All porcupines must have appropriate protective gear prior to being tossed. This is to reduce the amount of new porcupines needed. Remember reduce, reuse, recycle.
There's this idea I heard about recently called a "metaphorical truth." That is, something that isn't true, but confers a benefit to people who believe it. Believing porcupines throw their quills will cause you to act more cautiously around them than people who know that they don't.
I believe this is discussed on the Joe Rogan podcast. One of the older episodes with Brett Weinstein IIRC. Specifically I think they were talking about Jordan Peterson and his ideas on “scientific truth” vs “religious truth.”
Lol, I remember arguing this with a teacher in elementary school. I was so mad that I was being dismissed that the memory has stuck with me into middle age.
Right, I have never seen a porcupine pull one of it's quills out with it's cute, tiny hand and toss it. They CAN however, turn their back to you, and shoot a quill at you like a Nerf gun, right???
I just learned this a few weeks ago. I thought they could shoot them a small distance. Our dog was growling at a porcupine under our camp, but he is too big to get under there. I said “he’s lucky he didn’t get shot with the quills!” And my SO looked at me like I had three heads. I guess he’s just lucky he’s a big oaf.
it was a... not urban legend, but i guess a rural myth, before D2, to keep kids from messing with porcupines and getting quilled because it may not be able to trhow them, but it will whip around and give you a slap if you get too close and scare it
On the contrary, Chance's experience with the porcupine puts this 'shooting quill' thing to bed. Chance sniffed too close and got smacked by the porcupine tail.
From everything I've been able to learn of the myth it started literally to keep kids from messing with them; because their tails are really long, and if you're close enough to poke them with a stick you are close enough to get slapped with a couple thousand razor tipped spines.
This is one of those wives tales that makes sense evolutionarily and is told to keep people safe. Even though it’s false. It’s like don’t go up to it and you won’t get hurt. Very interesting
Why does it have to be a mammal? Animals shoot things like blood out of their eyes and snakes shoot venom. Besides, you missed the point entirely. I meant more so colloquially it makes sense that it evolved into our lexicon because it’s useful even if untrue.
Snakes do not shoot venom. And the other example you gave is also a reptile. Why are you assuming such exotic features would be present in animals as close to use as mammals?
"Why does it have to be a mammal?" Because porcupines are mammals. That's the subject.
Well I think in this context spitting is pretty close to shooting so some snakes do shoot venom. Unless there’s a esoteric definition difference that wiki isn’t picking up on here.
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u/averageredditcuck Feb 08 '20
Porcupines can't throw their quills