9 Myths About Animals You Probably Think Are True

http://www.sierraclub.org/sierra/2015-2-march-april/green-life/9-myths-about-animals-you-probably-think-are-true?utm_source=insider&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=newsletter

By Phalon Smith

1. Bears Hibernate •••

2. Goldfish Have a Three-Second Memory Span •••

3. Wasps: Leave Them Alone, and They’ll Leave You Alone

Although this may be the general rule for furry bumblebees, wasps such as yellowjackets have been known to sting unprovoked. Factors such as proximity to nest, season, and former unrelated injury can result in wasp aggression.

[I killed wasp nests that were aggressive and stung me, but left peaceful ones alone, and had no further problem. The ones I left alone kept other that might have been aggressive from moving in, and they ate the biting flies that had been bothering my dog and me.]

4. Bulls Are Enraged by the Color Red •••
it is the swift motion of the red cloth used by matadors in bullfighting arenas that causes the bull to charge.

5. Head Lice Have a Preference for Clean or Dirty Hair •••

6. Touching a Baby Bird Will Cause Its Mother to Abandon It •••
Human disturbance (rather than human touch) near a nesting site is far more likely to contribute to a mother bird stranding her young ones.

7. Daddy Longlegs Are the Most Venomous Spiders

Daddy longlegs is the nickname most commonly given to a few familiar critters—most commonly, the harvestman. How many times have you heard that daddy longlegs' are the most venomous spiders in the world? Harvestmen have no venom glands and aren't even spiders, but another type of arachnid. Unlike spiders, harvestmen produce no silk, have no fangs, and have one main body part instead of two.

8. Bats Are Blind •••

9. Camels Store Water in Their Humps •••