Here is Part 2 of our “Random Facts about Nature/Wildlife” series from backpacker.com:
- Bighorn sheep horns can weigh up to 30 pounds.
- Squirrels are one of the leading causes for power outages in the United States.
- Some crevasses on Himalayan glaciers are large enough to swallow helicopters, especially in narrow valleys.
- Porcupines can’t actually throw their quills.
- 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.
- In the months prior to hibernation, black bears eat up to 20,000 calories a day.
- Polar bears have black skin. Their fur is actually hollow translucent tubes that only appears white because it reflects light.
- One tablespoon of dirt has more organisms than there are people on earth.
- Elk antlers can grow up to an inch a day.
- 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.