Did you know that here are about 1500 potentially active volcanoes worldwide, aside from the continuous belt of volcanoes on the ocean floor? About 500 of these have erupted in historical time. Also many of these are located along the Pacific Rim in what is known as the 'Ring of Fire.' Pretty cool right?

Did you know that there’s a type of crab that is only found across the islands of the Indian ocean, Gambier islands and a small part of the Pacific ocean? Those crabs are called coconut crabs or robber crabs. They are animals with exoskeletons that can weigh up to 9lbs or 4kg and reach the height of 5.9” or 15 cm. (They are cute if you ask me.)

Did you know that there's a phobia called Hippopotomonstrosesquippedaliophobia? That's the phobia of long words.Pretty ironic huh?

Did you know that a group of flamingos is called a “flamboyance”? There are also six flamingo species; the greater flamingo, Chilean flamingo, American flamingo, lesser flamingo, Andean flamingo and James's flamingo. Just imagine trying to tell every single one apart.....

Did you know that animals can experience time differently from humans? To smaller animals, the world around them moves more slowly compared to humans. Salamanders and lizards, for example, experience time more slowly than cats and dogs. This is because the perception of time depends on how quickly the brain can process incoming information. (I can imagine a salamader in a waiting room being like;Man,that is taking foreverrrrrrr.)

Did you know that Giraffes are 30 times more likely to get hit by lightning than people? True, there are only five well-documented fatal lightning strikes on giraffes between 1996 and 2010. But due to the population of the species being just 140,000 during this time, it makes for about 0.003 lightning deaths per thousand giraffes each year. This is 30 times the equivalent fatality rate for humans. (How lucky are those animals?!)

Did you know that the Sun makes a sound but we can't hear it? In the form of pressure waves, the Sun does make a sound. The wavelength of the pressure waves from the Sun is measured in hundreds of miles, however, meaning they are far beyond the range of human hearing. (Just imagine waking up to the sound of the sun...)

Did you know that Ants don’t have lungs? They instead breathe through spiracles, nine or ten tiny openings, depending on the species. ('no comment on that')

Did you know that Beavers don't actually live in dams? Technically, beavers live in a lodge  that they build behind a dam, within a deep pool of water. (You were today years old when you found out.)

Did you know that Bats aren’t blind? Despite the famous idiom, bats can inded see, but they still use their even more famous echolocation to find prey. (Sneaky little animals...)

Did you know that a group of owls is called a parliament? They also don't have eyeballs but they have eye 'tubes'. (Nevetheless they look cute and scary at the same time.)

Did you know that Australia is wider than the moon? The moon sits at 3400km in diameter, while Australia’s diameter from east to west is almost 4000km.

Did you know that it's illegal to own just one guinea pig in Switzerland? It's considered animal abuse because they're social beings and get lonely. (Seriously, how come no one has thought about this?!)

Did you know that the Ancient Romans used to drop a piece of toast into their wine for good health? - hence why we 'raise a toast'. (Now it all makes sense!)

Did you know it takes longer for Venus to rotate once on its axis than it does for it to orbit the Sun? A single day on Venus is about 243 Earth days, while a year on Venus is around 225 Earth days. (If you lived there, you’d have a birthday before the day was over!)

Did you know that the mudskipper is a fish that can walk on land? Using their pectoral fins like legs, they can move across mudflats and even climb trees. These fish are true adventurers, exploring both land and water. (Just imagine trying to relax at the beach and see a walking fish. Yeah my soul would leave my body tbh...)

Did you know that certain species of frogs, like the polka-dot tree frog, can glow under ultraviolet light? This bioluminescence helps them communicate and possibly even ward off predators. (They are basically a nightlight!)

Did you know that the number of possible unique chess games is far greater than the number of atoms in the observable universe? The estimated number of atoms is around 10^80, while the number of possible chess games is 10^120. (So if you think of many gameplays,don't overthink it because they are literally so manyyyy)

Did you know that Hippopotamus means ‘river horse’ in Greek? The word ‘hippopotamus' means ‘river horse’ and is often shortened to ‘hippo’. 

Did you know that there's a phobia called bananaphobia? If you guessed it, it's the fear of bananas. Some people don’t like to touch them and the smell is enough to send people out of a room, but this banana drama is an uncommon phobia. (WDYM YOU'RE SCARED OF A LITERAL BANANA?!?!)

Wearing a tie can reduce blood flow to the brain by 7.5%. A study in 2018 found that wearing a necktie can reduce the blood flow to your brain by up to 7.5%, which can make you feel dizzy, nauseous, and cause headaches. They can also increase the pressure in your eyes if on too tight and are great at carrying germs. (Note to myself; NEVER wear ties.)

Kangaroos are social creatures, and they live in groups called mobs, troops or courts. They have plenty of ways to communicate with each other, including nose touching, stomping their hind legs and growling. Mother kangaroos will even make clicking or clucking sounds to call their young back to them. (Today's fact is for one of my friends that is scared of kangaroos.)

Did you know that the real name for a hashtag is octothorpe? You've (probably) been calling it wrong your entire life!

Did you know that the heart of a shrimp is located in its head? They also have an open circulatory system, which means they have no arteries and their organs float directly in blood. (Kind of spine chilling if you think about it....)

Did you know that Neptune's moon, Triton, orbits the planet backwards? It's the only large moon in our solar system that does this!

Did you know that dolphins communicate in many different ways – including squeaking, clicking and whistling. Each dolphin has a unique whistle that helps them recognize each other pretty much like human names. They also use high-pitched clicking sounds for echolocation to help them navigate and find food. The 'clicks' hit objects in the water and then bounce back as echoes. This helps dolphins work out what and where objects are. 

Did you know that cheetahs hunt during the day to avoid competition from other powerful predators such as lions, hyenas and leopards? (And boy, can they hunt!) First, they use their exceptional eyesight to scan their surroundings before quietly stalking their chosen prey. Then, when the time is right, they sprint from cover, knock down their victim and kill it with a bite to the throat.

Did you know that the Western lowland gorillas are the most widespread type of gorilla and occupy a variety of habitats? Their large range, which is often in very remote areas, makes it difficult to determine their total population. They're also the only gorilla subspecies found in zoos.

Did you know that goldfish don't have stomachs and should therefore be fed easily digestible food in lots of small feeding sessions, rather than lots of food at once? This is also why goldfish produce so much waste and why you need a filter to keep their water clean.

Did you know that Oak trees are part of the natural heritage in Illinois? Oak trees have been present in Illinois for the past 10,000 years, around the time the glaciers receded. Playing a critical role in the local ecosystem for thousands of years, oak trees are an important piece of the nature heritage. Unfortunately, much of the original oak ecosystems have been lost.

Did you know that apples are 25% Air? Apples float in water because a whopping 25% of their volume is actually air. Apples are less dense than water, making them the perfect fruit for apple bobbing.

Did you know that when one llama is angry at another llama, they will stick their tongues out to express their dislike?

Did you know that lightning is 5 times hotter than the sun? Lighting can reach temperatures of 30,000 kelvins (29726.66667 degrees celcius). Compare that to the surface of the sun, 6,000 kelvins (5726.6667 degrees celcius).

Did you know that low-level clouds lie below 6,500 feet (2,000 meters)? Meteorologists refer to them as stratus clouds. They're often dense, dark, and rainy (or snowy) though they can also be cottony white clumps interspersed with blue sky. The most dramatic types of clouds are cumulus and cumulonimbus, or thunderheads.

Did you know that the Sumerians, ( a civilization in ancient Mesopotamia) invented the wheel? The wheels were used to connect on chariots. It made it easier for them to get places faster. (Only if they knew they would change the world forever:o)

Did you know that the word "lesbian" derives from the greek island Lesbos? This is because Sappho, a greek poet, epressed her love for women through her poems. This is also why a female relationship can be called sapphic.

Did you know that in rare instances, twins can be conceived by different fathers? This is  called heteropaternal superfecundation, which occurs when two or more of a woman's eggs are fertilized by different men within the same ovulation period.

Did you know that lemons float in water but limes sink? That happens because limes are slightly denser that lemons, which is why they will sink when unpeeled and lemons float.

Did you know that bananas are berries, but strawberries aren't? Botanically speaking, a berry has seeds and pulp that develop from a single ovary — which bananas do. Strawberries, on the other hand, develop from a flower with multiple ovaries. (Nature’s weird, huh?)

Did you know that sloths can hold their breath longer than dolphins? A sloth can slow its heart rate and hold its breath for up to 40 minutes, while dolphins typically need to surface every 10 to 15 minutes. Sloths out here winning the chill Olympics suprisingly:0

Did you know that sharks are older than trees? Sharks have been around for about 400 million years while trees appeared roughly 350 million years ago. So technically, sharks were swimming in the oceans before trees were even a thing on land. (Ancient legends with teeth!)

Did you know that pufferfish have enough poison to kill 30 people? That makes them the most poisonous fish with the Estuarine stonefish coming second.

Did you know that sunflowers can clean up toxic soil? They're what's called phytoremediators—they can absorb heavy metals like lead, arsenic, and uranium from the ground through their roots. After the Chernobyl disaster, scientists actually planted sunflowers to help detoxify the area.

Did you know that honey never spoils? Archaeologists have found pots of honey in ancient Egyptian tombs that are over 3,000 years old—and still perfectly edible! Its low moisture content and natural acidity make it an inhospitable environment for bacteria and microorganisms.

Did you know that cheese is the most stolen food in the world? According to some global retail studies, about 4% of all cheese produced gets stolen. It's a combo of being pricey, easy to conceal, and universally loved. There's even a “cheese black market” in some places.

Did you know that cashews aren’t really nuts?—and they grow on apples! Cashews come from the bottom of the cashew apple, a pear-shaped fruit. The “nut” is actually a seed, and it’s encased in a shell that contains a toxic oil similar to poison ivy! That’s why cashews are never sold in their shells and have to be carefully processed before they’re safe to eat.

Did you know that in space, astronauts grow taller? Without gravity compressing your spine, the vertebrae stretch out a bit—so astronauts can grow up to 5cm (2 inches) taller while in orbit! But sadly, they shrink back down once they return to Earth. (Space spine magic doesn’t last forever sadly.)

Did you know that sea cucumbers fight by shooting their own guts out? When threatened, some sea cucumbers literally eject their internal organs as a defense mechanism to scare off predators. They grow them back though.

Did you know that your stomach gets a new lining every 3–4 days? If it didn’t, the strong acid your stomach uses to digest food would literally digest itself. So your body’s just constantly rebuilding the stomach lining.

Did you know that your brain can “eat itself” when you're sleep-deprived? Studies on sleep-deprived mice found that the brain starts breaking down and clearing out parts of its own synapses (the connections between neurons) It’s a natural maintenance process, but without sleep, it gets way too aggressive (So yeah... maybe that “sleep is for the weak” thing needs a rebrand.)

Did you know that you can literally die of a broken heart? It’s called Takotsubo cardiomyopathy, or “broken heart syndrome.” Intense emotional stress—like heartbreak, grief, or shock—can cause your heart’s left ventricle to weaken and balloon out, mimicking a heart attack. It’s rare, but very real, and it mostly affects women.The name “Takotsubo” comes from a Japanese octopus trap, because that’s what the heart looks like on a scan when it happens.

Did you know that dancing can literally make you smarter?Studies show that dancing improves brain function because it requires a combination of physical activity, coordination, memory, and rhythm. It’s like a full-body workout for your mind! In fact, dancing can help reduce the risk of dementia as it stimulates brain growth and improves memory. (So next time you hit the dance floor, just remember: you’re getting smarter and having fun!)

Did you know that teddy bears were named after President Theodore “Teddy” Roosevelt? In 1902, during a hunting trip, President Roosevelt famously refused to shoot a bear cub that had been tied to a tree for him to hunt. The story became a sensation, and soon after, a toy maker created a stuffed bear in his honor. The toy was called a “Teddy Bear,” and the name stuck.

Did you know that there's a plant that dances? Desmodiun gyrans, also known as the ''telegraph plant'' or ''dancing plant'', moves its leaves in rhythmic motions,especially when exposed to light, touch, or even music. This fascinating behavioris believed to help the plant respond to its environment,and it's one of the few plants that show movement fast enough to be seen with the naked eye.

Did you know that Cleopatra lived closer in time to the first moon landing than to the construction of the Great Pyramid of Giza? The Great Pyramid was completed around 2560 BCE, while Cleopatra ruled Egypt in 30 BCE, and the moon landing happened in 1969. So, Cleopatra was closer to modern times than to one of the ancient world’s greatest wonders!

Did you know that your femur is stronger than concrete? The femur (thigh bone) is the strongest bone in your body, and it can withstand up to 1,800 to 2,500 pounds (816 to 1133Kg) of pressure! That’s more than concrete, which can break under about 2,000 pounds of pressure. (So, next time you’re walking around, just know your legs are packing some serious strength.)

Did you know that the world’s longest bus is over 100 feet long? It was created in Japan and it's also called a ''limo bus''. The "limo-bus" can carry more than 150 passengers! It’s basically a mobile party on wheels, and it even has its own bar, karaoke machine, and TV screens. (It's not the one in the picture btw.)

Did you know that the phrase 'drool' over something is actually true? A scientific research has shown that when people see something they desire, they tend to actually produce more saliva.

Did you know that when a butterfly lands on a plant, it uses sensors on its feet (called chemoreceptors) to "taste" and determine if the plant is good for laying eggs? It's like walking into a restaurant and instantly knowing the flavor of every dish with your toes. (Pretty efficient — and pretty weird.)