Mr. Smarty Pants Knows
Vampire bats, watermelon, and more to sink your teeth into
By Mr. Smarty Pants, Fri., Aug. 12, 2011
New research shows that vampire bats (Desmodus rotundus), who solely feast on the blood of mammals, have evolved heat sensors in their faces in order to detect blood with precision. These heat-detecting organs located around their noses and lips are called "leaf pits."
The March 11, 2011, 8.9 earthquake in Japan registered on Lubbock seismometers.
Though associated with Al Jolson, the song "My Mammy" was first performed by William Frawley (Fred Mertz on I Love Lucy) as a vaudeville-style act during 1918.
Along with squash, cucumbers, cantaloupes, and pumpkins, watermelons are members of the cucurbit family, which produce fruits called "pepo" – modified berries with thick rinds and a fleshy center. While all cucurbits start out with white seeds, watermelons are the only ones with seeds that can then change into various colors.
