Trigger Warning: Certain images may make you uncomfortable.
Some facts can be terrifying, no doubt. But then, we humans are curious creatures and we love to know stuff, no matter how much they creep us out. Therefore, I shall present to you certain facts about nature that may send some shiver down your spine:
- Boa Constrictors can feel your heartbeat:
Boa Constrictors are large, non-venomous, heavy-bodied snakes that are found in tropical South America and the Caribbean.
You see the part ‘constrictor’ in its name? That describes the way it kills its prey: by squeezing them to the point that their blood-circulation stops. And guess what? It even knows if the pressure being applied is enough or does it need to go further and constrict more.
But how does it know that? Well, it’s because it can feel your heartbeat.
During its long, slow squeeze, a boa constrictor will feel every last heartbeat of the animal it has captured. This slithering predator uses its prey's heartbeat to decide when it's safe to stop constricting.
You must be wondering why it just doesn’t go full squeeze-squeeze at once. The fact is that they’re not worried about crushing their prey to paste, but don’t want to expend too much energy in the process.
This nope-rope knows the exact moment when you die.
- Jellyfish are capable of sinking boats:
The giant jellyfish that you see on your screen is known as Nomura’s Jellyfish, which can grow up to 6 ft in diameter and can weigh 400 pounds. They’ve been documented in the Sea of Japan.
As if their enormous size and venomous tentacles weren’t scary enough, they’re also quite powerful. Powerful enough to capsize boats weighing several tonnes. And no, I’m not making this up.
Back in 2009, a Japanese troller that went by the name Diasan Shinsho-maru had captured these fish. However, their power was so enormous that the boat ended up being capsized. Thankfully, the three crew members were rescued by another troller. And if you’re thinking that the boat must have been a small one, then you’re wrong. It weighed 10 tonnes. It was reported that the weather was clear, which means that it was these fish that turned over the boat.
Medusa in Greece would turn people to stone. These Medusas throw them into water (Fun fact: Jellyfish are called medusas in Spanish).
- The Fulmar Puke of Death:
This bird is known as Fulmar Chick:
Cute, right?
And now?
(Eww, what the fuck…)
You see that orange thing coming out of its mouth? That’s its vomit, which consists of its stomach oil made of wax esters.
“Poor guy must be having digestive issues”, you must be wondering. But trust me, there’s no such thing. In fact, that’s its defence mechanism which it spits at any predator bird that threatens it. The substance glues the predator’s feathers together, preventing it from flying. When the bird goes to the ocean to wash off the oil, it finds it has lost its buoyancy and drowns.
Think about it. This chick hates its predators so much that it spits at them to show the contempt it as for them. Ahhh, thoooo…
- Proteus syndrome
Sadly, the photo below is that of a real person.
This person suffers from a rare condition called Proteus Syndrome, which is characterized by overgrowth of the bones, skin, and other tissues. Organs and tissues affected by the disease grow out of proportion to the rest of the body. The overgrowth is usually asymmetric, which means it affects the right and left sides of the body differently.
It is caused by a variant in a growth regulatory gene called AKT1 that occurs after fertilization of the embryo (somatic mutation). Affected persons have some cells with a normal copy of this regulatory gene and some cells with the abnormal gene (mosaic).
It has absolutely no cure, and the worst part is that it’s not hereditary, which means that there’s no way to tell before birth that the child will have it or not. Life expectancy is from 9 months to 29 years.
I’ve put the least graphic image I could find of this condition. If you’re not faint-hearted, then please do a Google Images search on Proteus Syndrome. That will give you an idea of how awful it is.
- Harlequin Ichthyosis
This poor baby suffers from what is called Harlequin Ichthyosis:
It’s also a rare genetic condition that primarily affects the skin. It results in an overly thickened skin that resembles scales and is prone to severe cracks and painful splitting. Also, due to the thickness of the skin, it is impossible to sweat properly, leading to an uncomfortable rise in body temperature. It can also restrict breathing and eating.
It occurs due to a mutation in the gene ABCA12. This gene provides instructions for making a protein that is essential for the normal development of skin cells. Some mutations in the ABCA12 gene prevent the cell from making any ABCA12 protein, while others lead to the production of an abnormally small version of the protein that cannot transport lipids properly. A loss of functional ABCA12 protein disrupts the normal development of the epidermis, resulting in the hard, thick scales characteristic of harlequin ichthyosis. This condition is inherited.
The baby in the photo above didn’t survive, and this used to be the case with everyone with this disease a while ago. However, with the advancement in medical science and proper care, people are known to have a better life, like the girl below:
(Hunter Steinitz from Pittsburg)
Unfortunately, she can’t close her eyes or grow hair, and her body movement is restricted. However, she gives talks at universities and schools about her condition, spreading awareness about it and teaching people that this isn’t contagious.
- Crocodiles can climb trees:
While they might not look like a climber, they certainly can climb trees.
In a study conducted by the University of Tennesse, it was confirmed that four different crocodile species, found in Australia, Africa, and the Americas, are all able to climb, some as high as 4m, where they were observed basking in trees. They mostly do this to bask in the sun, or to survey territory for predators, prey, or for other competitor crocodiles.
Imagine that you’ve got a crocodile chasing you and you climb a tree to escape from it. When you reach above, you find one already waiting for you there. He’ll say to you:
Dread it. Run from it. Destiny still arrives.
Or imagine that you decided to get some rest under a tree and one of them decides to jump on you from above screaming:
Surprise, motherf**ker!
- Colossal Squids:
(Yup, that’s a real photo)
A colossal squid, found predominately in the Antarctic region, is the largest known species of squids. They can grow up to 14 meters long and weigh in at 750 kilograms.
Thankfully, they’re not an aggressive predator. Due to its slow metabolism, it waits for its prey instead of going after it. Our study of this animal is based on very few specimens, thus not a lot is known about them.
They’re fascinating, but I’d rather watch one from distance instead of going anywhere near.
- Shark embryos practice cannibalism:
Eating your own species or even siblings after being born is one thing, but it becomes a totally different game when cannibalism is happening inside the womb itself:
The above video was recorded by a camera placed inside the womb of a sand tiger shark. You can see that the eldest of the embryos, after having developed primitive teeth, starts feasting on its siblings before they could do the same to it. This allows them to destroy competition so that all the nutrition and resources go to the surviving offspring.
Who says killers aren’t born killers?
Image Sources:
- Getty Images
- Telegraph
- News18
Footnotes