Good Question – Reply All: Sleeping Dogs, Fall Towns & Cold Records
MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) - Riley, the Heine family's English setter, can sleep anywhere, anytime.
So, that had Karen from Edina wanting to know: Why do dogs sleep so much?
According to Dr. Travis with Uptown Veterinarians, dogs have natural circadian rhythms, like humans.
He says some dogs sleep far more than others, and are influenced by their owners' schedules.
He also points out that dogs in the wild are scavengers who must hunt for food. When they aren't hunting, they use rest to conserve energy.
______
Marissa from Hampton asked: How many Minnesota towns have Falls in the name? And why are there so many?
According to the U.S. Census, there are 12 towns in Minnesota with "Falls" in the name: Big, Cannon, Fergus, Granite, Hanley, International, Little, Red Lake, Redwood, Taylors, Thief River and Zumbro.
Each of these towns is situated along rivers. According to University of Minnesota history professor Steven Ruggles, towns were built next to waterfalls to take advantage of water power.
And according to the folks from Red Lake Falls, that town got its name due to the large elevation drop from Red Lake to Crookston.
______
Nikki asked: Who holds the record for the coldest day?
Just this month in Minnesota, we reached minus 40 on Jan. 6 in Babbitt, Brimson and Embarrass.
But Minnesota's record still stands from Feb. 1996 in Tower, Minn., when the mercury fell to minus 60.
The coldest recorded temperature on Earth was in Antarctica in 1983, when it dipped to a mind-blowing minus 128.5 degrees!
