Latest Page Discussions/Comic Update Chitchat

[Vulpes]

Spiders are bugs! But not insects. (You are right, critter doesn’t work here)

Oh you just had to start discussing arthropod terminology, didn't you? 

In entomologist-speak, "bug" refers to true bugs (Hemiptera, e.g. stink bugs, cicadas), which is an order of insects, so spiders aren't really bugs, either. But English seems to lack a common term for all these creatures. Maybe "creepy-crawly"? Not a word, as such, but a term that covers all those things with more legs than many people can cope with. One could use "arthropod", but that's more technical.

Or you can ignore the pedantic entomologist and continue calling them all bugs. 

[Róisín]

If I may offer a further piece of pedantry: while I know that the American usage is to call any small insect-like or arachnid-like thing a bug, bugs are strictly speaking a type of insect, soft bodied, distinguished by factors such as body type, wing structure, and piercing/sucking mouth parts. I think the order might be Hemipteræ?

[thorny]

Why would all the mammals be immune? If there's no source of infection on the island, non-immunes would have survived there, wouldn't they?

ETA: And if those are squirrels, they sure don't look like our (NE USA) squirrels!

[JoB]

English seems to lack a common term for all these creatures. Maybe "creepy-crawly"?

Considering that most people would include lifeforms up to and including (nematodes and) annelids into the concept, I suppose that a proper term would be "protostome" ... which would promptly gain the novel pronunciation "protest-o-me", I guess.

[JoB]

ETA: And if those are squirrels, they sure don't look like our (NE USA) squirrels!

If only all species were as easy to tell apart as your and our squirrels ...

[Jitter]

Those are European red squirrels, and look exactly like them except perhaps a bit on the chubby side

I didn’t even know there is a thing that is officially “bug”! In Finnish we have “ötökkä” which is usually used for insects and arachnids, but may include various other “creepy-crawlies”. Caterpillars etc are usually included. It is strictly an everyday usage and doesn’t have an official meaning. Sometimes it’s used for “creature” in a more general way but often when there is something strange or weird about the said creature.

[JoB]

I didn’t even know there is a thing that is officially “bug”!

You got to be kidding me ...

[Jitter]

Oh that one I knew! And this: https://www.google.com/search?q=starship+troopers&rlz=1C9BKJA_enFI879FI881&hl=en-GB&prmd=ivn&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwjYv-eV85rrAhVJtIsKHUlJCCkQ_AUoAXoECCEQAQ&biw=1024&bih=653&dpr=2#imgrc=kegrAUwYcLqHSM

[Jitter]

Ooh what smooth linking... but you get the gist!

[Mirasol]

Oh you just had to start discussing arthropod terminology, didn't you? 

In entomologist-speak, "bug" refers to true bugs (Hemiptera, e.g. stink bugs, cicadas), which is an order of insects, so spiders aren't really bugs, either. But English seems to lack a common term for all these creatures. Maybe "creepy-crawly"? Not a word, as such, but a term that covers all those things with more legs than many people can cope with. One could use "arthropod", but that's more technical.

Or you can ignore the pedantic entomologist and continue calling them all bugs. 

If I may offer a further piece of pedantry: while I know that the American usage is to call any small insect-like or arachnid-like thing a bug, bugs are strictly speaking a type of insect, soft bodied, distinguished by factors such as body type, wing structure, and piercing/sucking mouth parts. I think the order might be Hemipteræ?

Considering that most people would include lifeforms up to and including (nematodes and) annelids into the concept, I suppose that a proper term would be "protostome" ... which would promptly gain the novel pronunciation "protest-o-me", I guess.

You know what, maybe I´ll just paraphrase the sentence so I don´t even need a word for that... :'D

[lumilaulu]

Why would all the mammals be immune? If there's no source of infection on the island, non-immunes would have survived there, wouldn't they?

Perhaps there used to be sources of infection, leaving only immune animals, who then get immune young?

[JoB]

Perhaps there used to be sources of infection, leaving only immune animals, who then get immune young?

If that island has had an outbreak, then - according to what Onni said - it had necessarily lost its mosquito population at that time, too. Where did the current population come from, with mosquito-free infested Silent Lands all around?

[LooNEY_DAC]

If that island has had an outbreak, then - according to what Onni said - it had necessarily lost its mosquito population at that time, too. Where did the current population come from, with mosquito-free infested Silent Lands all around?

Spontaneous Generation. /mikkel

[phocena]

Maybe the local mosquitoes survived thanks to surviving human settlements, and then spread via stagnant water around the area. Given how terrifyingly effective real animal diseases like myxomatosis are (thanks Dr. Paul-Félix Armand-Delille, for showing that biowarfare is not a good way to handle pests in your backyard), most non-immune animals would have been wiped out in just a few years.

[thorny]

Those are European red squirrels, and look exactly like them except perhaps a bit on the chubby side

We have mostly the grey ones here, but sometimes the red. Minna's version seemed to me to have extremely short faces for squirrels.

Speaking of faces: I have had another thought, based on recent greater experience with face masks. Reynir must be wearing his 24/7, no? They don't even have the Cat Tank for a shelter in which he could go without it. I sure hope they've got more comfortable face masks available for long-term wear in year 90 than seem to exist in 2020 -- keeping one on continuously for even several hours becomes difficult, especially if doing something active and/or in hot weather.

ETA: Though at least his can presumably have exhale valve(s); it only needs to protect him from the environment, not the rest of the (immune) crew from him.