11,700

The Pacific Giant Octopus, the largest octopus in the world, grows from the size of pea to a 150 pound behemoth potentially 30 feet across in only two years, its entire life-span.

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11,701

The penalty for killing a cat, 4,000 years ago in Egypt, was death.

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11,702

The phrase "raining cats and dogs" originated in 17th Century England. During heavy downpours of rain, many of these poor animals unfortunately drowned and their bodies would be seen floating in the rain torrents that raced through the streets. The situation gave the appearance that it had literally rained "cats and dogs" and led to the current expression.

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Nubian

11,703

The pigmy shrew - a relative of the mole - is the smallest mammal in North America. It weighs 1/14 ounce - less than a dime.

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11,704

The poison-arrow frog has enough poison to kill about 2,200 people.

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11,705

The poisonous copperhead snake smells like fresh cut cucumbers.

Yum!!

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11,706

The smallest of the recognized dog breeds, the Chihuahua, is also the one that usually lives the longest. Named for the region of Mexico where they were first discovered in the mid-19th century, the Chihuahua can live anywhere between 11-18 years.

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11,707

The Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History houses the world's largest shell collection, some 15 million specimens. A smaller museum in Sanibel, Florida owns a mere 2 million shells and claims to be the worlds only museum devoted solely to mollusks.

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Nubian

11,708

The term "dog days" has nothing to do with dogs. It dates back to Roman times, when it was believed that Sirius, the Dog Star, added its heat to that of the sun from July3 to August 11, creating exceptionally high temperatures. The Romans called the period dies caniculares, or "days of the dog."

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11,709

The theobromine in chocolate that stimulates the cardiac and nervous systems is too much for dogs, especially smaller pups. A chocolate bar is poisonous to dogs and can even be lethal.

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Nubian

11,710

The turbot fish lays approximately 14 million eggs during its lifetime.

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11,711

The turkey was named for what was wrongly thought to be its country of origin.

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11,712

The underside of a horse's hoof is called a frog. The frog peels off several times a year with new growth.

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11,713

The venom of a female black widow spider is more potent than that of a rattlesnake.

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11,714

The world record frog jump is 33 feet 5.5 inches over the course of 3 consecutive leaps, achieved in May 1977 by a South African sharp-nosed frog called Santjie.

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Nubian