There are several species of bird which are extremely rare, but the rarest may well be the Hawaiian Oaaa bird, which, in 1977, had a world population of just two! It is not known whether this pair has managed to breed since then. If they have not, it is very likely that the species is now extinct.

Although it is not the longest snake-this title is claimed by a python-the Anaconda is certainly the thickest. Anacondas grow to 20 feet in length and measured around their fattest part can reach 3 feet in diameter. Naturally such a colossal snake (weighing about 17 stone) cannot move swiftly and so the Anaconda relies on lying in wait for its …

Cats often push their claws in and out as they stretch after a good sleep. The ability to retract the claws means that they are always sharp when needed for fighting or killing prey. The cheetah, however, is the only cat which cannot retract its claws-they are used to help it grip the ground when hunting at speed.

The cuckoo-pint is an unusual plant of hedgerows and woodsides, which produces bright red berries in the autumn. The berries are extremely poisonous to all birds, except the thrush.

The first definite and documented lighthouse in the world was the Pharaohs of Alexandria built in 200 BC, although beacons were certainly used before that. The oldest working lighthouse in the world is at La Coruqa in north-west Spain near the town of Ferol. A lighthouse has been on this site since the time of the Roman emperor Trajan. The …

Historians consider the dance form that is today known as belly dance the oldest form. It originated 6,000 years ago and was practised by many ancient cultures. Even though the modern belly dance has many negative connotations and is considered to be seductive, it had a totally different purpose in ancient times. Originally, it was performed only by women, for …

The Sumerian civilization is the oldest civilization known to mankind. The term ‘Sumer’ is today used to designate southern Mesopotamia. In 3000 BC, a flourishing urban civilization existed. The Sumerian civilization was predominantly agricultural and had community life. The Sumerians were adept at building canals and in irrigation. Excavated objects such as pottery, jewellery and weapons show they were also …

All western languages, as well as the written languages of Africa, are based on the Roman alphabet, which was developed in about the 7th Century BC. Then it had only 21 letters; J, U, W, Y and Z were added later.

It must be the domestic turkey. Some have been known to drown in a heavy rain shower because they didn’t realize that it would be dry and safe inside their hutches! Others are so brainless that they can’t even remember how to eat, and must be fed by the farmer.

It is very difficult to evaluate intelligence in terms of animals such as birds. In the wild, there are birds that use small sticks in their beaks to poke insects from the bark of trees and, in urban areas of some countries, others which peck the tops from milk bottles, in order to reach the cream. Both these examples must …