Random Facts about Nature/Wildlife – Part 2
By angelamontana

Posted: May 12, 2021

Here is Part 2 of our “Random Facts about Nature/Wildlife” series from backpacker.com:

  1. Bighorn sheep horns can weigh up to 30 pounds.
  2. Squirrels are one of the leading causes for power outages in the United States.
  3. Some crevasses on Himalayan glaciers are large enough to swallow helicopters, especially in narrow valleys.
  4. Porcupines can’t actually throw their quills.
  5. Poison ivy isn’t actually poisonous. The rash you get after touching it is an allergic reaction; some people aren’t allergic and don’t get a rash.
  6. In the months prior to hibernation, black bears eat up to 20,000 calories a day.
  7. Polar bears have black skin. Their fur is actually hollow translucent tubes that only appears white because it reflects light.
  8. One tablespoon of dirt has more organisms than there are people on earth.
  9. Elk antlers can grow up to an inch a day.
  10. A foehn wind is a strong, dry wind that runs down the leeward side of a mountain range. It can sublimate off up to a foot of snow per day.
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