#toebeanz

That’s really difficult to answer because there isn’t any real life mammal case that I know of which I can draw inspiration from. The best I can think of is examples in fish. In some species the double tail trait produces mirror image left and right tails, while others (like the betta) end up with top and bottom tails.

So considering that the entire concept is pure fantasy, you’re equally likely to end up with a left-right pair of tails as you are a top-bottom pair. It’s probably more likely to have a single split at each joint, rather than squeezing in multiple splits per joint, and that way you’re likely to end up with more mobility in the mature animal’s tails. Even numbers of tails are more likely this way, unless there is one ‘primary’ tail which never splits and continued in the midline.

Labeling each tail would then become as irritating as labeling the liver. You would have to label them by their point of origin or simply count from the midline out and label them 1 through 4 for both left and right sides, as we do for toes.

So you might end up with an arrangement that looks like:

Cauda primara (primary tail)

Left Cauda 1, 2, 3 and 4

Right Cauda 1, 2, 3 and 4

or alternatively

Cauda Primara

Left lateral

Left ventral

Left dorsal

Left medial

Right lateral

Right ventral

Right dorsal

Right medial

Thanks for the question! I technically speak 3 at a conversational level - English, Russian and Japanese right now. I used to take German in school but since I never use it it has been shelved inside my brain and I probably couldn’t use it anymore. 

That being said, I basically just revealed my answer to your other question: how do languages get learned? Use. How do languages get remembered? Use. If you don’t use it, you lose it. That’s it. That’s the only secret you need to know. Now and forever. Some company offering you The Fastest Way to Learn And Retain A Language? They’re lying unless their solution is to force you to use a language EVERY DAY hopefully for tasks which are absolutely necessary for you so it becomes something you NEED to keep using. 

So, I studied Linguistics in college. Basically, I think you know what this is if you watched a TEDt on the Sapir Whorf Hypothesis (more on that later). It’s the study of how languages are acquired by the human species, how they are processed in the brain, etc. And if we wanted to go back to the root of things the answer would be clear. Why did humans evolve to be able to learn language? Because it was necessary for us to use it. Because it is our greatest tool. We are expert tool-users and tool-makers. Language is, arguably, one of our most complex and most natural tools. Kids are programmed language-learning machines. They acquire language with an incredibly speed and precision. Why? Because it was necessary for the survival of our species for millenia. So if you want to learn a language? You have to use it as a tool, otherwise nothing will work out.

To learn a language, you don’t need money at all. You just need access to a library card, or a phone app, or a really kind friend. Let’s discuss first the basics of what a good language-learning tool will provide you with... 

It needs: Input, output, feedback and (on your part) lack of fear. 

1. Input is an environment in which you can learn the language. This can be anything. Ideally, you are picked up by a stork and re-deposited in a place where your target language is the ONLY language you can use and you are forced to use it to survive. That sounds really tough and mentally it’s a hike up a really tall mountain. Psychological breakdowns would probably ensue. But would it help your language ability? Absolutely.

Short of that we have a source of info. A native speaker buddy or a teacher who would teach you. A really good book. An app. Duolingo. Anything. Anything that tells you “hey, you wanna say CAT in ____? Ok, then you wanna do  X and Y and Z.”

2. Output is a chance to use the language. If you just read a book on Swahili without uttering a single word aloud or trying out any of the grammar rules, you’re screwed. Even if you memorized that book, you don’t speak Swahili. Probably nowhere close. You HAVE to use the tool in order to learn it. 

This can be in a classroom setting, in a series of worksheets where you have to write sentences, or just a chatroom with native speakers where you can try to talk to people using what you just learned. It can also technically be your kitchen, with no one around as you talk to yourself. However, this is a slippery slope because you still need...

3. Feedback is an object which listens/accepts your attempted output of a language and gives you feedback about how well you are understood. This can technically be anything - innocent bystanders who speak your target language and who are going to look confused when you mess up! Or a teacher who will politely tell you that you mispronounced the word for “food preservatives” and said “condom” instead. 

Feedback is important because if there is no one to judge your use of the tool, you don’t know how to use it well. Languages are made up of separate parts, and ideally all those separate, small parts should function well on their own in order to function well together as a sentence. Basically: If you wanna say “I want to sit in the chair.” you gotta make sure you know how to properly pronounce each of those words, otherwise it might be a disastrous jumble of nearly impossibly bodily function horror.

4. Lack of fear is something you will need because speaking languages that you don’t know well is embarrassing. Alternatively, this can be replaced with a fear of something larger than the language. Say you’re trying to make first contact with aliens who are carrying weapons and you’re not sure what exactly you need to say but the safety of your entire civilization depends on you communicating to them the idea of “No, don’t worry, we already impeached Trump. There’s no need for extreme action anymore.”  

* * *

What are some things you can do this with? Duolingo, for one. Books, for another. Lots of books. Also there’s tons of apps - like HelloTalk, or online chatrooms, youtube videos, etc. It’s entirely possible to learn a language without paying a single penny for it. All it hinges on is your determination to keep going and to continue USING the language, in one way or another. 

* ALSO, I KNOW I SAID YOU COULD USE A REALLY KIND FRIEND, BUT I’VE THOUGHT ABOUT IT, AND NO, PLEASE DON’T ACTUALLY ASK FRIENDS TO DO THIS FOR YOU, ESPECIALLY NOT FOR FREE. Language teaching is a really difficult job. People get qualified for it. It’s a skill. You asking your friend to just randomly do you this big favor is kinda shitty unless they’re getting something out of it too. 

And finally, for the Sapir Whorf Hypothesis... I think it’s safe to say every single Linguist learns about this really early on in their school days. To say that I’ve heard of it might be putting it lightly.

I don’t know if the TED talk mentioned this, but there’s a strong version of this and a weak version. I’m sorry to say that the strong version (that the language you speak determines how you think) is regarded as sensationalist by most Linguists and has a few holes in it. I myself am not a fan, especially because it tends to inspire really racist conclusions in some people who use it and it was the forefather of things such as “the esk*mo language has 100 words for snow” and other inane generalizations. 

The weaker version (that language may constrain thought patterns or influence thought process) has a little more leeway, but I still think that it should be used with caution for what kind of racist theories it could give way to. For example, some languages don’t have as many words for colors as English does. The conclusion might be given that these people don’t see color as well and are therefore beneath the color-seeing peoples and are ‘better’ in a way. Still, when looked at from a neuro-developmental point of view, it’s really kinda cool! Brains are weird.

This is in our inbox but Im not sure if it’s been published!!

Thanks for the tip!!!

HAPPY WEEKEND! FRIDAY FOLLOWER SHOUT OUT!

fettsmile

poptart42

Maybe somewhat similar on the surface, but I don’t think there’s quite that much overlap? Maybe compared to say, a rabbit & a dog, but they’re still complete opposites, being a predator animal & a prey animal & having different behaviors/needs.

- Litter training: rabbits may not 100% litter train, though a lot are good at it. Still, you may have to pick up the occasional stray poop, and it’ll be a little more work than cats, which naturally litter train. And with cats, if there are litterbox accidents, there’s generally a problem behind it needing to be fixed. Also I’m not sure if rabbits are all that picky with litterboxes, but I know cats are - location, type, litter type, and you should have 1 box per cat + 1, so even one cat should have 2 boxes.

- Enclosure/free-roaming/etc.: Cats can generally free-roam an entire living area with not too many issues. Rabbits need to have a either a large pen or a rabbit-proofed room. The biggest thing to consider with them is the chewing! Cords are extremely dangerous for them, so that’s a huge consideration, as well as anything else they can chew & ingest that may cause blockages, poisoning, etc. 

- Social needs: I think it’s often recommended for cats to have buddies too, but in general, it seems to be more acceptable to have just one, provided you have time to play with & cuddle them. I don’t know if you saw my previous post, but rabbits really should have a buddy - so you need to plan on the housing space, feeding costs, and vet costs of two. On the plus side, knowing this ahead of time means you can get a pair that are already friendly/bonded from a breeder or rescue & avoid the stressful introductions.

- Behavior/interaction: I can sort of see the similarity here - cats generally need to initiate physical affection/interaction on their own terms, and that seems to be pretty close to the same for rabbits, from what I’ve read & experienced. They don’t generally take well to being actively cuddled, picked up, held, etc., though there are of course exceptions. But there’s also the glaring difference in that cats are predators & rabbits are prey, so there’s a lot of difference in learning body language there - rabbits are more subtle in their discomfort signals & can be more easily mistaken for being okay with something when they’re actually freezing up due to fear. Cats are usually pretty clear when they don’t appreciate an action. XD I feel like cats are generally more interactive though, from what I’ve read of rabbits - more active play, more likely to have active requests for affection & cuddling, etc. Obviously varies by individual for both species.

- Lifespan: Rabbits aren’t as long-lived as cats, generally around 10. One of my sites says 8-12. Larger breeders are shorter-lived than smaller breeds. Cats will generally live 15-20 years if they’re cared for properly.

- Diet: Obviously complete opposite diets! Rabbits may be considered a tad harder since they should receive fresh foods (mostly greens) to be bought, washed, possibly chopped, etc. Cats have commercially balanced diets available that last longer & can be stored easily, both dry & wet, unless you want to do a raw diet (not recommended unless you’re committed to researching & doing it properly). Also obligatory mention that they really should have some wet food, even if it’s a daily “treat” alongside their usual dry food. 

- Expenses & vet care: I would expect overall expenses to be pretty similar between the two, leaving out the longer lifespan for a cat (which is going to mean more expenses just due to having the animal around longer). Start up for a rabbit is going to include a pen, bowls, litterbox, food, bedding, beds/hides, and toys. Start up for a cat is going to include bowls, litterbox, food, beds/hides, toys, and furniture (towers, scratching posts, etc.). Pens can be built relatively cheaply using C&C panels, bedding/flooring can be fairly simple. Cat furniture is likely to be a bit more expensive, but can often be found on sale. 

Vet care is likely to be relatively similar between the two - both should be spayed/neutered if not already done when you get them. However, rabbits generally fall under the “exotic” category, like most other non-dog/cat animals, so you may have a bit harder time finding a vet for them, and it might be a bit more expensive. Make sure you locate a good vet before bringing them home, since it’s a little more challenging. Also there’s good articles on rabbit expenses on the sites linked below.

That’s all I can think of off the top of my head. Here are the two sites I like for rabbit information:

http://rabbit.org/http://www.binkybunny.com/