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Corrections

A library should show its errata. After the codex was written, every one of its 791 sheets was checked against primary references (IUCN, BirdLife, FishBase, the Reptile Database, EMA, Cochrane, museum and university pages, Wikipedia). 323 statements were corrected, softened or removed. Each is listed here with what it said, what it says now, and the source.

Some claims were checked against standard references rather than a fresh search; the checkers recorded which. If you find an error, it belongs here too.

birds-1 (wings.json, birds-americas.json)

  1. Was"flies up to about 4,000 km"

    Now"up to about 4,800 km"

    fws.gov/species/monarch-danaus-plexippus

  2. Was"the return is completed by its great-grandchildren" (too precise, and the generation count varies)

    Now"the journey north is completed over several generations by its descendants"

    en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Monarch_butterfly_migration

  3. Was"nearly every photon goes to light rather than heat" (based on the obsolete ~88% quantum-yield figure)

    Nownow says about 40% (Ando et al. 2008), almost no heat

    doi.org/10.1038/nphoton.2007.251

  4. Was"agriculture over 50 million years old"

    Now"part of an ant agriculture tens of millions of years old"

    en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leafcutter_ant

  5. Was"Carries Pseudonocardia on its body" (true of Acromyrmex and lower attines; Atta largely lacks this visible bacterial cover)

    Nowit secretes antimicrobials and weeds out Escovopsis

    en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leafcutter_ant

  6. Was"the first insect migration of this kind tracked with chemical markers" (monarchs were isotope-tracked in 1998)

    Now"revealed in 2018 by chemical markers in its wings"

    doi.org/10.1098/rsbl.2018.0101

  7. Was"released in the USA repeatedly from 1956 onward" (date not supported)

    Nowreleased repeatedly, established by the 1970s

    en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coccinella_septempunctata

  8. Orchid mantis

    abilities

    Was"Reflects UV light like flowers" (not supported by the O'Hanlon studies)

    Nowits colour is hard for bee and fly eyes to tell from flowers

    doi.org/10.1086/674553

  9. Orchid mantis

    animal.size

    Was"males about half that" (contradicted its own behaviour line)

    Now"males ~2.5 cm"

    en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hymenopus_coronatus

  10. Was"a national natural symbol there" (Cuba's national bird is the Cuban trogon)

    Nowremoved; stamps kept

    en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bee_hummingbird

  11. Was"medieval European law reserved it for earls" (it was a hawking hierarchy, not law)

    Now"the 15th-century Boke of St Albans assigned it to earls"

    en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Book_of_Saint_Albans

  12. Bald eagle

    animal.lifespan

    Was"record over 38"

    Now"record about 38"

    allaboutbirds.org/guide/Bald_Eagle/lifehistory

  13. Was"largest eggs of any living animal"

    Now"of any living bird"

    en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Common_ostrich

  14. Was"tail coverts up to about 1 m long" (contradicted its own size field)

    Nowstreamers up to ~65 cm, bird about 1 m long overall

    en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Resplendent_quetzal

  15. Common raven

    abilities

    Was"Leads wolves to carcasses" (mostly anecdotal)

    Now"Associates with wolves and human hunters to scavenge their kills"

    en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Common_raven

  16. Raggiana bird-of-paradise

    summary and abilities

    Was"flip upside down" / "hanging" (that is Blue or Emperor BoP behaviour)

    Nowwing-clapping and head-shaking while raising plumes

    en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Raggiana_bird-of-paradise

  17. Was"Stomach acid destroys anthrax and cholera" (overstated)

    Now"Extremely acidic stomach kills many pathogens in rotting meat"

    en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vulture

  18. Wood thrush

    abilities

    Was"Requires calcium-rich prey such as snails to lay eggs"

    Now"Relies on calcium-rich prey such as snails when laying eggs"

    allaboutbirds.org/guide/Wood_Thrush/lifehistory

  19. Northern mockingbird

    animal.lifespan

    Was"Typically about 8 years" (not supported)

    Nowremoved; banding record kept

    allaboutbirds.org/guide/Northern_Mockingbird/lifehistory

  20. Was"named from a specimen in olive plumage" (unsourced)

    Nowolivacea describes the plumage of females and young birds

    en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scarlet_tanager

  21. Kirtland's warbler

    animal.whereToSee

    Was"Grayling and Mio (US Fish and Wildlife Service / Michigan Audubon)"

    NowGrayling (Michigan Audubon) and Mio (US Forest Service)

    michiganaudubon.org/kirtlands-warbler-tours/

  22. WasCatharus "a reference to the songs of the group" (unsupported)

    Now"katharos, 'pure' or 'clean'"

    en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catharus

  23. Was"after a 1928 schoolchildren's poll" (poll not verifiable)

    Now"Argentina's national bird since 1928"

    es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Furnarius_rufus

  24. White bellbird

    animal.lookalikes

    Was"Three-wattled Bellbird is chestnut"

    Now"chestnut with a white head and neck and three wattles"

    en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Three-wattled_bellbird

  25. Paradise tanager

    animal.lookalikes

    WasSeven-colored Tanager "greener throat" (its throat is black)

    Now"turquoise-green head, black throat and orange rump"

    en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seven-colored_tanager

  26. Oilbird

    summary

    Was"only nocturnal fruit-eating bird" (the kākāpō also eats fruit at night)

    Now"only nocturnal flying fruit-eating bird"

    en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oilbird

  27. Was"a major egg predator of the manduvi tree" (garbled)

    Nowmain seed disperser of the manduvi and a major predator of Hyacinth Macaw eggs — (Pizo et al. 2008)

    doi.org/10.1017/S0959270908000087

  28. Was"the last 27 birds were taken into captivity" (22 wild birds were captured, giving 27 in total)

    Now"the last wild bird was captured, leaving 27 condors, all in captivity"

    fws.gov/species/california-condor-gymnogyps-californianus

  29. Was"fell to about 15 wild birds in 1941" (about 21 wild birds existed counting the Louisiana flock)

    Now"whose only migratory flock fell to about 15 birds in 1941"

    en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Whooping_crane

  30. WasPriotelus "means 'saw-tail'"

    Now"from Greek for 'saw' and 'end'"

    en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cuban_trogon

  31. Greater rhea

    animal.voice

    Was"'nan-doo', the source of its name" (folk etymology)

    Nowclaim removed

    en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Greater_rhea

  32. Was"saw a rhea in the dark dust lanes of the Milky Way"

    Nowa star constellation (Ema) near the Southern Cross

    en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Guarani_astronomy

— birds-2 (birds-asia.json, birds-palearctic.json)

Checked 2026-10-18. 112 entries (57 Asia, 55 Palearctic). Format: species — field — wrong → now — source.

  1. WasColombo listed under 'Pakistan and India'

    Nowadded Sri Lanka

  2. WasHooded crow as winter visitor to NW Pakistan rests only on contested old (1972) records

    Nowremoved

  3. Wasunverifiable claim about children naming it

    Nowremoved

  4. WasChinese monal 'lacks the long crest' wrong (it has a large drooping purple crest)

    Nowcorrected

  5. Was68–73 cm unsupported; most sources give 55–60 cm, some 68–72

    Nowwidened range

  6. WasChinese name 印度灰犀鸟 unconfirmed (no zh-wiki page; lists give 灰犀鸟/彎嘴灰犀鳥); species absent from China

    Nowremoved

  7. WasIslamabad parks unconfirmed (Pakistan range is the Lahore area/NE Punjab)

    Nowremoved

  8. WasStandard mainland Chinese name is 白头鹮鹳 (zh-wiki title); 彩鹳 kept as alternative

  9. WasHaleji Lake not documented as painted stork site (rare in Pakistan)

    Nowremoved

  10. Was'around 150' was the 2018 estimate; 2025 assessment ~173 incl. ~45 captive

  11. WasKathmandu valley unverified (species mainly lowland)

    NowKoshi Tappu

  12. Wasadded Pakistan (ssp. sindiana in Indus plains)

  13. WasSat Bhai is Hindi-Urdu as well as Bengali

  14. WasKyoto Kamo river and Changdeokgung unverified

    NowChanggyeonggung Chundangji (eBird/park records)

  15. Was暗绿绣眼鸟 now refers to Swinhoe's white-eye Z. simplex

    Now日菲绣眼鸟 for Z. japonicus

  16. WasBanog is regional (Bikol, Bagobo/Manobo etc.), not standard Filipino

  17. Was'calls more in the dry season' unsupported

    Nowremoved

  18. WasMalay name given as Kuang raya

  19. WasBako not supported as a site for this species

    Nowremoved

  20. Was'extinct in Singapore'

    Nowsoftened; BSS accepted wild records 2025–26

  21. Was'Dragonbird' only on old Wikipedia mirrors, not in current use

    Nowremoved

  22. Wasdated the estimate (2016 KIZ survey; later counts ~485–547)

  23. Was'red crown bordered with black and yellow'

    Now'red crown crossed by a black band' (no yellow in crown pattern)

  24. Was22–23 cm

    Now19–23 cm

  25. Was'heavy pale bill'

    Nowpale-based bill with dark upper mandible/tip

  26. Was'Western Ghats and Andamans in winter'

    NowAndamans birds are a resident subspecies (andamanensis); peninsular India only a scarce winter visitor

  27. Was'breeding only in Chukotka'

    NowChukotka and northern Kamchatka; 'a few hundred pairs' → ~400–450 mature individuals (Green et al. 2024 estimate 443; ~210–228 pairs in 2014)

  28. Wastale clarified (axe on the house posts, man transformed into the bird) — previous wording garbled

  29. Was'jotted in the margin' unsupported: poem survives in 14th-c. Book of Ballymote / Book of Uí Maine metrical tracts; date 'probably 9th c.'

    Nowsoftened

  30. Was'Old English dialect' is a muddled label

    Now'English dialect'

  31. Was'Courish Spit'

    Nowstandard name 'Curonian Spit'

  32. Was'some reach over 10' not supported: EURING record 9y5m, BTO UK record 6y11m

  33. Was'Up to about 5–6 years' below EURING record of 7y0m

  34. WasPersian زنبورخوار is zanbur-khar (khvar), not 'khor'

  35. WasNot a sonic boom; problem was the tunnel boom pressure wave

  36. WasSpecific 'Morocco/Turkey mosque-protected hajji birds' claim unsourced

    Nowsoftened to documented reverence as pilgrims + Turkish 'hacı leylek'

  37. WasDutch species name is 'Blauwe reiger' ('reiger' = heron generally)

  38. Was'Bumah' is the generic Arabic word for owl, not eagle-owl; removed

  39. Wasweight/wingspan ranges updated to published ranges

  40. Waslength/wingspan ranges too narrow

  41. Wasremoved unverified location 'in Wales'

  42. Waslongevity record ~18 yr (BTO 17y11m; Oxford bird ≥18), not ~20

  43. Was'glede' is Middle/dialect English (OE form was 'glida')

  44. Waswingspan 145–165

    Now175–195 cm

  45. WasNo breeding population in Turkey; Morocco's last breeding pair 2004

  46. Was1989 Chilterns release was Swedish/Welsh birds; most later Chilterns birds came from Spain — softened

  47. Wasfemales reach 41 cm length and 80 cm wingspan

  48. Wasmerlin 'never hovers'

    Now'rarely hovers'

  49. Bearded vulture (Lammergeier) (gypaetus-barbatus)

    abilities

    Was'up to about 25 cm' unsourced; Wikipedia: up to the size of a lamb's femur

  50. Wasmax known age is 28, not 10–15

  51. Asian houbara (MacQueen's bustard) (chlamydotis-macqueenii)

    animal.fieldMarks

    WasAsian houbara crest includes black feathers (African's is all white)

  52. Asian houbara (MacQueen's bustard) (chlamydotis-macqueenii)

    animal.lookalikes

    WasAfrican houbara crest is all white, not grey

  53. Wasfirst egg goes to the King's Commissioner of Friesland, not the monarch

  54. Waswingspan 80–100

    Now89–106 cm; weight 575–1,100 → 410–1,360 g

  55. Wasbirds arrived 1979 but first bred 1981

  56. WasUK breeding ended 2009; now only a rare migrant

  57. Was'largest colony' softened (Bass Rock down ~30% post-HPAI); 'still make annual' hunt wrong: suspended 2022-24, licensed 2025, refused 2026

  58. Wasbrown booby 'does not occur' in Europe

    Nowrare vagrant (several European records)

  59. WasPersian 'Charkh'

    Now'Balaban' (بالابان); Urdu 'Charkh' → 'Charg' (source of epithet cherrug)

  60. Was'85–100 cm tall'

    Nowlong (stands ~76 cm)

  61. Wasremoved 'passage over the Bosphorus' (not a regular route)

  62. Wasdescriber Alfred Brehm

    NowChristian Ludwig Brehm (C. L. Brehm, 1861)

  63. Was78–82 cm / 180–210 cm / 2.5–3.5 kg

    Now72–85 cm / 177–220 cm / 2.5–4.8 kg

  64. Was'Japanese white-headed race'

    NowHokkaido race (A. c. japonicus); mainland Japanese birds are not white-headed

  65. Was'Waq (Arabic)'

    Nowfull Arabic name 'al-wāq al-kabīr' (wāq alone is the generic bittern/night-heron term)

  66. Was'more than 200 within two decades' (not reached until ~2020, 23 years)

    Now'more than 200 by the early 2020s and 283 in 2024'

Fact-check: birds-south-seas.json (52) + herps.json (53)

  1. Grey crowned crane

    animal.lookalikes

    Wasblack crowned crane cheek "mostly red rather than mostly white"

    Nowwhite above and red below (more red in the eastern subspecies), compared with grey's mostly white cheek with a small red top

    en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black_crowned_craneoiseaux.net/birds/grey.crowned.crane.html

  2. Was"moved in 2023 to Icthyophaga"

    Nowmoved by the IOC list in 2023; not all checklists follow (softened)

    en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Icthyophaga

  3. Was"burrows up to 2 m long"

    Now"usually 1–2 m long, sometimes more" (tunnels up to about 3.5 m are reported)

    en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Southern_carmine_bee-eater

  4. Was"Other bee-eaters in its range are green"

    Now"mostly green and none is carmine all over" (white-fronted bee-eater has a red throat, for example)

  5. Grey parrot

    animal.whereToSee

    Was"Bwindi and Kibale (Uganda)"

    Now"Kibale (Uganda)". I could not support Bwindi as a grey parrot site, so it was removed.

  6. Tūī

    abilities

    Was"Some song elements are beyond human hearing"

    Now"reported to be too high-pitched for people to hear" (softened; not in the main references)

    en.wikipedia.org/wiki/T%C5%AB%C4%AB

  7. Tūī

    funFact

    Was"two voice boxes" presented as unique

    Nowevery songbird has a two-sided syrinx; the tūī uses it to make two independent sounds at once

    en.wikipedia.org/wiki/T%C5%AB%C4%AB

  8. Takahē

    funFact

    Was"wild population is now over 400"

    Nowtotal population passed 500 in 2023; about 529 at the end of 2024

    blog.doc.govt.nz/2025/10/01/happy-hatch-day-takahe/

  9. Kererū

    animal.lookalikes

    Wasparea "larger with a grey-blue rump"

    Nowabout a fifth larger, paler back, pale grey rump, orange-tipped bill

    nzbirdsonline.org.nz/species/chatham-island-pigeon

  10. Was"Around 70%" in the Falklands

    Now"About two-thirds" (402,571 of 600,853 pairs)

    en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black-browed_albatross

  11. Osprey

    funFact

    Was"the only member of its family"

    NowPandionidae contains only the ospreys (one species, or two if the eastern osprey is split) — taxonomic caveat (IOC/AviList)

  12. Wassoda-ash plant "shelved"

    Nowdropped by its developer (Tata) in 2008, though the idea has resurfaced since. This is a softening done from memory, not checked against a live source.

  13. Spectacled cobra

    animal.lookalikes

    Was"The black, hooded king cobra"

    Nowking cobra "often banded" (it is often olive or brown, not black) — Reptile Database, Ophiophagus

  14. WasIrula cooperative "milks… to make India's polyvalent antivenom"

    Now"supplies much of the venom used to make" it (the cooperative does not make antivenom)

    en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Irula_Snake_Catchers%27_Industrial_Cooperative_S

  15. Was"thought to cause more snakebite deaths than any other group"

    Now"among the snakes that cause the most deaths; some experts think they kill more than any other group"

    en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saw-scaled_viper

  16. Was"unrecorded for almost a century until rediscovered in Queensland's Channel Country in the 1970s"

    Now"almost unrecorded for about 90 years until rediscovered in 1972" (the location was not verified, so it was removed)

    en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Inland_taipan

  17. Was"Darwin called marine iguanas 'imps of darkness'"

    NowDarwin recorded that they had been called that

    earthobservatory.nasa.gov/blogs/fromthefield/2009/07/22/close-encounte

  18. Was"described them as 'imps of darkness'"

    Now"noted that 'somebody calls them imps of darkness'", a phrase used earlier in Byron's 1826 voyage account — same source plus

    sierraclub.org/sierra/2016-2-march-april/critter/marine-iguanas-imps-d

  19. Paradise tree snake

    animal.behaviour

    Was"launched from a 10 m tower travelled more than 20 m horizontally"

    Now"travelled farther horizontally than they dropped" (the 20 m figure is unverified)

    uchicagomedicine.org/forefront/news/2005/may/university-of-chicago-res

  20. Was"Glides tens of metres"

    Now"Glides between trees, travelling farther than it drops" — same

  21. Was"Japan stopped imports in 1993"

    Nowended imports at the end of 1992 and withdrew its CITES reservation in 1994

    seaturtlestatus.org/articles/2008/trade-routes-for-tortoiseshell

  22. WasEN

    NowVU

    myfwc.com/wildlifehabitats/profiles/reptiles/freshwater-turtles/alliga

  23. Boomslang

    animal.lookalikes

    Was"may need close inspection of the scales", which implies getting close

    Now"hard to tell apart even for experts, so never approach or handle one to check" (safety fix)

fish (fish-freshwater.json, fish-marine.json)

Checked 2026-10-18. 87 entries (44 freshwater, 43 marine). 31 entries changed, 38 field edits. Files were edited in place with a Python script (json.dump, ensure_ascii=False, indent=1) and then validated: all `iucn` values are legal codes, and every VU/EN/CR entry carries the `endangered` shelf.

  1. Was"roughly doubling the national catch"

    Now"more than doubling" (about 0.2 Mt in 2002–03 to over 0.5 Mt by 2020s)

    en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ilish

  2. Labeo catla

    animal.size

    Was"40 kg or more"

    Now"39 kg" (FishBase max published weight 38.6 kg)

    fishbase.net.br/summary/Labeo-catla

  3. Wallago attu

    abilities

    Was"swallow fish nearly a third of its own length" (unsourced figure)

    Now"swallow large fish whole" — softened

  4. WasLC

    NowVU (wild native populations, IUCN T6181A3107721); endangered shelf added; summary now explains why an invasive species is VU; lifespan "some over 40 in captivity" → "reported ages approach 40"

    en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Common_carp

  5. Oncorhynchus mykiss

    animal.whereToSee

    WasMcCloud River called the "type locality of many hatchery strains" (wrong term; the type locality is Kamchatka)

    Now"source of the original hatchery strains"

    en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rainbow_trout

  6. Esox lucius

    animal.order

    WasSalmoniformes

    NowEsociformes

    fishbase.net.br/summary/Esox-lucius

  7. Silurus glanis

    abilities, animal.size

    Wasmax length "2.7 m"

    Now"2.8 m" (Po River fish of 280 cm)

    fieldandstream.com/stories/fishing/freshwater-fishing/catfishing/bigge

  8. WasAgassiz "1856 … Silurus aristotelis"

    Now1857, named *Glanis aristotelis* (now *Silurus aristotelis* Garman 1890)

    gbif.org/species/5201679en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aristotle%27s_catfish

  9. Perca flavescens

    animal.size

    Was"up to about 40 cm"

    Now"50 cm"; lifespan "up to about 20" → "maximum reported about 11"

    fishbase.net.br/summary/Perca-flavescens

  10. Micropterus nigricans

    animal.lifespan

    Was"Usually 10–16 years"

    Now"Up to about 16 years, rarely over 20" (FishBase max 23)

    fishbase.net.br/summary/Micropterus-salmoides

  11. Was"About 15 years in the wild" (no wild data)

    Now"Poorly known in the wild; 15–20+ years in captivity" — softened

  12. Scleropages formosus

    animal.lookalikes

    Wasthe saratoga names were muddled ("Australian saratoga and northern saratoga … S. jardinii, S. leichardti", "only in Australia and New Guinea")

    Nownorthern/gulf saratoga *S. jardinii* (N Australia and New Guinea) and spotted saratoga *S. leichardti* (Queensland)

    en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scleropages

  13. Lates niloticus, Lates calcarifer, Toxotes jaculatrix

    animal.order

    Was"Carangiformes"

    Now"Carangaria incertae sedis (traditionally Perciformes)" (FishBase: "Carangaria/misc")

    fishbase.net.br/summary/Lates-niloticusfishbase.net.br/summary/Toxotes-jaculatrix

  14. Was"around 200 … species are thought to have disappeared"

    Now"disappeared or become extremely rare, although a few have since been found again"

    en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nile_perch

  15. Was"fry cannot survive without it" (overstated; fry can be hand-raised)

    Now"fry depend on it … very hard to raise without the parents" — softened

  16. Astyanax mexicanus

    animal.lookalikes

    Was"The only eyeless cave fish in its range" (Mexico has other blind cavefish)

    Nowlimited to the Sierra de El Abra caves — softened

  17. Was"Its only living relative, the Chinese paddlefish, was declared extinct" (contradiction)

    Now"Its only recent relative"

    en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_paddlefish

  18. Was"toxic … but not to the gar's own young" (unsupported)

    Now"toxic to mammals and birds, which may help protect the eggs from egg-eating predators" — softened

  19. Amia calva

    animal.size

    Was"up to about 90 cm"

    Now"1.1 m" (FishBase 109 cm)

    fishbase.net.br/summary/Amia-calva

  20. Wassaid western Atlantic stocks recovered under ICCAT quotas

    Nowthe recovery was in the eastern stock (recovery plan from 2007); the western stock remains depleted (it fell by more than half). IUCN moved the species from EN to LC in 2021

    pina.com.fj/2021/09/06/tuna-species-recovering-despite-growing-pressurmcsuk.org/goodfishguide/species/atlantic-bluefin-tuna/wild/1074/

  21. WasLC

    NowVU (assessed 1 May 2021, A2bd); endangered shelf added

    fishbase.net.br/summary/Istiophorus-platypterusfishesoftexas.org/taxa/istiophorus-platypterus

  22. Coryphaena hippurus

    animal.lookalikes

    Wasdorsal rays "55–66"

    Now"58–66"

    fishbase.net.br/summary/Coryphaena-hippurus

  23. Was"descends from a handful of females, perhaps fewer than ten" (outdated)

    Nowearly mtDNA studies suggested about ten founders; Selwyn et al. 2017 modelling puts the likely number at around 100 or more

    ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5740958/

  24. Synanceia verrucosa

    edibilityNote

    Was"eaten as okoze in Japan" (okoze sashimi is usually *Inimicus*)

    Now"eaten in Japan (especially Okinawa) and in Chinese cuisine" — softened

  25. Takifugu rubripes

    animal.fieldMarks

    Was"Black anal fin"

    Now"White anal fin (the very similar karasu, T. chinensis, usually has a black one)"

    frontiersin.org/journals/marine-science/articles/10.3389/fmars.2024.15

  26. Was"comes from symbiotic bacteria in its diet"

    Now"made by bacteria and builds up through the food chain; farm-raised fish on a toxin-free diet are generally non-toxic"

    pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC4979056

  27. Takifugu rubripes

    edibilityNote

    Waslisted "skin" as a main toxic tissue (wild torafugu skin is low in TTX) and gave no warning about variability

    Nowliver, ovaries and intestines; toxin levels vary unpredictably between fish and between species; no antidote; licensed chefs only; liver banned; never prepare or eat home-caught or uninspected pufferfish

    pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC4979056

  28. Was"It is so specialised that Zanclidae has just this single living species" (wrong causation; repeats the summary)

    Nowsole living species; closest relatives are the surgeonfishes

    en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moorish_idol

  29. Was"was the first footage"

    Now"is believed to be the first footage"

    en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Humpback_anglerfish

  30. Regalecus glesne

    animal.lookalikes

    Wasstreamer fish "has no pelvic fins and lacks spots"

    Now"lacks the long oar-like pelvic rays (adults have only low ridges)"

    fishesofaustralia.net.au/home/species/1874

  31. Was"over 13,000 km in under two years" (not verified)

    Now"many thousands of kilometres across ocean basins" — softened

  32. Pristis pristis

    animal.whereToSee

    Was"Atlantis (Bahamas)" (not verified)

    Now"a few public aquariums in North America, Europe, Australia and Asia" (studbook data)

    en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Largetooth_sawfish

  33. Wasfield missing (null)

    NowNE (no global assessment; the Persian Gulf regional assessment is VU, as the funFact already says)

    fishbase.net.br/summary/Pampus-argenteus

— food.json & creatures.json

  1. WasIn Norse myth the goddess Iðunn kept golden apples that preserved the youth of the gods, and in Greek myth Eris's golden apple 'for the fairest' sparked the Trojan War. Johnny Appleseed (John Chapman) planted seedling nurseries across the American frontier in the early 1800s, mostly for cider.

    NowIn Norse myth the goddess Iðunn kept apples that preserved the youth of the gods, and in Greek myth Eris's golden apple 'for the fairest' sparked the Trojan War. Johnny Appleseed (John Chapman) planted seedling nurseries across the American frontier in the early 1800s, mostly for cider. — Norse sources call Iðunn's fruit simply 'epli'; 'golden' is a later embellishment.

    en.wikipedia.org/wiki/I%C3%B0unn

  2. WasPseudostem can grow to 6–9 m in under a year, then dies after fruiting while suckers replace it

    NowPseudostem can grow to about 3–7 m in under a year, then dies after fruiting while suckers replace it — 6–9 m overstated; banana plants typically 3–7 m.

    en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Banana

  3. WasA 2,000-year-old seed from Masada germinated in 2005, the oldest seed ever grown

    NowA 2,000-year-old seed from Masada germinated in 2005, among the oldest seeds ever germinated — 'Oldest seed ever grown' overstated; described as oldest human-assisted germination at the time.

    en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Judean_date_palm

  4. Was'Methuselah', a palm sprouted in 2005 from a seed found at Masada, has since fathered dates of its own via female partners raised from other ancient seeds.

    Now'Methuselah', a palm sprouted in 2005 from a roughly 2,000-year-old seed found at Masada, has since fathered dates by pollinating 'Hannah', a female palm raised from another ancient seed. — Only one female partner (Hannah) documented as fruiting.

    en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Judean_date_palm

  5. WasMesopotamian tablets record date cultivation and hand-pollination as early as the 3rd millennium BCE, and Hammurabi's code fixed fines for cutting down date palms. The date palm is the most-mentioned fruit tree in the Qur'an, where Maryam is told to shake its trunk for ripe dates.

    NowMesopotamian tablets record date cultivation and hand-pollination as early as the 3rd millennium BCE, and Hammurabi's code fixed a fine for cutting down a tree in another man's orchard. The date palm is the most-mentioned fruit tree in the Qur'an, where Maryam is told to shake its trunk for ripe dates. — Law 59 concerns any tree in an orchard, not specifically date palms.

    penn.museum/sites/journal/?p=832

  6. WasLC

    NowDD — Global Red List assessment (Magos Brehm et al. 2011, errata 2016) is Data Deficient.

    iucnredlist.org/species/63005/102150835

  7. WasPortuguese traders brought improved sweet oranges from Asia in the 16th century, which is why the fruit is called 'portokali' in Greek and 'burtuqāl' in Arabic. Louis XIV's Versailles orangery held over 1,000 potted orange trees wheeled outside each summer.

    NowPortuguese traders brought improved sweet oranges from Asia in the 16th century, which is why the fruit is called 'portokali' in Greek and 'burtuqāl' in Arabic. The Versailles orangery built for Louis XIV still houses over 1,000 potted citrus and other trees, wheeled outside each summer. — 1,000+ figure is the modern collection (incl. non-orange species), not a documented Louis XIV count.

    en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Versailles_Orangerie

  8. WasJackfruit was described by Pliny the Elder from reports of Alexander's campaigns in India, and it figures in the ancient Tamil 'mukkani' (three fruits) of mango, banana and jackfruit. Its wood is prized for temple furniture and veena lutes in South India.

    NowPliny the Elder, drawing on reports from Alexander's campaigns, described a huge Indian fruit eaten by sages that some identify as jackfruit (others as the banana), and it figures in the ancient Tamil 'mukkani' (three fruits) of mango, banana and jackfruit. Its wood is prized for temple furniture and veena lutes in South India. — Identification of Pliny's fruit with jackfruit is contested.

    en.wikisource.org/wiki/Hobson-Jobson/J

  9. WasStamens spring open like catapults, launching pollen at about 560 km/h

    NowStamens spring open like catapults in under 25 microseconds, flinging pollen at more than half the speed of sound — 560 km/h is below half the speed of sound and contradicts the summary; source gives >half speed of sound.

    doi.org/10.1007/s00497-005-0018-9

  10. WasGuava fruit can hold more than twice the vitamin C of an orange by weight, much of it concentrated in the skin.

    NowGuava fruit can hold about four times the vitamin C of an orange by weight — roughly 228 mg per 100 g. — USDA figure 228 mg/100 g vs ~53 mg for orange; 'twice' understates.

    en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Guava

  11. WasIn the 17th century Jesuit missionaries saw the corona as the crown of thorns, the five anthers as Christ's wounds and the three styles as the nails, naming the genus 'flos passionis'. Brazil is today the world's largest producer.

    NowIn the 17th century Jesuit missionaries saw the corona as the crown of thorns, the five anthers as Christ's wounds and the three styles as the nails, calling it 'flos passionis' — the root of the genus name Passiflora. Brazil is today the world's largest producer. — Genus Passiflora was named by Linnaeus; missionaries did not name the genus.

    en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Passiflora

  12. WasThe only host plant for zebra swallowtail caterpillars, which store its toxins for defence

    NowPawpaws and their Asimina relatives are the only host plants for zebra swallowtail caterpillars, which store their toxins for defence — Zebra swallowtail larvae feed on several Asimina species, not A. triloba alone.

    en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Asimina_triloba

  13. WasIn 1541 the de Soto expedition saw Native Americans growing and eating pawpaws in the Mississippi Valley, and Lewis and Clark relied on pawpaws when food ran short in 1806. Chilled pawpaw was reportedly a favourite dessert of George Washington.

    NowIn 1541 the de Soto expedition found Native Americans growing and eating what was probably pawpaw east of the Mississippi, and Lewis and Clark relied on pawpaws when food ran short in 1806. A popular but undocumented story makes chilled pawpaw George Washington's favourite dessert. — Washington dessert claim has no historical documentation.

    colonialwilliamsburg.org/discover/resource-hub/trend-tradition-magazin

  14. WasTamarind is a key hidden ingredient of Worcestershire sauce.

    NowTamarind is one of the listed ingredients that gives Worcestershire sauce its tangy depth. — It is a listed ingredient, not 'hidden'; 'key' unsupported.

    en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tamarind

  15. WasThe jujube is listed among the 'five fruits' in China's ancient Book of Rites, and red dates are scattered on wedding beds to wish couples early children — 'zǎo' sounds like 'early'. Ziziphus is also the 'lote tree' (sidr) of the Qur'an, though that is mainly Z. spina-christi.

    NowThe jujube is one of China's traditional 'five fruits', and jujubes and chestnuts were a bride's ritual gift in the classical rites; red dates are still scattered on wedding beds to wish couples early children — 'zǎo' sounds like 'early'. Ziziphus is also the 'lote tree' (sidr) of the Qur'an, though that is mainly Z. spina-christi. — The 'five fruits' list is not from the Book of Rites; Liji/Yili mention jujubes and chestnuts as bridal gifts.

    kangxizidian.org/en/hanzi/zao/%E6%A3%97.html

  16. WasThe Pirangi cashew tree in Brazil covers about 8,500 m² from one trunk

    NowThe Pirangi cashew tree in Brazil covers roughly 7,500–8,400 m², spreading from a single trunk — Sources give 7,300–8,400 m² (Wikipedia list article) / ~7,500 m².

    en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cashew_of_Pirangi

  17. WasYou will never see cashews sold in their shells, because the shell is lined with a toxic resin related to poison ivy.

    NowCashews are almost never sold in their shells, because the shell is lined with a caustic resin related to poison ivy's urushiol. — Absolute 'never' overstated.

    en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cashew

  18. Almond (Prunus amygdalus)

    medicinal.uses[1]

    Was{"tradition": "Traditional Chinese Medicine", "use": "Apricot and almond kernels (xìng rén) for cough"}

    Now(deleted) — TCM xìng rén is apricot kernel, not almond.

    en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apricot_kernel

  19. WasCalifornia grows around 80% of the world's almonds and needs roughly two-thirds of all US commercial honeybee colonies to pollinate them each spring.

    NowCalifornia grows around 80% of the world's almonds, and pollinating them each February takes more than half of all US commercial honeybee colonies. — Sources give 'more than half'/~1 million+ hives; 'two-thirds' not supported.

    en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Almond

  20. WasTree-nut allergy. Juglone in husks and leaves is toxic to horses (wood shavings cause laminitis).

    NowTree-nut allergy. Husks and leaves contain juglone and can irritate skin; horse laminitis is linked mainly to bedding made from black walnut (J. nigra) shavings. — Laminitis from wood shavings is documented for black walnut, not Persian walnut.

    en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Juglans_nigra

  21. WasReleases juglone, an allelopathic compound that inhibits tomatoes, apples and many other plants nearby

    NowLeaves, husks and roots contain juglone, an allelopathic compound that can inhibit some nearby plants, though less strongly than black walnut — Persian walnut produces far less juglone than J. nigra; the specific tomato/apple inhibition is a black-walnut claim.

    en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Juglans_regia

  22. WasLarge stockpiles of pistachios can spontaneously combust, so they are shipped as hazardous cargo under maritime rules.

    NowLarge stockpiles of pistachios can self-heat and even spontaneously combust, so shippers treat them as a fire risk in cargo holds. — Self-heating supported; a specific maritime hazardous-cargo classification is not.

    en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pistachio

  23. Bread wheat (Triticum aestivum)

    medicinal.uses[0].use

    WasWheat porridge (harira, talbina from barley) for convalescents; bran poultices

    NowWheat porridges for convalescents and bran poultices — Harira is a Moroccan soup and talbina a barley dish, not Unani wheat remedies.

    en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Talbina

  24. WasIn Japan, the emperor ritually plants and harvests rice in the palace paddies, and Shinto's Inari is the god of rice. The Ifugao rice terraces of the Philippines, carved over 2,000 years, are a UNESCO World Heritage site.

    NowIn Japan, the emperor ritually plants and harvests rice in the palace paddies, and Shinto's Inari is the god of rice. The Ifugao rice terraces of the Philippines, a UNESCO World Heritage site, are popularly said to be 2,000 years old, though radiocarbon studies suggest many were built in the last 400 years or so. — 2,000-year age of Ifugao terraces is contested; radiocarbon work suggests many are only ~300-400 years old.

    vitalmatters.fowler.ucla.edu/perspectives/v0220

  25. WasMaize cobs about 6,250 years old from Guilá Naquitz cave in Oaxaca were only about 5 cm long.

    NowMaize cobs about 6,250 years old from Guilá Naquitz cave in Oaxaca are tiny — one is only about 2.5 cm long. — Piperno & Flannery 2001 give ~2.5 cm for the measured cob, not 5 cm.

    pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC29388

  26. WasThe Inca measured time by how long it took to cook potatoes, and Spanish conquistadors brought tubers to Europe around 1570. Ireland's dependence on a few varieties led to the Great Famine of 1845–52, when late blight killed about a million people.

    NowSpanish conquistadors brought tubers to Europe around 1570. Ireland's dependence on a few varieties led to the Great Famine of 1845–52, when late blight killed about a million people. — Inca potato-cooking time units is popular trivia with no documented historical source.

    journals.iai.spk-berlin.de/index.php/indiana/article/view/2034

  27. WasThe Italian herbalist Pietro Andrea Mattioli called it 'pomi d'oro' (golden apples) in 1544, and Europeans grew it as an ornamental for decades fearing it was poisonous. The Spanish town of Buñol throws about 100 tonnes of tomatoes each August at La Tomatina.

    NowThe Italian herbalist Pietro Andrea Mattioli called it 'pomi d'oro' (golden apples) in 1544, and Europeans grew it as an ornamental for decades fearing it was poisonous. The Spanish town of Buñol throws well over 100 tonnes of tomatoes each August at La Tomatina. — Recent La Tomatina events use roughly 120–165 tonnes.

    ksat.com/news/weird-news/2025/08/27/tons-of-overripe-tomatoes-become-p

  28. WasA trailing morning-glory relative from tropical America with sweet, starchy storage roots. Sweet potatoes reached Polynesia centuries before Columbus — strong evidence of pre-Columbian contact between Polynesians and South Americans.

    NowA trailing morning-glory relative from tropical America with sweet, starchy storage roots. Sweet potatoes reached Polynesia centuries before Columbus — widely taken as evidence of pre-Columbian contact between Polynesians and South Americans. — Pre-Columbian contact is supported but sweet potato dispersal alone is debated (natural seed dispersal proposed); 'strong evidence' overstated.

    sciencemediacentre.co.nz/2018/04/13/when-did-sweet-potatoes-arrive-in-

  29. WasKūmara reached Polynesia by about 1000–1100 CE, and Māori grew it in New Zealand with elaborate rituals to the god Rongo. In Japan, the Edo scholar Aoki Konyō promoted the sweet potato as famine insurance in the 1730s, earning the title 'Mr Sweet Potato'.

    NowKūmara reached Polynesia by about 1000–1100 CE, and Māori grew it in New Zealand with elaborate rituals to the god Rongo. In Japan, the Edo scholar Aoki Konyō promoted the sweet potato as famine insurance in the 1730s, earning the nickname 'Kansho Sensei' (Master Sweet Potato). — His nickname was 'Kansho Sensei' (Sweet Potato Master/Teacher), not an official title.

    multi.andtrip.jp/LUC2AITRIP/cdata/luc2aitrip_536_jaen.html

  30. WasThe Quechua word 'kumar' and the Polynesian 'kūmara' are strikingly similar — one clue that Polynesians reached South America.

    NowThe Polynesian word 'kūmara' closely resembles the Quechua 'kumar' — often cited as a clue that Polynesians reached South America, though linguists still debate the link. — Quechua origin of kumara is contested (Yen 1974; Heiser; Pache et al. 2025).

    journals.iai.spk-berlin.de/index.php/indiana/article/view/3186

  31. WasInvasive in Australia and South Africa, where it was famously controlled by the Cactoblastis moth

    NowPrickly pears became notorious weeds in Australia (mainly O. stricta), famously cleared by the Cactoblastis moth; O. ficus-indica itself is invasive in South Africa — Australian Cactoblastis campaign targeted O. stricta/O. inermis, not O. ficus-indica.

    faculty.ucr.edu/~legneref/biotact/ch-87.htm

  32. WasThe smallest marine mammal and the only one with no blubber, kept warm instead by the densest fur of any animal. By eating sea urchins, sea otters protect kelp forests, a textbook case of a keystone species.

    NowOne of the smallest marine mammals, and unlike most it has no blubber, keeping warm instead with the densest fur of any animal. By eating sea urchins, sea otters protect kelp forests, a textbook case of a keystone species. — Sea otter is among the smallest marine mammals (marine otter is smaller), not the smallest; other otters also lack blubber.

    en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sea_otter

  33. WasA wild male, Rakus, was filmed in 2022 chewing a medicinal liana and applying it to a facial wound, which then healed

    NowA wild male, Rakus, was observed in 2022 chewing a medicinal liana and applying it to a facial wound, which then healed — The case was documented by observation and photographs (published 2024); 'filmed' is not supported.

    theborneopost.com/2024/05/02/indonesian-orangutan-seen-apparently-trea

  34. WasThe Dutch physician Jacobus Bontius described an 'Orang Outang' from the East Indies in 1658, and Linnaeus filed early reports under 'Homo sylvestris'. Sumatran orangutans were recognised as a species separate from Bornean ones in the late 20th century.

    NowThe Dutch physician Jacobus Bontius described an 'Orang Outang' from the East Indies in 1658, and Linnaeus drew on such reports for his 'Homo troglodytes'. Sumatran orangutans were recognised as a species separate from Bornean ones in the late 20th century. — Linnaeus's 1758 name built partly on Bontius's account was Homo troglodytes; 'Homo sylvestris' was Tyson's/Bontius-era usage.

    en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Orangutan

  35. WasRakus's wound treatment was the first documented case of a wild animal applying a plant known to have medicinal properties to its own wound.

    NowRakus's wound treatment was the first systematically documented case of a wild animal treating its own wound with a plant known to contain medically active substances. — The paper claims the first systematically documented case, not the first documented case at all.

    theborneopost.com/2024/05/02/indonesian-orangutan-seen-apparently-trea

  36. WasBeats its chest with cupped hands; the rate of beats signals the male's body size to listeners up to about 1 km away

    NowBeats its chest with cupped hands, a sound that can carry about 1 km; in mountain gorillas, the pitch of the beats has been shown to signal the male's body size — Wright et al. 2021 found body size linked to peak frequency (pitch), not beat rate, and studied mountain gorillas.

    mpg.de/16678047/gorillas-don-t-bluff-when-they-chest-beat-honest-signa

  37. WasCatches insects with a sticky tongue that can be longer than its head and body, anchored deep in the chest

    NowCatches insects with a long, sticky tongue anchored deep in the chest — No source supports a Sunda pangolin tongue longer than its head and body (40-65 cm); even large pangolins reach about 40 cm.

    en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pangolin

  38. WasThe name is usually traced to Dharug gula. In the 1920s millions of koalas were killed for fur; public outrage at Queensland's 1927 open season helped bring national protection.

    NowThe name is usually traced to Dharug gula. Millions of koalas were killed for fur in the early 20th century; public outrage at Queensland's 1927 open season led the Commonwealth to stop issuing export permits for koala skins, effectively ending the trade. — The outcome was a federal end to export permits plus state laws, not 'national protection'.

    theconversation.com/we-once-killed-600-000-koalas-in-a-year-now-theyre

  39. WasFemales are often blue-grey while males are red, which once led people to think they were different species.

    NowFemales are often blue-grey while males are red, which is why females are nicknamed 'blue fliers'. — No source found for the claim that the colour difference made people think they were separate species.

    en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Red_kangaroo

  40. WasBounds at up to ~55 km/h and covers 8 m or more in a single leap

    NowBounds at up to ~60 km/h and covers 8 m or more in a single leap — Wikipedia gives a top speed of about 60 km/h.

    en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Red_kangaroo

  41. WasSpanish sailors named the islands for the galápago, an old word for tortoise. In 1835 the vice-governor told Darwin he could tell which island a tortoise came from by its shell; whalers took around 100,000 tortoises as live food for their voyages.

    NowSpanish sailors named the islands for the galápago, an old word for tortoise. In 1835 the vice-governor told Darwin he could tell which island a tortoise came from by its shell; whalers took more than 100,000 tortoises (some estimates say 200,000) as live food for their voyages. — Townsend's logbook estimate is at least 100,000 from American whalers alone after 1830. Wider estimates reach 200,000, so 'around 100,000' understates it.

    pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9214511

  42. WasSouth and Southeast Asia; since a 2024 revision, Ophiophagus hannah in the narrow sense covers the eastern Himalaya, north-east India, Myanmar, Thailand, Indochina and southern China, with other forests' king cobras assigned to related species

    NowSouth and Southeast Asia; since a 2024 revision, Ophiophagus hannah in the narrow sense covers eastern Pakistan, northern and eastern India, the Andaman Islands, Myanmar and Indochina south to central Thailand, with the king cobras of the Western Ghats, the Sunda region and Luzon assigned to related species — Das et al. 2024 (Eur. J. Taxon. 961) restricts O. hannah s. str. to eastern Pakistan, northern and eastern India, the Andamans, Indo-Burma and Indo-China south to central Thailand, not only the eastern Himalaya and north-east India.

    sciencepress.mnhn.fr/fr/periodiques/european-journal-taxonomy/961/1

  43. Honey badger (ratel) (Mellivora capensis)

    animal.behaviour

    WasMainly a solitary forager, it may travel 30–40 km a night digging for prey. Its partnership with honeyguide birds is widely told but poorly documented.

    NowMainly a solitary forager, it may travel 10–30 km in a day of digging for prey. Its partnership with honeyguide birds is widely told but poorly documented. — Daily movement figures in literature are ~10–30 km, not 30–40 km a night.

    treatment.plazi.org/id/038F87D4CA52FFBCCFED3B6CF6BCFEF0/10

  44. WasIts genus name was first given as a horse species, Equus johnstoni, before skulls showed it was a giraffid.

    NowIt was first named as a horse species, Equus johnstoni, before skulls showed it was a giraffid. — johnstoni is the species epithet, not the genus name.

    en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Okapi

  45. WasCheetahs were tamed for hunting from ancient Egypt to medieval Persia and India; the Mughal emperor Akbar was said to keep around a thousand. The black 'tear marks' feature in a San story of a mother weeping for her stolen cubs.

    NowCheetahs were tamed for hunting from ancient Egypt to medieval Persia and India; the Mughal emperor Akbar was said to keep around a thousand. The black 'tear marks' feature in an African folk tale of a mother weeping for her stolen cubs. — Tear-mark tale's attribution to the San not found in sources; generalised.

    en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cheetah

  46. African wild dog (painted wolf) (Lycaon pictus)

    lore

    WasCoenraad Temminck named it in 1820 after Lycaon, the king turned into a wolf in Greek myth, and pictus, 'painted'. Conservationists have popularised the name 'painted wolf' to counter its old reputation as vermin.

    NowCoenraad Temminck described it in 1820 as Hyaena picta, 'painted hyena'; its genus name Lycaon, after the king turned into a wolf in Greek myth, came later. Conservationists have popularised the name 'painted wolf' to counter its old reputation as vermin. — Temminck named it Hyaena picta (1820); genus Lycaon was erected by Brookes in 1827.

    en.wikipedia.org/wiki/African_wild_dog

fungi.json and marvels.json

Checked 2026-10-18. 90 entries in all (34 in fungi.json, 56 in marvels.json). 35 field edits.

  1. Amanita phalloides

    edibilityNote

    Was"straw mushrooms (Volvariella), paddy-straw mushrooms" (the same mushroom listed twice)

    Now"paddy-straw mushrooms (Volvariella volvacea)"

    en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amanita_phalloides

  2. Was"remains a leading cause of serious mushroom poisoning in California"

    Now"has caused several serious poisonings in California"

    en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amanita_ocreata

  3. Was"KOH turns its cap yellow, which helps tell it apart from other white Amanitas"

    Now"KOH stains its flesh yellow, a reaction it shares with other destroying angels"

    en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amanita_ocreata

  4. Wasunsupported claim that its fat-soluble pigments release flavour in butter

    Nowreplaced with a sourced fact: North American "golden chanterelles" are several separate species, and true C. cibarius is European

    mushroomexpert.com/cantharellus_cibarius.htmlen.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cantharellus_subg._Cantharellus

  5. Was"the most traded wild mushroom in the world"

    Now"one of the most traded" — no source supports the ranking

  6. Was"sold to Mughal and later Gulf kitchens; morel pulao a feast dish in Kashmiri wazwan"

    Now"dried on strings and sold at high prices, and gucchi pulao is a Kashmiri feast dish" (the Mughal and wazwan details were unsourced)

  7. Was"ranks alongside bear's paw and shark fin among the 'eight treasures' of imperial banquet cuisine"

    Now"long prized as a 'mountain delicacy' of banquet cuisine" (the "eight treasures" claim was unverified). UK protection was checked and confirmed (Schedule 8, WCA 1981)

    publications.naturalengland.org.uk/publication/142020

  8. Was"the world's second most widely grown mushroom"

    Now"one of the world's most widely grown, roughly a quarter of cultivated mushroom production"

    en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shiitake

  9. Was"log-grown 'donko' became a court delicacy"

    Now"'donko' became a prized grade" (donko is a cool-season grade; no source for the court claim)

    en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shiitake

  10. Was"Tinder conk" (that is Fomes fomentarius)

    Now"Cinder conk"

    en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Inonotus_obliquus

  11. Was"from Komi-Permyak"

    Now"from Komi (tšak), a Uralic language of the Kama basin"

    en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Inonotus_obliquus

  12. Was"a discovery that improved plantation yields" (unsupported)

    Now"a finding (2011) now used in managing plantations"

  13. Coprinus comatus

    edibilityNote

    Wascoprine reaction "if alcohol is drunk up to about three days before or after eating"

    Now"with the meal or up to about three days afterwards" (no source supports drinking days before)

    en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coprinopsis_atramentaria

  14. Was"Several needed kidney transplants. Orellanine was first identified after a 1952 mass poisoning in Poland"

    Nowthree suffered kidney failure and Evans had a transplant in 2011; the 1952 Konin poisoning (102 poisoned, 11 dead) revealed the danger, and Grzymala isolated orellanine in 1962

    en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Orellanineholdthefrontpage.co.uk/2011/news/transplant-for-ex-journalist-who-ate-

  15. Was"doctors have confirmed poisonings by shining UV light on kidney biopsies" (no source found)

    Now"the structure was not worked out until 1979"

    en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Orellanine

  16. Sequoiadendron giganteum

    summary and abilities

    Was"bark up to 60 cm thick"

    Now"up to about 90 cm thick at the base"

    en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sequoiadendron_giganteum

  17. Wasgave the banyan the Bhagavad Gita 15.1 ashvattha, but the ashvattha is the peepal (F. religiosa)

    Nowreplaced with the Vat Purnima / Savitri tradition (the Gita reference moved to F. religiosa)

    holy-bhagavad-gita.org/chapter/15/verse/1/

  18. Wasadded the Gita 15.1 ashvattha reference (moved from the banyan); funFact — "descends from"

    Now"is traditionally said to descend from"

  19. Was"an order ... about 200 million years"

    Now"more than 290 million years"

    en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ginkgo_biloba

  20. Was"probably Kaempfer's misreading"

    Nowwas long blamed on Kaempfer, but later research points to his Nagasaki interpreter's pronunciation

    en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ginkgo_biloba

  21. Was"single stem until first flowering, often after a decade or more" (no source for the age)

    Nowbranches when the growing tip stops, usually after flowering

    en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dracaena_cinnabari

  22. Was"The largest single flower on Earth"

    Now"One of the largest" (R. tuan-mudae has been measured larger); IUCN NE confirmed

    kew.org/plants/rafflesia-arnoldi

  23. Was"one of the first internationally traded commodities, recorded in letters around 1350 BCE"

    Nowthe Palermo Stone records Sneferu's 40 shiploads of cedar (c. 2600 BCE)

    herbaria.plants.ox.ac.uk/bol/plants400/Profiles/CD/Cedrus

  24. Betula pendula

    medicinal.compounds

    Wasremoved "methyl salicylate (in sap and bark)" (this is characteristic of B. lenta, not documented for silver birch)

  25. Fagus sylvatica

    edibilityNote

    Was"probably from saponins and the alkaloid-like fagin"

    Now"from mildly toxic compounds (historically called 'fagin')"

  26. Wasremoved "Teak beams have been found in ancient Indian sites and in the Ajanta caves area" (no source found)

  27. WasVU

    NowEN (Barstow & Negrão 2023)

    en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Swietenia_macrophylla

  28. Was"Most commercial alginate was historically harvested from giant kelp off California"

    Now"For much of the 20th century, giant kelp off California was a major source of alginate"

  29. Was"Paxton ... named it after Queen Victoria"

    NowJohn Lindley named the genus in 1837 from Schomburgk's specimens, and Paxton first flowered it in Nov 1849

    en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Victoria_amazonica

  30. Was"photographed and drawn"

    Now"stand on a leaf" (no photograph documented)

  31. Was"a bite of root the size of a walnut can kill an adult"

    Nowthe walnut-sized figure applies to a ~550 kg cow, and people have died after eating small amounts

    extension.oregonstate.edu/catalog/em-9911-poison-hemlock-western-wateren.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cicuta_maculata

  32. Was"physiologist and explorer of the Caucasus"

    Now"physician, physiologist and anthropologist"

    en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paolo_Mantegazza

  33. Was"the name comes from the local area" (Gympie)

    Nowthe name comes from the Gubbi Gubbi language

    en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dendrocnide_moroides

invertebrates.json & mammals-more.json

Checked 2026-10-18. 107 entries (57 invertebrates, 50 mammals); 67 field edits across 47 entries.

  1. WasA huge swallowtail of the New Guinea region whose males flash velvety black and iridescent emerald green across the rainforest canopy. It was one of the first birdwings known to European science and gave the whole group its name, Ornithoptera, 'bird-wing'.

    NowA huge swallowtail of the New Guinea region whose males flash velvety black and iridescent emerald green across the rainforest canopy. Described by Linnaeus in 1758, it is the type species of the birdwing genus Ornithoptera, 'bird-wing'.

    lepidoptera.butterflyhouse.com.au/papi/priamus.html

  2. WasWingspan roughly 12–19 cm; females the larger sex

    NowWingspan roughly 11–20 cm; females the larger sex

    lepidoptera.butterflyhouse.com.au/papi/priamus.html

  3. WasAdults fly year-round in the tropics, most numerous in the wet season

    Nowdeleted

    lepidoptera.butterflyhouse.com.au/papi/priamus.html

  4. Was["World's largest butterfly by wingspan", "Caterpillars depend on a single group of Pararistolochia vines and absorb their toxins", "Adults fly high in the rainforest canopy and rarely descend"]

    Now["World's largest butterfly by wingspan", "Caterpillars depend on a single group of Pararistolochia vines and absorb their toxins", "Adults usually fly high in the rainforest canopy, descending to within a few metres of the ground to feed or lay eggs"]

    en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Queen_Alexandra%27s_birdwing

  5. WasAdults can be found through much of the year

    Nowdeleted

    en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Queen_Alexandra%27s_birdwing

  6. papilio-polytes

    animal.season

    WasYear-round in the tropics, most numerous after the monsoon

    NowYear-round in the tropics

    en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Papilio_polytes

  7. WasBritish naturalists in India called it the 'Mormon' in the 19th century, a joke about polygamy, because one male seemed to be paired with several very different-looking 'wives'.

    NowIts English name 'Mormon' is usually explained as a 19th-century joke about polygamy, because one male seemed to be paired with several very different-looking 'wives'.

    en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Papilio_polytes

  8. Was["Migrates in large numbers across peninsular India before and after the south-west monsoon", "Males gather alkaloids from Crotalaria and Heliotropium to make pheromones and boost their chemical defence", "Distasteful to predators thanks to compounds sequestered from its milkweed-family host plants"]

    Now["Migrates in large numbers across peninsular India around the south-west monsoon; migrating swarms are almost all males", "Males gather alkaloids from Crotalaria and Heliotropium to make pheromones and boost their chemical defence", "Distasteful to predators thanks to compounds sequestered from its milkweed-family host plants"]

    en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tirumala_limniace

  9. tirumala-limniace

    animal.season

    WasYear-round; migrations in South India mainly before (Apr–Jun) and after (Oct–Dec) the south-west monsoon

    NowYear-round; in South India large migrations take place around the south-west monsoon

    en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tirumala_limniace

  10. WasIts blue spots are not pigment-filled scales but sparsely scaled, semi-transparent patches of wing.

    NowThe pale blue of its semi-transparent wing spots comes from pterobilin, a blue bile pigment.

    en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tirumala_limniace

  11. WasIn Japan its name hōjaku means 'hawk-bird', the same comparison Europeans make with hummingbirds; Linnaeus's epithet stellatarum refers to its larval food, the 'stellate' bedstraws with star-shaped whorls of leaves.

    NowIn Japan its name hōjaku (蜂雀) means 'bee-sparrow', likening the hovering moth to a tiny bird as Europeans do with hummingbirds; Linnaeus's epithet stellatarum refers to its larval food, the 'stellate' bedstraws with star-shaped whorls of leaves.

    kotobank.jp/word/%E3%81%BB%E3%81%86%E3%81%98%E3%82%84%E3%81%8F-3169852

  12. WasA large, heavy hawkmoth with a skull-like pattern on its thorax that squeaks loudly when handled. It raids beehives for honey, slipping past guard bees by smelling like them.

    NowA large, heavy hawkmoth with a skull-like pattern on its thorax that squeaks loudly when disturbed. It raids beehives for honey, slipping past guard bees by smelling like them.

    en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Acherontia_atropos

  13. acherontia-atropos

    animal.voice

    WasA sharp, mouse-like squeak, repeated when the moth is handled or alarmed.

    NowA sharp, mouse-like squeak, repeated when the moth is disturbed or alarmed.

    en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Acherontia_atropos

  14. WasLong treated in European folklore as an omen of death, it is named after Atropos, the Fate who cuts the thread of life. The skull-marked moth on the poster for The Silence of the Lambs (1991) is a death's-head hawkmoth.

    NowLong treated in European folklore as an omen of death, it is named after Atropos, the Fate who cuts the thread of life. Death's-head hawkmoths are the killer's calling card in The Silence of the Lambs (1991); the moth on the film's poster is often identified as its Asian relative A. styx.

    snopes.com/fact-check/silence-of-the-lambs-moth-poster/

  15. WasBeekeepers once fitted hive entrances with small grilles specifically to keep these honey-stealing moths out.

    NowMigrants occasionally travel far beyond Britain: one was recorded above the Arctic Circle in northern Sweden in 2019, after an unusually warm summer.

    en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Acherontia_atropos

  16. WasFélix Édouard Guérin-Méneville described it in 1847 and named it after Mittre, a French naval pharmacist who sent specimens from Madagascar.

    NowFélix Édouard Guérin-Méneville described it in 1847 from Madagascar, originally as Bombyx mittrei.

    en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Comet_moth

  17. argema-mittrei

    animal.season

    WasAdults present through much of the year in the humid east; each lives only a few days

    Nowdeleted

    en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Comet_moth

  18. WasCaptive breeding for zoos and collectors means comet moths are now more often seen in butterfly houses in Europe and North America than in the wild.

    NowCaptive breeding means comet moths are regularly displayed in butterfly houses in Europe and North America, far from their Madagascan rainforests.

    en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Comet_moth

  19. goliathus-goliatus

    animal.season

    WasAdults emerge for a few months each year; timing varies across the range

    Nowdeleted

    en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Goliathus_goliatus

  20. WasThe longest of all beetles: horned males can reach about 17 cm, more than half of it horn. In current taxonomy the species in the strict sense lives in the Lesser Antilles, while related 'Hercules' beetles range from Mexico to Bolivia.

    NowThe longest of all beetles: horned males can reach about 17 cm, more than half of it horn. It ranges from southern Mexico to Bolivia and the Lesser Antilles; some recent studies split the mainland forms into separate species, leaving D. hercules in the strict sense on the Lesser Antilles.

    en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dynastes_hercules

  21. dynastes-hercules

    animal.lookalikes

    WasMainland Dynastes species (D. lichyi, D. septentrionalis, D. occidentalis and others) are now separated by subtle horn and colour differences and by range. Neptune beetle (D. neptunus) is all black with extra short horns. Elephant beetles (Megasoma) lack the long thoracic horn.

    NowMainland Hercules beetles (D. h. lichyi, septentrionalis, occidentalis and others), treated by some authors as separate species, differ subtly in horn and colour and by range. Neptune beetle (D. neptunus) is all black with extra short horns. Elephant beetles (Megasoma) lack the long thoracic horn.

    en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dynastes_hercules

  22. dynastes-hercules

    animal.lifespan

    WasLarval stage 1–2 years; adults several months

    NowLarval stage up to about 2 years; adults about 3–6 months in captivity

    en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dynastes_hercules

  23. dynastes-hercules

    animal.season

    WasNocturnal adults can be found for much of the year

    Nowdeleted

    en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dynastes_hercules

  24. WasAdults July–August

    NowAdults June–August, peaking in late July

    honda.co.jp/outdoor/knowledge/adventure/picture-book/yamatotamamushi/

  25. dytiscus-marginalis

    animal.lifespan

    WasAdults can live 2–3 years

    NowAdults can live several years

    newforestnpa.gov.uk/discover/wildlife/beetles/great-diving-beetle

  26. WasYear-round

    Nowdeleted

    phasmidstudygroup.org/phasmid-info/psg-culture-list/species-info?psg_n

  27. WasAbout 2 years in total, maturing after roughly 18 months

    NowUp to about 2 years

    en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Deinacrida_heteracantha

  28. magicicada-septendecim

    animal.lookalikes

    WasMagicicada cassini is smaller with an all-black abdomen underside and a rapid ticking-then-buzz song; M. septendecula has narrow orange abdominal stripes. The 13-year M. tredecim is near-identical but separated by its cycle and slightly higher-pitched song. Annual dog-day cicadas (Neotibicen) are green and brown with dark eyes.

    NowMagicicada cassini is smaller with an all-black abdomen underside and a rapid ticking-then-buzz song; M. septendecula has narrow orange abdominal stripes. The 13-year M. tredecim is very similar but has a lower-pitched song, and the 13-year M. neotredecim can be told apart only by its cycle. Annual dog-day cicadas (Neotibicen) are green and brown with dark eyes.

    cicadas.uconn.edu/species/m_tredecim/

  29. WasThe cricket of the hearth, a pale-brown chirper that has lived alongside people for thousands of years. Today it is the world's most widely farmed insect, raised as pet food and increasingly as human food.

    NowThe cricket of the hearth, a pale-brown chirper that has lived alongside people for thousands of years. Today it is the world's most widely farmed cricket, raised as pet food and increasingly as human food.

    scholarworks.indianapolis.iu.edu/items/8d8757b5-9ef2-448f-9d6e-d82c89d

  30. Was["Heaviest spider known, recorded at over 170 g", "Flicks clouds of barbed, irritating hairs from its abdomen at attackers", "Makes a loud hissing sound by rubbing bristles on its legs", "Fangs up to about 2 cm long"]

    Now["Heaviest spider known, recorded at over 170 g", "Flicks clouds of barbed, irritating hairs from its abdomen at attackers", "Makes a loud hissing sound by rubbing bristles on its legs", "Fangs about 2–4 cm long"]

    en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Goliath_birdeater

  31. latrodectus-mactans

    animal.whereToSee

    WasWoodpiles, stone walls and outbuildings in the south-eastern US; look with a torch at night.

    NowWoodpiles, stone walls and outbuildings in the south-eastern US; look with a torch at night, but never touch or handle.

    en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Southern_black_widow

  32. WasOctavius Pickard-Cambridge described it in 1874 and named it volans, 'flying', believing the flaps let it glide. The photographs and films of Jürgen Otto made peacock spiders internet-famous from the 2010s.

    NowOctavius Pickard-Cambridge described it in 1874 and named it volans, 'flying', after a collector's report that the flaps helped it glide. The photographs and films of Jürgen Otto made peacock spiders internet-famous from the 2010s.

    en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maratus_volans

  33. maratus-volans

    animal.season

    WasMales display in austral spring, roughly Sep–Dec

    NowMature males Aug–Dec, displaying in the austral spring

    en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maratus_volans

  34. leiurus-quinquestriatus

    animal.whereToSee

    WasRocky desert in Egypt and Sudan, at night with an ultraviolet torch; best seen in zoos.

    NowRocky desert in Egypt and Sudan, where it glows under ultraviolet light at night; best seen in zoos. Never handle it, and shake out shoes and bedding in its range.

    en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Deathstalker

  35. WasDictynidae

    NowArgyronetidae

    wsc.nmbe.ch/species/8306

  36. WasShell up to about 20 cm across

    NowShell usually about 15–20 cm across; exceptionally to about 25 cm

    en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chambered_nautilus

  37. sepia-officinalis

    animal.behaviour

    WasIn spring, adults move inshore to spawn; small males sometimes mimic females to slip past large rival males and mate.

    NowIn spring, adults move inshore to spawn; small males have been reported to mimic females to slip past large rival males and mate, a tactic better known in the giant Australian cuttlefish.

    biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/226191

  38. WasA golf-ball-sized octopus that flashes vivid blue rings when alarmed. Its saliva carries tetrodotoxin, a nerve poison that can paralyse and kill an adult human within minutes, and there is no antidote.

    NowA golf-ball-sized octopus that flashes vivid blue rings when alarmed. Its saliva carries tetrodotoxin, a nerve poison that can paralyse and kill an adult human within minutes to hours, and there is no antivenom.

    australian.museum/learn/animals/molluscs/blue-ringed-octopus/

  39. homarus-americanus

    animal.habitat

    WasRocky and sandy bottoms from the shallows to about 700 m

    NowRocky and sandy bottoms from the shallows to about 480 m, mostly at 4–50 m

    vims.edu/research/units/programs/multispecies_fisheries_research/speci

  40. WasWestern Atlantic, from Chesapeake Bay through the Gulf of Mexico and Caribbean to Brazil

    NowWestern Atlantic, from lower Chesapeake Bay and North Carolina to the Gulf of Mexico; Caribbean and Brazilian records are uncertain because the species was split into a complex

    fao.org/docrep/pdf/009/ac477e/ac477e19.pdf

  41. physalia-physalis

    animal.whereToSee

    WasAtlantic beaches of Florida, the Caribbean, the Canary Islands and occasionally Britain and Ireland after strong westerlies.

    NowAtlantic beaches of Florida, the Caribbean, the Canary Islands and occasionally Britain and Ireland after strong westerlies. Do not touch stranded ones: their tentacles still sting.

    en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Portuguese_man_o%27_war

  42. acanthaster-solaris

    animal.lookalikes

    WasOther crown-of-thorns species (A. planci in the northern Indian Ocean, A. mauritiensis in the western Indian Ocean, A. benziei in the Red Sea) are separated by range and genetics. No other reef starfish is as spiny.

    NowOther crown-of-thorns species (A. planci in the northern Indian Ocean, A. mauritiensis in the southern Indian Ocean, A. benziei in the Red Sea) are separated by range and genetics. No other reef starfish is as spiny.

    link.springer.com/10.1007/s00227-023-04355-5

  43. WasAbout 2–5 cm

    NowAbout 3–6 cm (females); males smaller

    en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Euperipatoides_rowelli

  44. WasIn Sindhi folklore the bhulan was once a woman, turned into a dolphin after she was cursed by a saint, so fishermen traditionally avoided harming it. WWF-Pakistan's dolphin rescue programme has freed stranded animals from irrigation canals since 1992.

    NowIn Sindhi folklore the bhulan was once a woman, turned into a blind dolphin after she was cursed by a holy man. Since 1992 the Sindh Wildlife Department and WWF-Pakistan have run a programme rescuing dolphins stranded in irrigation canals.

    journal.iwc.int/index.php/jcrm/article/download/349/665/4806dawn.com/news/1881224

  45. WasFoxes and jackals play the cunning roles in the Panchatantra and Jataka tales. The species was described from Bengal in 1797, hence the name, though it is now rare there.

    NowFoxes and jackals play the cunning roles in the Panchatantra and Jataka tales. The species was described by George Shaw in 1800, hence the name, though it is now rare there.

    en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bengal_fox

  46. WasThe blackbuck is the only living member of the genus Antilope, the group that gave all antelopes their name.

    NowThe blackbuck is the only living member of the genus Antilope, the genus that gives the antelope subfamily Antilopinae its name.

    en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blackbuck

  47. WasThe Mughal emperor Jahangir recorded hunting nilgai in his memoir, the Jahangirnama, and his court painter Ustad Mansur painted the animal from life. Its association with the sacred cow has long protected it, though Bihar declared it vermin in 2016 to allow culling.

    NowThe Mughal emperor Jahangir recorded hunting nilgai in his memoir, the Jahangirnama, and his court painter Ustad Mansur painted the animal from life. Its association with the sacred cow has long protected it, though India's environment ministry declared it vermin in Bihar in December 2015 to allow culling.

    downtoearth.org.in/amp/story/wildlife-biodiversity/sc-refuses-to-stay-

  48. WasEuropean naturalists first classified it as a kind of sloth, based on its claws and hanging habits; the name stuck.

    NowEuropean naturalists first classified it as a kind of sloth, naming it Bradypus ursinus in 1791 on the strength of its long curved claws and missing upper incisors; the name 'sloth bear' stuck.

    en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sloth_bear

  49. WasKubera, Hindu god of wealth, and the Buddhist Jambhala are depicted holding a mongoose that spits jewels. The Panchatantra tells of a loyal mongoose killed by a Brahmin who mistook the blood of a slain snake for that of his baby; Kipling's Rikki-Tikki-Tavi is the same species.

    NowKubera, Hindu god of wealth, and the Buddhist Jambhala are depicted holding a mongoose that spits jewels. The Panchatantra tells of a loyal mongoose killed by a Brahmin who mistook the blood of a slain snake for that of his baby; Kipling's Rikki-Tikki-Tavi is usually taken to be this species.

    kiplingsociety.co.uk/tale/rikki-tikki-tavi.htm

  50. Was["Toothless; a sticky tongue longer than its head and body together reaches deep into termite galleries", "Rolls into a tight ball, protected by sharp-edged scales, when threatened", "Digs burrows several metres long with powerful foreclaws", "Can close its nostrils and ears against biting ants"]

    Now["Toothless; a sticky tongue about 40 cm long, extending some 25 cm from the mouth, reaches deep into termite galleries", "Rolls into a tight ball, protected by sharp-edged scales, when threatened", "Digs burrows several metres long with powerful foreclaws", "Can close its nostrils and ears against biting ants"]

    animaldiversity.org/accounts/Manis_crassicaudata/

  51. WasA suit of armour made from Indian pangolin scales was presented to King George III in 1820 and is now in the Royal Armouries collection. Demand for its scales in traditional Chinese medicine, which have no proven medicinal effect, drives most poaching.

    NowA suit of armour made from Indian pangolin scales was presented to King George III in 1820 by the Marquess of Hastings and is now displayed at the Royal Armouries in Leeds. Demand for its scales in traditional Chinese medicine, which have no proven medicinal effect, drives most poaching.

    en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pangolin_trade

  52. WasIndia's only ape, a long-armed gibbon of the forests of northeast India, Bangladesh and western Myanmar that swings through the canopy by its arms. Pairs greet each morning with loud duets that carry kilometres through the hills. Its range has shrunk sharply with forest clearance.

    NowOne of India's two apes (with the eastern hoolock), a long-armed gibbon of the forests of northeast India, Bangladesh and western Myanmar that swings through the canopy by its arms. Pairs greet each morning with loud duets that carry kilometres through the hills. Its range has shrunk sharply with forest clearance.

    en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eastern_hoolock_gibbon

  53. WasHoolocks have 38 chromosomes, more than other gibbons, which is one reason they were placed in their own genus, Hoolock, in 2005.

    NowHoolocks have 38 chromosomes, the fewest of any gibbon (others have 44–52), which is one reason they were placed in their own genus, Hoolock, in 2005.

    en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gibbon

  54. WasThe largest land animal in Asia, a forest elephant that has worked, fought and worshipped alongside people for more than 4,000 years. Fewer than about 50,000 remain in 13 countries, roughly 60% in India, increasingly squeezed into fragmented forest where conflict with farmers kills both people and elephants.

    NowThe largest land animal in Asia, a forest elephant that has worked, fought and worshipped alongside people for more than 4,000 years. Fewer than about 50,000 remain in 13 countries, the largest share in India, increasingly squeezed into fragmented forest where conflict with farmers kills both people and elephants.

    ruralindiaonline.org/en/library/resource/status-of-elephants-in-india-

  55. WasThe most adaptable big cat, found from the Cape to the Russian Far East and from rainforest to desert and the edges of Mumbai. A stealthy, solitary hunter, it is strong enough to drag prey heavier than itself up into trees. It has lost much of its historic range, and several subspecies are critically endangered.

    NowThe most adaptable big cat, found from the Cape to the Russian Far East and from rainforest to desert and the edges of Mumbai. A stealthy, solitary hunter, it is strong enough to drag prey heavier than itself up into trees. It has lost much of its historic range, and some subspecies, such as the Amur and Arabian leopards, are critically endangered.

    en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leopard

  56. WasBelize's Cockscomb Basin, declared in 1984 and expanded in 1986, was the world's first protected area set aside for jaguars.

    NowBelize's Cockscomb Basin, made a no-hunting forest reserve in 1984 and a wildlife sanctuary in 1986, is widely credited as the world's first protected area set aside for jaguars.

    amnh.org/learn-teach/curriculum-collections/biodiversity-crisis/the-bi

  57. WasTradition holds that the Inca city of Cusco was laid out in the shape of a puma, with Sacsayhuamán as its head. In the Andes 'Puma' was a royal honorific.

    NowTradition holds that the Inca city of Cusco was laid out in the shape of a puma, with Sacsayhuamán as its head.

    en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cougar

  58. WasReindeer herding has defined Sámi culture for centuries, and Nenets herders of the Yamal peninsula still migrate with their herds over 1,000 km a year. Clement Moore's 1823 poem 'A Visit from St. Nicholas' gave Santa his flying reindeer.

    NowReindeer herding has defined Sámi culture for centuries, and Nenets herders of the Yamal peninsula still migrate with their herds over 1,000 km a year. A single reindeer first pulled Santa's sleigh in the 1821 poem 'Old Santeclaus with Much Delight'; 'A Visit from St. Nicholas' (1823, attributed to Clement Clarke Moore) raised the team to eight and named them.

    en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Old_Santeclaus_with_Much_Delight

  59. WasAn acrobatic baleen whale with enormous wing-like flippers, known for breaching, bubble-net feeding and the most complex songs of any animal besides birds. After commercial whaling ended, most populations have recovered strongly. It migrates thousands of kilometres between cold feeding grounds and tropical breeding grounds every year.

    NowAn acrobatic baleen whale with enormous wing-like flippers, known for breaching, bubble-net feeding and some of the most complex songs in the animal kingdom. After commercial whaling ended, most populations have recovered strongly. It migrates thousands of kilometres between cold feeding grounds and tropical breeding grounds every year.

    smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/songs-from-the-deep-16936683/

  60. megaptera-novaeangliae

    animal.whereToSee

    WasHervey Bay (Queensland); Maui (Hawaii); Vava'u (Tonga); Silver Bank (Dominican Republic); Stellwagen Bank (Massachusetts); Monterey Bay (California); Juneau (Alaska); Húsavík (Iceland); Musandam and Masirah (Oman) for Arabian Sea whales

    NowHervey Bay (Queensland); Maui (Hawaii); Vava'u (Tonga); Silver Bank (Dominican Republic); Stellwagen Bank (Massachusetts); Monterey Bay (California); Juneau (Alaska); Húsavík (Iceland); Gulf of Masirah and the Dhofar coast (Oman) for Arabian Sea whales

    journal.iwc.int/index.php/jcrm/article/view/329

  61. Was["Uses tusks up to about 1 m long as ice picks to haul out — 'Odobenus' means 'tooth-walker'", "Hundreds of stiff, sensitive whiskers detect clams in seafloor mud", "Produces powerful suction that pulls clam bodies from their shells, and jets water to dig them out", "Can slow its heart rate and stay under for 20–30 minutes"]

    Now["Uses tusks up to about 1 m long as ice picks to haul out — 'Odobenus' means 'tooth-walker'", "Hundreds of stiff, sensitive whiskers detect clams in seafloor mud", "Produces powerful suction that pulls clam bodies from their shells, and jets water to dig them out", "Can slow its heart rate on dives; most feeding dives last under 10 minutes, though dives of about 25 minutes have been recorded"]

    seaworld.org/animals/all-about/walrus/adaptations/

  62. WasAbout 15 years in the wild; to 25 in captivity

    NowAbout 15 years in the wild; over 30 in captivity

    independent.com/2014/03/14/giant-anteater-born-santa-barbara-zoo/

  63. lemur-catta

    animal.fieldMarks

    Was["Long black-and-white ringed tail (13–14 white rings) held up like a flag when walking", "Grey back and paler underside", "White face with black eye-patches and a dark nose", "Signs: troops on the ground and rocks; scent marks on saplings"]

    Now["Long black-and-white ringed tail (about 13 alternating black and white bands) held up like a flag when walking", "Grey back and paler underside", "White face with black eye-patches and a dark nose", "Signs: troops on the ground and rocks; scent marks on saplings"]

    ielc.libguides.com/sdzg/factsheets/ringtailedlemur/characteristics

  64. WasStudies suggest ring-tailed lemurs may have fallen to around 2,000–2,400 in the wild by 2016, fewer than in some zoo populations.

    NowSurveys published in 2016–2017 counted only about 2,000–2,400 ring-tailed lemurs at the sites studied, raising fears the wild population had crashed; the true total is debated because many sites remain unsurveyed.

    news.mongabay.com/2017/06/ring-tailed-lemurs-down-by-95-percent-maybe-

  65. desmodus-rotundus

    animal.lifespan

    WasUp to about 20 years in captivity; about 9 in the wild

    NowUp to about 29 years in captivity; about 9 in the wild

    placentation.ucsd.edu/vampirebat.htm

  66. desmodus-rotundus

    animal.behaviour

    WasLeaves the roost after full darkness, often avoiding bright moonlight. Drinks up to about its own weight in blood in 20–30 minutes.

    NowLeaves the roost after full darkness, often avoiding bright moonlight. Drinks about half its own body weight in blood in a 20–30 minute feed.

    science.umd.edu/faculty/wilkinson/honr278c/Sppaccts/D_rotundus_Kolski.

  67. WasThe Hispaniolan solenodon was described by Johann Friedrich Brandt in 1833 from a skull, and was so unusual it was named 'paradoxus'. It was reassessed from Endangered to Least Concern in 2020 as surveys showed it to be more widespread than feared.

    NowThe Hispaniolan solenodon was described by Johann Friedrich Brandt in 1833 from a specimen sent from Haiti, and was so unusual it was named 'paradoxus'. Long listed as Endangered, it was downlisted to Least Concern by the IUCN in 2020 as surveys showed it to be more widespread than feared.

    en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hispaniolan_solenodon

medicinal.json

Entries checked: 59. Changes: 23 (in 19 entries).

  1. Was"Flat flower umbels" (yarrow has corymbs, not umbels)

    Now"Flat-topped flower clusters (corymbs)"

    en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Achillea_millefolium

  2. Salix alba

    abilities

    Wascatkins "give pollen and nectar to bees in late winter" (S. alba flowers with the leaves in spring)

    Now"Catkins, opening with the leaves in spring, give early pollen and nectar"

    en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Salix_alba

  3. Was"Hyperforin and hypericin give clinically measurable antidepressant effects" (credits the trial results to two compounds)

    Now"Extracts containing hyperforin and hypericin outperform placebo for mild to moderate depression in clinical trials"

    en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hypericum_perforatum

  4. WasGattefossé "coined the word aromathérapie in 1937"

    Now"popularised the word aromathérapie with his 1937 book of that name" (the word's first appearance in print was the 1937 book)

    en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aromatherapy

  5. Was"Commercial distilling began at Mitcham, Surrey, in the 1750s" (date applies to growing, not distilling)

    Now"Commercial growing began at Mitcham, Surrey, in the mid-18th century"

    en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peppermint

  6. Was"chromosome count (about 72)" (recorded counts are 66, 72, 84 and 120)

    Nowirregular counts from 66 to 120, a legacy of its hybrid origin

    en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peppermint

  7. WasBower Manuscript "4th–6th centuries CE … opens with a legend of garlic's origin"

    Now"late 5th or early 6th century CE found near Kucha, opens with a treatise on garlic that tells the legend of its origin"

    en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bower_Manuscript

  8. Was"comfrey from the Latin conferva, 'to join'" plus an unverifiable Gerard quotation ('ruptures and broken bones')

    Now"from the Latin confervere, 'to boil together' or heal. Its old English name knitbone records its traditional use on fractures"

    en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Symphytum_officinale

  9. Wasglycyrrhizin "around fifty times sweeter"

    Now"30–50 times sweeter"

    en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Liquorice

  10. Was"about 50 times sweeter than sucrose"

    Now"about 30–50 times"

    en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Liquorice

  11. Was"In about 1804 … Sertürner isolated morphine" (he began in 1804, his 1805 paper did not describe it as morphine, and he reported success in 1817)

    Now"Between 1804 and 1817 … isolated and described morphine, which he named morphium"

    en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Friedrich_Sert%C3%BCrner

  12. Was"The Scots in 1035 reportedly poisoned an invading Danish army with dwale-laced drink" (the date is unsupported, the sources disagree on the enemy and the plant's identity is uncertain)

    Nowa Scottish chronicle tradition retold by Buchanan, an 11th century with no exact year, "a sleep-inducing nightshade, often identified as belladonna", probably legend

    en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Atropa_belladonna

  13. Was"Thyme oil was used as a wound antiseptic in WWI, when other antiseptics ran short" (backwards: it was thymol that ran short)

    Now"When the First World War cut off German supplies, thymol ran short just as it was urgently needed for … wounds, and new production started in Britain and India"

    botanical.com/botanical/mgmh/t/thygar16.html

  14. Was"widely used during both World Wars" (stated as fact without a source)

    Now"It is reported to have been used in Britain during the World Wars…"

    en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Valerian_(herb

  15. Was"Roots are up to a third mucilage" (no supporting figure found)

    Now"Roots are rich in mucilage"

    en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Althaea_officinalis

  16. WasNE (the GBIF name match failed because of the "(L.) Wettst." authority)

    NowLC (IUCN 2013 assessment e.T164168A17722668)

    en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bacopa_monnieriapi.gbif.org/v1/species/search?datasetKey=19491596-35ae-4a91-9a98-85cf

  17. WasAkrotiri fresco shows "women and a monkey collecting crocus stigmas"

    Now"women gathering crocus stigmas and a monkey presenting saffron to a goddess"

    en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saffron

  18. Wasvinblastine "is now made semi-synthetically from its more plentiful precursors" (unsupported: it is still extracted from the plant, and semi-synthesis is still being developed; vinorelbine is the semi-synthetic one)

    Nowtrace yields, "about 1 g from 500 kg … is often quoted", chemists have long worked on making it from catharanthine and vindoline

    en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vinblastineen.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catharanthus_roseus

  19. Was"Wall and Wani isolated paclitaxel in 1971" (they isolated it in 1966 and published in 1971)

    Now"isolated paclitaxel in 1966 and published its structure in 1971"

    en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paclitaxel

  20. Was"bark of about three 100-year-old trees" per patient (figure not supported)

    Now"the bark of several mature trees"

    en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paclitaxel

  21. Tinospora cordifolia

    medicinal.cautions

    Was"Some products may have been confused with … Tinospora crispa" (this repeats the AYUSH ministry's defence, which investigators did not support, and so understates the risk)

    NowAYUSH blamed T. crispa, "but investigators linked the injury to T. cordifolia itself, which is now among the most reported causes of herb-induced liver injury in India"

    en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tinospora_cordifolia

  22. Pelargonium sidoides

    medicinal.cautions

    Was"Cochrane review found low-quality evidence that it shortens bronchitis and sinusitis symptoms"

    Nowevidence rated low quality, "nearly all trials came from the manufacturer; the EU registers it only on the basis of traditional use"

    en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pelargonium_sidoidesema.europa.eu/en/medicines/herbal/pelargonii-radix

  23. Pelargonium sidoides

    medicinal.cautions

    Was"Not for children under one year" (the EU monograph sets the minimum age at 6)

    Now"The EU monograph restricts it to ages 6 and over; avoid in pregnancy"

    ema.europa.eu/en/medicines/herbal/pelargonii-radix