Bat/Disease Connection

[wyandottecaver]

true. but both rats and even yellowstone buffalo have been persecuted when perceived as a disease risk. Of course we often shun people seen as disease carriers too!

[Teresa]

i think on the whole humans care about mammals and birds more than they do endangered plants, insects, or fish

I don't like endangered mammals. Too cuddly and cute. On the other hand, absolutely *no one* cares about endangered rocks and minerals, but everyone seems very happy to bust the heck out of them, regardless if it is part of a scenic view, animal or plant habitat, or even just a driveway.

Rock fanciers are about as environmentally friendly as butterfly entusiasts, whp kill the object of their affection.

[tncaver]

I'm for busting rocks. But only very ordinary rocks. No formations,
or unique places. Can of worms? I hope not.

[NZcaver]

I don't like endangered mammals. Too cuddly and cute. On the other hand, absolutely *no one* cares about endangered rocks and minerals

So Teresa... it was really you who started that whole "pet rock" thing, wasn't it?

[Squirrel Girl]

I don't like endangered mammals. Too cuddly and cute.

He's soooo snoooooogie!

[wyandottecaver]

LOL hey I had a aquarium of darters for a long time ( all non endangered) They are relatiely easy to keep and very personable.

I have to say that I am guilty of loving rocks so long as they don't block going passages :P Of course formations are a different story.

[Squirrel Girl]

Someone said Endangered Species and the thing that instantly popped in to my mind was "snail darter." It was one of those "you say 'black'" "I say 'white.'" "You say 'salt,'" "I say 'pepper'" things.

[Teresa]

I don't like endangered mammals. Too cuddly and cute. On the other hand, absolutely *no one* cares about endangered rocks and minerals

So Teresa... it was really you who started that whole "pet rock" thing, wasn't it?

No, but I wish I had. I could have retired at a very early age. Put a rock in a box with some shredded wadding (about 35-40 cents worth of material) and sell it for 10x the total cost. Wow. The stones cost about a penny.

I actually do have one of the pet rocks. Not from a box, but from a stone yard which found out where they came from, bought a traincar load, and sold them one at a time. (Ok, so it kidnapped the rocks from their home in Mexico brought them north as illegal immigrants and sold them into rock slavery to people who treated them as pets. )

We're way OT -- I know it. I'll be quiet now.