RANDOM FACT #27 - The CIA Once Used a WIRED-UP Cat to Spy on the Russians...

Everyone likes to eavesdrop on everyone else but at what lengths are willing to go through?
Thanks to some (partially) declassified documents in 2001 from the CIA's Science and Technology Directorate, one can get an idea of just how far. Back in the 60s, the CIA attempted to train a surgically altered cat, wired with transmitting and control devices, to become a mobile, eavesdropping platform...

The arapaima, a gigantic carnivorous, air-breathing fish that lives in the rivers and swamps of the Amazon Basin, is so well equiped that even it's tongue has teeth!

The arapaima, a gigantic carnivorous, air-breathing fish that lives in the rivers and swamps of the Amazon Basin, is so well equiped that even it's tongue has teeth!... plus 3 other Interesting Animal Facts.

The heavily armoured scales of the fish enables it to live in piranha-infested lakes, where no other animals would survive. Ironically, since it does tend to live near the surface, it also means it's easy prey for human predators.

The tongue of this fish is thought to have medicinal qualities in South America. It is dried and combined with guarana bark, which is grated and mixed into water. Doses of this are given to kill intestinal worms. In addition, the arapaima's bony tongue is often used to scrape cylinders of dried guarana, an ingredient in some beverages, and the bony scales are used as nail files.

The marvel of having 2 different coloured eyes, are found in both animals and humans.

The marvel of having eyes of different colours, are found in both animals and humans.

Heterochromia of the eye, or in this case complete heterochromia, is the term given when one iris is a different color from the other. Heterochromia is a result of the relative excess or lack of melanin (a pigment). It may be inherited, or caused by genetic mosaicism -  where cells within the same person have a different genetic makeup, chimerism, disease, or injury.

Most cases of heterochromia are hereditary, caused by a disease or syndrome, or due to an injury. Sometimes one eye may change color following certain diseases or injuries.

This phenomenon is said to be most often seen in animals, especially cats and dogs like the Siberian Husky.

Owls are one of the only birds who can see the color blue...NOT!

Owls are one of the only birds who can see the color blue... NOT!

This ludicrous myth was spread via an email chain letter, notorious for misinformation & general silliness. The idea behind most of them is to see how many of your friends are gullible enough to forward them without checking to see if they are true, then having a good laugh.

Not only can birds see blue but some varieties of birds can see into the UV spectrum, allowing them to detect colors that humans cannot perceive.

Owls are nocturnal and have poorer color vision than their diurnal counterparts like harks or eagles.

The reason bluebirds, blue jays, blue herons, blue parrots & all sorts of other blue-plumaged birds attract mates with their blue feathers is because birds CAN see blue.






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