Even though I usually fall asleep around 10PM, I'm actually quite interested in consciousness. I think this is why I find animals so tight--they're these other beings that obviously perceive the world, yet we cannot ever really understand what they're thinking. That's why my main area of animal research is their level of intelligence--the other area of my animal research is their ferocity, since there's just something cool about honey badgers etc.
My favorite animals are obviously dogs and monkeys. My first dog was KC (RIP), who smelled pretty bad but was a sweetheart and was really good at finding jelly donuts at construction sites. I think that's why she lived to be 17. Our family got Mara when I was in 8th grade--she's really smart and good with people, though she likes to be #themostdominant around other dogs. Apparently there's some border collie that can recite shakespearian sonnets, but I think Mara could beat that dog at scrabble. Then there's Vita, our new dog, who likes to chase ping pong balls. Anyway, dogs have unique personalities and are obviously conscious.
Monkeys are my next favorite animal. There's a common misconception that gorillas, orangotangs, bonomobs, chimps, etc aren't monkeys. In fact, the definition of monkey is an animal that likes bananas and swinging through the trees. Nothing gets me going like a commercial with a dressed up monkey--Robotussin is like the only brand name thing I buy, and that's because they have that commercial with the monkey in the cold medicine aisle. Dunston Checks In is of course a great movie. The zoo has a really good orangotang exhibit, and the last time i was there i chatted up the zookeeper for like 20 minutes at the monkey house. The orangotangs each have unique personalities. One of them loves chewing and just goes through a wreck of bamboo each day. I hung out with this one for a while, and he chewed some stuff and tried to give it to me through the glass--that's like the monkey version of friending someone. Anyway, i'll probably post more about monkeys later.
Dolphins are suppossed to be pretty smart too, but i don't know much about them.
The other cool animal attribute is ferocity. When I was in college I learned that the honey badger is the world's most ferocious animal. This thing loves honey like @jennings loves viaka, and it will do anything to scwhangle it--even breaking into killer bee nests. What's more, the honey badger doesn't take crap from anything, even snakes! There's a video on youtube where it picks a fight with a cobra, gets bitten and passes out, then wakes up and eats the cobra. Google it.
Lions are pretty cool too. Like @milkins, they love sleeping and jumping. I prefer lions to tigers because a) Missouri is associated with tigers, and b) whenever I go to the zoo, the tiger just lays there, but the lions sometimes roar and/or jump from between the levels in their enclosure.
Anyway, i've grown weary with this post, but i'll be back for more later...maybe i'll discuss bears, pandas, and golden eagles.
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