From: ian (i.) gorlick (igorlick@nortel.ca)
Date: Thu 05 Sep 1996 - 00:06:00 EEST
Sandy took issue with my last post about otters. I confess that I overstated my
case.
Otters are weasels. This is technically untrue. Otters and weasels are both
mustelids, as are minks and martens and wolverines, etc. The weasel is, in my
mind, the archetypal mustelid. When I characterized otters as amphibious weasels
this was merely poetic license. I do the same thing with rodents, characterizing
all of them as variants of rat. (Yes, even our proud national symbol, the
beaver, is only a giant, flat-tailed, amphibious rat.)
As for the edibility of carnivores, I was there going to the other extreme of
speaking about carnivores in an overly technical sense, that is members of the
order Carnivora.
These are generally not regarded as good eating, though there are exceptions.
On the other hand, most wild canines (wolves, foxes, jackals, wild dogs,
Sandy correctly indicated bear and dog as Carnivores that people do relish
eating, he missed raccoons which some people also like. I don't have any
knowledge of native americans enjoying skunk, I'll take his word for it. ( I
wouldn't be surprised if it was eaten more as a test of intestinal fortitude
than because they liked it, or if it was one of those things where people decide
that if it tastes this bad it must be a delicacy.)
coyotes) are not regarded as food animals. Maybe the diet of domestic dogs makes
them taste better. And cats, mustelids (excepting skunks), civets, and hyenas
are not regarded as good eating either.
So I confess to overstating my case. I should have said that most species of
Anyway, enough of technical quibbles. I think John Hughes has finally given us
Is this attitude general amongst Sartari and Orlanthi, or is this a local
carnivore are not regarded as food for humans. Thankyou for correcting me,
Sandy.
good reasons why the FarPointers hunt otters. They do it because they hate the
little buggers!
prejudice in Far Point?
I suppose they hunt them in summer because the otters are more vulnerable then.
Those intelligent otters make me worry about other possibilities. An intelligent
John, please expand on your theories and calumnies about Odaylans. I'm running
They have their kits in tow and they are hunting furiously to build up fat
reserves for the winter. The pelts would be better in winter but they are easier
to hunt in summer.
otter might be a destructive prankster but an intelligent marten or fisher would
be a threat to lots of livestock and an intelligent wolverine would be a deadly
threat to humans. Got any of those up in the hills?
one at the moment and could use more inspiration.
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