Oct 25 2011

Mary’s Monday Metazoan: Here. Have one.

Categories:

Organisms

by PZ Myers

(Also on Sb)

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28 comments

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1

Glen Davidson

25 October 2011 at 1:51 am (UTC -5) Link to this comment

Petting the rodent gives a different meaning to “quill in hand.”

Leave it to the Mythbusters, if they dare.

Glen Davidson
2

peterh

25 October 2011 at 1:57 am (UTC -5) Link to this comment

While grouse hunting the past few days I’ve met the same porcupine three times. Browner & shorter legged than the one pictured above. Most interesting critters.
3

frankb

25 October 2011 at 1:58 am (UTC -5) Link to this comment

These critters are going to be endangered if every MRA, creotard, and GOP candidate gets one and shoves it where the sun don’t shine.
4

paulcoddington

25 October 2011 at 2:05 am (UTC -5) Link to this comment

Trying to give them up? Have a hedgehog instead – they’re milder.
5

otrame

25 October 2011 at 2:10 am (UTC -5) Link to this comment

No, no. We use only porcupines that died natural deaths after a long and fruitful life. That’s why they are decaying.
6

peterh

25 October 2011 at 2:15 am (UTC -5) Link to this comment

I’ll wager a road-kill armadillo would serve if porcupines can’t be found.
7

Monado, FCD

25 October 2011 at 2:41 am (UTC -5) Link to this comment

I’ve only seen dead ones on the road. You’re lucky to be seeing a live one.
8

ZenDruid

25 October 2011 at 3:02 am (UTC -5) Link to this comment

The ugly little bastard is having a serious bad hair day.
9

chigau (meh)

25 October 2011 at 3:09 am (UTC -5) Link to this comment

Ugly???
aawwww
cute babby
kawaiiii
10

J Bowen

25 October 2011 at 3:14 am (UTC -5) Link to this comment

You do it to yourself…
11

J Bowen

25 October 2011 at 3:20 am (UTC -5) Link to this comment

…and that’s why it really hurts.
12

Glen Davidson

25 October 2011 at 3:23 am (UTC -5) Link to this comment

So, soon a photo of a rusty knife?

Glen Davidson
13

Makita

25 October 2011 at 3:26 am (UTC -5) Link to this comment

Isn’t it adorable? Don’t you just want to hug it? I do.
14

Glen Davidson

25 October 2011 at 3:32 am (UTC -5) Link to this comment

Don’t you just want to hug it?

No, the hominoid brain evolved for situations such as these.

I would like to hug a baby, though.

Glen Davidson
15

The Ys

25 October 2011 at 4:01 am (UTC -5) Link to this comment

It’s cute and bears a striking resemblance to Londo Mollari.

http://images.wikia.com/babylon5/images/2/23/Londo_motfl.jpg
16

David

25 October 2011 at 4:11 am (UTC -5) Link to this comment

Here’s an Alaska one:

https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/YngebwQLAtR4ADYJ7imo9g?feat=directlink
17

A3Kr0n

25 October 2011 at 4:36 am (UTC -5) Link to this comment

WTF? It’s Monday already?
18

Autumn

25 October 2011 at 4:54 am (UTC -5) Link to this comment

Well, it’s already sideways, but a bit too alive for suppositorial use.
19

beethovenfangirl

25 October 2011 at 7:22 am (UTC -5) Link to this comment

The Ys:

You win.
20

Samantha Vimes, Chalkboard Monitor

25 October 2011 at 8:10 am (UTC -5) Link to this comment

Sadly, yes, I do want to hug it. But I know better.
I also want to feed the neighborhood racoons and hug them. Also not a good idea.
Impulse control. It’s a good thing.
21

ChasCPeterson

25 October 2011 at 12:13 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment

I knew some porcupines once, subjects of a digestion study. They are skilled escape artists. And they stink.
22

Megan

25 October 2011 at 12:56 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment

Somewhere, there is a very disappointed dog.
23

peterh

25 October 2011 at 2:02 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment

@ Megan,

Perhaps not. Some dogs learn from a single porcupine encounter, others never seem to get the idea.

Like skunks, porcupines can make good pets – IF you know what you’re doing. I’ll just take it as read . . . .
24

mothra

25 October 2011 at 3:21 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment

A snoot full of porcupine quills: Once, while light trapping for moths out in the middle of nowhere (North Dakota Sandhills) a significantly drunk hunter drove up with his afflicted dog. He asked for a pliers to remove the quills and gave us each a beer (miller beer). He was a happy drunk, which is why I can relate the story.
25

nazani14

25 October 2011 at 3:25 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment

They are quite cute, they have a gait I can only describe as “toddling.”
26

ThorGoLucky

25 October 2011 at 4:27 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment

Take two. They’re small.
27

'Tis Himself, OM

25 October 2011 at 7:41 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment

Here. Have one.

That one’s no good. It hasn’t even started to decay.
28

The Ys

25 October 2011 at 9:07 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment

@ beethovenfangirl

You win.

Squee! Do I win my very own Centauri porcupine? *hopeful look*