The Animal Thread

What's your favourite animal? Do you have any interesting animal facts? Can you recommend any TV shows, Books, Websites or places to visit?

I love watching David Attenborough type shows and all the others on the Discovery Channels.

I was just reading the animal profiles on NationalGeographic.com about the Chimpanzee (my personal favourite) and wanted to share this,

Females reach reproductive age at 13, while males are not considered adults until they are 16 years old.

Don't be a cheeky monkey or you won't get served!

One of my favourite theories I learned whilst watching Evolve on The History Channel, is about how birds evolved the ability to fly. Apparently, according to this theory, one of the first birds (Archaeopteryx, I think?) escaped from its predators by darting up trees and branches it could reach from the ground and eventually, the branches it chose became steeper and so the bird began to evolve wings to balance with, which then began big enough to support full flight.

Hope I explained that well

Anyone else got any good facts or even theories?

Love Natural History programs.

Sharks are my favourites, closely followed by Crocs & Alligators.

The Whale shark is the worlds largest fish.

Most other fish have skeletons made of bone. A shark's skeleton is made of cartilage, a type of strong but flexible tissue.

Most other fish are covered in smooth, flat scales. A shark is covered in sharp, toothlike scales called denticles.

I have a set of fossilized teeth on my bathroom wall. One of them, 65 million years old.

Quote: Nil Putters @ February 1 2009, 3:03 PM GMT

I have a set of fossilized teeth on my bathroom wall. One of them, 65 million years old.

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That sounds like a setup to a Mother-in-Law joke.

Quote: Nil Putters @ February 1 2009, 3:03 PM GMT

I have a set of fossilized teeth on my bathroom wall.

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My friend buys me a fossil for Christmas every year. Last year it was a large shark tooth embedded in matrix. In the past she's sent fossil fish, trilobites and moths.

I used to dig up fossil horse, mastodon, camel and shark teeth in my back yard in Florida.

Quote: DaButt @ February 1 2009, 3:25 PM GMT

I used to dig up fossil horse, mastodon, camel and shark teeth in my back yard in Florida.

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You sound like a dog.

I used to dig up rabbit and cats, but they were my old pets.

The only fossils I have ever found are the Trilobites that are common on the beaches.

Quote: Leevil @ February 1 2009, 3:28 PM GMT

The only fossils I have ever found are the Trilobites that are common on the beaches.

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The beaches near my home in Florida are famous for fossilized shark teeth. Anything black is almost certainly a tooth or a piece of bone. I found pieces of turtle shell that must have come from a creature 6 feet across.

Quote: Leevil @ February 1 2009, 3:28 PM GMT

The only fossils I have ever found are the Trilobites that are common on the beaches.

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I had a huge one when I was younger, must've been a foot across. I broke it though.

I still go fossil hunting with a couple of friends every now and then. Normally near Blue Anchor.

Quote: Nil Putters @ February 1 2009, 3:32 PM GMT

I had a huge one when I was younger, must've been a foot across. I broke it though.

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And but

Quote: Nil Putters @ February 1 2009, 3:32 PM GMT

I still go fossil hunting with a couple of friends every now and then. Normally near Blue Anchor.

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Cool.

Quote: Nil Putters @ February 1 2009, 3:32 PM GMT

I still go fossil hunting with a couple of friends every now and then. Normally near Blue Anchor.

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Guess I'll pack my rock hammer the next time I visit the UK.

Speaking of animals, I don't know if the Animal Planet network airs over there, but they traditionally show the Puppy Bowl during the Super Bowl. People who don't like football can tune in and watch cute puppies frolic for 4 straight hours.

Rock Hammer shall be the name of my Heavy Metal band

Quote: DaButt @ February 1 2009, 3:40 PM GMT

Speaking of animals, I don't know if the Animal Planet network airs over there, but they traditionally show the Puppy Bowl during the Super Bowl. People who don't like football can tune in and watch cute puppies frolic for 4 straight hours.

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We have Animal Planet but I never watch it, 'cos it seems to consist of depressing Animal Hospital style programmes or Planet's Funniest Animals type deal. So I've not seen the Puppy Bowl.

Quote: Leevil @ February 1 2009, 3:35 PM GMT

And but

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Quote: Leevil @ February 1 2009, 3:42 PM GMT

Rock Hammer shall be the name of my Heavy Metal band

We have Animal Planet but I never watch it, 'cos it seems to consist of depressing Animal Hospital style programmes or Planet's Funniest Animals type deal. So I've not seen the Puppy Bowl.

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Great name.

Discovery's what you want! Shark Week kicks ass! Animal Planet does have Steve Irwin though. RIP

Quote: Leevil @ February 1 2009, 3:42 PM GMT

So I've not seen the Puppy Bowl.

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Don't know if it'll air in the UK, but it begins here at 2 p.m., so I guess that would make it 8 p.m. for you. Puppy overload and a kitten halftime show if you're not a fan of Bruce Springsteen.

Quote: DaButt @ February 1 2009, 3:49 PM GMT

Don't know if it'll air in the UK, but it begins here at 2 p.m., so I guess that would make it 8 p.m. for you. Puppy overload and a kitten halftime show if you're not a fan of Bruce Springsteen.

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I'll check it out. Do they release a cat into it every so often, to spice it up?

Quote: Leevil @ February 1 2009, 3:52 PM GMT

I'll check it out. Do they release a cat into it every so often, to spice it up?

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I think they'd just lick it to death.