Talk:Raven Branwen/@comment-26258854-20180529114147/@comment-24018437-20180531232429

@SomeoneYouUsedToKnow

1: I hate to be ‘that guy’, but...Both those points are actually wrong. I recall reading that bats actually have very good vision, but they can’t see colors. I’m not sure if that’s true or not, as it was years since I’ve read it, but I do know some bat species actually see better then humans, up to three times better then us. These are mostly larger bat species, like flying foxes, though.

As for hyenas, that is...partly true. There are four species of hyena. The aardwolf eats only termites and insects. The striped and brown hyena are indeed mainly scavengers. But the spotted hyena, which is most featurer the most in pretty much everything, is actually one of the most active and succesfull among mammalian predators, to the point only dholes and African wild dogs have a higher succes rate on average during their hunts. Heck, lions actually scavenge more from hyenas then the other way around, as most people believe, and have a lower average succes rate when it come’s to hunting and are actually less intelligent as well. For a long time, even biologists believed that they were cowardly, unintelkugeby scavengers thanks to superficial observation, folklore and role in popular culture. There was a severe lack of bias and even disinterest in the sciencetific community when it came to hyenas. This only changed when biologists like Hans Kruuk and Jane Goodwell (Yes, the same one who is known for working with chimpansees) started showing genuine interest and dedication when it came to studying these animals. Its not a widely known fact, but spotted hyenas are actually one of the best hunters and the most intelligent members of the Carnivora order, and their intelligence and society is actually more akin to that of primates then other social predators, like wolves. So the spotted hyena is a perfect example of just how wrong a stereotype can be.

2: I think that might be the case, yeah. I double-checked and nothing I found seems to suggest that ravens abonden their young more then other bird species. If anything, I’ve only found more evidence that they are generally among the better parents of the avian world. Their great intelligence, however, can result in them being more intentionaly and needlessly cruel then other species. But this is a common trait in intelligent animals. Just look at dolphins. Folklore and pop culture is mostly positive when they’re involved, but real-life dolphins are just pure dicks.

And yeah, I always found that interesting, how something can be viewed so differently in different parts of the world. Crocodiles are actually a good example for that. In many African cultures, crocodiles are associated with evil. In Asia, they are usually just seen as dangerous animals. But in South-America and especially Australia, they tend to be viewed as sacred animals and play major role in many native religions.