Beech Tree News Network

Oh Snap-ple-The Return-The facts on the opposite side of a Snapple cap are very interesting.  Some are more interesting than others, to tell the truth.  The ones that you’ve really never thought of will at least make you go “hmmm”.  I’m sure some of these will be repeats from past columns.  For instance, I recall seeing somewhere that a pelican can hold more food in its beak than its belly. 
Those with a green thumb probably already know this one: Plants, like humans, can run a fever if they’re sick.  The aphid, a small, sap-sucking insect, is born pregnant.  In the “firsts” category: a peach was the first fruit to be eaten on the moon.  A crocodile can’t stick out its tongue.  Did you know that the penny was the first U.S. coin to feature the likeness of an actual person? It’s true. 
It is illegal to play annoying games in the street in the United Kingdom.  It should be illegal to send a social media request for annoying games.  Just a thought.  The average woman is 5 inches shorter than the average man.  Even though it is nearly twice as far away from the Sun as Mercury, Venus is by far the hottest planet.  Spiny lobsters migrate in groups of 50 or more, forming a conga line on the ocean floor.  So, lobsters are apparently the life of the party.  Who knew?
You transfer more germs shaking hands than kissing.  2nd Street is the most common street name in the United States; First Street is the 6th most common.  Dolphins are unable to smell.  The average lead pencil can draw a line 35 miles long or write roughly 50,000 English words.  The original Cinderella was Egyptian and wore fur slippers. 
Your skull is made up of 29 different bones.  Only male fireflies can fly.  Each year, the Moon moves away from the Earth by about four centimeters.  The highest denomination issued by the U.S. was the $100,000 bill.  A Venus flytrap can eat a whole cheeseburger.  I can as well, by the way.  As could Venus Flytrap from WKRP in Cincinnati, I assume. 
The fastest growing nail is on the middle finger, as I can attest.  The average person takes 23,000 breaths a day.  It is illegal in the United Kingdom to handle salmon in suspicious circumstances.  This begs a few questions.  What is a suspicious circumstance for salmon? Is this contraband salmon? Is this stuff so good that you can contaminate it by touching it? There are no answers, unfortunately.
The can opener was invented 48 years after the can.  Squirrels lose more than half of the nuts they hide.  Tennis was originally played with bare hands.  That got me thinking, BKB-Bare-knuckle Boxing is a big thing now.  Why not BKT-Bare-knuckle Tennis? A group of 12 or more cows is called a flink.  There are ten times more microbial cells than human cells in our bodies.  When thirsty, a camel can drink 25 gallons of water in less than three minutes.  Fresh apples float because 25% of their volume is air. 
All scorpions glow.  This one reminds me of Mike Myers’ Linda Richmond character from his SNL days: a pineapple is neither and apple nor a pine.  It is, in fact, a large berry.  Discuss.  Maine is the only state with a one-syllable name. 
A chameleon shoots out its tongue to catch prey at speeds faster than a fighter jet.  Lizards communicate by doing push-ups.  Oysters can change from one gender to another and back again.  Sailors once thought wearing gold earrings improved eyesight.  George Washington took the oath of office in New York City in 1789.  And Brian Williams would say, “I was there”. 
Flamingos can only eat with their heads upside down.  Rubber bands last longer when refrigerated.  John Adams was the only President to be defeated by his Vice President, Thomas Jefferson.  Ferret comes from the Latin word for little thief.  A male cricket’s ear is located on the tibia of its leg.  The oldest living animal ever found was a 405-year-old clam named Ming by researchers.  When the moon is directly overhead, you weigh slightly less.  I may have to test that theory! Armadillos have four babies at a time and they are always the same sex.  In Youngstown, Ohio, it is against the law to run out of gas.  Extra incentive for people who always like to have a full tank.  The muzzle of a lion is like a fingerprint-no two lions have the same pattern of whiskers.  And finally, in ancient Greece, throwing an apple to a woman was considered a marriage proposal.  So the next time you go apple picking, give them a test throw, I guess.