No one knows exactly why the turkey is the main course for Thanksgiving. People beleive that on the first thanksgiving the pilgrims ate beef and fowl. The fowl included types of poultry. Also, one letter from the pilgrims stating a turkey hunt before the feast. Another theory is that England started this custom when a fleet of Spanish ships sunk while attacking England. Queen Elizabeth was so happy that they sunk that she ordered two gooses. This might of inspired the pilgrims to roast a turkey instead of a goose. Though the wild turkey is a native bird Benjamin Franklin thought it should be the national bird. Though many people disagreed with him and decided that the bald eagle should be the national bird.
Have you ever wondered why snow is white? Well the reason that snow is white is because clear objects have white edges. Since snowflakes are so small when they are piled on top of each other the white from the edges is all you see. Scientists tested this by using glass because it has the same white edges. When you pile glass the white from the edges makes the pile turn white. The edges turn different colors to. The color comes from the reflection of the sun. Most of the time the sun is white so that is the color of snow. But sometimes the light source is a different color allowing the snow to be as well.
People are trying to help people who are in need by creating a business that makes money and donates to those in need. For instance Tom's Shoes donates one pair of shoes every time one pair is sold. Tom's shoes has donated 75 million pairs of shoes to those in need. The benefits of having a do-good business is that it attracts more employees as well as customers. Nearly two-thirds of people age 18-34 would rather work for a business that does charity. Employees who work for do-good companies usually do community service on their own and build professional skills. Studies show that people are more willing to pay for something they can feel good about. Which means that profits will grow higher if more people buy. People who receive a donation then might become a customer.
Manatees are giant gray mammals that can weigh up to 1,300 lb. Legend has it that sailors mistook manatees as mermaids because of their long flat tails. Their face and head is usually wrinkled and there are whiskers on their noses. They have to flippers and a paddle like tail. Some scientists say that the manatee is closely related to an elephant, but most people think it resembles a walrus. Manatees usually swim steadily at 5 miles per hour, but can reach speeds of up to 15 miles per hour. Manatees are like whales and dolphins, they have to surface often to breathe. Manatees are warm-blooded and don't have that much blubber so they can't stay very warm. Manatees eat up to 150 pounds of plants each day. Manatees use screams to communicate that humans can hear. Manatees are considered endangered because there are only 2,500 left in the wild.
X-ray fish are fish that have translucent skin which allows you to see there backbone and other internal shapes through their skin. They are quite fascinating and only grow up to 3 inches long! They are usually found in giant schools in the Amazon and coastal waters of South America. The translucent skin allows them to camouflage in thick vegetation and other places like near the bottom in the mud. X-rays are great for aquariums because they are naturally polite to other fish and are hardy to change of water.
A narwhal, also known as unicorn of the sea, is an unusual mammal. Males have a long left incisor that comes out their upper jaw. They use these to fight over potential mates like deer with antlers. The right incisor usually stays small and normal sized, but some times it can grow out as well and the narwhal becomes two-horned and is very rare. Narwhals feed on small fish deep below the ice and are known to dive up to 5,000 feet just to catch prey. Nar means corpse and whal means whale, so narwhals were actually named after drowning sailors because of their pale molted colored skin!
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