Freethought & Rationalism Archive

Corwin · 07-31-2002, 02:22 PM

Knowing some basic physiology helps as well... (as in the previous case, knowing some of the most common symptoms of mild anemia... which switching an animal from red meat to white is likely to cause... particularly if that animal is used to a diet of almost exclusively red meat....)

Hedwig · 07-31-2002, 06:59 PM

I was watching that show last night and I noticed that she kept bringing up the color blue...specifically I noticed that she told a grieving owner that her dog had really liked this one room painted blue while he was alive. I'm not a biologist, but I heard somewhere that dogs are color blind. Is that true?

dimossi · 08-01-2002, 12:08 AM

Just a heads up...Sonya Fitzpatrick is doing an online discussion on WashingtonPost.com.

Here's the URL to submit questions:
<a href="http://discuss.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/zforum/02/entertainment_fitzpatrick080102.htm" target="_blank">http://discuss.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/zforum/02/entertainment_fitzpatrick080102.htm</a>

Live Online at WashingtonPost.com does screen questions, so fifty of the same question will never all appear before Ms. Fitzpatrick. Plus, it is a format in which she can answer only those questions she chooses. Still, it might be interesting to see if/how she responds to skeptical inquiries.

Godless Dave · 08-01-2002, 07:36 AM

Yes, dogs are colorblind. Maybe she doesn't know as much about animal physiology as we thought, or she was counting on the ignorance of her client.

Corwin · 08-01-2002, 08:41 AM

Actually the idea that dogs are colorblind is largely a myth. Most species of domestic dogs are partially colorblind. They still have some color vision.... in response to her question, most dogs that have some color vision see things mostly in blues and greens if I remember right. (I know that's true for cats, I forget when it comes to dogs tho.)

Radcliffe Emerson · 08-02-2002, 06:57 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by Godless Dave:
<strong>

I disagree. Changing an animal's diet is bound to have an effect in its behavior. Try switching dog food brands sometime. It seems like a good guess on the "psychic's" part.</strong>

Alligators and crocodiles' behaviour are always unpredictable though, under any circumstance. Possibly the most unpredictable animals in existance. Gators would be somewhat easier however, as their nature is much mellower than crocs.

Viti · 08-02-2002, 10:56 AM

We visited and Alligator park in Florida and noticed all the 'gators moving towards a particular place and congregating there. We asked why and were told the park used to do demonstration feedings there at that time of day though they had changed the schedule months ago....the gators still went to that spot every day at the same time. So, they seem to be susceptable to conditioning, maybe the actual food preferred is also a conditioned response.

Arch Stanton · 08-02-2002, 03:21 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Radcliffe Emerson:
<strong>

Alligators and crocodiles' behaviour are always unpredictable though, under any circumstance. Possibly the most unpredictable animals in existance. Gators would be somewhat easier however, as their nature is much mellower than crocs.</strong>

I saw some Australian guy (some big bearded bloke, can't remember his name) on TV recently demonstrating how alligators or crocodiles are TOTALLY predictable. He did this by doing stuff like kissing the gator/croc on the nose without any response but on the other hand he could provoke an aggressive response exactly when he wanted to.

Arch.

Corwin · 08-02-2002, 03:51 PM

It depends on the animal.... when I was in high school we visited a reptile house and got to pet a nile croc. All through this we were repeatedly told 'Ok this is NOT normal, we just lucked out and got one that actually does like attention from people. This is the only one we've ever even HEARD of...'

wdog · 08-04-2002, 05:00 AM

Sonya did do a 'discussion' with an alligator once. She called him a croc, then he growled, then she said he was mad since he was an alligator not a croc. I think this should be a giveaway, how the hell would an alligator know what a croc is? Unless of coures they were living together in a zoo and the keeper taught that word to him, but I don't think that was the case.

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07-31-2002, 02:22 PM	#71
Corwin Veteran Member Join Date: Jan 2002 Posts: 4,369	Knowing some basic physiology helps as well... (as in the previous case, knowing some of the most common symptoms of mild anemia... which switching an animal from red meat to white is likely to cause... particularly if that animal is used to a diet of almost exclusively red meat....)

07-31-2002, 06:59 PM	#72
Hedwig Veteran Member Join Date: Nov 2001 Posts: 3,921	I was watching that show last night and I noticed that she kept bringing up the color blue...specifically I noticed that she told a grieving owner that her dog had really liked this one room painted blue while he was alive. I'm not a biologist, but I heard somewhere that dogs are color blind. Is that true?

08-01-2002, 12:08 AM	#73
dimossi Regular Member Join Date: Mar 2001 Location: Sarasota, FL Posts: 243	Just a heads up...Sonya Fitzpatrick is doing an online discussion on WashingtonPost.com. Here's the URL to submit questions: <a href="http://discuss.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/zforum/02/entertainment_fitzpatrick080102.htm" target="_blank">http://discuss.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/zforum/02/entertainment_fitzpatrick080102.htm</a> Live Online at WashingtonPost.com does screen questions, so fifty of the same question will never all appear before Ms. Fitzpatrick. Plus, it is a format in which she can answer only those questions she chooses. Still, it might be interesting to see if/how she responds to skeptical inquiries.

08-01-2002, 07:36 AM	#74
Godless Dave Contributor Join Date: Feb 2002 Location: With 10,000 lakes who needs a coast? Posts: 10,762	Yes, dogs are colorblind. Maybe she doesn't know as much about animal physiology as we thought, or she was counting on the ignorance of her client.

08-01-2002, 08:41 AM	#75
Corwin Veteran Member Join Date: Jan 2002 Posts: 4,369	Actually the idea that dogs are colorblind is largely a myth. Most species of domestic dogs are partially colorblind. They still have some color vision.... in response to her question, most dogs that have some color vision see things mostly in blues and greens if I remember right. (I know that's true for cats, I forget when it comes to dogs tho.)

08-02-2002, 10:56 AM	#77
Viti Contributor Join Date: Apr 2001 Location: Down South Posts: 12,879	We visited and Alligator park in Florida and noticed all the 'gators moving towards a particular place and congregating there. We asked why and were told the park used to do demonstration feedings there at that time of day though they had changed the schedule months ago....the gators still went to that spot every day at the same time. So, they seem to be susceptable to conditioning, maybe the actual food preferred is also a conditioned response.

08-02-2002, 03:51 PM	#79
Corwin Veteran Member Join Date: Jan 2002 Posts: 4,369	It depends on the animal.... when I was in high school we visited a reptile house and got to pet a nile croc. All through this we were repeatedly told 'Ok this is NOT normal, we just lucked out and got one that actually does like attention from people. This is the only one we've ever even HEARD of...'

08-04-2002, 05:00 AM	#80
wdog Veteran Member Join Date: Dec 2001 Location: Ohio, USA Posts: 1,547	Sonya did do a 'discussion' with an alligator once. She called him a croc, then he growled, then she said he was mad since he was an alligator not a croc. I think this should be a giveaway, how the hell would an alligator know what a croc is? Unless of coures they were living together in a zoo and the keeper taught that word to him, but I don't think that was the case.

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