Comments on: You don't want to meet these guys in a dark alley that's for sure

You don't want to meet these guys in a dark alley that's for sure

31d1 — Mon, 30 Mar 2009 20:48:42 -0800

Baby owl trying to swallow rat. [youtube] [gif]

By: ryanrs

ryanrs — Mon, 30 Mar 2009 20:54:18 -0800

meh

By: mullacc

mullacc — Mon, 30 Mar 2009 20:54:39 -0800

This would be a great FPP if not for the editorializing in the title.

By: Bernt Pancreas

Bernt Pancreas — Mon, 30 Mar 2009 20:55:38 -0800

The owlette to the right of the rat eater seems rather upset. Also, that gif made the greasemonkey script that displays pics on the site well worth the installation.

By: mullacc

mullacc — Mon, 30 Mar 2009 20:55:43 -0800

er, you know what I mean.

By: tellurian

tellurian — Mon, 30 Mar 2009 20:56:35 -0800

O RLY?

By: adipocere

adipocere — Mon, 30 Mar 2009 20:57:56 -0800

I imagine the rightmost two owls are looking around, "Where is my juicy rat? I would like a delicious rodent to gulp down. Do you have a rat for me? Even a mouse? Gerbil?"

By: Joe Beese

Joe Beese — Mon, 30 Mar 2009 20:58:30 -0800

I'm sensing a theme.

By: turgid dahlia

turgid dahlia — Mon, 30 Mar 2009 21:02:25 -0800

Try playing it backwards - it'll blow your mind!

By: The Whelk

The Whelk — Mon, 30 Mar 2009 21:05:19 -0800

I don't know if I love Owls because of, or in spite of, their resemblance to sinister space aliens.

By: loquacious

loquacious — Mon, 30 Mar 2009 21:06:02 -0800

Whoever excessively talks about the grandiose beauty of nature needs to watch this video on a loop for a few hours. CAN'T SLEEP. OWLS WILL EAT ME.

By: Cool Papa Bell

Cool Papa Bell — Mon, 30 Mar 2009 21:06:45 -0800

The owls are not what they seem.

By: Chan

Chan — Mon, 30 Mar 2009 21:07:11 -0800

Am I the only one watching this owl and thinking to myself "Come on little owl! You can do it!"?

By: Flunkie

Flunkie — Mon, 30 Mar 2009 21:12:44 -0800

Am I the only one watching this owl and thinking to myself "Come on little owl! You can do it!"?

I'm rooting for the rat.

By: Ian A.T.

Ian A.T. — Mon, 30 Mar 2009 21:16:07 -0800

OMG OMG RACCOON HAND IS COMING FOR ME

By: The Whelk

The Whelk — Mon, 30 Mar 2009 21:17:02 -0800

Whoever excessively talks about the grandiose beauty of nature needs to watch this video on a loop for a few hours. What, you have a problem with the ravenous predator staring at you with their huge black eyes framed in a white death-mask, bobbing back and forth on spindly, impossible legs? Their eyes forever watching and judging with cool and remote intelligence? Waiting for a moment of weakness to pounce and tear with bony wings and powerful claws?

By: m0nm0n

m0nm0n — Mon, 30 Mar 2009 21:18:14 -0800

I think the two owls on the right are flirting with me.

By: Pater Aletheias

Pater Aletheias — Mon, 30 Mar 2009 21:19:17 -0800

But how does it end? Stupid youtube cliff-hangers.

By: Ambrosia Voyeur

Ambrosia Voyeur — Mon, 30 Mar 2009 21:19:31 -0800

Owls? Pshaw. Otters will fuck you up!

By: PostIronyIsNotaMyth

PostIronyIsNotaMyth — Mon, 30 Mar 2009 21:20:18 -0800

That is how I dance.

By: homunculus

homunculus — Mon, 30 Mar 2009 21:30:20 -0800

Photographer captures rare shot of an owl leaping into the air

By: 31d1

31d1 — Mon, 30 Mar 2009 21:33:53 -0800

homunculus: "Photographer captures rare shot of an owl leaping into the air" That made me laugh a lot.

By: Beardman

Beardman — Mon, 30 Mar 2009 21:34:27 -0800

Sigh.

By: Rinku

Rinku — Mon, 30 Mar 2009 21:45:48 -0800

I saw the .gif on reddit this afternoon, and I watched it over and over and wondered what happened in the next few seconds - does the owl swallow it? Do the dancing owls break into song? No, he just kind of stops. I WAS SO SURE HE COULD MAKE IT

By: CitrusFreak12

CitrusFreak12 — Mon, 30 Mar 2009 21:47:25 -0800

Before this post, I used to think this was the best video example of why barn owls are fucking creepy. Thanks for fixing that.

By: Blazecock Pileon

Blazecock Pileon — Mon, 30 Mar 2009 21:52:06 -0800

Thoughts from a former member about this thread:

"Maybe this belongs on Fark."

Okay, I'm back now.

By: Tenuki

Tenuki — Mon, 30 Mar 2009 22:07:09 -0800

Otters will fuck you up! Otters ate the dinosaurs.

By: tellurian

tellurian — Mon, 30 Mar 2009 22:33:11 -0800

But how does it end? Stupid youtube cliff-hangers.

As for the rat, it must have been a leftover from the night before. They didn't always eat everything that the parents brought them at night, but that rat proved to be a bit to large for the baby, he ended up pulling it out because he couldn't swallow it. So maybe that's why it was uneaten. I just happened to be checking on them when it was happening.

I'm still none the wiser. Is it still going on? - gets leftover, tries to swallow it but can't, it stays uneaten, gets leftover, tries to swallow it but can't, it stays uneaten, ad infinitum.

By: cortex

cortex — Mon, 30 Mar 2009 22:33:15 -0800

This is pretty dumb but it is also, I have to say, pretty goddam awesome.

By: hermitosis

hermitosis — Mon, 30 Mar 2009 22:45:10 -0800

I want to Arcanalogue this so hard, but I don't even know where to begin...

By: abc123xyzinfinity

abc123xyzinfinity — Mon, 30 Mar 2009 22:55:08 -0800

The otters and alligator clip is informative. The alligator could easily kill one of the otters, but the alligator doesn't differentiate between killing and eating, and it's not hungry. So it backs down instead. If only...

By: sexyrobot

sexyrobot — Mon, 30 Mar 2009 23:17:45 -0800

barn owls, right?

By: Slithy_Tove

Slithy_Tove — Mon, 30 Mar 2009 23:34:57 -0800

Previously on MeFi: Pelican swallowing pigeon.

By: Senor Cardgage

Senor Cardgage — Tue, 31 Mar 2009 00:12:08 -0800

I got this off reddit earlier too and sent it around all over. I learned that from a friend that they have obviously been kept in an enclosed space too long. That that shows in their behavior. Hence the creepy.

By: Iosephus

Iosephus — Tue, 31 Mar 2009 00:13:28 -0800

Does this qualify under the "don't eat anything bigger than your head" rule?

By: twoleftfeet

twoleftfeet — Tue, 31 Mar 2009 01:27:37 -0800

Who eat owl? What eat owl? Do wolf eat owl? Can a owl eat cow? What will a owl eat? Will a rat eat a owl? Can a owl eat a hawk? Can a wolf eat a owl? Willl a hawk eat a owl? Can a human eat an owl? Can a eagle eat an owl? Does a tiger eat a owl? Does a bear eat an owl? Will a bear eat an owl? Does an owl eat a shrew? Will an owl eat a rabbit? What animals eat the owl? What is does asn owl eat? What can eat a desert owl? Does a owl eat a earthworm?

By: chillmost

chillmost — Tue, 31 Mar 2009 03:30:41 -0800

The suckiest suck that ever sucked.

By: DU

DU — Tue, 31 Mar 2009 04:29:55 -0800

This is pretty dumb but it is also, I have to say, pretty goddam awesome. I ask that others who agree consider favoriting this comment.

By: East Manitoba Regional Junior Kabaddi Champion '94

East Manitoba Regional Junior Kabaddi Champion '94 — Tue, 31 Mar 2009 04:34:39 -0800

I considered it.

By: Abiezer

Abiezer — Tue, 31 Mar 2009 05:19:55 -0800

Like how the siblling at the rat-gobbler's shoulder appears to be talking her through it like your corner in a boxing match.

By: tommasz

tommasz — Tue, 31 Mar 2009 05:29:08 -0800

There's a thin line between dumb and awesome.

By: PontifexPrimus

PontifexPrimus — Tue, 31 Mar 2009 05:41:05 -0800

CitrusFreak12: "Before this post, I used to think this was the best video example of why barn owls are fucking creepy. Thanks for fixing that." Owls? Creepy? Never...

By: stavrosthewonderchicken

stavrosthewonderchicken — Tue, 31 Mar 2009 05:49:14 -0800

No, seriously. A wrung-out link to a goddamn .gif is still here? Really?

By: adamvasco

adamvasco — Tue, 31 Mar 2009 05:52:46 -0800

The Owls are not what they seem.

By: stavrosthewonderchicken

stavrosthewonderchicken — Tue, 31 Mar 2009 05:55:37 -0800

(Sorry, never mind. That was dumb. I've just reminded myself that the point at which any part of the internet -- even my beloved mildly poxy Metafilter -- becomes Serious Business™ is the point at which I need to go take a few big ol' lungdeep smells of the cherry blossoms for a while.)

By: Burhanistan

Burhanistan — Tue, 31 Mar 2009 07:26:22 -0800

There's a pair of great horned owls in my neighborhood, and often they are right in the back yard or on the roof. They hoot so loud that if you're close you can feel it in your chest cavity. Nothing like sitting upstairs and suddenly having a very loud hooting just outside your window after midnight.

By: Anything

Anything — Tue, 31 Mar 2009 07:46:20 -0800

Oh! Thank you for the gif option; I'm at a box that has no flash.

By: jokeefe

jokeefe — Tue, 31 Mar 2009 08:11:13 -0800

Is this the place where we post old owl clips? Because this one is magic!

By: Ugh

Ugh — Tue, 31 Mar 2009 08:15:48 -0800

This freaks me out. A lot.

By: Xoebe

Xoebe — Tue, 31 Mar 2009 08:39:04 -0800

This is exactly why, sometimes, context is overrated.

By: dammitjim

dammitjim — Tue, 31 Mar 2009 08:58:41 -0800

Owls? Creepy? Never... I, for one, found that little owl far more awesome that creepy.

By: quin

quin — Tue, 31 Mar 2009 09:07:25 -0800

Well I think it's cute. Though I'm now thinking that maybe I shouldn't post my video of me trying to swallow a barn owl whole, as it will seem too much like a double.

By: [@I][:+:][@I]

[@I][:+:][@I] — Tue, 31 Mar 2009 09:21:42 -0800

Hmm, there's a newly released owl gif (with animated jpg technology).

By: The Whelk

The Whelk — Tue, 31 Mar 2009 09:34:42 -0800

Everyone is fond of owls

By: srboisvert

srboisvert — Tue, 31 Mar 2009 09:43:48 -0800

I just got back from a bicycle ride where I saw a greyhound catch a squirrel. It was so happy while killing the squirrel that it really didn't bother me. It sure bothered the dogs owner though. The dog was all pleased with itself and really wanted to share its kill with his owner. It's only fair - she feeds him all the time and now he finally gets to reciprocate. However, she was practically running away while speaking to someone on her mobile.

By: Abiezer

Abiezer — Tue, 31 Mar 2009 09:54:41 -0800

I did some volunteer fencing work for an animal sanctuary down in Somerset once, building a run for their rescued ex-track greyhounds. Recall when we were taking some of them down to try the paddock out for the first time after we'd finished, one pulled off the lead and just about swallowed whole one of the the dozens of stray cats that would be lounging about the farmyard. We decided it was best to proceed as if nothing had happened; Nature's way and all that.

By: Foam Pants

Foam Pants — Tue, 31 Mar 2009 10:10:22 -0800

In some Native Alaskan cultures, owls are considered pretty dumb. You're supposed to avoid eating owls during pregnancy because they make your offspring stoooopid.

By: Burhanistan

Burhanistan — Tue, 31 Mar 2009 10:29:55 -0800

It would seem a good idea to refrain from eating owls, or any other bird of prey or scavenger, at any time. But I would hazard a guess that owls are as intelligent as any other bird, especially as they have such large eyes and that usually means more neurological circuitry. They've also adapted such features as ultra quiet flight, which not "intelligence" in the strict way we usually define it, does indeed make them smarter in sum.

By: Burhanistan

Burhanistan — Tue, 31 Mar 2009 10:33:02 -0800

which = while. I'm not as smart as an owl, at any rate.

By: homunculus

homunculus — Thu, 16 Apr 2009 09:15:12 -0800

Here's a baby owl

By: quin

quin — Thu, 16 Apr 2009 09:38:48 -0800

In one two minute video, that baby owl managed to impersonate a rabbit (being grey, fuzzy, big eyed, and sitting under a tree), a squirrel (being grey, fuzzy, and climbing a tree), a bat (being fuzzy, and hanging upside down under a tree branch), and stupidly cute. I want like twenty of them scattered around my house. Just so I can grab one wherever I am.

By: Burhanistan

Burhanistan — Thu, 16 Apr 2009 10:09:52 -0800

When they peck at your ears, it's not because of affection, it's because they are trying to eat any dangling bits of exposed flesh. Shower at your own peril in Owl House.