Research shows that having a pet reduces your heart rate, blood pressure and even cholesterol levels. At nursing home facilites in New York, Missouri and Texas, mortality rates went down by 25 percent within 2 years after animals were introduced into the homes. Medication costs dropped by nearly $3 per patient per day.

There have been many studies about how having a pet can improve a persons health. In these studies people have shown improvement medically after getting a pet by having lower blood pressure, cholestrol levels, triglyceride levels and feelings of being lonely. Having a pet also makes people more active due to the care given to the pet. Whether walking a dog, playing with a cat or cleaning a rabbit hutch out, people with pets have a routine.

Paris has the highest density of dogs of any European city. There is 1 dog for every 10 people and they produce 3650 metric tons of poop a year.

That's a lot of poop.

Flies are undoubtably a nuisance, they carry six million bacteria on their feet and can transmit a variety of human diseases, including typhoid, TB and cholera. Flies have no nose, but they have sensors built into their antennae which gives them an acute sense of smell. By constantly moving their antennea, they can pick up scents from hundreds of meters away.

According to a US study, 5 persistent flies can cause a cow to lose a quarter of a kilogram a day, just in energy spent shooing the flies away.

Flies have been developing their flying technique for 80 million years and can change direction in mid-air, fly backwards, and land upside down on ceilings.

Cows are extremely important to the transport industry, without them there wouldn't be much movement. Acids extracted from cows are used in tyres to coat the rubber and used in asphalt as a binder.

Because cows are widely available, animal fats can cost as little as $0.06 a pound, and is much cheaper than petroleum which is the most viable alternative.

Like most baby bath and teething toys, rubber ducks contain softened polyvinyl chloride or PVC. According to Greenpeace, when babies suck or chew on toys that contain PVC, toxic substances called phathalates go into the child's mouth. This can lead to kidney damage, infertility and other issues relating to reproduction. Toy manufacturers say that the risk is minimal, though Greenpeace insist that any type of risk is still a risk.

The goverments of Holland, Austria, Denmark and Sweden all agree and have banned the sale of PVC toys.

Nyami-Nyami is the Zambezi river god in Zambia. He lives in a snake with the head of various animals - the horse is the most popular. It is believed that wearing a pendant keeps the spirit of the god with you and protects against rivers hazards such as capsizing or being attacked by hippos or crocodiles.

In conditions of stress, female armadillos can delay implantation of fertilized eggs until they feel calmer. After gestation they usually give birth to 4 puppies.

The armadillo is widely used for curative purposes in Columbia. All parts of the animal are used for something, for example: People drink the animal's fresh blood to cure asthma and pregnant women with morning sickness grind a 2cm piece of shell and drink it daily.

Not surprisingly, the armadillo is an endangered species in Columbia.

The K-9 Cart supports the hind legs so that dogs with mobility problems can run around and play like other dogs in the park. Carts can be adapted to help with specific needs and can also be used by cats, rabbits, sheep and goats.

La Pooch is a pet cosmetic line that offers a variety of scents for dogs. Le Pooch (for him) is spicy; La Pooch (for her) is a musky fragrance, but also elegant and floral. Or so the marketing says.

La Pooch was launched in 1987 and the range has since gone on to feature La Pooch II, Le Pooch II and Pooch Puppy I.

Spam is a canned comination of pork shoulder and ground ham. It's a cultural icon in the US and UK. In the US alone, 3.6 cans are consumed every second. In Korea, Spam has become and object of intense devotion and is stylishly presented in gift boxes.

Spam rivals roasted dog as the Koreans' favourite delicacy.

The combined weight of all the ants in Africa is more than that of all the continent's elephants. Worker ants are sterile females who work for their queen, male ants are known as drones. You can have your own ant farm at home, but it might not last long. Queen ants can live up to 30 years, workers 1-3, but drones only a few weeks.

I guess there's no question as to which gender runs the ant world then.