Happy Wednesday!
Ever wonder which dog breed is the most popular in your state?
Here’s what we’ve got this week:
TRIVIA
National Eagles 🦅
Which country does NOT have an eagle as its national bird?
Explanation at the end!
ANIMAL FOCUS
Weasels 🐾
Weasels are amazing athletes! They can run up to 15 mph, which is super fast for such small animals (most weasels are only 7-14 inches long). They can also leap up to 6 feet in a single bound! 🏃
They’re always hungry! Weasels use so much energy that they have to eat half their body weight every day! If they skip a meal, they can get weak very quickly. 🍽️
They can change colors in winter! Some weasels turn white in winter to blend in with the snow. The tip of their tail stays dark so predators can’t tell which end is their head. They also have a great sense of smell and can sniff out prey hiding under the snow. ❄️
They are super flexible! Weasels have long spines, extra vertebrae, no collarbone, and loose ribs. This makes them super bendy, allowing them to twist into seemingly impossible shapes and squeeze through holes as small as a quarter! 🦴
They are fearless hunters! Weasels will hunt animals 10 times bigger than they are, including rabbits! Sometimes they do a crazy zig-zag dance called the weasel war dance to confuse their prey. 🐰
EVER WONDER?
Why does asparagus make pee smell? 🤔
Have you ever noticed that your pee smells weird after eating asparagus? Here’s why it happens:
Asparagus acid: Asparagus has a special chemical called asparagusic acid. It’s only found in asparagus. 🌱
Sulfur smell: When your stomach digests asparagus, it breaks this acid into tiny sulfur-containing chemicals. Sulfur-containing chemicals are also what makes skunks stink! These show up in your pee about 10-15 minutes after eating asparagus. 🦨
Quick evaporation: These sulfur chemicals escape into the air fast, so you smell them right away when you go to the bathroom. 🚽
However, not everyone smells it! About 6% of people have something called asparagus anosmia. Their noses don’t pick up the asparagus pee smell because of tiny differences in their smell genes.
Thanks to Kirsten who submitted this week’s question!
Pelayo Salinas de Leon | Mangrove Photography Awards 2026
Thanks for reading! Stay curious!
- Steve
P.S. 17 countries (Afghanistan, Albania, Egypt, Indonesia, Kazakhstan, Malawi, Mexico, Namibia, Panama, Philippines, Poland, Romania, Serbia, Tajikistan, United States, Zambia, and Zimbabwe) have eagles as their national bird. However, the national bird of Italy is the Italian sparrow (Passer italiae).
P.P.S. Have an animal or science question you’d luke us to feature? Just hit ‘Reply’ and tell us!