Did You Know?

                                                  by Tanya Wyman, D.V.M.

Did you know that snakes have no eyelids? They have specialized scales that protect their eyes.

Did you know that desert tortoises, like us, can have different colored eyes?

Did you know baby rattlesnakes often pack a more powerful punch in their bite than adults? They think everything is food!

Did you know that birds need at least eight hours of sleep per night?

Did you know that some of the major bones in a bird's wings and legs are hollow and a part of the respiratory system? A bird with a compound fracture (open to the outside) in one of those bones can potentially drown if it lands in water.

Did you know heartworm disease has increased in incidence in the Phoenix area in recent years?

Did you know a roadrunner will easily lose its tail if it's grabbed by it?

Did you know most snakes have only one functional lung? Water snakes, on the other hand, have two lungs that extend the entire length of their body.

Did you know the scream of a barn owl sounds like the creature from Alien? Barn owl screams are probably also the reason forests were deemed haunted in past centuries.

Did you know that the only beneficial way to treat a snakebite is with antivenin? Cut and suck, tourniqueting, etc., do not help, and may hurt the healing process.

Did you know that javelina do not have a distinct breeding season? Because of this, babies can be seen all year 'round!

Did you know Harris hawks hunt in packs? They are the only bird of prey to do so. You can sometimes see them perching on one another's shoulders.

Did you know there are more bat species than all the other mammalian species combined?

Ed.: An additional interesting bit from Fred McLemore: "Did you know that butterflies taste through their legs?"