Rough Morning...

[jitami]

Alcohol explains everything doesn't it? Now pig wrestling sounds like fun

[jitami]

Hey Wayne... sounds like a requested activity for the world meeting!

[adamanteus]

Alcohol explains everything doesn't it?

Most of my life experiences are bound to it's magic!

[jitami]

I've heard about my life experiences that are bound to it's magic

[reptile3]

Hey Wayne... sounds like a requested activity for the world meeting!

now I am not going to be the PIG...LOL HA HA HA HA

[mtolypetsupply]

While I was in Brasil to visit some years ago, I was in a small fishing village with my friends.

A snake crossed the road and Carlos shouts "Cobra"

Expecting to see a large hooded serpent I immediately looked down to see a small critter no larger than a Dekayi, and said that's not a cobra.

Only to later find out, that when speaking with a Brasilian, Cobra meant snake.

We had a good laugh, went to the beach and had a nice drink.

I worked with a lot of Portuguese guys before I had Princess Hanna. They too, referred to all snakes as "cobra". One time, there was a little garter (I think, I wasn't back "into" snakes yet) and 6 grown men ran screaming down the streets of Perth Amboy screaming "COBRA!!!!! COBRA!!!!" as I went over to "rescue" it. I just picked it up and moved it to the bushes.

One of them, who was one of my favorite foremen to work with, explained why "all snakes must be killed":

(said with a thick Portuguese accent) "They bite women and bebes (babies)"
"Why do they bite women and babies, Manny?"
"They smell the milk."

...HUH??????

God, I loved working there, and I'm not being sarcastic.

And of course I wouldn't let him kill a snake, or anything else, but there's no fear of that, he'd have to get close to it to do that.

To ramble further, one of our jobs involved an overpass on the Garden State Parkway, and the area was (supposedly) rife with snakes, frogs, and other wildlife. Two great things happened there:
1. We had 2 onsite herpetologists during the active months
2. We constructed snake tunnels under the roads

I don't know how well the snake tunnels have worked out. I did however have a great time when I did get to chat with the herp guys. Myki was a blast, and there was another one.... Coo-Coo-Ca-Choo Mrs. Robinson, I would have "cougared" that boy if I had half a chance!

[Steven@HumboldtHerps]

Here in Humboldt we have the largest population of North America's largest elk, the Roosevelt Elk (Cervus canadensis roosevelti). This is one of 4 surviving subspecies of C. canadensis (there used to be a total of 6). The other 3 are the Tule, the Manitoban, and the Rocky Mountain elk. This tally does not include North America's moose, which of course is the largest of all deer. As for the European elks which are actually moose (mooses?), I can't really get into that nomenclature war.

I have to deal (okay, it's usually funny... not a burden!) with my wife's outbursts regarding the inappropriate usage of the word "buffalo." Kim just hates it when bison are referred to as buffalo. "Look at an African Cape Buffalo! Now that's a buffalo!" So! Are European Bison called buffalo too? Is this just another one of those common name conundrums? How can ya criticize it too seriously if it's a culture thing!?

There are sidewinders (old world vipers) in the Namib, and there are sidewinders (new world pit vipers) in the Southwest of North America. Uhhh, wow... like they both sidewind... uhhhhh...

And for all you garter freaks out there... Doesn't it get your goat to hear "garden snake" or the All forbid "racer"?! "Look! A Yellow Racer!" [okay, now I think I know what my wife Kim is talking about...] "Yellow racer?" ...suddenly the bile issues forth... "That's a garter snake fool!" "Lookie! A cute little red racer!" ...the choking bitterness reaches the palate... "That's a Sharp-tailed Snake." (Oh, some people hate being corrected; sometimes ya have to let the blunders slide...)

These common names are often a product of "Well, that's whut we-yall yoosed to call 'em, heeyuk!", and so right there you can see where "culture" fits in... ahhh! Cultural perception... I, myself am somewhat culturally schizophrenic, but that's another story...

Steve

[Stefan-A]

Are European Bison called buffalo too? Is this just another one of those common name conundrums? How can ya criticize it too seriously if it's a culture thing!?

They're called "wisent". Much like the issue of which is the "real" elk, this too is settled by etymology. "Bison" has its roots in "wisent". That doesn't mean that "bison" would be wrong, it just means that you shouldn't call them "yaks". Or "buffalo".

[Sid]

Very well put, Steve. Been there...done that.

[infernalis]

Me, I'm a culture nut case

I try to absorb as much of it as I can.

Upon returning from the UK I found that driving on the left side of the road can get you killed here

So unfortunately I had to leave that facet of British culture behind.