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[-] shinigamiookamiryuu@lemm.ee 27 points 6 months ago

In the wild, all three are territorial, aggressively horny, and articulate enough to be known to kill their own young at times. So not particularly.

[-] Mouselemming@sh.itjust.works 17 points 6 months ago

I'm having a hard time with "articulate" in this context...?

[-] SwingingTheLamp@midwest.social 10 points 6 months ago

Perhaps it means "aggressive" in Autocorrectese?

[-] shinigamiookamiryuu@lemm.ee 3 points 6 months ago

What I meant by "articulate" is most species wouldn't fathom killing their young as a form of expression of angst. However, in elephants, seals, and walruses, this isn't an uncommon thing to see in the wild, in fact a large percentage of the ones in zoos have been victims of the elephant/walrus/seal equivalent of unexplained child abuse that were "adopted" by zookeepers.

[-] SwingingTheLamp@midwest.social 8 points 6 months ago

I'm really confused then, since "articulate" to me means clear, distinct speech, being good with words, or having the power of speech. I don't know what it means in this context.

[-] shinigamiookamiryuu@lemm.ee 4 points 6 months ago

"Articulate" as in a rough synonym of expressive. Art is articulate. Gaming can be articulate. Or at least that's what I'm going by. I learned full English later in life, which may explain why some people say my word choice isn't 100% analogous to its closest counterpart.

[-] SwingingTheLamp@midwest.social 6 points 6 months ago

Ah, I see where you're coming from with that interpretation, thanks for the clarification! (For what it's worth, for this English speaker, "articulate" has a very strong connotation of speech.)

[-] intensely_human@lemm.ee 2 points 6 months ago

To me it has a connotation of the individual connections clearly established. Hands are articulate mechanisms because they’re highly divided down into small pieces.

[-] Mouselemming@sh.itjust.works 3 points 6 months ago

Articulate can relate to physical flexibility, jointedness, which isn't a strong point for seals on land, and may contribute to their tendency to squash their pups. Speaking clearly is also not a strong point.

[-] shinigamiookamiryuu@lemm.ee 2 points 6 months ago

They don't just squash their pups, they often outright slaughter.

[-] intensely_human@lemm.ee 2 points 6 months ago

Or, or what if a seal could make a few human noise yeah? Or?

[-] RamblingPanda@lemmynsfw.com 7 points 6 months ago

I thought my English failed me, but it is flawlessing as altimes.

[-] shinigamiookamiryuu@lemm.ee 7 points 6 months ago

English fail you? That's unpossible!

[-] intensely_human@lemm.ee 4 points 6 months ago

Deft perhaps? Able to catch little nimble ones such as your human self or their own offspring?

[-] corsicanguppy@lemmy.ca 0 points 6 months ago

Are you asking whether you're having a hard time? I see the interrogative, and it parses like that.

[-] Mouselemming@sh.itjust.works 2 points 6 months ago

Well, I was asking whether they meant another word or whether I was misunderstanding their use of this one. They did indeed choose articulate, and were using it in a way that is foreign to my experience.

[-] AFKBRBChocolate@lemmy.world 4 points 6 months ago

I think people assume they're friendly because they can be pretty curious, which can appear like friendliness, but I've heard they're aggressive biters when messed with.

[-] shinigamiookamiryuu@lemm.ee 4 points 6 months ago

They have a high bar as well. You could do so much as try to get too comfortable near their flock and they'll attack you. All three animals have a known altruistic side, but this is balanced by a heightened degree of erraticness.

this post was submitted on 22 Mar 2024
64 points (94.4% liked)

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