[UA] Cultures in animals
James O'Rance
jorance at hotmail.com
Tue Jun 12 04:58:20 PDT 2001
"Nick Wedig" <mrteapot at disinfo.net> said:
>>>
>Um, why are platypodes hermaphrodites? The females lay eggs and...what?
They're a combination of two separate things, specifically a mammal and a
bird.<<<
Well, not really. That's a very simplistic view of the platypus - their
"birdlike" qualities (a bill and egg-laying reproduction) are more reptilian
than anything else. Males have a poisonous talon on their hindclaws, which
is certainly not birdlike. Otherwise I guess they'd be a lot like otters
(never seen an otter, though).
For those who have never seen a platypus, they are surprisingly beautiful
animals.
How would the other two species of monotremes (two types of echidna)
associate with the Mystic Hermaphrodite? Echidnas are spiny little balls of
ant-eating fun that also lay eggs. They're somewhat more comon than
platypuses (had an echidna wander into my school when I was a kid) and
unlike the poisonous-taloned platypus, pretty much harmless.
Cheers,
James ORance
Divine being creates petting zoo. It gets out of hand.
- The Bible (summarised by John W. Mangrum)
http://www.geocities.com/dragon-dreamer/
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