MYTHS ABOUT ANIMALS
G'day folks,
Growing up we have been told several things about certain
animals and their behaviours. We have believed some of the truths told, and
some well garnished myths.
Most animals, if not all, have been in
existence for a very long time and there are some false
myths about them that have no facts or scientific back up and have
been passed on to generations. Although some claims have it that these animals
haven been observed to appear or behave as stated in their myths, this is not
entirely true. Here is a list of myths related to some well-known animals.
BATS
ARE BLIND
Blind has been automatically added as a prefix of
bats “blind bat”. But the truth is that all bats can see to some extent.
That’s why they have eyes. And most bats employ echolocation (which is like a
kind of sonar) allowing them to “see” in greater detail than any human ever
could. If bats are really blind, as believed, how then do they see to move
around in the dark and locate tiny creatures that they eat?
Mother Birds Will Reject Their Baby Birds If
Handled By People
Often times when
kids come across baby birds in their nest, this myth which they have heard
overtime, stops them from touching the birds. Birds do not have a great sense
of smell like humans, so how would a mother bird sense that her chicks have
been touched by humans? Normally, a bird allows her little ones to fly around
when they are old enough to, they become independent at such tender age, but
humans just have a way of interpreting that behavior to mean – the chicks
were abandoned because a human touched them.
Healthy Dogs Have Wet Noses
Humans sweat when their Adrenalin level is high, it has
nothing to do with being healthy. Same with dogs; they have cold, damp or
sweaty nose as an indication of their activity level in a particular
period, it is not in any way related to its health condition.
Toads Give You Warts
This myth is
beginning to lose its hold on people, including children; only a few still
believe that toads give warts. This myth probably came into existence when
people wanted to stop kids from picking up animals outside for fear of
picking dirt as well or contacting diseases. Warts are viruses, and they
don’t come from toads.
Ostriches Bury Their Heads in Sand
This is one of the
most common myths about animals. No animal can breath with its head buried in
the dirt, it’s as simple as that. Would any animal actually commit suicide in
this manner? Pretty sure, no. This myth probably came from the fact that
ostriches, like many other kinds of birds, eat pebbles and sand to help them
digest their food. They also turn their eggs with their beaks, which is most
likely what they do when it appears as though they are burying their head in
sand.
Clancy's comment: There ya go. Now ya know.
I'm ...
