Unpopular and Maligned Animals

kannon · 12-09-2011, 01:40 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by The JD

The Black Plague, however....lol. I know, I know, technically, it was the fleas on the rats that spread the plague that killed half of Europe. But still.

I used to have pet rats, loved them. Flea-less pet rats, that is.

there was a case of bubonic or black plague in the the US just last year.

VERY important to deflea your rats.

They do have antibiotics to treat it but you have to catch it within 24 hours or so.

I love rats too.

Apocalipstic · 12-09-2011, 01:44 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kannon

there was a case of bubonic or black plague in the the US just last year.

VERY important to deflea your rats.

They do have antibiotics to treat it but you have to catch it within 24 hours or so.

I love rats too.

Prarie dogs carry it.
I am fascinated by Bubonic Plague and other infection deseases like Leprosy, Tuberculosis, Polio, etc....

RiverBoi · 12-09-2011, 03:19 PM

Bats would fit into this category. I personally think that they are kinda cute.

AND I love the fact that they eat mosquito's (which is a WONDERFUL friend to have in the south) Bat's eat around 250,000 pounds of insects a night. I suppose many people are scared of them due to rabies or Ozzy lol. I haven't heard of a rabid bat swarm, targeting humans however.

http://articles.latimes.com/1994-02-...17_1_bat-house

kannon · 12-09-2011, 03:25 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by RiverBoi

Bats would fit into this category. I personally think that they are kinda cute.

AND I love the fact that they eat mosquito's (which is a WONDERFUL friend to have in the south) Bat's eat around 250,000 pounds of insects a night. I suppose many people are scared of them due to rabies or Ozzy lol. I haven't heard of a rabid bat swarm, targeting humans however.

http://articles.latimes.com/1994-02-...17_1_bat-house

All I can think of is the 250,000 lbs of bat poop.

I wonder how easy it is to train bats?

dixie · 12-09-2011, 03:32 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ElijahRene

However, this is interesting...

http://ethiovision.com/hyenas-not-a-...r-in-ethiopia/

I think they're cute. And they laugh. Makes them one of my favorites.

Quote:

Originally Posted by The JD

There's a possum that lives in my back yard... we cross paths occasionally, since we're both active at night. Freaks me out every time- it reared up and hissed at me once, and I was the one who nearly played dead. I know I should feel more fondly toward North America's only marsupial, but they're just so....mismatched.

They get a bad rap on the rabies thing too. Though they *can* carry rabies, it's not very likely- their body temp is too low.

I love possums, although it hurts like hell when they bite. I have one chubby possum and two huge skunks that have hung around my house for so many years that I now feed all three, and just hang out on the porch with them. I posted about how I accidentally tried petting the skunk instead of my cat last night when I was distracted and not really paying attention to what was standing beside my leg. They are pretty tame now, but I'm not sure if they are pet-able quite yet...lol The skunks are not big fans of the possum though, and usually bully him around a bit. Especially if there are sausage balls involved. lol I also used to have a couple raccoons, but they have been gone for a while.

Quote:

Originally Posted by ButchEire

I have pet rats and I highly recommend them for friends looking for a first small pet for their kids. Rats are FAR less likely to bite than gerbils or hamsters and they are clean and playful. I've had every type of (legal) pet out there and rats are surprisingly high on my love list. I even leave their cage door open because they wander a bit on the top and sides but NEVER leave the immediate cage area. Very smart, sweet pets!

I used to have pet mice and rats when I was a kid too. They are very sweet.

Quote:

Originally Posted by RiverBoi

Bats would fit into this category. I personally think that they are kinda cute.

AND I love the fact that they eat mosquito's (which is a WONDERFUL friend to have in the south) Bat's eat around 250,000 pounds of insects a night. I suppose many people are scared of them due to rabies or Ozzy lol. I haven't heard of a rabid bat swarm, targeting humans however.

http://articles.latimes.com/1994-02-...17_1_bat-house

I must admit they are kinda cute too, although they do freak me out when they buzz my head during my late night smoking outside...lol

kannon · 12-09-2011, 03:35 PM

ruby_woo · 12-09-2011, 03:46 PM

The idea of rats with fleas makes me want to curl into the fetal position.

I saw a picture of something once called Rat King and I was honestly on edge for days.

Story time:

When I was about 8 or so, there was a weird scratching behind my bed at night. I told my mom, and she assumed it was probably a mouse or something (it was a pretty rural area). Later on, I discovered, there was a hole the size of a fist behind my bed, my mom freaked and got it closed up asap. She told me a few years later that not longer after that she saw a giant rat (she said it was chihuahua size, but who knows) in our garage. Thus the dislike and fear of rats began.

The JD · 12-09-2011, 04:23 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ruby_woo

Later on, I discovered, there was a hole the size of a fist behind my bed, my mom freaked and got it closed up asap. She told me a few years later that not longer after that she saw a giant rat (she said it was chihuahua size, but who knows) in our garage.

Maybe it was really a chihuahua.

always2late · 12-11-2011, 11:37 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kannon

Adorable!! I LOVE bats...can't wait to set up my bat box after the move!

1QuirkyKiwi · 12-11-2011, 12:13 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kannon

Bats are cute! I live in a semi-rural area and the Bats here have attitude, either that, or they are drunk! LOL! When walking out at night they will fly directly into you....no biting, no excuse me, either, lol! Living surrounded by farms the area is crawling with wee bugs for them to feast on.

GeorgiaMa'am · 12-09-2011, 03:59 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by RiverBoi

Bats would fit into this category. I personally think that they are kinda cute.

AND I love the fact that they eat mosquito's (which is a WONDERFUL friend to have in the south) Bat's eat around 250,000 pounds of insects a night. I suppose many people are scared of them due to rabies or Ozzy lol. I haven't heard of a rabid bat swarm, targeting humans however.

http://articles.latimes.com/1994-02-...17_1_bat-house

Bats are awesome! We love our bats . . . on summer evenings, they swarm above the swimming pool just as we start noticing we are being bitten by pesky bugs. During the day they sleep, hanging outside our attic between the slats of the attic vents, their little toes curled in the screens.

SoNotHer · 12-09-2011, 04:29 PM

I've never had a pet rat, but I understand they're incredibly smart. I adore bats and on any farm I'd have, I would build a bat barn for shelter (and for my own purposes - the guano is excellent fertilizer and as has already been noted, they're the best mosquito control). Until we get a handle on the white nose syndrome and start reclaiming bat habitat, I am very worried about our bats.

I have three possums come into my life. One was hit and stunned and lying on a road. A second was crawling across a road slowly. He had a hernia. And this fall, I found a dead mother possum with one of her babies tossed to the side and dead. When I went to move her body, I noticed movement inside her. There was a little one still alive.

I took the two first possums that I found on the road to a vet in Baltimore (where I was living) who was a wildlife rehabilitator. Both did terrifically with treatment and were re-released over time.

The baby opossum I found this fall was discovered on the road late at night. I let her stay in her mother's pouch all night in a box inside and with blankets over them both (warmth is an issue). The next morning I found that my regular vet, who is a rehabilitator, was out of town but his office referred to another vet a little farther away. The baby was still alive but not moving as much.

The other vet did take her right away and they nursed her as the mother would have and did a great job with her. I felt pretty blessed being given the opportunity to be some part of each of these stories. I don't know why the mature opossums let me touch them and move them into my car. I prayed and talked to them before I did and used a blanket. But that they trust me is one of the coolest things ever.

Thank you for this thread, Nat, and I've enjoyed the posts here. I think myself lucky to live in a world with a wide and beautiful variety of species.

Nat · 12-10-2011, 01:05 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by RiverBoi

Bats would fit into this category. I personally think that they are kinda cute.

AND I love the fact that they eat mosquito's (which is a WONDERFUL friend to have in the south) Bat's eat around 250,000 pounds of insects a night. I suppose many people are scared of them due to rabies or Ozzy lol. I haven't heard of a rabid bat swarm, targeting humans however.

http://articles.latimes.com/1994-02-...17_1_bat-house

The rabies thing is a deal with them, but I've had my rabies shots.

I had a job for a while catching and releasing wildlife that had gotten into buildings on campus. Bat exposures were the most stressful because you often cannot tell if you've been exposed. If they brush against you, it's considered exposure. If you wake up and there's one in your room it's considered exposure. Their tiny teeth don't make much of a mark. All but one of the bats I caught were released back into the wild. But one bat I had to take down to animal control to have tested - which means killing the poor little guy. He'd crawled into a trash can, and one of the custodial staff reached into the bag and received what could have been a scratch or a bite. I'm sure it was quite a surprise to her! But the bat's little life was sacrificed to reveal no rabies. It's really sucky to drive an animal down to his own death. But rabies is serious. Once you have symptoms, you're already a goner.

I do love the cute little guys. The kind we had were the Mexican Free-tails.

Cin · 12-10-2011, 05:21 AM

I do love rodents.

Capybara

The world's largest rodent.

It's like a giant hamster.

Interesting side note for catholics - papal dispensation has made the capybara a fish. So this lent don't forget the capybara burgers.

Ginger · 03-15-2012, 01:46 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Miss Tick

I do love rodents.

Capybara

The world's largest rodent.

It's like a giant hamster.

Interesting side note for catholics - papal dispensation has made the capybara a fish. So this lent don't forget the capybara burgers.

OMG I love these. There are videos on YouTube of people scratching them and the capybara squealing with joy. I'll try to post one:

12-09-2011, 03:35 PM	#6
kannon Member How Do You Identify?: bloke Preferred Pronoun?: He Relationship Status: Happy is the heart that believes in angels Join Date: Oct 2010 Location: Land of Milk and Honey Posts: 884 My Photo Gallery Thanks: 1,920 Thanked 2,066 Times in 584 Posts Rep Power: 21474852	who could resist this?

12-09-2011, 04:29 PM	#12
SoNotHer Senior Member How Do You Identify?: Professional Sandbagger and Jenga Zumba Instructor Join Date: Sep 2011 Location: In the master control room of my world domination dreams Posts: 2,811 My Photo Gallery Thanks: 6,587 Thanked 4,734 Times in 1,409 Posts Rep Power: 21474852	O' Possum! I've never had a pet rat, but I understand they're incredibly smart. I adore bats and on any farm I'd have, I would build a bat barn for shelter (and for my own purposes - the guano is excellent fertilizer and as has already been noted, they're the best mosquito control). Until we get a handle on the white nose syndrome and start reclaiming bat habitat, I am very worried about our bats. I have three possums come into my life. One was hit and stunned and lying on a road. A second was crawling across a road slowly. He had a hernia. And this fall, I found a dead mother possum with one of her babies tossed to the side and dead. When I went to move her body, I noticed movement inside her. There was a little one still alive. I took the two first possums that I found on the road to a vet in Baltimore (where I was living) who was a wildlife rehabilitator. Both did terrifically with treatment and were re-released over time. The baby opossum I found this fall was discovered on the road late at night. I let her stay in her mother's pouch all night in a box inside and with blankets over them both (warmth is an issue). The next morning I found that my regular vet, who is a rehabilitator, was out of town but his office referred to another vet a little farther away. The baby was still alive but not moving as much. The other vet did take her right away and they nursed her as the mother would have and did a great job with her. I felt pretty blessed being given the opportunity to be some part of each of these stories. I don't know why the mature opossums let me touch them and move them into my car. I prayed and talked to them before I did and used a blanket. But that they trust me is one of the coolest things ever. Thank you for this thread, Nat, and I've enjoyed the posts here. I think myself lucky to live in a world with a wide and beautiful variety of species.

12-10-2011, 05:21 AM	#14
Cin Senior Member How Do You Identify?: Butch Preferred Pronoun?: she Relationship Status: Truly Madly Deeply Join Date: Aug 2011 Location: In My Head Posts: 2,815 My Photo Gallery Thanks: 6,333 Thanked 10,401 Times in 2,477 Posts Rep Power: 21474853	I do love rodents. Capybara The world's largest rodent. It's like a giant hamster. Interesting side note for catholics - papal dispensation has made the capybara a fish. So this lent don't forget the capybara burgers. __________________ The reason facts don’t change most people’s opinions is because most people don’t use facts to form their opinions. They use their opinions to form their “facts.” Neil Strauss

12-09-2011, 03:19 PM	#3
RiverBoi Timed Out How Do You Identify?: Butch Preferred Pronoun?: Brother Puddin' Relationship Status: Single Join Date: Apr 2010 Location: North Little Rock,Arkansas Posts: 149 My Photo Gallery Thanks: 273 Thanked 262 Times in 77 Posts Rep Power: 0	Bats would fit into this category. I personally think that they are kinda cute. AND I love the fact that they eat mosquito's (which is a WONDERFUL friend to have in the south) Bat's eat around 250,000 pounds of insects a night. I suppose many people are scared of them due to rabies or Ozzy lol. I haven't heard of a rabid bat swarm, targeting humans however. http://articles.latimes.com/1994-02-...17_1_bat-house

12-09-2011, 03:46 PM	#7
ruby_woo Member How Do You Identify?: queer femme Preferred Pronoun?: her/she Relationship Status: single Join Date: Dec 2009 Location: Vancouver, BC Posts: 427 My Photo Gallery Thanks: 1,848 Thanked 1,939 Times in 376 Posts Rep Power: 17615392	The idea of rats with fleas makes me want to curl into the fetal position. I saw a picture of something once called Rat King and I was honestly on edge for days. Story time: When I was about 8 or so, there was a weird scratching behind my bed at night. I told my mom, and she assumed it was probably a mouse or something (it was a pretty rural area). Later on, I discovered, there was a hole the size of a fist behind my bed, my mom freaked and got it closed up asap. She told me a few years later that not longer after that she saw a giant rat (she said it was chihuahua size, but who knows) in our garage. Thus the dislike and fear of rats began.