Houseflies
The common household nuisance (Musca domestica) may not have any vocal cords (actually, no insects do). But that doesn’t mean it can’t make any noise. By flapping its wings 190 times per second it makes a sound at a frequency that ‘the human ear interprets…as a pitch along the F major scale.’
Be at the top of your game at the next trivia quiz by checking out more amazing animal facts in Part 1 and Part 3 of our incredible animal series.
And here are more interesting facts about your favourite animals.
Hummingbirds
Tiny, iridescent hummingbirds sure move fast, darting from flower to tube-shaped flower so fast you can hardly see them. But their wingbeats – of 40 to 80 every second – don’t just propel them forward. They also help them to move backwards, which is a feat that no other bird can accomplish without the help from the wind.
Flamingos
It’s a strange but true animal fact that is worth repeating, just because it’s so darn cool: pink flamingos aren’t pink. They’re actually born grey. And they’d stay that way, too, if it weren’t for their highly specialised diet of shrimp and blue-green algae. According to BBC’s Science Focus, these foods contain a natural dye called canthaxanthin, which causes flamingo feathers to gradually turn pink over time.