Snouters
February 14, 2005 10:15 PM   Subscribe

Snouters were a class of animals that had evolved to use their noses for virtually every imaginable function. Gallery. (Japanese geocities page)
posted by dhruva (10 comments total)
 
BAH GAWD.
posted by jimmy at 10:41 PM on February 14, 2005


Never heard of this. Great stuff. The models are super good. Thanks dhruva.

The nasobeme. Translation by G.G. Simpson:
Behold the prideful walk-on-nose,
The nasobeme with nasal toes;
Behold also his handsome pup.
Tis true you cannot look him up;
He figures not in Mayer or Brehm;
No reference work contains his name.
In this my song he makes his bow
To all of you, and that is how
At last you can, complete with pup
(As I have mentioned farther up),
Behold the prideful walk-on-nose,
The nasobem with nasal toes.
posted by tellurian at 10:54 PM on February 14, 2005


This is very neat stuff, thanks.
posted by nightchrome at 11:29 PM on February 14, 2005


Delicious! Here's the Wikipedia entry for Rhinogradentia. And the gallery is magnifico.

Somewhat in the same vein, the very nice Secret Fauna (info here). But nothing is better than a wonderfully whimsical scientist for a good "sciencefiction"; three cheers for Gerolf Steiner and Harald Stümpke! (Also, check out the very last entry on this Wisconsin mammals page, and be sure to click through to the image.)

By the way, one of you smart Wikipedia people: the Hi-Yi-Yi Islands need to be added somewhere in this list, though I'll be damned if I can figure out where. At first I thought "Phantom Islands", but this is specifically for islands that have shown up on a map. Also, the Darwin Institute of Hi-yi-yi should probably go here. And stop looking at me like that — I'm lazy and stupid. You do it.
posted by taz at 3:46 AM on February 15, 2005


Nice links. I followed on to the Ugly Islands, which are great too.
posted by BigCalm at 4:37 AM on February 15, 2005


Rhinolimacius conchicauda exemplifies the trend among many genera for the "nasarium" to become adapted for locomotion while the hind appendages degenerate.

"Use the nose jump, Robbie ... Bounce with your nose!"
posted by kcds at 5:31 AM on February 15, 2005


Wow, I had forgotten all about Snouters. I saw them in a science magazine for kids in 1968, and my friends and I thought they were so cool that we came up with a few of our own. Thanks, dhruva!
posted by wadefranklin at 6:47 AM on February 15, 2005


Great post dhruva! Like wadefranklin, I came across these a long time ago but had completely forgotten about them.
posted by vacapinta at 8:49 AM on February 15, 2005


This is wonderful.
posted by scrim at 6:37 PM on February 15, 2005


human snouters?
posted by trondant at 10:10 PM on February 15, 2005


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