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TIL that some owls keep blind snakes as pets. They feed on parasitic larvae, and a study conducted by Baylor University scientists found that Eastern Screech-Owl chicks grew faster and healthier in nests kept parasite-free by these “domesticated blind snakes”.

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VV9p TIL Joaquin Phoenix along with three of his siblings were raised under the “Children of God” cult which their parents were members of until 1978. After leaving the cult, the family changed their name from “Bottom” to “Phoenix” in order to symbolize a new beginning
9wp1r TIL of Lt. Col William Rankin. In 1959 he was forced to eject from the F-8 jet he was flying. He ejected over a thunderstorm, and the fluctuations of air pressure caused his parachute to open prematurely. As a result he was carried aloft in the thunderstorm for over 40 minutes before landing.
M7QKa TIL that in virtual all commercial shrimp maturation and reproduction facilities one or both eyes are being removed from the mother shrimps to stimulate egg production.
Brjgd TIL the concept of the Hogwart’s houses in the Harry Potter series, was difficult to communicate for translators of foreign editions since in some cultures there was no way of adequately describing the significance of belonging to house or being loyal to one.
yVywM TIL the bacterium Desulforudis audaxviator lives in a complete absence of organic compounds, light and oxygen at temperatures of 60 degrees Celsius. It is the only species known to be alone in its ecosystem.