Have you ever thought that these animals have a very strange name?
1. Kingfisher
With a name like that, winter must be a fisherman’s favorite season. But this is not the case. Kingfishers do not like the cold. If the rivers freeze, they will no longer be able to fish, and there is a good chance they will starve. So why are they called kingfishers? The name probably comes from the Germanic word Eisenvogel, which means iron bird. The bright blue color resembles the luster of blue iron.
2. Gluttony
This sable loves to eat a piece of meat and sometimes also enjoys something vegetarian. But calling it gluttonous is an exaggeration. In the Old Norse language, monsters are called feldfros Which translates to mountain cat. (This name is also confusing, since Wolverine is not a cat.) In High German whose name has been corrupted into Old Norse volvra (glutton)† But So the name has nothing to do with eating behavior.
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3. Scorpion fly
The abdomen of a scorpion fly, twisted upwards, resembles that of a scorpion. And the monster can fly, too. However, his name is not correct at all. This flying animal is not a fly and certainly not a scorpion. Scorpion flies are a separate group within the winged insects.
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4. Pig
Not everything that swims is a fish. A good example of this is the porpoise. Despite its name, this beast is still a mammal. It is also not brown but dark grey. The origin of the name is uncertain. Brown may refer to a darker color or to a purplish brown sheen that can sometimes be seen on the back.
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5. Woodlice
Around the 15th century, many people believed that eating woodlice prevented children from wetting their beds. Also, by putting oysters in bed, babies wake up in a wet bed less. But the name says nothing about the creatures. Woodlice never has to pee. Toxic ammonia, which many other animals first have to convert into liquid urea, which is then excreted, simply leaves the body in woodlice as a gas – directly through the external skeleton.
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6. Airwig
No, these creatures do not crawl into your ear, and despite their pincer-like tips, they are not dangerous to humans. It was thought that powdered earwig oil and rabbit urine might help prevent deafness. Ear hair got its name from a medieval idea. Why we call them worms is not clear. They are winged insects.
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7. Blind bee
It is not easy to fly blind. Fortunately, blind bees do not have to do this, because they can only see. Flying creatures have rows of hair over their eyes, which is likely why people thought they were blind. A blind bee is very similar to a bee, but it is a hovercraft. So everything about the name of this Dutch species is wrong.
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8. Centipede
A centipede may have many legs, but it does not come close to a thousand. Millipedes also have much fewer legs than the name suggests. So the names of these species are a bit exaggerated. How many legs does a centipede have?
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9. Nut Worm
Slowworms are clearly not worms. Although its shape resembles a worm, it is really similar to snakes. The name is not entirely illogical. In the past, many long-creeping animals, including snakes, were called worms. So the name makes more sense than you initially think, but it’s still wrong. These wriggling beasts are not snakes, but legless lizards.
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10. Black and White Rhino
The black rhino is one of two species of African rhino. This giant beast is not at all black, but slate gray. It got this name to distinguish it from the white rhinoceros. But it’s not white either. The color of the white rhino is often no lighter than the color of the black rhino. Why are they called white? They owe their name to Africans Wide, to denote the wide lips of a rhino. The English mistranslated this to white† That is why we call it white now.
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