# Are there land mammals normally without eyelashes? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [December 3, 2009, 3:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-land-mammals-normally-without-eyelashes/519852 "2009-12-03T15:28:21Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Harmonious\_Discord](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/74df32/32.png) [@Harmonious\_Discord](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Harmonious_Discord)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2009, 3:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-land-mammals-normally-without-eyelashes/519852/1 "2009-12-03T15:28:21Z")
I’m not looking for the genetic fluke or sick individual. It needs to be a distinct trait of a species. ---
**Author:** ![araminty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/b5e925/32.png) [@araminty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/araminty)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2009, 7:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-land-mammals-normally-without-eyelashes/519852/2 "2009-12-03T19:41:39Z")
How about no eyes at all? The [marsupial mole](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marsupial_mole)has only vestigial eyes under their skin, no external features at all. ---
**Author:** ![CC](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f1d935/32.png) [@CC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CC)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2009, 10:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-land-mammals-normally-without-eyelashes/519852/3 "2009-12-03T22:33:04Z")
Geez, those things are _ALL_ eyelash. ---
**Author:** ![Zsofia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/7bcc69/32.png) [@Zsofia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zsofia)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2009, 10:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-land-mammals-normally-without-eyelashes/519852/4 "2009-12-03T22:45:02Z")
They’re like furry slinkies! ---
**Author:** ![Harmonious\_Discord](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/74df32/32.png) [@Harmonious\_Discord](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Harmonious_Discord)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2009, 1:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-land-mammals-normally-without-eyelashes/519852/5 "2009-12-04T01:31:18Z")
I can’t really tell with all the fur if there are eyelash hairs where the residual eye feature is. It looks like a possibility. Any others people? ---
**Author:** ![Fubaya](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/c2a13f/32.png) [@Fubaya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fubaya)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2009, 4:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-land-mammals-normally-without-eyelashes/519852/6 "2009-12-04T04:38:51Z")
Hippo maybe? [pic 1](http://www.earth-photography.com/photos/Miscellaneous/Animals/Animal_Hippo1.jpg) [pic 2](http://www.sandiegozoo.org/animalbytes/images/hippo_eye_gold.jpg) [pic 3](http://www.flickr.com/photos/rohanphillips/212912968/) ---
**Author:** ![CC](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f1d935/32.png) [@CC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CC)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2009, 2:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-land-mammals-normally-without-eyelashes/519852/7 "2009-12-04T14:51:08Z")
Looks like Hippo is a good candidate. Maybe something vestigial, but it’s surely not evident in those pix. ---
**Author:** ![Fubaya](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/c2a13f/32.png) [@Fubaya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fubaya)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2009, 4:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-land-mammals-normally-without-eyelashes/519852/8 "2009-12-04T16:58:03Z")
The [Pangolin](http://www.theepochtimes.com/news_images/2004-2-23-23-pangolin.jpg) may be a candidate, but I can’t tell. (Yes it’s a mammal) ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2009, 7:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-land-mammals-normally-without-eyelashes/519852/9 "2009-12-04T19:40:02Z")
> [@](#): > > Maybe something vestigial, but it’s surely not evident in those pix. Do we have a hippopotomologist in the house who can confirm? ---
**Author:** ![KneadToKnow](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kneadtoknow/32/3999_2.png) [@KneadToKnow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KneadToKnow)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2009, 7:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-land-mammals-normally-without-eyelashes/519852/10 "2009-12-04T19:59:11Z")
> [@Fubaya](#): > > The [Pangolin](http://www.theepochtimes.com/news_images/2004-2-23-23-pangolin.jpg) may be a candidate, but I can’t tell. (Yes it’s a mammal) On behalf of many sleepless nights to come, please accept this [Gibbs smack](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leroy_Jethro_Gibbs). ---
**Author:** ![Weedy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/weedy/32/301_2.png) [@Weedy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Weedy)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2009, 9:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-land-mammals-normally-without-eyelashes/519852/11 "2009-12-04T21:15:40Z")
I can’t see any eyelashes on our guinea pigs. ---
**Author:** ![capeo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/b19c9b/32.png) [@capeo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/capeo)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2009, 9:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-land-mammals-normally-without-eyelashes/519852/12 "2009-12-04T21:19:36Z")
I don’t believe any rodents have eyelashes do they? ---
**Author:** ![Blake](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/a9a28c/32.png) [@Blake](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Blake)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2009, 3:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-land-mammals-normally-without-eyelashes/519852/13 "2009-12-05T03:27:12Z")
> [@Fubaya](#): > > The [Pangolin](http://www.theepochtimes.com/news_images/2004-2-23-23-pangolin.jpg) may be a candidate, but I can’t tell. (Yes it’s a mammal) The only place the pangolins retain normal hair is their eyelashes. And mice and guinepigs have eyelashes. They aren’t a lot longer than the surrounding fur, but they are there ---
**Author:** ![Helix1047](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/ecae2f/32.png) [@Helix1047](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Helix1047)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2009, 4:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-land-mammals-normally-without-eyelashes/519852/14 "2009-12-05T04:11:12Z")
I don’t think cats have eyelashes. By eyelashes, i thing you are referring to specialized hair around the outer edge of the eyelid that protected the eye. Cats have fur but nothing specialized. ---
**Author:** ![Zsofia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/7bcc69/32.png) [@Zsofia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zsofia)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2009, 4:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-land-mammals-normally-without-eyelashes/519852/15 "2009-12-05T04:18:57Z")
Cats totally have eyelashes. I’m looking at them right now. ---
**Author:** ![Helix1047](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/ecae2f/32.png) [@Helix1047](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Helix1047)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2009, 4:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-land-mammals-normally-without-eyelashes/519852/16 "2009-12-05T04:21:42Z")
Isn’t it just fur? > **[File:Cat's Eyes.jpg](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Cat%27s_Eyes.jpg)** its not any different from the rest of their face fur. ---
**Author:** ![Blake](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/a9a28c/32.png) [@Blake](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Blake)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2009, 4:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-land-mammals-normally-without-eyelashes/519852/17 "2009-12-05T04:28:18Z")
> [@Helix1047](#): > > Isn’t it just fur? > > [File:Cat's Eyes.jpg - Wikimedia Commons](http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Cat%27s_Eyes.jpg) > > its not any different from the rest of their face fur. It’s quite different. [This picture](http://www.jonco48.com/blog/cat_20eye_small.jpg) gives you a better view. ---
**Author:** ![Helix1047](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/ecae2f/32.png) [@Helix1047](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Helix1047)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2009, 4:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-land-mammals-normally-without-eyelashes/519852/18 "2009-12-05T04:53:07Z")
Those are NOT eyelashes… Theyre whisker like projections that originate in the brow. They have a sensory purpose and have no part in the protection of the eye. ---
**Author:** ![Blake](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/a9a28c/32.png) [@Blake](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Blake)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2009, 5:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-land-mammals-normally-without-eyelashes/519852/19 "2009-12-05T05:14:51Z")
You can see the eyelashes in that picture. Yes, you can see the eyebrow homologues (what you call “whisker like projections”). You can also see the eyeball, but that’s not an eyelash either. ---
**Author:** ![Fubaya](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/c2a13f/32.png) [@Fubaya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fubaya)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2009, 6:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-land-mammals-normally-without-eyelashes/519852/20 "2009-12-05T06:36:19Z")
> [@Blake](#): > > The only place the pangolins retain normal hair is their eyelashes. Way to be perfectly anti-cooperative there, Pangolins. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-land-mammals-normally-without-eyelashes/519852.md?page=2)