Alice White
A flock of piranhas is capable of tearing apart any prey, no matter how large, in a matter of seconds. Locals even attribute supernatural powers to these fish, as if it were not enough for them that they actually pose a deadly threat. Fortunately, the piranha’s range is limited, and outside of it, they are kept only in captivity.
- Alone, these fish are very cowardly. Moreover, they can easily pass out from fear, and any loud sound like a resounding clap can scare a piranha.
- Closing together, the piranha’s teeth do not even leave a crack between themselves, so they literally cut out pieces of meat from the body of the prey.
- The piranha’s jaws are stronger than that of any living creature that has ever lived on Earth, even counting dinosaurs. Regarding their weight and body size, of course.
- A flock of hungry piranhas can gnaw an adult bull to the bone in two minutes.
- These fish only hunt when they are hungry. When full, they ignore potential prey.
- Despite the fact that they are so dangerous, piranhas themselves often become dinner for river dolphins and caimans.
- Their sense of smell is phenomenal. For several kilometers, these fish are able to smell a few drops of blood falling into the water.
- A piranha is capable of grabbing a finger to an adult with a single bite.
- Piranha activity is directly related to the lunar cycle. At low tide, when the moon is farther from Earth, they are more active and aggressive than at high tide.
- South American shepherds, when they need to drive a herd of cattle to the other side of the river, usually sacrifice to piranhas in the truest sense of the word. One of the animals is given to the fish, and while these river predators tear it apart, the rest of the herd is transported to the opposite bank through the ford.
- Piranhas can only live in freshwater. In salty, they die almost immediately.
- The largest individuals of these fish weigh a maximum of 1 kg.
- Piranhas are found only in South America.
- There are about 50 different species of these predatory fish in the world.
- The very name “piranha” came from one of the Indian languages. In translation, it means “saw-fish”.
