Trivia Facts jokes and some light hearted fun

What are the most intelligent reptiles?

Crocodiles are pretty smart. They are the direct descendants of
the "archosaurs," which until about 65 million years ago ruled
the reptile kingdom. They've had plenty of time to learn and are
actually able to observe behavior and recognize patterns. That's
why if you live in crocodile territory, it's wise to vary your
routine and NOT go to the river the same time each day. You might
find a crocodile lying in wait.

Is there such a thing as a vegetarian crocodile?

Not anymore. Scientists say a pre-historic mostly vegetarian
crocodile was an evolutionary experiment that didn't succeed. A
fossil of the 70-million-year-old, pug-nosed reptile -- called
Simosuchus clarki -- was found on the island of Madagascar off
the east coast of Africa. The critter was not very ferocious. Its
teeth were leaf-shaped and not the sharp, conical daggers of the
modern crocodile. Its eyes were on the sides of its head rather
than at the top. Besides plants, it also ate bugs, frogs and
lizards. Paleontologists say if it were alive today, it's not
something "that people would be running scared from." Because
crocodiles are older than even dinosaurs, scientists say the
fossil of the three-foot long crocodile could help determine how
and when a single super land mass called Gondwanaland broke apart
to become Africa, South America, Australia, India, Antarctica
and Madagascar.
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What is the difference between a crocodile and an alligator?

The alligator is actually a subspecies of the crocodile, with a
rounded snout (crocodile snouts are usually pointed) and a
generally less aggressive attitude. It is part of the family
Crocodylidae. You can also tell them apart by their teeth. Nearly
all of the crocodile's teeth stay on the outside of the mouth
when closed. The upper and lower teeth showing makes them look
like they are smiling. The alligator, on the other hand, has a
slight overbite--the bottom teeth fit inside the top.

PREVIOUS TRIVIA QUESTION & ANSWER

Why do crocodiles eat stones?

Crocs eat rocks to help in digestion and to add weight (now
that's a novel concept!) so that they can stay submerged
underwater. (Crocodiles can stay submerged for as long as an
hour.) On average, a crocodile contains 10 to 15 pounds of stone
in its stomach. The stones must fill them up, because crocodiles
really don't eat that much and not very often either. Because
they are slow-moving and cold blooded, they can survive on about
the same amount of food as a bird.

What is the difference between an ocean and a sea?

Many people use the words interchangeably, but there really are
differences between an ocean and a sea. An ocean is a large area
of salt water unobstructed by continents, while a sea is
partially or entirely enclosed by land.

What are the "Seven Seas?"

The "Seven Seas" are actually oceans. They are: the Arctic,
Indian, North Pacific, South Pacific, North Atlantic, South
Atlantic, and the Southern oceans. In days of old, when sailors
had sailed all of the Seven Seas, they were said to have sailed
around the world.

What is the only ocean that encircles the entire earth without
being blocked by a land mass?

The Southern Ocean.

Was the sinking of the Titanic the worst single ship disaster of
all time?

No. The Titanic has received more press, but the worst single
ship disaster of all time, in terms of life lost, was the sinking
of the German liner the Wilhelm Gustloff. A Russian submarine
torpedoed the liner in January 1945, as it was packed with
refugees (mostly women and kids) and about 1,600 military
personnel. No one knows for sure exactly how many people died,
but the most widely accepted estimate claims there were 8,600 on
board, of whom 7,700 were killed.

How do worms get into apples?

Have you ever picked up an apple with a nice, smooth surface and
no holes whatsoever, only to bite inside and find a worm? Well
here's how the worm gets inside: he grows WITH the apple. Apple
worms are actually the larvae of codling moths. In spring, the
moth lays a tiny egg within the apple blossom. As the flower's
ovary develops into a mature apple, the larvae, already inside,
grows with it. By summer, the larvae may tunnel its way out and
transform into a moth.

Do moths actually eat clothes?

No. Moth damage in clothes is caused when the eggs of moths hatch
and the larvae begin feeding on clothes (usually wool or fur).
Moths themselves live for a very short time and often don't eat
anything in the adult stage.

Why is the Sphinx moth called the hummingbird moth?

Sphinx moths are known as hummingbird moths for several reasons.
First, they are able to hover in front of flowers and sip nectar.
They also produce the humming noise made by the tiny birds and
have an extremely long proboscis tongue. Their resemblance to the
hummingbird helps them avoid predators. Hummingbirds are fast and
too hard to catch and predators generally don't bother them. By
the way, a European species of this moth (called the Death's Head
Sphinx) played a role in the book Silence of the Lambs.

How do hummingbirds fly backwards and upside down?

Birds, who take flight by forcing air downward and backward with
their wings, really SHOULDN'T be able to fly backward. Yet the
hummingbird can fly both backward and upside down, and can hover
with ease. The wings of these tiny wonders rotate rapidly at the
shoulder, tilting to force air forward and down on the
downstroke, but also backward and down on what should be the
upstroke. By adjusting the tilt, the hummingbird can hover or
move in any direction. The bird also has a powerful breast muscle
and a metabolism that is amazingly rapid.

Is it possible to have a heart attack without any chest pain?

Yes. In fact, research indicates that painless heart attacks are
surprisingly common. A nationwide study of 434,877 heart attack
victims showed that one-third of heart attack patients went to
the hospital without any chest pain. Patients who experienced no
pain were more than twice as likely to die, in part because they
delayed going to the hospital and because doctors were slower to
diagnose their condition. Women, nonwhites, patients older than
75, and those with previous heart failure, stroke, or diabetes
were more likely to suffer a painless heart attack. (Non-pain
symptoms of a heart attack include irregular heartbeat, shortness
of breath, nervousness, extreme weakness, dizziness, and nausea.)

How many times does a person's heart beat in a lifetime?

The heart is an extremely hard-working organ, beating more than
100,000 times in a single day. By the time a person is 70 years
old, his or her heart will have beat more than 2.5 billion times.
---

How much blood is contained in the average body?

Your body has about 6 quarts of blood (5.6 liters). This blood
circulates through the body three times every minute.

Where did the name "chickenpox" come from?

Chickenpox can be a terrible illness, especially if you catch it
as an adult, but it gets its name from being one of the milder
diseases. The term "chickenpox," for varicella, originated in
the 1700's. Since a chicken is considered the mildest of all
barnyard fowl, the name distinguished the disease from the far
deadlier "smallpox," which resembles chickenpox.

Where did the word "pox" come from?

Persons infected with smallpox break out in a red rash that
eventually turns into blisters. If the blisters are broken, they
leave a "pock" mark or scar on the skin. The person becomes
covered in "pocks." See the connection?
---

Is it true that if you get chickenpox as a kid, you're immune for
the rest of your life?

True. People who have had chickenpox and are cured are immune for
the rest of their lives. However, the varicella-zoster virus (a
type of herpes virus) that causes chickenpox can be reactivated
as a painful localized rash called "Shingles." The rash consists
of painful blisters with a reddish base that follow the path on
the skin supplied by the affected nerve, usually on one side of
the body. You can't get shingles unless you've had chickenpox
first. If you've already had chickenpox, someone else's shingles
rash can't reinfect you. But if you haven't had chickenpox
before, and you're exposed to someone with shingles, you could
develop chickenpox.

Commentators CLASSICS

"This is Gregoriava from Bulgaria... I saw her snatch this morning and it
was magnificent"
(Pat Glenn - Weightlifting commentator)

"This is really a lovely horse, I once rode her mother"
(Ted Walsh -Horse Racing Commentator)

"Andrew Mehrtens loves it when Darryl Gibson comes inside of him"
(NZ rugby commentator)

"The Spanish manager is pulling his captain off!"
(Soccer commentator George Hamilton on Spain manager Luis Suarez's
substitution of Butragueno during their world cup qualifier with Ireland in
Seville, 1992)

"I've never had major knee surgery on any other part of my body"
(Winston Bennett)

"The lead car is absolutely unique, except for the one behind it which is
identical"
(Murray Walker)

"I owe a lot to my parents, especially my mother and father"
(Greg Norman)

"Sure there have been injuries and deaths in boxing - but none of them
serious"
(Alan Minter)

"The racecourse is as level as a billiard ball"
(John Francombe)

"If history repeats itself, I should think we can expect the same thing
again"
(Terry Venables)

"I would not say he (David Ginola) is the best left winger in the
Premiership, but there are none better"
(Ron Atkinson)

"He dribbles a lot and the opposition don't like it - you can see it all
over their faces"
(Ron Atkinson)

"Ah, isn't that nice, the wife of the Cambridge president is kissing the cox
of the Oxford crew"
(Harry Carpenter - BBC TV Boat Race 1977)

"Morcelli has the four fastest 1500-metre times ever. And all those times
are at 1500 metres"
(David Coleman)

"Julian Dicks is everywhere. It's like they've got eleven Dicks on the
field"
(Metro Radio)

"Well, either side could win it, or it could be a draw"
(Ron Atkinson)

"Strangely, in slow motion replay, the ball seemed to hang in the air for
even longer"
(David Acfield)

"What will you do when you leave football, Jack, will you stay in football?"
(Stuart Hall - Radio 5 live)

"There goes Juantorena down the back straight, opening his legs and showing
the world his class"
(David Coleman at The Montreal Olympics)

"One of the reasons Arnie (Arnold Palmer) is playing so well is that, before
each tee-shot, his wife takes out his balls and kisses them... Oh my God,
what have I just said?"
(Anonymous USTV commentator)

One boring afternoon, Saddam Hussein was sitting in his office wondering
who to invade when his telephone rang. "Hello, Mr. Hussein," a heavily
accented voice says, "This is Paddy down in County Meath, Ireland. I am ringing to
inform you that I am officially declaring war on you."
"Well, Paddy," Saddam replies, "this indeed is important news! Tell me,
how big is your army?"
"At this moment in time," says Paddy after a moment?s calculation, "there
is myself, my cousin Sean, my next door neighbour Gerry and the entire darts
team from the pub - That makes 8!"
Saddam sighs and says, "I must tell you Paddy that I have 1 million men in
my army waiting to move on my word."
"Oh shit" says Paddy, "I'll have to ring you back!"
Sure enough, the next day Paddy rings back. "Right, Mr. Hussein, the war
is still on! We have managed to acquire some equipment!"
"What equipment would that be, Paddy?" Saddam asks.
"Well, we have 2 combine harvesters, a bulldozer and Murphy's tractor from
the farm."
Once more Saddam sighs and says, "I must tell you Paddy that I have 16
thousand tanks, 2 thousand mine layers, 14 thousand armored cars and my
army has grown to 1 million since we last spoke."
"Bugger me!" says Paddy, "I'll have to ring you back!" Sure enough, Paddy
rings again the next day. "Right, Mr. Hussein, the war is still on! We
have managed to get ourselves airborne! We've kitted out old Ted's crop sprayer
with a couple of rifles in the cockpit and the bridge team has joined us
as well!"
Once more Saddam sighs and says, "I must tell you Paddy that I have 10
thousand bombers and 20 thousand MIG 109 high-maneuverability attack planes and my military
complex is surrounded by laser-guided surface-to-air missile sites and
since we last spoke, my army has increased to 2 million."
"Oh bollocks!" exclaims Paddy, "I'll have to ring you back." Sure enough,
Paddy calls again the next day. "Right, Mr. Hussein, I am sorry to tell
you that we have had to call off the war."
"I'm very sorry to hear that," says Saddam, "why the sudden change of
heart?"
"Well," says Paddy, "we've all had a chat and there's no way we can cope
with 2 million prisoners."

Train with trust not fear.