Illustration by Arnie Bermudez

Things you always never wanted to know

· Nose prints are used to identify dogs in the same way fingerprints are used to identify human beings. Breeders and trainers keep a dog's nose prints on file as part of its permanent record, and insurance companies require them whenever a dog is to be bonded. At one time, paw prints were used for canine identification, but these proved less accurate than noses.

· The starfish is the only animal capable of turning its stomach inside-out. As it approaches its prey (usually a member of the mollusk family), the starfish reverses its viscera, protrudes them through its mouth, and projects them under the shell of its victim. Then, it slowly devours the fleshy underparts of the helpless mollusk by a process of absorption.

· In the Greek monastery of Mount Athos, nothing female is allowed. Men can enter but not women; roosters but no hens; horses but no mares; bulls but no cows. The border is patrolled by armed guards to ensure that nothing feminine passes the gates. It has been this way for more than 700 years.

· Geoffrey Hudson, a famous dwarf at the 17th century court of Charles II of England, stood 3 feet high and enjoyed entertaining the king by popping out of large pastries. Hudson once fought a duel against a full-sized man for a full-sized woman and won.

· The town of Modesto, Calif., was named in honor of its founders, who were too "modest" to name it after themselves. The town of Tarzana, Calif., is named for the fictional character Tarzan, having been the home for many years of Edgar Rice Burroughs, creator of the Tarzan saga.

- Compiled by Jill Holt