Mouselemming comments on You can feed the pachyderms at the Budapest Zoo

[–] Mouselemming@sh.itjust.works 5 points 11 months ago* (3 children)

Oh TIL that, while pachyderms are elephants, they're also hippos and rhinoceroses and tapirs! Good thing I checked before being confidently incorrect! Don't trust anything you learned as a child.

permalink

fedilink

source

hideshow 3 child comments

[–] AmidFuror@fedia.io 7 points 11 months ago (2 children)

Sure, but pachyderms are a polyphyletic group that doesn't match with genetics.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pachydermata

Elephants cluster with hyraxes, manatees, and dugongs.

Hippos are closer to whales, dolphins, and porpoises than any is to elephants.

Rhinos are closer to horses and tapirs than any is to hippos or elephants.

permalink

fedilink

source

parent

hideshow 2 child comments

[–] Mouselemming@sh.itjust.works 4 points 11 months ago* (last edited 11 months ago) (1 child)

Yes, the word is not used to group them scientifically anymore, but can still describe them as thick-skinned.

The hungry Hungary hippos have thick but sensitive skin, so they soak in the swamp. Rampageous rhinoceroses and easygoing elephants also have thick skin, often mottled with mud, as they saunter through the savannah.

permalink

fedilink

source

parent

hideshow 1 child comment

[–] AmidFuror@fedia.io 3 points 11 months ago

Awesome alliteration.

permalink

fedilink

source

parent