10 Animals That Use Some Of Their Body Parts For Other Duties

The natural physical world of animals renders some of their abilities strange compared to the common physical abilities of us humans. Although humans and most animals have usual body parts such as the nose – for smelling, the mouth – for eating, or the ears – for hearing, you’d be surprised by what other animals can do with some of these body parts. We have already divulged the thorny devil’s ability to drink water with its skin [Link 1], including the Chinese turtle’s aptitude to excrete urine via its mouth [Link 2], but there’re still more animals with peculiar multifunctional body parts. On this list we divulge ten more of those animals that bizarrely use some of their body parts for other purposes, except for their actual conformity duties.

10. Hagfish

Believed to be the oldest connection to the first vertebrates, the ocean dwellers – hagfish, may be subject of an astonishing evolution of animals. Their tube-like bodies resemble electric Eels, hence their other name – slimy eels, was appropriately acknowledged for them. Although they lack an ability to produce electricity like Eels, they do comprise an odd ability involving their feeding habit. While some predatory aquatic animals hunt to kill, hagfish hunt the already-dead, but even more revolting, they prefer decaying dead animals. When encountering a carcass or a dying animal deep underwater, a hagfish burrow and snuggles itself into the cavity of its body. After that, akin to what most predatory animals do, it opens its mouth and start feasting. But it has another consume alternative. It can also eat without using its mouth! A staggering discovery revealed that hagfish can absorb nutrients through their skin and gills [Link 3]. Once inside a carcass, their bodies are encircled by a high concentration of dissolved nutrients.

How dissolved substances cross the hagfish’s skin and gills remained a mystery until physiologist, Chris Glover of the University of Canterbury in Christchurch, New Zealand, and colleagues concluded an experiment to solve the obscurity [Link 4]. They used skin and gill tissue taken from hagfish and stretched it out in a flask containing a seawater-like solution on one side and a solution resembling hagfish’s own bodily fluids on the other. To determine how permeable the skin was, they dissolved radioactive amino acids and sugars, then put it in the seawater sample, including food coloring. After a couple of hours, the skin became radioactive and started absorbing the amino acids. However, the skin did not absorb the food coloring, suggesting that it only selects nutritious detritus. But given that they can uptake nutrients with their skin and gills, imbibing fluids in this similar method wouldn’t be exceptional. So just like the thorny devil, they might also be able to drink water with their skin.



9. The Zombie Worm

Of all the recently discovered worm species, Osedax – also known as “the bone-eating zombie worm”, could perhaps have the most unique ability compared to most species of worms. Osedax is latin for “bone devourer”, befitting as a name for this unusual species. Implausibly, they have no mouth, gut, or anus, but yet they feast on whale bones; sometimes even fish bones. This bewildered scientists as to how they consume nutrients from the bones after close analysis failed to find any intrinsic abrasive structure they could use to mechanically bore or even scratch a bone. Only speculations could be made, until a factual explanation was presented after more inspections. It turned out that the worms can spew acid that dissolves bones [Link 5]. The acid is produced by proton pumps, which are cells containing the protein abundantly in the front end of the worm’s body.

Since they have no mouth and anus, there must be an alternative method of consuming and excreting waste. And while an implicit theory indicates that they do use alternative body parts for consuming and excreting waste, the precise mechanism of doing so is yet obscure.

The zombie worms spend the vast majority of their lives feasting on whale bones, obliterating the final remains of the biggest marine mammals into dust.



8. The California Sea Cucumber

In the oceans, there are a few animals named after vegetables; sea cucumbers are one of them. We have mentioned them a couple of times for different reasons, especially here [Link 6], and there [Link 7]. However, if you think their appearance is fairly remarkable, you might consider the California sea cucumber (Parastichopus californicus) alternative feeding habits as a trait beyond the extraordinary. Other than its completely unique appearance, a more bizarre recently discovered trait has been its eating habit: it eats using its anus [Link 8]. Yes, you read that right. And oh, if that doesn’t sound beyond normal, here’s another implausible addition to the trait: it also breathes through its butt!

Visualizing yourself with your pants down in a restaurant relishing aesthetically on a plate of cuisine would be crazy. But that would be normal if you were in the public territory of California sea cucumbers. The first intimation that the sea cucumber anus was doing multiple duties was derived from a structure called “rete mirabile”. This is a set of indispensable blood vessels adhere to the sea cucumber’s respiratory trees with its gut. It was inferred that the rete mirabile was used to transfer oxygen from the respiratory trees to the gut. But if the California sea cucumbers were consuming food via their anus, they would likely use the rete mirabile to transfer the food to the gut. To confirm the idea, scientists had to look at tissue samples under the microscope. After observations of the tissue samples, they discovered more evidence that P. calinornicus was using its anus as a second mouth. They found pieces of recently consumed algae and iron in the respiratory trees near the anus. In addition, the P. californicus’s respiratory trees had small, finger-like protuberances known as microvilli that were found in the gut, which assist with nutrient absorption.



7. Frogs

Anurans are common species of semi-aquatic animals, but there’s more about their standard of living than their common aspects and reputed eccentric mythical legends. Unlike other animals that grasp prey animals with their mouths and swallow it normally, it appears frogs and toads do it differently. When grasping to their prey, they retract their eyes and close them repeatedly. Eye retraction is the mechanism of which contribute to their swallowing process [Link 9] – serving to anchor the prey for tongue-based transport.

During swallowing, their eyes and associated musculature retract into the oropharynx, making direct contact with the prey item in the mouth to help push it toward the throat. It is the first time a vertebrate was monitored using its eyes to aid swallowing its prey. We only knew a few commoners with retractile organs, like snails which can retract themselves into their shells, turtles with retractable heads, and the felines with retractable claws. Since eyes are considered to be some of the most sensitive organs of the body, this is an ability conveyed to the traits of peculiarity.


6. Hoosier Cavefish

Discovered in Southern Indiana and named after the “Indiana Hoosiers” basketball team, the eyeless and newly discovered Hoosier cavefish features astounding aspects of implicit oddity. The fish, scientifically described as Amblyopsis Hoosieri, proved to be among the discoveries of rarity as it is the first described species of its unique kind found in North America in 40 years. It’s also related to another species of cavefish known as Amblyopsis spelaea. Both the species are conformed to the darkness of caves due to their blindness.

Surprisingly, the Hoosier cavefish fish’s anus is located at the back of its head [Link 10], purporting that it uses its head to poop. As we humans are accustomed of relieving ourselves using our butts – which are located at the back our bodies, imagining bending our heads backwards to poop would rather be awkward. The reason for this strange location of the Hoosier cavefish’s anus is not discernible. It’s only suggested that the location of their anus may aid the females to get their eggs into the chamber for proper incubation. The bad news is they’re already endangered because of ground water pollution, quarrying, and overly collected specimens for scientific studies and commercial cave tours [Link 11]. While we can agree that an equitable criterion against the injurious endangerment of these cavefish is indubitably necessary, we can only hope for an action to avert the potential deed of their extinction.



5. Dendogrammas

Upon their discovery in 1988, some dubbed them Alien mushrooms [Link 12], others – mushroom-likes creatures, but perhaps the most befitting appellation for these strange organisms is “sea mushrooms”. Except these relevant nicknames, the confirmed scientific names of their two bifurcated species are Dendogramma enigmatic and Dendogramma discords [Link 13]. They were discovered offshore Australia in a mix of seawater and sediment scooped from 1,000 meters below the ocean surface. Their characteristics are extremely unique to existing classification systems, which incited scientists to create a new phylum of hierarchy to classify them. The one prominent trait that garnered a spot for them on this list involves a single gut at the bottom of their stems. Oddly, the gut is used both for consuming and excreting waste, making it a body part used for two opposite duties.

More is unknown about these ocean-dwelling creatures. Their DNA and cells that researchers could have derived genetic data from were preserved by chemicals which the seawater and sediment scoop contained. Without genetic information, it’s impossible to determine how they’re related to other animals. Jean Just, a scientist credited for their discovery, concluded the creatures bear a striking resemblance to life-forms that vanished more than 500 million years ago. He also inferred that the creatures could be related to cternophores and cnidarians, but they still lack many key characteristics that define cternophores and cnidarians.



4. The Swallowtail Butterfly

In the class of insects, butterflies could have the most salient appearance compared to all, especially with their beautiful variety of colors. Beautiful as many other species are the swallowtail butterflies [Link 14], with one ability that contrast and departs their egg laying feat from their own kind. Amazingly, the swallowtail can taste with its legs [Link 15]. Every plant it lands on – it can taste it. And although tasting is usually done for appraising nibbles of culinary, swallowtails taste plants to determine which leaves offer their eggs the best chance of survival.

Except locomotion to get around, legs can be used for other common duties as well – like kicking and dancing for us humans. Employing them on culinary or any foliage surface for tasting – like swallowtails do, would almost be supernatural for us. But all living creatures have their own inherent and competence abilities for surviving difficult circumstances in their environmental scope. Since we (humans) don’t lay eggs on plants, we’ll have no actual purpose for such ability. It’s only inequitable that only swallowtails do it, and not all butterfly species since they all lay eggs on surfaces among the foliages.



3. Sea Anemones

With an appearance like those of plants – that and the fact that they’re also half plants and half animals [Link 16], sea anemones are fairly counted among many odd aquatic organisms. They share an affinity of hierarchy with jellyfish and corals. Because of their distinctive features that resemble the foliages, distinguishing between their common body parts normally found in humans and other animals can be difficult. Like dendogrammas, sea anemones have no anus. They have only one opening known as their mouth, used for two antithesis duties – eating and excreting waste [Link 17]. Additionally, they also intake oxygen and excrete carbon-dioxide via their body cells. What is their mouth is also used to poop, and what is generally used for breathing – a nose (that they lack), its duty is done by their body cells. Excreting carbon-dioxide (or farting) – a duty normally done by the anus, is also done by their body cells. Incredible, isn’t it? It certainly is. However, the pivotal mechanism of inhalation and exhalation, including the excretion of carbon-dioxide, is due to their lack of true respiration system.



2. The tiny Swedish Worm

As nature still deviates the reach of climax on anomalous discoveries, the orbital sphere of science is still defied by its mysterious oddities upon inspection. The tiny Swedish worm (Xenoturbella bocki), which scientists knew a little of their embryology and reproduction, is an example of anomalous discoveries that presented even more mysteries of nature. The worm is eyeless and brainless, with a simply organized and unsegmented flat body measuring about 2-3 cm. Also, it has no sex organs and vital organs, and has an affinity to the sea anemones and dendogrammas as its mouth (located in the middle of its belly) is used for both consuming and excreting waste [Link 18]. With its cilia-covered body that is slightly tapered at both ends, it’s structured purposefully to aid its ability to budge around on the seabed off the coast of Sweden, Scotland, and Iceland.

The worm is regarded by some scientists as a key biological link between many species. And although its striking feature is its mouth that acts as an anus, further studies led scientists to believe the worm is also our very own origin as it’s a distant progenitor of us humans [Link 19]. So despite its miniscule size, the worm might be our very own cousin, but this has also been the cause of a censorious debate among the world’s evolutionary scientists.  Previously, it was also believed that the worm has evolved backwards over the years from a more sophisticated original form. The destitute of its anus and gut led its crucial body part – “the mouth”, to have multi-duties, making its mechanism of consuming and excreting waste rather revolting. We can only wonder if it can frequently rinse out the feces left in its mouth with its habitted water for reversion.



1. The southern grastic-brooding frog

The southern grastic-brooding frog (Rheobatrachus silus) was discovered in 1972, imminently prior to meeting an unfortunate fate of extinction. As a newly discovered amphibian of anuran species, its discovery was yet conspicuous. But in 1974, the southern grastic brooding frog started thrusting scientists’ attention after a bizarre strategy of their reproductive mode was discovered [Link 20]. They found that the females swallow the early larvae or eggs for their completion of development to take place in their stomach. But upon doing so, they cease producing hydrochloric acid, rendering their digestive system inactive to circumvent digesting their own young. Throughout the development, the larvae rely on slime reserves, until 20-25 tadpoles hatch inside the stomach and continue to grow over the next six weeks. During all that time, the mother doesn’t eat. Also, the inhibited digestive secretions of the stomach cause the lungs to collapse, forcing her to breathe through her skin. Eventually, she gives birth to her brood where by the fully formed metamorphs emerge from her mouth.

Unsurprisingly, this rendered other scientists incredulous before it was acknowledged as a fact. For the female southern grastic brooding frogs to convert their stomach into a womb, then give birth through their mouths, purports that two of their body parts are used for completely different bizarre purposes. Being able to breathe through its skin is an addition. And although their extinction yielded their fall to oblivion, Mike Archer, a scientist from the University of New South Wales, and his team is already attempting to resurrect them [Link 21]. For now, they have only revived their genome by using sophisticated scientific cloning techniques. This was done in a process of implanting their dead cell nucleus into fresh egg cells of their closely related species, the great barred frog.

10 Bizarre Animals That Look Like Plants

We may think we're familiar with all the appellations of bizarre animals existing on our planet, but as new animal discoveries are made, we still get stroked with astonishment. From terrestrial, aquatic, and amphibious animals, there are some odd species with inconceivable appearances similar to those of plants. But others don't just have similar appearances like those of plants, they also have similar behavioral adaptations of plants. While the appearance of some categorically makes them intriguing—they can also be inconspicuous to predators looking to feed on them. Their spontaneous plant-like appearance can even make us mistake them as plants, but others have salient features that can still make us recognize them as animals.



10. Ramisyllis Multicaudata

The Branching Sponge Worm—scientifically identified as "Ramisyllis multicaudata", is undoubtedly one of the most bizarre worm species that exist. It inhabits the shallow waters of the Northern Coast in Australia. But finding one can be very hard because they live inside sea sponges, and even if you see one, if you don't know the creature, you won't even speculate that it's a worm. As innocuous and delicate as they are, leaving the sea sponges will only put them in precarious situations, thus staying concealed in them all their lives safeguards them from predators. But they can't leave the sea sponges, even if they wanted to. They have an indefinite number of bodies in the form of treelike branches that follow the many channels in the sea sponge. The branches can also propagate many sub-branches when they grow, and those sub-branches also propagate more branches, leading to a point the worm ending up with hundreds or even thousands of extremities. What is more unbelievable about its branches is that they're branching from a single head which lies deep within the interior of the sea sponge. Its indefinite number of branches can poke through holes in the sponge's surface. Except looking like tree branches, its body is also similar to a network of roots that grow incessantly.



9. Star-Nosed Mole

All the animals around the world are diverse, and there are many animals with odd noses that suggest the origin of their names. We have the Bottle-Nose fish—also called the Elephant-Nose. We also have the Bottle-Nose Dolphins, Long-Nosed Chimaeras, etc. All these appellations already give us the idea of how their noses look like. The Star-Nosed Mole was obviously given its name because its nose looks like a star. However, its nose is also similar to coral-colored flowers, and when the mole pokes out of the ground, it's almost as if it's a coral plant.

Yes, Moles are hideous animals—we've heard that a couple of times, but if you learn more about their extraordinary abilities, you will not only be astonished by their ugly appearance. They have amazing appendages, and their coral-colored flower-like or star-looking nose is made up of 22 fleshes of tentacles. These tentacles can detect and gulp down prey with astonishing speed. That even explains why they're the fastest eating animals in the world. As virtually blind as they are, they use their tentacles to survey their murky marshland habit. When they search for prey underwater, they blow bubbles, about 5-10 bubbles per second, which are blown to touch the surface of that prey. When the bubbles come into contact with the prey, the odorant molecules that impart smell mix with the air inside the bubbles and, with the same speed—they immediately suck the bubbles back into their nostrils. It's a remarkable technique they use to smell their targets underwater. When they find something that could be food, they identify it, simultaneously—they decide if it's edible; if it is, they eat it—all in just a quarter of a second. If you can imagine how quickly a second is for a predator to identify something, capture it, and eat it, it's unimaginable if all that is done in a quarter of that second. It makes it impossible for them to improve their prey-capturing speed by doing it much faster than they do.



8. Jelly Flower Hat

Jellyfishes are known for their bizarre jelly-like bodies that are transparent, but there are other jellyfish species out there in the ocean that we've never seen before. The Jelly Flower Hat, scientifically known as Olindias Formosa, is certainly one of them. It's a rare species of jellyfish. They can only be found primarily in the waters off Brazil, Argentina, and southern Japan. Their conservative status is currently unknown because they live close to the ocean floor, although sometimes they do occasionally rise to the surface. Unlike other jellyfish species that are transparent, Jelly Flower Hats are different because their bellies are translucent and pinstriped with opaque bands. Their bodies are their most appealing feature, with striking colors varying from mixes of: blue, pink, orange, purple, yellow, and green. They look like colorful neon flowers with hats on them—or hats with flowers on them (hence the name). Another peculiar aspect about them is that they have no head, brain, heart, cartilage or real eyes, but to all crustaceans and small fishes, they're still the most feared predators. They have shiny tentacles that coil and adhere to the edge when in use. Underneath them, they have other longer tentacles that have stinging cells called mematocysts, which all cnidarians have. These tentacles are what they use to attack prey. When they're seen among other colorful plants of the ocean, it's easy to mistake them as plants. However, they're not as big as they seem in the image. They only grow about 6 inches in diameter.



7. Coral (Anthozoa)

You will be startled if you see strange plants deep in the ocean, but it's nothing compared to how stunned will you be when realizing that they're actually animals. Class Anthozoa, also referred as anthozoans, is the largest class of cnidarians. Coral Animals are also included in that class. They are generally brightly colored cnidarians with a plant-like appearance. Unlike most animals mentioned on this list, corals appear to be half animals and half plants according to how they live and how they look like. What is more interesting about corals is that all their species are unique, but still, they all look like plants. The coral animal species that look exactly like plants include the Plate corals, Bamboo corals, Primnoid corals, Hydrocorals, Tube Sponge corals, Lettuce corals, Ivory Bush corals, Elkhorn corals, and Staghorn corals. But there are more out there. Currently, there are around 70,000 different species of coral found throughout the ocean of the world. They also use the photosynthesis process just like plants. But they're also carnivorous animals, so except getting food with the photosynthesis process, they hunt for prey. On their tentacles, they have stinging cells which they use to paralyze small fish and animals such as planktons.



6. Leafy Sea Dragon

Leafy Sea Dragons are known as some of the most ornately camouflaged creatures on the planet. They don't look almost like plants, they look exactly like plants. With their gossamer leaf-like fins and frilly appendages over their entire bodies, you would swear that they are plants. Their small dorsal and leaf-like pectoral fins are transparent, and they use them to propel and steer themselves awkwardly through the water. Despite their fearsome name, they're not wild or harmful to other marine mammals. They don't even have teeth; instead of biting, they suck their food down their long tube-snout, just like seahorses and piper-fish. Their tube-like mouths work like drinking straws, and they can slurp up thousands of prey each day. Tiny crustaceans such as mysids and sea lice are their diet, but it's not known if they're preyed upon by other animals. They're nearly impossible to spot among the plants as they slowly sway back and forth with the current. Only two species of sea dragon exist, which is, the Leafy Sea Dragon and the Weedy Sea Dragon.



5. Pale Tussock Moth

The Pale Tussock Moth is one of the largest caterpillars of its own kind. It's usually green in color, making it hard to be noticed when it has concealed itself in the grass or bush of flowers with varying colors. It's the most colorful and beautiful caterpillar we have ever seen, with no blemishes degrading its look. Because of its salient colors and hairy flower-like appearance, where the plants are green is its habitat environment, and also because it feeds on green plants. Their diet also includes lime, oak, hazel, birch, and elms. Although non-evergreen plants lose their beautiful appearance because of the changing seasons, the Pale Tussock Moth's seemingly resplendent spontaneous colors remain stagnant. The adults are sexually dimorphic, while the females are generally larger than the males and plain in form. They are common in England and Wales, and also found local in Ireland.



4. Sea Anemone

Sea Anemones are included in the class Anthozoa. They're close relatives of corals and jellyfish. Just like corals, when seen in the picture, the average person who doesn't know them could actually think they're plants. They were also named after the equally flashy terrestrial anemone flower. Although they look like plants, they're classified as animals. However, recent scientific studies revealed that they're also half plant and half animal. They have cylindrical bodies which are made of adhesive pedal discs, including arrays of branching tentacles surrounding their mouths. Their tentacles are filled with venom and have stingers that inject their paralyzing venom into the prey. The defenseless prey is dragged by their tentacles into their mouths.

Throughout the world's ocean at various depths, there are more than 1,000 sea anemone species that exist. The largest and most varied sea anemones occur in coastal tropical waters. Like their coral relatives, sea Anemones establish symbiotic relationship with green algae. They get food from the algae's photosynthesis; in exchange, the Anemones provide safe harbor for the algae, including exposure to sunlight.



3. Satanic Leaf-Tailed Gecko

We've learned about the enthralling beauty of animals similar to beautiful and colorful plants on this list; the satanic leaf-tailed gecko, however, is not pretty at all. But it does look very much like a plant. It's a small reptile with large eyes and a body that superbly mimics a dead leaf. What makes it unique is that it doesn't have a colorful and beautiful appearance. It is mottled brown, and some species have small black dots on the underside. Their entire bodies are twisted, with a veined skin and a tail that makes them look like they have been nibbled at by insects and rotted by decay. This strange appearance that they have helps them blend into the foliage of their habitat.

When it comes to avoiding predators, the satanic leaf-tailed gecko is an expert. Its leaf-like appearance is also included in their expertise of avoiding predatory animals. But there are other things they can do. Like one, for example, they can flatten their bodies against the substrate to reduce their shadows, including opening their jaws wide to show a frightening, bright red mouth, while shedding their tails to trick predators.



2. Sea Cucumber

Sea cucumbers are dwellers of the ocean, and some live in the shallow waters. Because of their name, if you're unfamiliar with these them, you could actually think they're cucumber vegetables that grow underwater, but they are not vegetables. They're omnivore animals that belong to the echinoderms family that include starfish and sea urchins. The name "sea cucumber" was given to them because they literally look like soft-bodied cucumbers. However, some species differ in shapes, appearance, and sizes, but most of them still look like cucumbers. Some species live near the bottom of the ocean, and some can partially bury themselves beneath it. Tiny particles of algae and minute aquatic animals are their diet, and sometimes they can also feed on waste materials. But they themselves are prey to fish and other aquatic animals, and they're also enjoyed by humans in Asia—where various species are farmed as delicacies. Their feet, which look like tentacles, are what they use to gather their food in their mouths.



1. Dendrogramma

Dendrogrammas are newly discovered mushroom-shaped alien-like animals. They were found in the collection of organisms dredged up during the 1980's at depths of 400-1,000 meters deep in the ocean of the south-east Australian continental slope. Only two species of these strange organisms were discovered, which scientists named Dendrogramma enigmatica and Dendrogramma discoides. They are made up of an outer skin and inner stomach separated by a thick layer of jellylike substance. It's suspected they might be related to ancient instinct life forms that lived 600 million years ago. Both two species have a single opening at the base of their stem where food goes in and waste material goes out. In the cap of these mushroom-like creatures, there's a gastrovascular tube that branches into a series of canals. They could not be categorized in any existing phylum, and they could represent a new, non-bilateral phylum in the kingdom "Animalia".

Now that we have two ocean-dwelling animals named after vegetables, namely "sea cucumbers" and the "sea mushrooms", perhaps researchers could discover sea cabbage-like animals and name them "sea cabbages".

10 Deadliest Man-made Biological and Chemical Weapons

Many deadly viruses, diseases, and toxins are known to have occurred naturally, but some did not. In fact, some of them were man-made. Even the viruses that remain with their cures undiscovered were made in science laboratories. But how do these viruses find their way out of science laboratories? That’s a good question. Scientists have accomplished many successes, but some successes too can also lead to bad consequences. This list reveals some of the man-made viruses, diseases, and toxins that are dangerous when used as chemical or biological weapons. Some even have the highest death-rates in the world. Would they have not been made in the first place, hundreds of millions killed by them could have lived. But some viruses and diseases on this list were made in an attempt to study their potential and discover their cures. Their makers probably didn't have bad intentions when they made them, although they knew the risk.


10. Tabun

Tabun is a man-made nerve agent that is not found naturally in the environment. It is a tasteless, colorless to brownish chemical with a faint fruity odor. It was invented by a German chemist named Gerhard Schrader, in the mid 1930's. Its material is similar to those used in pesticides, but it is more poisonous and fast acting. When the liquid form of Tabun is exposed to high temperatures, it turns into vapour and settle in low-lying areas. This is the kind of chemical that you wouldn't want to put in your home, even in a sealed bottle or container because someone – especially your children, might get into contact with it. It is lethal whether absorbed through the skin, eye-contact, and even when inhaled as a gas from contaminated air. Death from skin absorption may be delayed, but an inhaled dosage kills in one to ten minutes. Hitler also used tabun as a destructive weapon against the Britain Allies, but despite how effective the gas was to the troops, he later stopped using the gas against them. If he continued to use it as a weapon against the allied soldiers, millions could have died. This brings us to the curiosity of whether the Nazi scientist, Otto Ambros, who was also a board member of the IG Farben to help mastermind the firm's chemical weapons section, had been the one who deprived Hiltler from using tabun against the Allied soldiers [LINK 1].

Symptoms of Tabun exposure include drooling, breathing difficulties, excessive sweating, vomiting, involuntary urination and defecation, and pinpointing of the eye pupils. It is also possible that Tabun and other nerve agents were used in chemical warfare during the Iran-Iraq War in the 1980's.




9. Anthrax

Anthrax is a disease that can kill most living organisms. It is also one of the diseases that are acknowledged as bio-weapons. In the wild, it can even kill most animals including Elephants and Lions, but some predators have a lot more resistance to it than hoofed-mammals. Animals that die of anthrax have spores formed by the bacteria inside of them. These spores consist of a triple protein-like coat around the core of DNA, and they become dormant. Even on the soil and water, the spores can remain viable for years and, when breathed or in contact with another organism, they become active and infect it. A natural occurring anthrax does exist, but scientist discovered that the anthrax bacterium can also be grown in a laboratory to make the man-made version of Anthrax. In 1979, there was an accidental release of spores from a military research laboratory that caused at least 79 cases of respiratory infection and 68 deaths [LINK 2]. A terrorist group also released anthrax throughout Tokyo on eight occasions. In 2001, there was another incident of a man who was killed by the man-made version of the virus [LINK 3].

When anthrax spores are made, they can be stored for considerable periods of time. If the spores have lodged in the lungs and have caused an infection, nine out of ten patients die. That's how deadly anthrax is. During the 70's, the World Health Organization estimated that if 50kg of anthrax be released from an aircraft over an urban population of 5 million, there would be more than 250,000 cases of the disease. Another report in 1993 estimated that releasing a cloud of 100kg of spores upwind of Washington DC could cause between 130,000 and 3 million deaths. We should really hope that bio-terrorists don't use it as a destructive weapon against the world.




8. Swine Flu

The swine flu became a big threat to the public when it was discovered in humans. During that time when people got infected by it, many had thought that the virus was probably a natural influenza. Now researchers had proven that there’s no evidence of the Swine flu (H1N1) to have reasserted naturally [LINK 4]. According to experts, the swine flu that was exposed to the public of Mexico in 2009 could not have occurred naturally. Swine flu can be artificially engineered in laboratories by bio-terrorists, and this could be the reason why the swine flu pandemic was regarded as “man-made”. Some bio-terrorism experts still think that the swine flu was an intentional epidemic, and if so, more proof is all we need. Scientists claimed that the swine flu pandemic may have been caused by an accidental leak from a laboratory in 1977 [LINK 5]. So far, there is more evidence of the swine flu being a "man-made pandemic", but everybody is not yet convinced that it probably escaped the laboratory. And even if the swine flu was not intentionally made as a bio-weapon, why did they make laboratory experiments on the virus in the first place if they knew the risk of a man-made pandemic? That’s just another question that they'll probably answer with another convincing claim.




7. Yersinia Pestis

Yersinia Pestis is a bacterium that is behind "The Black Death" plague that swept through Europe six centuries ago. The plague caused up to 50 million deaths (half of Europe's population during that time) [LINK 6]. The Black Death occurred naturally because there was no sophisticated technology for bio-engineering in the 14th century. Now that we do have that technology in the 21st century, a team of German, Canadian and US Scientists had recreated the plague [LINK 7]. They have extracted dried blood from the teeth of a few of the 14th century victims exhumed from a London graveyard. They used new techniques of modern disease strains to extract the plague's DNA from the teeth and re-created the new version. Although the scientists say that even if the bug escapes the lab it won't be a bigger threat as it was six centuries ago, it can still be used as a bio-weapon by bio-terrorists [LINK 8]. But the scientists claim that the disease's spread would be prevented because we now live in a world that is different from medieval Europe. This makes us wonder why they failed to prevent the deaths caused by other man-made viruses and diseases that have also escaped military laboratories in the past.




6. H5N1 Flu Virus

In 2011, a deadly flu virus with the potential to kill up to half the world's population was announced to be created. The virus is an avian H5N1 bird flu that was genetically altered to become more contagious. Now it is able to transmit from human to human. The virus was created by Ron Fouchier of the Erasmus Medical Centre in Rotterdam, Netherlands. Fouchier presented his work to the public at an influenza conference [LINK 9], but academics and bioterrorism experts argued whether to publish the recipe. They argued that releasing such information could provide any bio-terrorist with a ready recipe they can use to kill millions [LINK 10]. Some experts say such work should have not been done in the first place [lINK 13]. But other researchers said the experiment on the virus is crucial for understanding the public health risk posed viruses circulating in birds. They also believe that the knowledge gained will be vital for the development of vaccines and drugs. What made the virus creation more dangerous is the fact that it was made in a University Lab, instead of a military facility. The world could face the worst nightmare if it escapes the laboratory. The H5N1 has killed hundreds of millions of birds since 1996. Now that the flu is transmissible to humans, you can just imagine what will happen if this goes into a global pandemic. It is scary from different angles. If a scientist wants information about a particular virus to have the vaccines and therateutics in place, such knowledge is needed. The real worry only comes in from a bio-security perspective.




5. H7N9 Flu Virus

H7N9 is an avian influenza that has been detected in birds in the past. As was the case with the H5N1 influenza strains before it was mutated, the natural occurring H7N9 is also not easily transmittable between humans. But Ron Fouchier – the scientist behind a proposal made in 2011 to create the H5N1 that is easily transmittable between humans, had similar plans for the new H7N9 [LINK 11]. Mr. Fouchier and his colleagues stated that they have gained knowledge on the studies made on the H5N1. They are certain that mutating the H5N1 has contributed to their understanding of host adaptation by influenza viruses, including the development of vaccines and improved surveillance. However, some professors in the department of medicine criticized the idea. They said that Fouchier and his colleagues can't do surveillance, nor do they work on vaccine development. Two years after Fouchier and his team's controversial experiments on the H5N1, they haven't contributed to any improvement in the ability to control a pandemic. "They also haven't shown how to develop a better vaccine," say's the critics from the Department of Medicine. But despite the criticism, Ron and his team made a point that the risk of a pandemic caused by an influenza virus exists in nature. If the virus mutates naturally to become easily transmittable between humans and no research on the virus has been done, it might be too late to counter any resistance it has gathered along the way. Their proposal letter pointed out that some H7N9 patients being treated with the primary virus anti-measures had already developed a resistance to those measures. Just like the H5N1, it is possible for the H7N9 to be developed by terrorists and used as a bio-weapon. There was no case of any human infected with the H7N9 bird flu virus until 2 family related individuals were reported to have been infected by it in Eastern China, March, 2013. Since then, the virus has killed over 40 people and sickened a 100 more. And now that the H7N9 was mutated and already had infected and killed people in China, there were accusations being made that it was released by the U.S government as a biological warfare attack against China [LINK 12].




4. Ebola

At first, there were only uncertain claims that the Ebola virus was created by the US military. Now it is finally a reality that Ebola is, indeed, a man-made virus. The fact that the Ebola virus escaped the laboratory is the reason why it is still being argued whether it was created with intentions of using it as a bio-weapon. And because Ebola can indeed be used as a biological weapon [LINK 14], developing it was truly a risk. Just like Aids, the Ebola virus did not originate from monkeys left alone in the wild; they were bio-engineered in military American laboratories. Evidence revealed in Dr. Leonard Horowitz book published in 1996 concluded that the viruses – Ebola and Aids, which now threaten humanity's survival, evolved from early cancer vaccine experiments in which top military pharmaceutical scientists infected monkeys with viral genes from other animals [LINK 15]. The reason why these viruses evolved during those experiments is because those contaminated monkeys were used in the development of preventive vaccines later tested on humans. Evidence that these viruses evolved naturally is minimal and circumstantial.




3. Inhalation Botulism

Inhalation Botulism is a man-made form of a disease that results from inhaling aerosolized Botulinum toxin [LINK 16]. The toxin is among the most poisonous substances known to humans. It is considered a major biological threat because it is easy to make and very deadly. However, three forms of naturally occurring botulism affecting humans do exist, which is by food-borne, wound, and intestinal. Injecting just 2 billionth of a gram of the substance is enough to kill an adult. Currently, there are eight stereotypes of the toxin: A, B, C1, C2, D, E, F, G and H. They are all produced by the bacterium Clostridium botulinum which can damage the human body by blocking acetylcholine – a neurotransmitter that leads to muscle paralysis. Many scientists believe that the toxin can be used as a bio-weapon [LINK 17]. This is why this genetic sequence has been kept hidden from public database over security concerns.




2. Sarin

Sarin is a human-made chemical warfare agent classified as a nerve agent [LINK 18]. It is colorless, odorless, and has no flavor. It was developed in Germany, 1938, by researchers at IG Farben for use as a pesticide. Just like tabun, people can be exposed to sarin by inhaling air that contains it, including through skin contact and eye contact. Exposure to sarin also causes symptoms similar to those produced by tabun. When sarin vapour is released into the air, it sinks in low-lying areas or toward the bottom of the ground. It was used in two bio-terrorist attacks in Japan, 1994 and 1995 [LINK 19]. The 1995 attack was made by the Aum Shinrikyo sect that killed 12 people and injured more than 5,000 people on the Tokyo subway [LINK 20]. We can just imagine the number of deaths it would cause if released from an aircraft above a highly populated area.




1. HIV/Aids

When the HIV was discovered, many researchers tried to figure out whether it is a man-made virus or a natural pathogen. As I have mentioned in item number 4 of this list, the first researcher who concluded that Aids, including Ebola, were bioengineered in laboratories was Dr. Horowitz. And that was in 1996. Today it is finally revealed that a scientist named Robert Gallo is the one who invented Aids. Gallo was also the man who proved that HIV causes Aids; he then developed the test that safeguards the world's blood supply against the disease. But Robert Gallo also had a long squabble with another team of scientists from France led by Luc Montagnier, over who really discovered the HI virus [LINK 21]. The credit of the HIV discovery was later given to Robert Gallo, who has also generated more than $1 billion in private-sector revenues with all of his discoveries.

On April 1984, Robert Gallo also filed a United States patent application for inventing the HI virus [LINK 21]. But it all started in 1975 when Gallo isolated a retrovirus from human leukemia cells. He then faced humiliation when presenting his discovery at a Virus-Cancer program's yearly conference. Other scientists tested the virus and realized that it is a mixture of contaminating retroviruses from woolly monkeys, gibbon apes, and baboons. Robert tried to save his reputation, claiming that perhaps one of the monkey viruses caused the human leukemia. But unfortunately, his speculation did not convince anyone. I suppose this is the reason why Aids was thought to have originated from monkeys.
In 1980, Robert Gallo was finally credited for discovering the first human retrovirus – HTLV-I. But he didn't stop there with the HTLV-I; he isolated a second one in 1982, which was then called the HTL-V II. In 1984, he finally presented the world with the third one – called HTLV-III, which was renamed the "HI virus" or "HIV". But some medical masterminds still call it the HIV virus – maybe they think that the "V" probably stands for Voodoo.

10 Animals With Amazing Electrical Abilities

We all know that electricity is a source of energy, but not all of us know that there are animals out there in the wild that have electrical abilities. If you’re one of those people who thought that humans were the first to generate electricity, you were definitely wrong. If you also think that there is no way that an animal can produce powerful electrical currents with its organs, you are also wrong. On this list there are ten animals with fascinating electrical abilities. Some have a special need for electricity, some are attracted to electricity, and some have also helped us humans to come up with new solutions for generating electricity. Most of the animals on this list live in the water; some are insects, and they all have one thing in common – their amazing electrical abilities.



10. The Elephant-nose fish

Elephantnose fishes are very smart, and they also have an incredible ability of being able to produce electricity. They have an amazing ability to navigate in total darkness, especially to find food. No matter how dark it is at night, the elephantnose can perceive and analyze different objects and hindrances in size and structure. They are a freshwater species that inherit the river basins in West Africa, and that is because they prefer to swim among slow moving waters in large rivers. Their bodies are dark brown in color, slim and also compressed. Every elephantnose has a long chin barbel, suggesting the origin of its name. They also have sensory receptors that are electrical, and therefore called electric sensory receptors. They use the sensory receptors to hunt for worms and insects, usually at night. In the nose of the fish there are more than 500 specialized electrical sensory cells that are able to detect small changes in the electrical field in its surroundings. The electric receptors are distributed throughout the ventral and dorsal regions of its body. These sensors in its nose can detect electrical fields caused by potential prey, especially aquatic insects that hide under the surface on the ground of a pond or river. When the elephantnose hunt for its prey on the surface or ground of the river, it's like when a geologist searches for minerals with a metal detector. They also have an electric organ located in the base of their tails that produce a low level of an electric discharge.



9. Electric Rays

All Electric Ray species are best known for their highly specialized electrogenic organs – which are generally kidney-shaped. These organs have fascinating electrical abilities that are composed of stacks of 500 to 1 000 striated muscle plaques that have been modified from the gill musculature. The head and upper body of many ray species form a flattened disc, with large pectoral fins creating a large skirt around the edge. On either side of the head is where the kidney-shaped electrogenic organs are located, visible externally as protuberances around the level of the eyes, which are responsible for generating electrical shocks. These electrical organs can deliver a powerful electrical shock, which can be employed in defense when threatened. The voltage potential recorded from different electric rays is not similar. Some ray's electric shock potential has been measured at as little as 8 to 37 volts, others can reach the voltage power of up to 220 volts. The Pacific Torpedo Ray generates two distinct types of electrical pulse – one for warning predators – and the other for stunning prey with powerful blasts. Electric Rays were also used by ancient Greeks as a kind of anaesthetic – the electricity supposedly numbing the pain of operations and childbirths.



8. Oriental Hornets

Hornets have been counted along with some of the deadliest insects in the world because of their highly toxic stings. Today these insects are not only recognized for their deadly aspects. Another significant discovery revealed that these insects are also the most competent solar power experts. They had solar cells long before Homo Sapiens first walked on earth.
It turns out that the hornets have evolved ingenious adaptations to harvest sunlight. Oriental Hornets have solar cells built into their exoskeleton. Most of their cuticle on their exoskeleton is brown, but a few sections are yellow. Both the brown and yellow pigments are involved in mopping up energy, which are made up of many layers laid on top of each other – 30 in the brown, and 15 in the yellow. The brown areas contain a pigment that is also found in humans that is called melanin, while the yellow areas contain xanthopterin. The brown cuticle is also covered with astonishing brown grooves that split the light absorbed from the sun into diverging beams. While the brown splits the light, the yellow converts it into electricity.
The xanthopterin and grooves in the brown brands cuticle and pinhole depressions makes electricity from sun rays. Although it's not completely understood exactly how hornets use this electricity, one possibility is that they might harness the electricity to power enzymes in the yellow cuticle. Alternatively, this electricity also might help keep hornets at a comfortable temperature, including giving the hornets' wing muscles an extra jolt of energy. During the summer months, hornets are mostly active at noon, when the heat is high and ultraviolet radiation is at its strongest. This unusual behavior of being active afternoon made scientists curious because other insects are more active in the early part of the day. It now makes sense why they leave their nests when the sun hot, it is because of their ingenious adaptations to harvest sunlight.



7. Stargazer

Stargazers live at the bottom of deep, open waters. They are found mostly in lower Chesapeake Bay, but sometimes they travel to the upper Bay in autumn. They have a moderately speckled elongate, flattened body with a large head. They are well-adapted to life under the sand. Their pectoral fins act as shovels, which enables them to bury themselves in the sand in a matter of seconds. There are two different species stargazers, which is the Northern stargazer and the Southern stargazer. Both these species have a special talent of creating an electrical current from a specialized organ located behind the eyes. This organ can deliver an electric charge of up to 50 volts that stuns and confuses its prey and also ward off predators. They hunt by burying themselves in the sand with their eyes and mouths sticking out just enough to search for prey. Once they see something tasty swim by, they can quickly capture their prey or use their large mouths to create a vacuum to suck its prey. Their ability to deliver an electric shock is usually used for defense.



6. Knifefish

Knifefishes are fascinating aquarium specimens. Their bodies are long, tapered, and compressed, with a continually moving fin on their underside. They are found in two groups. The largest group is the gymnotiformes – the ones known as electric fishes. The other group of the knifefishes are members of the notopteridae family, which belong to the Orsteogrossiformes order. Unlike some electrical fishes that generate enough voltage to stun prey, the knifefish uses its electric field as a sixth sense – to navigate its surroundings, communicate and hunt for prey. Its electrical ability helps it to hunt because it can detect prey animals.


Electric knifeshes have tuberous electroreceptor organs specialized for detecting modulations of the high-frequency self-generated electric field. They also have ampullary organs specialized for detecting low-frequency electric field arising from external sources such as bioelectric fields generated by other aquatic organisms. Another third electrical organ is the mechanosensory lateral line system. All these three electrical organs can provide information that may aid the fish when hunting for prey at night or in muddy water. Knifefishes can also scan prey animals across their sensory array before intercepting it with the mouth.



5. Bees

Honeybees have many amazing and interesting facts about them. Another amazing ability of the "honeybee" was discovered recently, revealing that they have a special electrical ability that enables them to sense or detect other electrical signals made by plants. Flowers give out electrical signals to attract bees to their pollen, with their voltage changing consistently to warn others when their nectar is low. Differences in electrical charges allow flowers and bees to communicate. Plants emit weak electric fields and are usually charged negatively. Bees acquire a positive charge as they fly through the air, and they are also able to tell the differences between floral electric fields.



4. Asian Super ants

A species of Asian ants (Lasius neglectus) that was first seen in Budapest 20 years ago has an attraction to electricity. They are naturally drawn to electrical currents, but this attraction that they have to electricity is also fatal because they can cause blackouts and fires. Their compulsion to follow electricity is stronger than their need for food or drink. They were also recorded sighting in the UK in 2009, although they were spotted in Germany, Poland, Spain, and Hungary.

The Asian super-ant can form huge colonies with nests stretching over up to a hectare. They look just the same as the common garden ant, but there will be ten to a hundred times as many of them. It is still unclear exactly what do they do with electricity as they are drawn or attracted to electrical circuitries. Surely there must be important for them to be attracted to electricity just like other ant species that are attracted to food or drink.



3. The Electric Catfish

The Electric Catfish is another fish that has fascinating electrical abilities. They are nocturnal (night) animals because their most active hours are just after sunset. They live in shallow water, with a muddy and sandy bottom neighboring rocking areas. The catfish has an ability to create an electrical charge of up to 350 volts. It uses this voltage to stun or paralyze its prey and its attackers in order to avoid conflict and to keep it from getting injured. The electrical charge is produced by organs in the skin of the fish, and the fatty layers of flesh below the charge insulate the fish so it doesn't electrocute itself. It is safe to keep it as a pet because its electric charge cannot kill a human, but the shocks do sting. An adult catfish can severely injure its caretaker if not handled properly. Its electrical properties are enough to kill or wound just about any aquarium fish, that's why they cannot have any mates when kept in tanks. In the wild, the catfish can grow up to 39 inches (99cm) in length. Its body is one big electrical current, with the head serving as the negative pole and the tale as a positive pole. This species is also very sensitive to the earth's magnetic fields. In captivity, it responds to magnetic currents generated several hours before an impending earthquake.



2. Chickens

I know you might be surprised or wondering how is it that chickens have electrical abilities that you have never heard of. Chickens obviously don't have electric organs or electrical abilities built in their delicious bodies, but they are able to produce a source of electricity. Chicken's waste/manure can be used in generating power. The fact that the waste material digested in their intestines produces electricity, means that they do have an ability to create electricity. Chicken dung was first used to produce methane gas, but manufacturers turned to more advanced solutions by utilizing it to generate electricity. In 2008, the Dutch agriculture minister Gerda Verburg announced a groundbreaking development for the field as she unveiled the world's largest biomas power plant to run exclusively on poultry manure. They converted roughly 400,000 tons of chicken manure into energy annually, generating more than 270 million kilowatt hours of electricity per year. This power generation method is still being used even today.



1. Electric Eels

Electric Eels are famous freshwater predators that can generate an enormous electrical charge to stun prey and persuade other predators. Their bodies have electric organs with about 6000 specialized cells called electrolytes. These cells located in the tail of the fish are lined up like batteries in a flashlight. Each and every single cell generates only about 0.15 volts. In total, all those six thousand cells make one giant battery that can generate up to 600 volts of electric charge/shock.

The reason why I have put electric eels on the number one spot of this list is because there's no other animal that is able to generate powerful electrical currents like them. The electric eel has 50 times the shocking power of a car battery, and that is because a standard car battery has only 12 volts of electrical current. Its electrical charge is also 5 times the power of a standard US wall socket. In humans, multiple shocks from an electric eel can cause respiratory or heart-failure. However, the jolts can incapacitate the fish and crustaceans that are the electric eel prey. Some people have been known to drown in shallow water after a stunning jolt from an electric eel. Like other electrical fishes that I covered on this list, the electric eel also uses electricity for sensing prey. Their electrical ability also helps them to navigate in the water because they have poor eyesight. They have long, cylindrical bodies and flattened heads and are generally dark green or greyish on top with yellowish coloring underneath. In size, electric eels can reach six feet (2 metres) in length and weigh nearly 12 pounds (20 kg). The shock of an electric eel has also been known to knock a horse off its feet.

10 Shocking Births of Babies Who Were Born Like No Other

Normally, a birth of a child is obviously not a shock to those who know the biology of how babies are born. Yet, there are births out there that are very unusual, and some are even shocking to the Doctors who deliver the babies themselves, including the mothers who give birth to these babies.



10. Instead of calling her "Grandma", she's calling her "Mom"

Despite her old-age, Rajo Devi became the world's oldest mother at age 70. Davy is an old Indian woman who failed to give birth to a child for her husband, Bala Ram, whom she has been married to for over 50 years. The two old married couple made many attempts to have a child, but Devi still failed to produce any children. They finally became mother and father for the first time in their five decade marriage in 2008, after Mrs. Devi underwent fertility treatment. A Romanian woman, Adriana Iliescu, was recorded to be the oldest mother in January 2005, but Rajo Devi proved to the world that that record can be broken again by becoming the world's oldest mother at age 70. Although Rajo Devi nearly died from complications with the delivery of her daughter, Naveem, who is now 5 years old, she did give birth to her successfully. Critics said she was putting her health at risk and condemning her daughter to the agony of losing her parents at a younger age, but that did not stop Devi from fulfilling her dreams.



9. The World's Biggest Baby!

The big giant baby ever born was born on 19 January, 1879, by Anna Bates. Anna was a giant Canadian woman who was measured at the height of 7 ft 5.5 in. Her second stillborn baby, weighing 23.12 pounds (10.7kg) and 30 inches tall, became the biggest baby ever born. Unfortunately the baby died 11 hours after birth. Anna had difficulties giving birth to the child because the baby's head was too large. She went into labour for 36 hours, with the doctors making numerous attempts using forceps to help her give birth to the child. Another biggest giant baby-boy was born recently in 2009 by an Indonesian woman. The baby weighed 19.2 pounds, and had to be taken out from the mother's womb in a surgical operation procedure. The doctor, who helped in delivering the baby, said the baby was so extraordinary, and his cries were not of a usual baby. They were really loud. The mother of the baby, Ani, 41, had already three children who were delivered by a traditional midwife. The giant baby was the fourth and only child born in a hospital. The world's biggest baby to survive was born in 1955 in Aversa, Italy.



8. A woman who gave birth to a third set of twins.

Karen Rodger, 41, and her husband Collin, 44, are miraculously blessed with a three-set of twins. Karen gave birth to a first set of twins in 1999, who are both boys named Lewis and Kyle. Two years later, Karen fell pregnant again and surprisingly, they were also twins, who are also, named Finn and Jude. After more than a decade, when Lewis and Kyle were 14; Finn and Jude, 12, Karen Rodger and her husband still felt unsatisfied with their four children, and made a decision to have another baby. They were told that it was a 500,000-1 chance that Mrs Rodger's third pregnancy could be twins. However, Mrs Rodger and her husband did not expect the third pregnancy to be another set of twins; they were convinced that they might have a boy, but definitely not twins. How lucky they thought they have been for having a two set of twins, when Karen went to labour on her third pregnancy, they were shocked once again by having another set of twins, and this time they were both girls! It is very unusual for one woman to give birth to a three set of twins in her lifetime. I definitely doubt if such record could be broken once again by a woman who could give birth to a four set of twins on an average person's lifetime.



7. The Tiniest baby ever born!

Despite being born four months premature, Connor Sorensen who weighed only 14 ounces had beat the odds by finally being brought home from the hospital. Connor became the smallest baby ever born in Florida Hospital in Orlando. He stayed in the Hospital for six long months as he was given a 33% chance of survival. Connor's father, Eric Sorensen, said Conner was so tiny when he was born that he was even able to put his wedding ring on his leg, and there was still plenty of room left. His organs were not fully developed when he was born and he underwent fine intestinal surgeries. Although Connor is still being monitored by the Doctors after he was taken home, his mother and father, Holly and Eric Sorensen, are very happy that he is finally home. The only fear of the parents is that Connor might have Lasting Effects of being born four months early.



6. The World's First GM Babies Born!

The world's first genetically-modified babies have been created. The experiment was made by Jacques Cohen, a controversial scientist. GM babies contain genes from three parents, and they were born to women who have problems conceiving. Do you want to know how does it really work? Well, extra female genes from a female donor are inserted into woman's eggs before they are fertilized in order for that woman to be able to conceive. As these babies are born containing genes from two women and one man, they will also be able to pass them to their own offspring. Geneticists have fear that one day this similar method could be used to create new races of humans with desired characteristics such as extra strength and intelligence. Some experts have criticized this experiment. Lord Winston, of the Hammersmith Hospital in West London, said that there is no evidence that this technique is worth doing regarding the available methods of infertile treatments. However, the spokesman of the HFEA (Human and Embryology Authority) that assists reproduction technology in Britain said that this technique will not be licensed because it involves altering the germline.



5. The Goat Kid

The goat kid is a humanoid baby that was given birth by a goat in Ekiti state, Nigeria. The baby had all the features of a human being; the human face, hair, head, female genitals, two legs and two arms with hoofs. Because of a story reported by Mort Amsel about US Army members engaging in sexual activity with a goat, it brought attention to biology experts as to whether human semen can impregnate a goat. A same story happened in Jamaica about a goat giving birth to a human-like baby. Several residents there insisted that tests should be done to determine whether the human-like goat had any relation to a human, but a veterinarian from Noah's Ark veterinarian clinic in Kingston said it was not possible that a human could impregnate a goat.



4. A Pregnant Two Yea-Old Boy

A Chinese baby named Xiao Feng gave birth to his own twin brother in China. The baby shocked the doctors when they discovered during x-rays that he was pregnant with his twin brother, who has been living in his stomach since he was born. This was discovered after his stomach swelled to two thirds its normal size. His mother realized there was something wrong with little Xiao and rushed him to the hospital where surgeons removed the foetus measuring 20cm wide. The two year-old had absorbed the undeveloped foetus in his mother's womb. However, the doctors discovered that the twin was parasitic, and that it would have developed into a boy if it had grown large enough, but it caused severe breathing difficulties for Xiao Feng.



3. Woman Gives Birth to a Goat-like baby

A woman from Jahun, in the Jigawa state of Nigeria, gave birth to a goat-like baby. Eyewitnesses who saw the unusual-looking baby said it was without a neck and it had visible goat legs. The woman, who was crying in horror after giving birth to this baby, claimed that it was the fourth time she had given birth to a monster creature. Doctors could not explain whether this was a deformity or a spiritual attack.



2. The Frog Baby

In Nigeria, Ekiti, a woman gave birth to a frog-like baby. The woman was pregnant for 13 months, and she has undergone several tests at private hospitals in the state and was assured pregnant with a set of twins. Shockingly, when the time came for the woman to deliver, she gave birth to a frog-like baby. The condition is called Anencephaly. It is a birth-defect, or a condition known as a cephalic disorder. The condition results in the absence of the major portion of the brain, skull, and scalp. Children born with this disorder are born without a forebrain – the largest part of the brain consisting mainly of the cerebral hemispheres and the neocortex that is responsible of higher-level cognition. The remaining tissue o the brain is often not covered with bone or skin, and most babies with this disorder do not survive.



1. Half human, half Monkey!

Area residents were shocked when a young Fulani woman in Kudana gave birth to a baby with a monkey-like face. The monkey-like creature was born at the General Hospital of Kagarbo. The nurse who attended the woman said she was immediately taken into the labour room when she arrived. The nurse ruptured her because the cervix was fully dilated. The nurse also said fluid measuring 2.6 litres gushed of the women and she started bleeding. When the baby came out, the Doctor and the nurse were shocked when they discovered that it was half human and half animal. The baby died shortly after the delivery. The woman lost a lot of blood during the delivery, and the Doctor explained that it was very unusual that she had lost so much blood, but what was more shocking and very unusual was the monkey-like creature that she gave birth to. A same story was also reported in Nigaria.

10 Animals believed to be associated with Witchcraft

Many of us take nothing seriously when it comes to "witchcraft" because not all of us really believe it exists. The belief of witchcraft existence, also known as black magic – has been living for centuries. Even today, there are still those who believe witchcraft exist, especially those who still follow their traditional and cultural ways of life. Usually, in the modern world, a good laughter will be suitable for you if you made claims about witchcraft. Of course, for those who believe in witchcraft, reservations still remain about that believe, but if we believe that magic exists, how is it different from believing in diabolic-magic? If black magic is bad, then it is indeed diabolic and considered witchcraft, right? Right! There are many strange things that happen in this world that may not be seen with the naked eye but proven with enough evidence. However, this list is not about witches themselves or to prove their existence. It is about the familiars of witches – animals that are believed to be associated with witchcraft. Some of these animals are companions of witches and helps them in their diabolic black magic activities, others are believed to have magical powers, and others are used to make black magic potions.



10. A Black Hen

Hens may not be the familiars of witches, but it is believed that they contain magical powers. It is said that a black hen's feathers are sacred to Hecate and are used to call night spirits. In old witchcraft, they were used to bind the power of the moon to a cord called the Witches Ladder. Hens/Chickens are usually slaughtered for animal sacrifices and rituals, especially a white hen; so it's not surprising that a black hen is used for the opposite purpose. But black hen feathers are not only used for bad purposes, Witch Doctors also burn them to a fined ash and blow them to the cursed or troubled clients. Black hen feathers are found in many magical herb shops with prescriptions or their detailed importance in magic and rituals.


9 Toads/ Frogs

Toads/frogs were known as demonic helpers of witches in the middle ages. These little creatures that seem barely harmful appear mostly in folkloristic religions as the demon's companions that helps him on his works of evil. Toads are associated with witchcraft, medicines, and weather. In Egypt, toads were associated with the goddess Heket. Witches usually had toads as their familiars because they have supernatural powers. They also use them to make herbs, spells, and medicines; which can also be found in traditional black magic markets. In China, Cane toads are also associated with medicine; used for regulating the heart-rate of cardiac patients, an aphrodisiac, hair-restorer, cancer treatment, etc. However, toads are not only considered powerful in black magic, they also have a strange mystery of being sucked or licked. The glandular excrescences from the skin and the venom of toads produce profound psychoactive effects, meaning that you get high when you lick or suck a toad. Only specific toads such as the Bufo alvarius toad, the Cane toad, and the Bufo marinus toad can be sucked or licked to experience such results. Golden Poisonous dart frogs are definitely the species that you definitely don't want to try for licking because they are indeed poisonous. In fact, the golden poison frog is considered the most toxic vertebrate on earth. During the mid 20th century, toads were also used for pregnancy tests. A woman's urine was injected into a male toad, and if a sperm appear in the toad's urine, then the woman is pregnant. Isn't that almost or completely magical? Obtaining pregnancy test results from a toad? I wonder who discovered that.



8. A Golden Jackal

Golden Jackals are highly respected animals by healers, witchdoctors, shamans, fortune-tellers and witches. The animal has a very rare bone on the forehead that is about half an inch (in seize) which people call "The jackal horn" because of its cone shape. In some parts of Africa and South Asia, it is believed that the horn contains magical powers. What is more interesting about this horn is that it is an excrescence dead solid object that even scientists could not explain the hair growth on it. Witchdoctors in Nepal uses these jackal horns on clients, including for themselves because it is believed that they can ward off evil spirits, and also contain lucky charms to win in lotteries, gambling bouts, etc. Yes, I know, you're probably already laughing right now because this is indeed unbelievable. We find some Folklore fables very ridiculous and amusing to believe, although some of these religious beliefs can be very interesting because some are mentioned in the bible. We are just human beings who sometimes believe what is seen, but even the Holy Bible tells us stories we never saw and but do believe.



7. Dogs

Apart from being a man's best friend, you can be surprised if you dig deeper into Folk knowledge about dogs. They are powerful companions for witches and shamans. Dogs have important magical associations that are used for spells, amulets, and talismans. Dogs have been credited with psychic abilities in Folklore. In the European Witches trials, dogs were seldom accused of being witches familiars, especially black dogs. Witchdoctors also believed that applying dog's tears on your eyes will make you be able to see witches when you go outside at night during the evil hours of between 12am and 2am. Also, there are mythologies/superstitions of a belief that dogs are able to sense bad spirits and ghosts at night, including being able to predict calamities.



6. An Owl

The owl is known as a symbolic animal by most people who believe in superstitions. There are many fables/folklores about witchcraft that describes an Owl as a bird that contributes only in the works of evil. The bird is also a highly favoured familiar of all witches, and also associated with wizards and sorceries. The owl is a close companion of witches because it is believed that they share unique spiritual communication and secret psycho powers at night. Witches also use owls to call other witches. If you ask me about an owl, well, I do think it is a very strange bird. The bird is a very unique creature of its own kind, and unlike other wild birds, its eye-side visual is also unique. The owl's eyes are encased in a sclerotic ring which directs the eyes forward, allowing little movement. The owl has to move its entire head to look sideways; its long and flexible neck permits the head to rotate 270 degrees. Owls also have asymmetrical skulls with ear-openings at different levels, which enables them to pin-point any sound made by a prey animal.



5. A Monkey

A monkey has also found its way in the beliefs of being a companion of witches. Monkeys found in villages where people live or the separated from their habitats are often believed to have been sent by witches. There are endless incidents of monkeys being accused of associated with witches/witchcraft. Some of these incidents are still happening even today. In 2010, a South African township mob made a horrific scene of killing a monkey. The township people claimed that the monkey was a witch and that the monkey could talk. This is what people told the South African Star newspaper. They said the monkey talked to some of the people living in the township.



4. Hare

Hares were associated with witchcraft in the Middle Ages. People believed that witches were able to transform themselves into hares, and in other traditions, hares were known to be associated with the devil and dark forces. In the 17th century, a woman named Isabel Gowdie, was accused of transforming into a hare, and that is when she confessed that she was indeed a witch. The fact that hares are able to change their sex at their own will each year was considered supernatural, and this ability of their sex-transformation was thought to be associated with witchcraft. Just as the snake could cast of its skin for new; the chameleon to alter hue, such strange abilities of these animals where believed to be magical. The connection of hares with witchcraft is not surprising if you ask me. Hares never close their eyes, even when they sleep, and this too was seen strange that without a doubt, a hare was thought to possess supernatural powers and an animal possessed by the devil.



3. A Snake

Snakes have always had a diabolic reputation and a demonic symbolism; that also includes being the devil's favourite companion. We all know that the snake is also mentioned among the first chapters of the Bible, and because it did not hesitate to serve the devil, witches couldn't resist loving this animal. Snakes can also be used to make bad black magic potions that can be very dangerous to the targets of witches. Scientists have also discovered that the snake venom contains toxins used to make modern medicines for heart attack, cancer, blood-pressure treatment, and a drug for treating other diseases. Today there are many kinds of ordinary snakes out there, and yes, not all snakes can be thought to be associated with witches, but their devilish status is still admired and respected by witches. Snakes are not usually familiars of witches, but it is believed that witches can send these creatures to those who they're trying to bewitch. Witches can also turn themselves into snakes. A self-confessed witch from South Africa revealed unbelievable stories of witchcraft. Also, in Uganda, a snake appeared in court. Locals believed without a doubt that the snake was sent to influence the outcome of the court hearing.



2. Bats

Bats have never been the creatures that symbolize good or light. These strange night birds are known for their symbol of darkness, horror, and feared mysteries of the underworld. An association of bats with magic/witchcraft is something that has lived from the past centuries. Bats are not just familiars of witches, but they are also essential in making powerful black magic potions as well as medicinal mixtures of their flesh that contains healing powers. There is a belief that bat blood can call evil spirits; also, it is said that bat blood gives witches the power to do anything, and that bathing your eyes in bats blood will make you see in complete darkness. The claim that suggests that bathing your eyes with bad blood can make one see in the dark is not surprising due to the fact that there are bat medicinal preparations for problems with vision. A quoted phrase "blind as a bat" made people assume that bats are actually blind, but they are not; they have good vision, especially at night. Other beliefs based on good luck charms are the beliefs from many folk cultures that bats can bring good luck in lotteries and other successes in opportunities that bring money.



1. Black cats

Many of us know how often cats (especially black cats) are the only animals that are mostly suspected of being associated with witchcraft. Black cats have always been believed to be witches familiars, and some people believe them to be witches incarnate. A black cat is an animal believed to be possessed by the devil, and a servant of witches. Witches are even said to take the forms of a black cat nine times in their lifetime, and they also commune with the devil who has taken the form of a black cat. In the mysteries of ancient Egyptian folk, ancient Gods took the form of black cats, and they were personified by them. Other believes are that black cats have psychic powers, and usually that they are the preferred forms that demonic spirits possessed, and the servants called up on to complete the witches/magician's evil tasks. In the middle ages, when women were accused by churches of being witches, black cats were often accused to be their accomplices. Suspected witches and their cats or any other animal that had black fur were tortured with horrific deaths of being burned and hanged. A domestic cat is the only animal that is not mentioned in the Bible. So could this be because the animal is indeed possessed by the devil? I guess only God knows.