Saturday, February 23, 2008

THIS ONE'S FOR YOU, DAVID.


So we went to the Zoo in Buenos Aires, Argentina last week, and we saw some absolutely freakish little animals that run wild all over the zoo. They're rodents that look like a small deer got real cozy with a rabbit one drunken night and the resultant offspring were these things. We had no idea what they were, but, perhaps because today would have been my brother David's 44th birthday had he lived and I'm missing him, and, because he knew all kinds of weird facts and would have been happy to share them with you, I will tell you about this animal tonight in my best David manner.

The Mara, or Dolichotis patagonum, lives on the plains and scrubland of Argentina and can live up to 15 years. Males and females form long-term pair bonds, but the young form creches. They can easily weigh 25 or so pounds, which is a lot for what is basically a wild rabbit. End of lecture.

What you really need to know is that they're weird looking. See for yourself.

6 comments:

lecroy said...

And for David, since Derek and I were hunting on his birthday, had we seen one of those creatures we would have LOVED to blow one away and find out if it tastes like chicken. Sadly, my children were in overtime prayer mode, praying we wouldn't kill any birdies. We didn't. Derek killed a hornet that bit him in the middle of the night, and that was it.

Karen said...

LOL!

Gayla Herrington said...

Those things look like something from a sci fi movie or X-files they are freaky

Karen said...

Yup, pretty freaky weird. Tomorrow we're going to go to a remote part of Uruguay and see a bush that grows bigger than almost any tree in the world. They grow some strange stuff around here, but then again, we have the horny toad and the armadillo, so what can I say?!

lecroy said...

Political correctness groups now suggest the term "amorously minded frog" over the prior offensive name "horny toad." Which is strange, since I think its a reptile, not an amphibian.

Karen said...

You're on a roll, Kenny!