› added 9 years ago

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TIL the black-footed cat, Africa’s smallest feline predator, has been known to kill sheep by hanging on to their throats until they have bitten through the jugular. Their maximum size is roughly 5 lbs.

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via reddit.com

N8Y1 TIL that pre-columbian population of the Americas is estimated to have been 50-100 million people. 90% of the indigenous population died from diseases imported by europeans, most of which got infected and died without direct contact - fuelling the legend of an empty continent ready to be seized
BrYrb TIL that women are naturally more affected by alcohol than men because they don't produce an enzyme in their stomachs that starts metabolization early like men do.
YpyDx TIL: In 2010, a boa constrictor was shown to have reproduced asexually via parthenogenesis. This is only the third genetically confirmed case of consecutive virgin births of viable offspring from a single female within any vertebrate lineage.
jNgnn TIL of the Battle of the Bullfrogs- in a 1754 CT town citizens rushed out of their homes armed against the sound of warring bullfrogs, leading to mass hysteria. The townspeople were ridiculed, and in response adopted the bullfrog as a symbol of pride.
6EWY7 TIL that "Xmas" is not only not "taking the Christ out of Christmas" but the term Xmas Dates back to the Original writing of the New Testament, which called Christ "Χριστός" which was then used in the context of Christmas around 1100 AD as the term Xmas, with "X" being shorthand for Christ.