Some interesting words and facts

Some I had learnt in school and forgotten, some I discovered just recently :

• So I am an 'ailurophile' which is the word for cat lovers :). I think that is a really beautiful word!

• Group of cats is known as a clowder.

• An old female cat is called a grimalkin. So my Puchku will be a Grimalkin one day!

• Ethology is the study of animal behavior.

• Komodo Dragon is the heaviest living species of lizard in the world. And it is found in Indonesia. Komodo dragons are carnivorous. Its diet is very interesting. Mostly they eat carrion(carcass of dead animals), but they also ambush live preys like goats, large pigs or deers. It takes about 15-20 minutes to swallow a goat, but sometimes it attempts to speed up the process by ramming the carcass against a tree to force it down its throat(sometimes the ramming is so powerful that the tree is knocked down!). To prevent itself from suffocating while swallowing, it breathes using a small tube under the tongue that connects to the lungs. After eating up to 80 percent of its body weight in one meal, it drags itself to a sunny location to speed digestion, as the food could rot and poison the dragon if left undigested for too long. Because of their slow metabolism, these large dragons can survive on as little as 12 meals a year!

• Cane(also known as rattan) that is used for making furniture belongs to the palm family(Aracaceae)

• Vatican City State is a country(!) and the world's smallest by both area(44 hectares ~ 110 acres) and population(just over 800).Unlike other countries, citizenship of this country is not based on jus sanguinis(birth from a citizen, even outside the state's territory) or on jus soli (birth within the territory of the state).citizenship of Vatican City is granted jus officii, namely on the grounds of appointment to work in a certain capacity in the service of the Holy See. It usually ceases upon cessation of the appointment. Citizenship is extended also to the spouse, parents and descendants of a citizen, provided they are living with the person who is a citizen. Anyone who loses Vatican citizenship and does not possess other citizenship automatically becomes an Italian citizen as judged by Italian law.

• Goa was liberated from 451 years of Portuguese colonial rule only in 1961 when prime minister Nehru finally ordered the Indian Armed forces to take Goa by force. This military operation codenamed Operation Vijay involved air, sea and land strikes for over 36 hours on the 18th and 19th dEC 1961, in which 22 Indians and 30 Portuguese were killed. Portugal recognized the annexation only in 1975.

• Hummingbirds(family name Trochiladae) are among the smallest of birds and are restricted to the Americas from southern Alaska to Tierra del Fuego, including the Caribbean.

• Ice takes more space than liquid water(9% more), since it is less dense than water.