When you see a claw lying around the house, there is no need for alarm. Cats shed claws regularly. It’s a natural process that takes place every two to three months. Claws are essential for cats and other members of the cat family, as they use them for defense, climbing and hunting. As the older, outer layer of the claw gets worn out, it is shed, revealing a newer, sharper claw. You can help your cat by making sure there are plenty of options like a door mat or other rough surfaces where it can scratch to remove the older claw.

Yes. Like humans, trees do age but their lifespan varies for different species. One of the ways of finding out the age of a tree is by counting the rings within their branches and the trunks. These rings usually appear as alternating rings of dark and light shaded wood; you will need to count the number of dark rings to find out the tree’s age. For example, if a tree has 65 dark circles, it is 65 years old. These unique rings are known as growth rings. They are created every year when a new layer of wood is added to the branches and trunk of the tree. The light-coloured rings are known as the springwood and are generally wider in size because trees grow most during spring. The darker rings are known as summerwood and are relatively thinner because the growth of trees slows down during summer.

A. Gila monsters are a species of venomous lizard native to the United States and Mexico. They are heavy and slow-moving lizards that can grow up to 2 feet in length. Though the Gila monsters are venomous, owing to their sluggish nature, they pose little threat to humans. Their bite is painful but it is not fatal.

During winter, our jackets and sweaters keep us warm. Sometimes, we light fires to stay warm. But unlike us, the wood frog freezes itself to escape the harsh winter.

The wood frog, found in North America, is known to freeze through winter. When the temperature drops below freezing point, the wood frog takes cover and starts the freezing process. Its organs pump water that fills up every little cavity in the body. Gradually, 65 percent of the water turns to ice. Subsequently, the frog’s breathing and heartbeat stop.

The frog has a substance in its body that lowers the freezing temperature of its tissues, preventing them from becoming completely frozen and eventually dying. During this frozen hibernation, the frog’s body temperature remains between -1°C and -6°C. The metabolism of the frog drops and this helps it survive the winter without food.

In a pond full of wood frog tadpoles, each tadpole has the ability to identify its siblings.

During spring, when it starts becoming warmer, the ice inside the frog’s body melts. The water flows back to the cells and blood starts flowing again. Slowly, the frog returns to its normal self.

When it is dark, we strain our eyes to see better. Reindeer, though, simply change the colour of their eyes!

Reindeer live in the cold Arctic regions and can be found in the northern parts of Europe, Asia, North America and Greenland. From November to February, the temperature in the Arctic regions can drop below -50 degree Celsius. During these months, on most days, the sun does not rise at all, hence, it is always dark which makes it difficult for animals to see. Also, snow reflects ultraviolet light a type of light that is invisible and harmful to the human eye.

When it is dark, our pupils dilate, that is, become bigger, to allow more light to enter the eyes. Similarly, the reindeer’s eyes remain dilated throughout winter as it is always dark. Hence, there’s continuous pressure on the tissue (called tapetum lucidum) in its eyes which changes the way the eyes reflect light. Because of this change, the eyes turn blue and the reindeer is able to see well in the dark.

However, the reindeer can see the ultraviolet light as its eyes change colour from golden to blue.

This helps them to navigate their way around, find food and spot predators.

Noticed how when some adults talk to babies, it usually sounds like they’re speaking gibberish? There is actually a word for it-motherese.

It is a term that describes the way a mother or any adult, talks to young children. Babies, who still haven’t learnt a language or cannot distinguish words, can understand when their mother uses different tones and volumes to convey different meanings. This could be a warning to not touch something or an encouragement to try something new

It has been discovered that humans are not the only species to use “baby talk”. Adult rhesus macaques talk to baby macaques in a language that is different from the one they use to communicate with other adults.

Rhesus macaques are a species of primates commonly found in India, Pakistan, Nepal, Afghanistan and China. When an adult female rhesus macaque is around an infant that is not her own, she makes high-pitched sing-song sounds that are called girney to communicate with the baby macaque and establish a friendly contact. They also “girney” to attract the attention of a baby macaque which wanders away from its mother so as to make sure it doesn’t wander beyond the territory.

A female macaque does not use the girney with her own offspring. And when she does girney with another baby macaque, she will also wag her tail simultaneously.

Jerboa is a small mouse-like mammal mostly found in the deserts of Asia and Middle East, and feeds on small insects and plants. Its rabbit like ears, kangaroo like hind legs and disproportionately long tail—features that help it survive the harsh desert conditions—make it look distinct from its rodent cousins.

The jerboa’s hind legs, which are four times longer than its front legs, help it move across the desert by jumping. It can jump up to a distance of 10 feet, both vertically and horizontally. And the hair on its hind legs prevents its feet from sinking into the loose sand.

Its forelegs, which are much shorter, are designed for digging burrows where it stores food.

A jerboa’s long tail gives the animal balance and support when standing on its hind legs. Because of these features, it looks and sprints like a kangaroo.

During World War II, a division of the British Army used the jerboa as its mascot.