your blood, and bite you before you even have a chance to fight back.

They also carry diseases such as encephalitis, dengue fever, yellow fever, and malaria.

2. Elephants

These giant mammals are actually gentle and pose no threat to humans as long as they have space and are left alone.

Elephants tend to become afraid when they are confined to tight spaces or mistreated. They will then become scared and see humans as aggressors.

Approximately 100 humans die every year because of elephants.

1. Humans

Photo Credit: Pexels

Yes, humans are the second-deadliest animal on the planet (mosquitoes are actually #1?!?).

But they’re #1 on this list because it’s so unexpected.

Humans kill approximately 475,000 of their fellow brethren every year. Ouch!

What did you think of the animals included on this list? Were you surprised by any of the deadly creatures that kill more people than sharks do on an annual basis?

Share your thoughts in the comments!

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For the First Time, Penguins Have Been Documented Using the Same Speech Patterns as Humans

It seems like there have been more and more reports of different animals displaying increasingly human characteristics, like making and developing tools, but most of the instances have been in our closer genetic relatives.

So it feels a bit off to say it’s not monkeys, but penguins, whose speech patterns could closely mirror those of people.

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African Penguin – nearly adult

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Historically, a normal penguin call ranges from a gently peep to a cringe-y squawk, but even though they don’t use words, researchers have found that they’re officially the first non-primates to use the same patterns of speech as human beings.

Scientists studying the songs of African penguins have learned that they use shorter sounds for “words” and longer vocalizations with more syllables when communicating more complex messages, both of which are linguistic principles of human speech around the world.

Zipf’s Law of Brevity postulates that the more often a word is used, the shorter it will be, and vice versa, due to selective pressures to communicate accurately and efficiently.

The Menzerath-Altmann Law says that the longer a word or sentence, the shorter its components will be.

Both principles have been documented in humans and non-human primates, but the penguins are a first.

The authors write in Biology Letters,

“Our results provide the first evidence for conformity to Zipf’s and Menzerath-Altmann laws in the vocal sequences of a non-primate species.”

To come to these conclusion, the researchers studied the calls of 28 adult African penguins, collecting and analyzing 590 display songs during a single breeding season. They found that a sequence of three distinct sounds made up the songs – the first two, a short croak and a longer, exhaled noise that occurred most often, and a third, inhaled vocalization of varied length.

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#bemyvalentine

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The scientists theorized that the first two were simply announcing their presence and availability, while the longer one was some kind of argument about why they were the fitter partner.

“As predicted, we found that the duration of the syllables was inversely correlated with the frequency of occurrence.”

The conclusions seem to point toward language laws not being intrinsically about semantics and syntax, but about the fundamental need to communicate efficiently.

Which means that, if we apply their findings across the board, it may be more likely that we can truly understand what’s being communicated between members of many species.

I can’t wait until we can divine what our cats are thinking. What a day that will be!

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A 330-Million-Year-Old Shark Head Was Found Inside a Cave in Kentucky

Kentucky is synonymous with fried chicken and horse racing.

Apparently we need to add sharks to the list.

Scientists recently discovered a shark skull inside a cave in Kentucky that dates back quite a few years. And we’re not talking a few decades.

The 330-million-year-old skull was found in the 400-mile long Mammoth Cave National Park, which just so happens to be the longest known cave system in the world.

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Shark fossils of Mammoth Cave National Park

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Rick Olson and Rick Toomey, who both work as Mammoth Cave scientists, found the fossil. John-Paul Hodnett led a team of paleontologists in identifying the fossil as one that originated in the Late Missisippian geological period that occurred between 358 to 323 million years ago.

Hodnett could hardly contain his excitement over the unique discovery.

“There’s hardly ever any record at all of sharks’ teeth coming from these rocks,” he told CNN. “So this is a brand new record of sharks from a particular layer of time.”

The Rick duo that found the fossil buried within the limestone cave walls has been hard at work mapping a part of the Kentucky cave system.

Hodnett’s team eventually excavated a 2.5-foot portion of the shark’s jaw. Based on the jaw size, the prehistoric animal would have measured comparably to a modern great white shark.

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Shark fossils from today’s field work

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While the discovery was certainly impressive, it isn’t close to the oldest shark fossil found. Fossilized skin scales of sharks dating back to 450 million years ago were found in Colorado and Central Australia. In fact, the oldest shark teeth on record were found from the Devonian Period, which took place between 418 to 358 million years ago.

“Mammoth Cave has a rich fossil shark record and there’s still much more to uncover,” Hodnett said.

I guess the discovery would qualify as big news, after all.

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Cute Photos of Cats Eating Bananas

I always used to share bananas with dog when I was growing up, but I had no idea that cats were fans of the fruit as well. I guess you learn something new every day, huh?

Based on these photos, next time I see a cat I’m gonna share a banana with them, no questions asked.

Enjoy these photos! You’re welcome!

1. A big CHOMP.

Photo Credit: Sad and Useless

2. Just here for a sample. Yes, this is okay. You can eat.

Photo Credit: Sad and Useless

3. Cautious, but still curious. Maybe take a bite now?

Photo Credit: Sad and Useless

4. I can haz some? kthx!

Photo Credit: Sad and Useless

5. A treat post-surgery. What a good kitteh!

Photo Credit: Sad and Useless

6. Stare into my eyes. You will give me ALL the bananas!

Photo Credit: Sad and Useless

7. It’ll be gone before you know it. Iz gonna eatz it all!

Photo Credit: Sad and Useless

8. It’s good for you! Especially mah teef!

Photo Credit: Sad and Useless

9. What am I eating here? I don’t know, but I like it!

Photo Credit: Sad and Useless

10. The aftermath…

image-20180213_094533

11. Still thinking about it… ?

Photo Credit: Wikimedia Commons

Okay, I’ll admit that those cute pics made my day in a big way.

What do you think? Pretty adorable, huh?

Share some pics of your own cats (with or without bananas) in the comments!

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Check Out This Crochet Taxidermy for Folks Who Don’t Like Harming Animals

What can a person do if they really like that “animal on the head” thing on their wall, but they don’t actually like the idea of hunting or killing animals?

Well, it’s your lucky day!

If you like what you see, you can purchase these cool collectibles by clicking the Etsy links below the photos. Happy hunting…I mean…browsing.

1. How precious.

Photo Credit: Etsy

2. Cute as a button.

Photo Credit: Etsy

3. Gone fishing.

Photo Credit: Etsy

4. Look into those eyes.

Photo Credit: Etsy

5. This one looks great.

Photo Credit: Etsy

6. Kind of looks like Rudolph.

Photo Credit: Etsy

7. The elusive narwhal!

Photo Credit: Etsy

8. Tony the Tiger.

Photo Credit: Etsy

9. Buzzing bumble bee.

Photo Credit: Etsy

10. The detail on this is impressive.

Photo Credit: Etsy

11. That is one big cow.

Photo Credit: Etsy

Aren’t those cool?

What do you think? Do you have any real taxidermy in your house or would you prefer the fake stuff like these items?

Tell us about it in the comments!

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In 1997 in Beaver Falls, Pennsylvania…

In 1997 in Beaver Falls, Pennsylvania, a pot-bellied pig named Lulu saved her owner, having a heart attack. Lulu heard the owner’s cries of pain then forced her way out of the yard and played dead on the road. Lulu successfully stopped a car and guided help to the owner, she survived.

People Shed Light on Where Mythical Creatures Come From

Ever since I was a youngster, I’ve been mesmerized by dinosaurs and other ancient creatures. As I got older I learned about all sorts of incredible animals from different ages of the Earth – some so fantastical it’s hard to believe we’ve actually got the fossils to prove they existed.

But in the days before a proper scientific method, or, say, cameras, how did you draw the line between fantastical real creature, and fantastical myth? Tumblr user a-book-of-creatures kicked off a wonderfully nerdy discussion with fellow zoology/cryptozoology enthusiasts on exactly that question.

Most of the facts surrounding any mythology are hard to nail down of course (because, yanno, mythology), but some of the possibilities are fascinating – and kinda funny.

It starts like a game of telephone…

Source: weasowl.tumblr

Friendship is…magic?

Source: weasowl.tumblr

There’s a lot left up to interpretation…

Source: weasowl.tumblr

Don’t forget the impact of time!

Source: weasowl.tumblr

Imagine actually running into one of these…

Source: weasowl.tumblr

What’s your favorite creature – real or imaginary?

Let us know in the comments and let’s nerd out.

Do it!

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Here are Some Photos Of Expert-Level Pet Shaming

I’m gonna go on the record here: pet shaming never gets old. EVER.

That’s why you’re here, because you love it, too.

Let’s all enjoy it together, shall we?!?!

1. Major fail

Photo Credit: The Chive

2. Hitchin’ a ride

Photo Credit: The Chive

3. GUILTY

Photo Credit: The Chive

4. Oh no!

Photo Credit: The Chive

5. A very aggressive bird

Photo Credit: The Chive

6. Don’t give a sh*t

Photo Credit: The Chive

7. Not an auto feeder anymore

Photo Credit: The Chive

8. Oscar = Bad Kitty

Photo Credit: The Chive

9. Nice move!

Photo Credit: The Chive

10. Can’t read that anymore

Photo Credit: The Chive

11. Party animal

Photo Credit: The Chive

12. Blind but killin’ it

Photo Credit: The Chive

13. OMG

Photo Credit: The Chive

14. That’s not good

Photo Credit: The Chive

15. Why not, huh?

Photo Credit: The Chive

Yay! I needed that…

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