Animals

[jimmy jazz]

Not the Pink Floyd album. The things that make life so enjoyable.

What are your favourites? What kind of animals do you see in your country or town?

Recently I saw a video of a cow showjumping like a horse and I just wanted to hug it, and I am trying to befriend a local fox by feeding it.

I like many animals but the one thing I cannot stand is rats.

What about you?

[robhr]

I'm a cat guy but I love all the animals. Love dogs the second most. My favourite cat breed is a long haired tuxedo and my favourite dog breed is golden retriever.

One of our neighbours is always letting their dog run around the neighbourhood. It's a little unnerving when he runs up to you, he's a big dog, but he's pretty friendly.

[Guybrush]

I like many animals but the one thing I cannot stand is rats.

I love rats. They are the greatest pets really smart, cute, cuddly (especially older boys) and aggression towards handlers is rare. They're like kind little bean bag people.

Other than that, I've been fascinated with animals for most of my life, which is more or less why I became a biologist (I'm more zoologist than botanist or mycologist). What fascinates me most in general is marine or terrestrial invertebrates like ribbon worms or sea slugs, tapeworms or insects.

From a theoretical point of view, I find the megacolony forming species of ants to be interesting (me and jwb discussed them at length on MB).

[Trollheart]

Cats for me duh, though I also love dogs. I think foxes are cool and man if I could have a wolf for a pet! Like badgers too and quite a lot into birds, mostly crows and magpies but it's great to watch little sparrows and starlings flit around the feeder. I've seen many feeding their young by bringing up the seed to them as they're too young to be able to get it themselves. That is so cool. Got to love sharks too, and alligators/crocodiles. And dinosaurs. Oh. Wait. Well anyway, most animals really. Donkeys are also great.

[jimmy jazz]

I like many animals but the one thing I cannot stand is rats.

I love rats. They are the greatest pets really smart, cute, cuddly (especially older boys) and aggression towards handlers is rare. They're like kind little bean

Should have been clear, I mean street rats. I did have a fancy rat for a pet when I was a child and he was great. But street rags are something else. Absolutely terrified of them. In summer I sometimes see them in the garden in the daytime and I try to befriend the local cats so that they patrol the garden.

[Guybrush]

I like many animals but the one thing I cannot stand is rats.

I love rats. They are the greatest pets really smart, cute, cuddly (especially older boys) and aggression towards handlers is rare. They're like kind little bean

Should have been clear, I mean street rats. I did have a fancy rat for a pet when I was a child and he was great. But street rags are something else. Absolutely terrified of them. In summer I sometimes see them in the garden in the daytime and I try to befriend the local cats so that they patrol the garden.

Yes, I put pet rats in that special category of pets that easily become very tame, like cats and dogs. They really stand apart from other pets their size, I think. Of course being extensively bred for safe handling in the lab helps a lot.

We've had quite a few rats and also took care of a wild one turned pet once. All I remember now is they'd found her at a shopping mall and decided to take her for some reason?

She was unusual in that she'd give you a nip if you showed any hesitation when picking her up etc. As long as you were confident and clear in your intentions, she was fine.

[robhr]

I like many animals but the one thing I cannot stand is rats.

I love rats. They are the greatest pets really smart, cute, cuddly (especially older boys) and aggression towards handlers is rare. They're like kind little bean

Should have been clear, I mean street rats. I did have a fancy rat for a pet when I was a child and he was great. But street rags are something else. Absolutely terrified of them. In summer I sometimes see them in the garden in the daytime and I try to befriend the local cats so that they patrol the garden.

Yes, I put pet rats in that special category of pets that easily become very tame, like cats and dogs. They really stand apart from other pets their size, I think. Of course being extensively bred for safe handling in the lab helps a lot.

We've had quite a few rats and also took care of a wild one turned pet once. All I remember now is they'd found her at a shopping mall and decided to take her for some reason?

She was unusual in that she'd give you a nip if you showed any hesitation when picking her up etc. As long as you were confident and clear in your intentions, she was fine.

Yeah I've noticed that about animals, if you have any fear near them they feel threatened. When I was little I got scared of a dog being walked in the other direction and he nipped me.

[Lexi Darling]

https://imgur.com/a/wAEQjzA

If you'll allow me to gush about my own animals...

This is my darling Lucyfur, who passed away last year after 14 years of being a perfect angel. I've had cats all my life and she was the softest, most loving kitty I've ever had the privilege of knowing. Her meowing had a unique staccato sound, not unlike what a dolphin sounds like. I got her in college on a complete random impulse to go to the pet store. It was destiny, or something. I still miss you every day, my angel Lucy.

[Guybrush]

^Cute cat, Lady Also love the name!

I found a way to break ChatGPT today. It's easy! Just ask it about the evolution of megacolonies in ants.



You may be able to break your entomology professor by asking the same question.

[Trollheart]

You realise of course this was not an error? You unwittingly stumbled across one of the most closely-guarded secrets of the insect world, and while, when they are ready, they will deal with you and ensure you are no threat to their new world order, they're not quite there yet. So they shut the system down.

[Trollheart]

https://imgur.com/a/wAEQjzA

If you'll allow me to gush about my own animals...

This is my darling Lucyfur, who passed away last year after 14 years of being a perfect angel. I've had cats all my life and she was the softest, most loving kitty I've ever had the privilege of knowing. Her meowing had a unique staccato sound, not unlike what a dolphin sounds like. I got her in college on a complete random impulse to go to the pet store. It was destiny, or something. I still miss you every day, my angel Lucy.

Beautiful cat, and such a cool name! You do, by the way, know you can embed the image? Click the icon above, beside the YouTube one, or just use the usual [img] tags, same as in MB.Terribly sorry for your loss; Eddie, the last of the Three Amigos, passed two years ago. He beat the odds and lasted longer than his brother and sister, but eventually cancer took him down. We miss him like crazy, but he lives on in our imaginary make-believe world, as do Ritchie and Millie.

[Janszoon]

I love raccoons, but I also hate them for being totally inconsiderate assholes. God damn them and their soft, fluffy fur, adorable little built-in domino masks, and cute little black gloved hands. 

[Guybrush]

^Yeah, I wish we had 🦝 here.

[Lexi Darling]

Beautiful cat, and such a cool name! You do, by the way, know you can embed the image? Click the icon above, beside the YouTube one, or just use the usual [img] tags, same as in MB.Terribly sorry for your loss; Eddie, the last of the Three Amigos, passed two years ago. He beat the odds and lasted longer than his brother and sister, but eventually cancer took him down. We miss him like crazy, but he lives on in our imaginary make-believe world, as do Ritchie and Millie.

Thank you! I lost my Lucy to cancer as well, it came on very suddenly and she was suffering greatly. I have a ton of pictures and memories of her thankfully. Sorry for your loss as well. I actually tried to embed that image but the preview wasn't showing it for some reason.

I love raccoons, but I also hate them for being totally inconsiderate assholes. God damn them and their soft, fluffy fur, adorable little built-in domino masks, and cute little black gloved hands. 

I kid you not, one night about six years ago I went into my living room to close the blinds and saw a gang of about seven raccoons just standing there on their hind legs, completely motionless. It was the weirdest thing.

[Janszoon]

I kid you not, one night about six years ago I went into my living room to close the blinds and saw a gang of about seven raccoons just standing there on their hind legs, completely motionless. It was the weirdest thing.

Beware the cult of the trash panda.