Bizarre Facts That Really Put The Power of Mother Nature On Display
Did you know that some clouds have the power to suck people up to the height of an airplane? Or how about that the biggest living thing on our planet is actually a fungus? No? Well, nature is full of surprises. The following facts showcase the natural world in all its bizarre, scary, and awe-inspiring glory. Strap yourselves in, folks, because Mother Nature really isn’t playing around!
1. A slow loris’ armpits can melt flesh
At first glance, the slow loris might look like the most harmless of primates. How could these cute little guys be dangerous? Well, they are — and then some. These animals produce a “noxious oil” via their armpits, which is as gross as it sounds.
Slow lorises use their tongues to lick up this oil, which mixes with their saliva to create a horrifying poison. When they bite another creature — their bite is powerful enough to go puncture bones, by the way — venom will melt away flesh. We’re serious!
2. Exploding lightning balls are a real thing
Have you ever heard of ball lightning? It’s a rare, unexplained natural phenomenon that can occur at the height of a thunderstorm. A sphere of electrical charge slowly falls to the ground then jumps around before shooting back up into the sky. In certain cases, some of these lightning balls even explode.
Over the years, there have been plenty of theories about what causes ball lightning, but no one really knows. One explanation suggests that silicon found in the soil can turn into burning spheres when struck by a bolt of lightning!
3. The largest organism in the world is a fungus
Sure, a blue whale is big, but it’s nothing compared to a type of fungus that’s been wreaking havoc across Oregon for years. According to scientists, this fungus, known as a honey mushroom, is the biggest living thing on our planet, and it tries to kill whatever it touches.
This parasitic organism attacks trees, feeding off their nutrients before absorbing whatever remains when they die. Shockingly, the honey mushroom spans around 2,400 acres of the Beaver State, with much of it residing below ground. Aptly dubbed “Humongous Fungus,” it covers the equivalent of 1,665 football fields!
4. Trees can call for help when in trouble
Who needs to call 911 when you have a built-in natural alert system of your own? If you weren’t already aware of how incredible trees are, they can send out warnings when danger is coming. If one tree is attacked by hungry insects, for example, it can release a compound into the air that warns other trees of the threat.
There is evidence to show that trees are more protected after receiving these alerts. Not only that, but this chemical signal can attract the attention of animals, too. So, birds and other creatures that feed on the insects can come along and help the trees out. Talk about a cool natural defense system!
5. Clouds can suck people up to the height of airplanes
Being sucked suddenly up into the sky sounds like the stuff of nightmares, but it’s entirely possible. For paragliders and hang gliders, especially, it’s an all too likely threat. Cumulus clouds have been known to pull paragliders and hang gliders thousands of feet into the air via extreme thermal updrafts.
This unsettling phenomenon is appropriately called “cloud suck.” One paraglider was sucked to a height of over 32,000 feet back in 2007. She passed out due to lack of oxygen, but incredibly she came around after an hour or so and was able to safely land. She would have faced temperatures of around -58°F up there!
6. Mysterious giant waves can appear out of nowhere
The ocean can be a scary place at the best of times, but this fact takes things to a whole other level. In the blink of an eye, giant waves measuring over 100 feet can suddenly emerge and smash into whatever is in their way.
They’re referred to as “rogue” waves, or “freak” waves in some quarters. Yet here’s the most unsettling part: even now, scientists have no idea what causes this aquatic phenomenon. It’s a complete mystery!
7. Kangaroos can freeze their own embryos
When we’re talking about pregnancy, there are few animals out in the wild more fascinating than the female kangaroo. These creatures have two uteri and three vaginas, and they are only pregnant for just over a month at a time. As a result, their babies aren’t fully developed when they’re born, so they spend around half-a-year in their moms’ pouches. But here’s where things get really cool.
Should a ’roo get pregnant again while her joey is still hanging around in her pouch, she can “freeze” the embryo and wait for the right time to continue. It’s called “embyonic diapause.”
7. Cloudy with a chance of frog rain
We’ve all heard of it raining cats and dogs, but frogs? We’re serious! In some parts of the world, frog rain is a very real — albeit rare — phenomenon. The little creatures actually tumble from the sky like falling raindrops. Now, don’t worry: there is probably a logical explanation for this, although it’s pretty wild.
Experts suspect that the amphibians can get picked up by twisters and waterspouts traveling over bodies of water. Then, as the weather system disperses, the frogs are left to tumble back down to the ground, much to people’s shock!
9. We grow nearly 600 miles of hair in our lifetimes
From our heads to our arms, the human body is covered in hair. And it’s growing all the time! Still, the sheer amount of hair we grow might come as a shock. Apparently, we can grow close to 600 miles of body hair on average over the course of our lives!
To help visualize that, it’s roughly the equivalent distance between New York and Ohio! Even smaller follicles such as nose hairs make up about 6.5 feet of the overall figure, which is utterly mind-boggling.
10. An earthquake created an underwater forest
In January 1911, a massive earthquake hit Kazakhstan, which caused one of its mountains to collapse. The debris blocked off the flow of nearby a river, slowly flooding the surrounding area. Everything there was gradually submerged in water, creating a unique underwater world.
This newly formed lake became known as Lake Kaindy, and it’s a mesmerizing sight to behold. The tops of submerged fir trees can still be seen poking out of the water. Today, the spot is a popular tourist attraction, with divers flocking there to explore its aquatic forest. It’s strange and beautiful in equal measure.
11. Stomach acid can melt metal
Did you know just how absurdly powerful our stomach acid is? No? Well, let’s fill you in. The “juices” found in the vital organ contain hydrochloric acid, a compound strong enough to melt certain metals, including zinc. And it doesn’t stop there.
A research paper discovered that razor blades could also be partly dissolved in the acid. So no wonder heartburn can be extremely painful: we’re harboring a chemical that’s only slightly less corrosive than battery acid!
12. Owls don’t have eyeballs
What would you say is the most distinctive feature of an owl? It’s got to be those big eyes, right? Well, this might come as a shock: owls don’t actually have eyeballs! Instead, what we’re looking can best be described as “eye tubes.”
Since owls can’t move these eye tubes from side to side, their bodies have adapted to aid their vision. Yes, this is the reason behind owls’ unique ability to turn their heads up to 270 degrees! Nature is truly incredible.
13. Devil’s tooth is a mushroom that bleeds
Good luck finding a more eye-catching fungus than Hydnellum peckii out in America’s forests. It’s quite the horrifying sight. But the looks are very much deceiving here. While it might seem to be oozing blood, that’s red sap leaking from the surface of the fungus. A little less scary now, right?
Due to the unique appearance, it’s been handed several monikers over the years, with “Devil’s tooth” standing out. “Strawberries and cream” is another one. Just don’t feel the urge to eat it: it tastes awful!
14. Our femurs are stronger than concrete
We always knew that our bones were strong, but this fact is completely insane! Our thigh bones, better known as femurs, are absurdly sturdy. No other bone in the human body can match it. In fact, the femur is even more robust than a similar-sized slab of concrete.
We’re talking four times the strength here. Having said that, though, please don’t put it to the test. That’s a surefire way to injure yourself on the next visit to your local gym.
15. Newts are the real-life Wolverine
When it comes to the Iberian ribbed newt, you really shouldn’t judge the book by its cover. This little critter is actually superbly well adapted to survive in the wild thanks to an incredible defense mechanism.
Quite simply, the newt can push its rib bones through its skin to ward off curious predators. Step aside Wolverine! Plus, in addition to that, the small amphibian can produce a poisonous compound as well. So bother this guy at your peril should you spot one.
16. Hurricanes can release the energy of 10,000 nuclear bombs
As well as being eerily captivating to witness, there's little doubt that hurricanes are one of planet Earth’s most destructive types of weather system: they can cause untold damage to populated areas. But how’s this for an interesting fact?
As stated on the BestLife website, “If you measure the kinetic energy of its wind velocity alone, a single mature hurricane can equal about half of our entire planet’s capability of producing electricity.” Wild, right? And there’s more! The force from the storm’s rain is the equivalent of 10,000 nukes spread across a radius of over 400 miles.
17. Sharks can live for up to 500 years
While certain animals don’t have the longest of lifespans, that can’t be said for Greenland sharks. These remarkable creatures can live for centuries: trust us, that’s not a typo. Experts believed that one such shark whose remains were examined in 2016 could’ve been anywhere from 300 to 500 years of age.
Due to their jaw-dropping lifespans, though, Greenland sharks don’t develop as quickly as other species. For instance, they can’t reproduce before their 150th birthday! Talk about playing the waiting game!
18. The toxin from a single pufferfish can kill 30 full-grown adults
From sharks to killer whales, there are a bunch of creatures in the ocean that you wouldn’t want to cross. And the pufferfish certainly comes under that umbrella, too. Even though they may look a little goofy when inflated, these guys are absolutely deadly.
The fish wields a compound known as tetrodotoxin, which is very, very poisonous. Compared to cyanide, its toxins are 1,200 times stronger! The venom of just one pufferfish would be capable of wiping out 30 human adults.
19. The short-horned lizard’s bloody tears
In a similar fashion to blowfish, short-horned lizards can puff themselves up when faced with danger: the little guys can double in size. But they’ve got another trick up their scaly sleeves, too.
To further bamboozle the animals that threaten them in the wild, the lizards can shoot bloody tears from their peepers. Yep, it’s as gross and nasty as it sounds! They can get good distance on the tears as well, with some reaching areas that are 3 feet away.
20. Mind-control zombie fungus is real...
While The Last of Us may be entirely fictional, the zombie fungus it introduced is frighteningly real. These nightmarish growths develop in ants after the insects pick them up. From there, it feeds off their nutritional flow and eventually takes command of their bodies.
Then, within a few days, the ants are compelled to abandon their homes and reach higher ground, prompting the fungus to break out of their skulls. So yes, this is very much a bug problem. For now, anyway...
21. The mortifying horsehair worm
Our planet is home to some truly horrible parasites that are capable of taking advantage of all manner of different creatures. Yet the horsehair worm is particularly grotesque in that regard.
After a larva is picked up by a bug such as a grasshopper in the water, it then turns into a worm by devouring the insect’s nutrients. At that point, the parasite takes control of the body and forces it to head to a water source, ultimately drowning it. The worm then escapes and seeks out a mate.
22. An armadillo’s shell is so strong that it inspired human body armor
While you might’ve heard otherwise, we should probably set the record straight here: armadillo shells can’t repel bullets. As National Geographic so succinctly puts it, “Think of their armor more like a hard-shelled suitcase than a bulletproof vest.”
Still, the segmented structure of the shells did prompt experts at McGill University in Montreal, Canada, to fashion a piece of body armor in that style. They used glass plates to put it together. Ultimately, it was much sturdier than a non-segmented effort.
23. These trees produce rainbow bark
Found in both Indonesia and the Philippines, rainbow eucalyptus trees really are a wonderful sight to behold. But why are they so colorful? Simple — each shade is a mark of the bark’s age, if you’ll excuse the rhyme!
It starts out green, before turning purple, red, and then brown. The changing colors are due to the tree’s chlorophyll levels, which reduce with age. At any one time, though, the tree can sport all those differing shades, leading to truly spectacular results.
24. There are huge black holes in the ocean
A word of warning to anyone suffering with thalassophobia: this next fact won’t help ease your fear of the ocean! As it turns out, the sea is home to massive openings which kind of mirror black holes.
They’re called “ocean eddies,” and you really don’t want to get too close: these holes can suck in pretty much anything. And trust us, we weren’t exaggerating about their size. There are “ocean eddies” that can span a width of over 90 miles. Scary stuff.
25. Part of the ocean floor is over 700°F, but the water never boils
Even though the water temperature in the deep sea barely reaches 40°F, the same can’t be said for parts of the ocean floor. You see, there are various vents in the ground that fire out water measuring 750°F. Talk about scorching! Yet the liquid never boils: how come?
Well, that’s due to the incredible pressure found at those depths. The conditions stop the floor from becoming the equivalent of a bubbling saucepan, which must be some relief to any nearby fish!
26. Earth’s longest mountain range is underwater and ten times longer than the Andes
26. Earth’s longest mountain range is underwater and ten times longer than the Andes
If you want to see a spectacular mountain range on your travels, then you can’t go wrong with the Andes in South America. Mind you, its incredible length is dwarfed when compared to the Mid-Oceanic Ridge mountain range, which can be found in the sea and separates all the Earth’s continents.
In total, the Andes covers around 4,300 miles. As for the Mid-Oceanic Ridge, that spans a whopping 40,390 miles: it’s roughly ten times bigger! Unless you fancy jumping into a submarine, though, you can’t see it in person.
27. The Pacific Ocean is wider than the Moon
Sometimes, it can feel almost impossible to quantify just how large the Earth’s oceans are. But if you’re curious, this stunning fact could very well blow your socks off. The widest section of the Pacific Ocean is between Indonesia and Colombia, measuring more than 12,000 miles.
In comparison, the Moon’s entire diameter is five times smaller! So not even the famed celestial body in the sky can compete with our seas. Like we noted, its scale is absolutely nuts.
28. Cows are deadlier than sharks!
Do sharks really deserve their terrifying reputation? We’re not so sure: back in 2014 it was found that only four people lost their lives via shark attacks on a global scale each year. To compare, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention discovered that cows killed 22 individuals on average in the same span.
We’re not joking: from stampedes to goring, these bovines have proved deceptively deadly. But still, it’s hard to be afraid of them. After all, they can be so cute when they purr with happiness! Yes, cows can purr too, apparently.
29. Dolphins picture humans like X-rays
Have you ever wondered how dolphins see underwater? Well, Speak Dolphin’s Jack Kassewitz provided some insight in a statement. He revealed, “When a dolphin scans an object with its high-frequency sound beam, each short click captures a still image, similar to a camera taking photographs.”
The “image” itself has similarities to an X-ray, and that’s how they can tell humans apart from other creatures in the sea. That could certainly come in handy should you fall overboard — if there’s a dolphin feeling helpful nearby, that is!
30. Honey-bee mating season is the stuff of nightmares
The life of a male honey bee might seem quite serene at first. But when mating season comes around, that soon changes. Ahead of her first sexual flight, the queen of the hive picks several guys as mates before heading back.
None of them join her on the return trip, though. You see, the male bees die a pretty gruesome death after completing their task: their penises are torn off and their testicles blow up. Yikes! What a spectacular way to go.
31. Volcanic ash can ignite into lightning
This is the Taal volcano in the Philippines erupting violently in June 2020, complete with bolts of lightning captured with the help of long-exposure photography. According to the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology, it hurled an ash plume nearly over a mile high into the atmosphere.
Tens of thousands of people had to evacuate because of the level four alert. Thankfully, the volcanic lightening itself is no more harmful than the regular stuff. Caused by static electricity, the lava and smoke plumes are the most dangerous part of an eruption.
32. There are underwater waterfalls in the ocean
Visually stunning though they often are, waterfalls are a common enough natural feature. But a waterfall flowing under the sea? Now, that is unusual. As it happens, the one you see here is off the coast of the island of Mauritius in the Indian Ocean.
However, before you get too excited, it’s actually sand and silt that is pouring downwards through the sea, moved by the ocean currents. But for all the world it sure looks like an underwater waterfall.
33. Giant jellyfish can capsize boats
Imagine taking a dive into the seas around Japan and China and encountering this monster! This is a Nomura jellyfish, which can reach a diameter of 6’6” and can weigh more than 440 pounds. To make things even scarier, their stings can be really bad. At best, they’ll be painful to experience, but at worst they’ll be fatal.
Japanese authorities consider the Nomura jellyfish’s presence in their waters to be a big problem. There have even been attempts to promote them as an unusual delicacy, so as to encourage hunting. One fishing vessel was even overturned by the sheer weight of a big haul.
34. Seas can glow with an eerie blue light
This extraordinary blue coloring in the sea off Japan is actually a bioluminescent bloom caused by tiny organisms called Noctiluca scintillans. The phenomenon is known as Sea Sparkle and occurs when the little critters are disturbed in some way.
Pretty as this display is, though, it’s not desirable. That’s because the organisms can have a disastrous impact on marine life and the livelihoods of local fishermen.
35. There's a “blood waterfall” in Antarctica
The photo here shows the legendary Blood Falls in East Antarctica. This somewhat gruesome waterfall flows into the sea from the tip of the Taylor Glacier located in the McMurdo Dry Valleys of Victoria Land.
In fact, the explanation behind the phenomenon actually has nothing to do with blood. Rather, it’s caused by iron oxides flowing from a water pool some 1,300 feet below the ice.
36. Snow can roll all by itself
A rare meteorological phenomenon, “snow rollers” can come in a variety of shapes and sizes: they can be as large as a family car or as tiny as a baseball. Most of us have rolled up snow after a heavy fall, maybe to build a snowman or start a snowball fight. However, snow rollers are remarkably created by nature without any human intervention at all.
These natural snow sculptures are formed by the action of wind catching chunks of snow and then rolling them along the ground or down hillsides. The very precise combination of conditions required makes snow rollers an extremely rare phenomenon.
37. There are mysterious fairy circles in the Namib Desert
Wouldn’t it be charming if fairies really had created the strange circles that occur primarily on the Namib Desert grasslands in southern Africa? Sadly, as so often, the actual explanation for this intriguing phenomenon is quite a lot less romantic than that.
In fact, it seems likely that the arid desert conditions where the fairy circles are seen cause the plants to grow in this way. They do so as an efficient method of exploiting scarce water resources. Fairies would be so much more fun!
38. There are rocks that race across the desert
In a remote valley in California, a bizarre phenomenon takes place that is still baffling experts. Above the northwestern side of Death Valley national park, there lies a racetrack, but it may not be exactly what you think. The playa, or dried-up lake bed, is home to a collection of bizarre self-moving rocks.
People still aren't exactly sure what makes the boulders of Racetrack Playa track visible paths across the arid landscape. One theory claims that a perfect combination of just enough rain and strong winds could be the cause.
39. Earth’s lakes can explode
If you've seen Jaws, then you'll know that there are all kinds of dangers lurking beneath the surface of the water. But what about the H2O itself? As it happens, certain lakes on Earth can prove to be just as deadly as the creatures that call the watery depths their home.
In 1984, for example, a build-up of magma beneath the surface of Lake Monoun exploded, causing a lethal wave of concentrated carbon dioxide to engulf the surrounding area. The natural disaster saw near 1,800 lose their lives.
40. Rain and cloud can form together into a mighty shaft
Nope, that’s not a smudge on the camera lens! This shot captured what’s known as a precipitation shaft in Colorado. Quite simply, it’s a pillar of rain that appears near the bottom of a cloud. It’s an eye-catching sight, wouldn’t you agree?
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And the rainbow here is a nice added bonus. We wouldn’t want to stand right under it, though.