The peccary is not a suid, they form a separate family (Tayassuidae).
What's something you heard at a zoo or aquarium from another guest that irritated you?
- Thread starter Davdhole
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TheChukaulorian
Well-Known Member
To be fair, that's what the first western scientist to see an okapi probably thought lol
I heard a man at the Cincinnati Zoo say that the black rhino was the most common type, presumably having confused them with white rhinos.
They originally thought they were looking for a primitive horse species
"Female rhinos don't have horns!" 
I was at como zoo today, and I overheard a toddler calling a harbor seal a “big tadpole” and a “kitty.” I can somewhat understand the confusion between sea lions & seals in the general public, but mistaking a seal for a tadpole and/or a cat?
I later heard a mother correcting her son, after he correctly identified a harbor seal, buy saying “it’s actually an otter”, while standing right next to a sign stating it was a seal
.
I later heard a mother correcting her son, after he correctly identified a harbor seal, buy saying “it’s actually an otter”, while standing right next to a sign stating it was a seal
.As there seems to be a collection of rhino quotes at the moment,I heard a great one at Whipsnade a few years ago.
Whilst looking at the Indian rhinos (Whipsnade also have White) I heard one bloke tell his children about the differences between the two species. One of the differences he mentioned was that the other rhinos they saw earlier were mammals, but these are reptiles.
Whilst looking at the Indian rhinos (Whipsnade also have White) I heard one bloke tell his children about the differences between the two species. One of the differences he mentioned was that the other rhinos they saw earlier were mammals, but these are reptiles.
I imagine they've probably seen the old and recently circulating stories about the last male Northern White Rhinoceros dying.
~Thylo
In this thread: someone getting annoyed with a literal toddler for not being familiar with the correct terms for an animal they might have never encountered before
Misconceptions I've heard:
Painted Dogs are not Hyenas
Rheas aren't Baby ostriches
a Pygmy Hippo is not a Baby Hippo
Crested Screamer is not a Emu (How do you get that wrong!)
Koala is not a Panda
Kodiak Bears aren't Grizzlies (I get this one)
Rock Monitors aren't Komodo Dragons
Alligator snapping turtle is not Godzilla
Painted Dogs are not Hyenas
Rheas aren't Baby ostriches
a Pygmy Hippo is not a Baby Hippo
Crested Screamer is not a Emu (How do you get that wrong!)
Koala is not a Panda
Kodiak Bears aren't Grizzlies (I get this one)
Rock Monitors aren't Komodo Dragons
Alligator snapping turtle is not Godzilla
OkapiFan
Well-Known Member
English is weird for a non-native speakerYou will find that your list of misconceptions are not, in fact, misconceptions but rather opposite: they're factual! A Koala is indeed not a panda
~Thylo
felis silvestris
Well-Known Member
I’ve someone say:
Gibbon= monkey (obviously)
Visayan warty pig= warthog
Gibbon= monkey (obviously)
Visayan warty pig= warthog
felis silvestris
Well-Known Member
This had me laughing for a while
Surprisingly, mistaking a cougar for a cheetah is actually less inaccurate than calling a leopard or a jaguar a cheetah, taxonomically speaking.
I've heard this one a lot. The zoo I volunteer at no longer has warty pigs, but when they did I would hear this almost every time I was at the exhibit. And to be honest, this one never bothered me. It was extremely easy to see why people would think the warty pig is a warthog, as they are relatively similar species (looks wise). I've also heard:
Lemur = Monkey
Kangaroo = Dog
Spur-thigh Tortoise = Kitty
Sloth Bear = Gorilla
Red Panda = Fox
Red Panda = Lemur
Red Panda = Baby Regular Panda
Leopard = Cheetah, Jaguar, or Tiger
Serval = Baby Cheetah
Emu = Big Duck
Crowned Pigeon = Peacock
River Otter = Seal