Search Box

Tuesday, February 1, 2011

Ragin' rhino


The reference in the previous post to getting a shot of testosterone reminded me of something I saw on a nature show recently.

A lion was getting ready to defend his pride against another male. Before doing so, he stopped to run his tongue around some rhinoceros dung. The announcer explained that the testosterone in the rhinoceros dung made the lion more aggressive and gave him courage.

I remember feeling slightly awed after hearing that. How manly are you when another male -- and a lion at that -- has only to lick your excrement in order to become more manly himself?

Some species have all the luck.

Rhinos are certainly ungainly looking beasts. It's as if someone decided to take a large pig, put it on steroids, and then graft on the head of a triceratops.

But I'd still be willing to look like that if only....

No comments: