Snapple isn’t the only one guilty of propagating such misinformation. There’s a show on Game Show Network called Cram. In one segment the contestants are read a list of facts which they are expected to remember aftrer getting a moment to rest (the contestants have been awake for the past 24 hours studying other information on which they are later tested). The infamous “a duck’s quack doesn’t echo” was mentioned. I just wanted to scream ,“No, No, NO!!! Not true! Not true!” Many of the facts that the contestants are given seem to have been gleaned straight from Internet-distributed “fact” lists and reek of the same questionable veracity.
I’m fairly sure a whale or a manatee can’t jump.
It sure looks like this whale is jumping. 
Stephen Hawking is a mammal.
Give the person a chance. According to the profile he/she is 15, so likely a high school sophmore at most. The perfect age to start the fight against ignorance.
No, but you are the first person to name a fictitious snail "Zippy."
A google search for zippy snail brings up several snails named zippy, and a slug, too. They aren’t ficticious, though, so you may be right. Gary Larsen would know for sure
(My kid had a gerbil named zippy, but it never quacked so I can’t say if it’s echo could jump over my knee.)
Yeah, I agree, but I’m still intrigued – what is about this subject that scares people off the SDMB after they’ve raised it? I meant that welcome, by the way, Neonfish07 – no pressure.
I think its all the quack jokes. =]
Good theory. Of course it helps to remember that there are plenty of geezers on these boards who are that bit closer to senility than you are and sometimes it shows ;).
They duck in long enough to get the question answered then duck out again. Obviously they’re engaged in a little duck and cover. That or they’re ducking the issue. ALl those poor newbies, though. It’s tragic…almost Duckensian.
The last time that we went over the elephant thing, I seem to recall that the consensus was that sloths probably couldn’t jump, either.
As for most of the QUACKQUACKquack[sub]quack[/sub] threads being drive-bys, that’s because most posters, period, are drive-bys. Over half of our registered members have posted one or fewer times. Take a look at Comments on Cecil’s Columns, especially: Most threads there are started by newbies.
I remember hearing long ago that the elephant is the only animal that’s ever been taught to stand on its head.
Bird? Mammal?
Sorry, couldn’t resist pointing that out.
Having noticed you, Laughing Lagomorph, as the final poster to this thread, combined with the OP’s unusual version of a smiley, I was motivated to design one for you: =:·E
While all these urban myths about animals are being destroyed, one still remains true: Emus can’t walk backwards!