OkcPets Magazine November 2023

26 OKC Pets • November / December 2023 Critter Collection Part II Add More Fun Facts to Your Trivia Trove by Kim Doner G reetings, nerdy readers! I’m back, tickled to pieces that the mag- azine has accepted my begging — I mean, my suggestion — for a second article of cool critter facts. Let’s go! Hey, There, Babe! A DAZZLE OF ZEBRAS. Zebra stripes are more than fashion statements. Foals im- print on their mother’s unique pattern, so they immediately recognize Mama in any group. Zookeepers trade off wearing the same striped coat when feeding orphaned zebras so the little one believes it’s the same mother. When several zebras are together, the constant repatterning of stripes is con- fusing for predators — they don’t know which end is which. It’s possible, though, that the stripes protect zebras from insect bites. A study showed fewer bug bites on similarly patterned cattle compared to solid-colored cattle. This could lead to a whole new business of professional cow painting as an alterna- tive to pesticides. A PADDLE OF PLATYPUSES. (Too cute to omit: Babies are called puggles.) OK, I’m SO cheating here. Everyone pretty much knows that platypuses are really weird mammals. They lay eggs and have leathery bills instead of mouths, for starters. My challenge is to expand this list. Fortunate- ly, I’m totally up to the task.