Category: Animals & Nature
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The Octopus Has Three Hearts — and Blue Blood
An octopus has three hearts — two that pump blood through the gills and one for the rest of the body — and its blood is blue, because it carries oxygen with copper instead of iron.
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The Mantis Shrimp Punches at 83 km/h — Then the Water Punches Again
A mantis shrimp only about 10 centimetres long punches at up to 83 km/h — so fast it creates a bubble in the water, and when that bubble collapses, the shock delivers a second hit.
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The Shark That Lives for at Least 272 Years—and Takes About 150 Years to Grow Up
The Greenland shark lives for at least 272 years — the longest lifespan of any vertebrate — yet it takes about 150 years just to reach adulthood, growing only about a centimetre a year in the cold North Atlantic.