Rattlesnakes are considered some of the most sophisticated creatures in the world, and they have the tails to prove it. Scientists believe these defense mechanisms to be highly sophisticated warning signals, which makes rattlesnakes uniquely terrifying. It’s a one-of-a-kind trait that not many people understand, so let’s take a closer look at what’s really going on when these serpents defend themselves. The noises that they generate ward off predators. Their tails rattle about 50 times per second, and they can keep that up for hours on end if necessary. Imgur / Daedalus031 The rattles are made of keratin, and every time snakes molt, their tails get a bit longer. When rattlesnakes travel, they keep their tails up to avoid damaging them, since they rely on those noisemakers for survival. Reddit / GoldenWizard The guys in this video wanted to learn more, so they went ahead and cut a rattlesnake’s tail open. And there you have it, folks. It’s never a bad idea to learn about creatures that pose a threat to humans. You never know when you’ll hear that telltale rattle. Read more: http://www.viralnova.com/rattlesnake/
Anyone who’s graduated from an American high school has probably had the pleasure of dissecting an animal in biology class. Usually frogs are in the syllabus, but sometimes, the animal of choice is a cat. Typically, these dissections are treated as solemn and respectful affairs. Other times, though, they can go off the rails. That’s what I’d like to think is happening in the video below, which shows a biology class at Winston Churchill High School in San Antonio, Texas, using the intestines of a cat to play jump rope. Allegedly, the teacher claimed it was to test tensile strength, but I think there are better ways to do that than by hosting a morbid game of jump rope. What’s even crazier is that this isn’t the first time this has happened! As you might imagine, PETA is not happy about what’s going on in this video. They’ve allegedly petitioned the school district to take action against the teacher. So far, as of this writing, district officials are defending the teacher and students. Read more: http://www.viralnova.com/biology-class/
