Here is the iconic electric eel

Today I want to write about one of the most unusual animals in the world, the electric eel.

Here are five interesting facts about them:

1. They are able to produce very powerful electrical currents that have been measured at 600 volts, which is enough to kill an adult if they are silly enough to try to pick them up.  They use this electricity to kill their prey.
2. Despite their name, electric eels aren’t actually eels, but are more closely related to knifefish and catfish.
3. They can grow to up to 2.5 metres long and weigh up to 20 kg.
4. At breeding time, the males will make a nest out of saliva and then the females will lay up to 17,000 eggs.
5. They live in very muddy rivers in the Amazon and Orinoco regions of South America.  They get most of their oxygen from gulping air at the surface.

I hope that you found these facts interesting and learned something new.

Are there any other interesting facts that you would like to share about electric eels?