Happy Wednesday!
Have you ever been at an airport, seen a windsock, and wondered how it works? Itβs a simple but effective way to show pilots what direction the wind is blowing and how fast (depending on how far the windsock is extended)!
Hereβs what weβve got this week:
TRIVIA
Biggest brain? π§
Which animal has the biggest brain?
Explanation at the end!
ANIMAL FOCUS
Woodpeckers π¦ββ¬
Woodpeckers can hammer with a force up to 1,500 times stronger than gravity! Some can peck up to 40 times every second. Most animals would get a brain injury from impacts that strong. π¨
Their tongue wraps around their skull! A woodpeckerβs tongue can stretch 4-5 inches long and wrap around the back of its skull. This may help cushion its brain while pecking. π
Acorn woodpeckers can store 50,000 acorns in a single tree! They place each acorn in its own hole to keep other animals from stealing it. They also have excellent memories and can remember where they hide their food. π³
Woodpeckers can hear insects moving inside trees! Their tongues are covered with sticky saliva, helping them pull insects out from deep inside the wood. πͺ²
Not all woodpeckers peck wood! Some peck cacti, utility poles, or even houses. Others, like the Northern Flicker, peck the ground! πͺ΅
Want more? Check out 10 Woodpecker facts, including how their beaks grow their entire lives!
EVER WONDER?
What causes El NiΓ±o? βοΈ
What is El NiΓ±o? π
El NiΓ±o happens when part of the Pacific Ocean gets warmer than usual. This can change weather all around the world.
Normally, strong winds push warm water across the Pacific Ocean toward Asia and Australia. Colder water then rises near South America to take its place.
But every few years, those winds become weaker. When that happens, the warm water spreads back toward South America.
The warm water heats the air above it, which can change rainfall, storms, and temperatures in many parts of the world.
El NiΓ±o usually happens every 2-7 years and often lasts about 9-12 months.
What happens during El NiΓ±o? π
The effects can be different every time, but El NiΓ±o can cause:
Big storms and flooding in places like California and Peru βοΈ
Drier weather and droughts in places like Australia and Indonesia π΅
Fewer hurricanes in the Atlantic Ocean but more in the Pacific Ocean πͺοΈ
Hotter temperatures in many parts of the world π₯΅
PICKS OF THE WEEK
π¦ The βdune sharkβ beneath the Namib Desert
πββοΈ Why peeing in the pool is so bad
π¨βπ What happens if youβre thrown into space without a spacesuit
πΎ What itβs like to raise red pandas (cuteness alert!):
BRAIN TRIVIA
Vocabulary (Part 2): What are the following animals called when theyβre in a group? How many do you know?
Rhinos π¦
Ferrets πΎ
Lizards π¦
Wombats πΎ
Porcupines πͺ‘
Lemurs π
Owls π¦
Ali Alobaidly | Shark Nebula, ZWO Astronomy Photographer of the Year
Thanks for reading! Stay curious!
- Steve
P.S. The sperm whale has the largest brain, weighing 17-20 pounds. Thatβs larger than the brains of blue whales (15 pounds), orcas (11-15 pounds), African elephants (10-12 pounds), and bottlenose dolphins (3.7 pounds). For comparison, the human brain weighs about 3 pounds.