# ...only animal aside from humans that... **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [May 3, 2002, 3:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/only-animal-aside-from-humans-that/106993 "2002-05-03T03:12:47Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![El\_Elvis\_Rojo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/898d66/32.png) [@El\_Elvis\_Rojo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/El_Elvis_Rojo)\ **Post date:** [May 3, 2002, 3:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/only-animal-aside-from-humans-that/106993/1 "2002-05-03T03:12:47Z")
Okay, so I was wondering, I’ve heard a couple of things like this, and I want to know what else is out there that helps make other animals unique by making them more human. Examples: Wolverines are the only animals aside from humans that kill for pleasure. Armadillos are the only animals aside from humans that get leprisy (sic). Porcupines are the only animals aside from humans that have sex for pleasure (I’ve heard the same thing for dolphins and a few other animals, which makes me question the validity of all these statements. I mean, who has sex for pleasure?) Anymore out there? ---
**Author:** ![Spiratu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/47e85d/32.png) [@Spiratu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spiratu)\ **Post date:** [May 3, 2002, 3:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/only-animal-aside-from-humans-that/106993/2 "2002-05-03T03:25:59Z")
I’m not sure how to phrase it, exactly, but I wouldn’t be surprised if beavers were the only animals besides humans that purposely change the landscape to improve their living conditions, or something like that. ---
**Author:** ![Arnold\_Winkelried](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Arnold\_Winkelried](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Arnold_Winkelried)\ **Post date:** [May 3, 2002, 5:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/only-animal-aside-from-humans-that/106993/3 "2002-05-03T05:53:53Z")
Some of these sound dubious to me. Maybe domestic cats kill for pleasure? Maybe bonobo chimpanzees have sex for pleasure? How about ants building large, climate-controlled anthills such as seen in Africa? ---
**Author:** ![Spiratu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/47e85d/32.png) [@Spiratu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spiratu)\ **Post date:** [May 3, 2002, 5:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/only-animal-aside-from-humans-that/106993/4 "2002-05-03T05:58:08Z")
I think there’s probably going to be a problem whenever you have that “only” word in there. ---
**Author:** ![tavalla](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tavalla/32/89_2.png) [@tavalla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tavalla)\ **Post date:** [May 3, 2002, 6:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/only-animal-aside-from-humans-that/106993/5 "2002-05-03T06:07:31Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by El Elvis Rojo \* > **Armadillos are the only animals aside from humans that get leprisy (sic).** Old world monkeys (eg sooty mangabeys) can contract leprosy. ---
**Author:** ![kitarak](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/898d66/32.png) [@kitarak](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kitarak)\ **Post date:** [May 3, 2002, 7:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/only-animal-aside-from-humans-that/106993/6 "2002-05-03T07:04:54Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Spiratu \* > \*\*I’m not sure how to phrase it, exactly, but I wouldn’t be surprised if beavers were the only animals besides humans that purposely change the landscape to improve their living conditions, or something like that. \*\* Dubious. Depends how you’re defining it. Birds build nests, some of which are quite involved. Wasps and bees build hives. Ants build nests as well. The only real distinction the beaver has is it’s larger, so the effects are more obvious to us. ---
**Author:** ![scott\_evil](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/91b2a8/32.png) [@scott\_evil](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scott_evil)\ **Post date:** [May 3, 2002, 1:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/only-animal-aside-from-humans-that/106993/7 "2002-05-03T13:40:37Z")
The only mammal besides humans that doesn’t produce its own vitamin C is the guinea pig (cavy). That’s why you can’t feed GPs any old pellets - they have to be GP pellets, which are fortified with extra vitamin C. - s.e. ---
**Author:** ![Legomancer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/779978/32.png) [@Legomancer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Legomancer)\ **Post date:** [May 3, 2002, 1:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/only-animal-aside-from-humans-that/106993/8 "2002-05-03T13:51:22Z")
Supposedly the pig is the only other animal that gets sunburned. ---
**Author:** ![Lady\_Venom](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/9fc348/32.png) [@Lady\_Venom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lady_Venom)\ **Post date:** [May 3, 2002, 2:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/only-animal-aside-from-humans-that/106993/9 "2002-05-03T14:17:53Z")
I’ve also heard that dolphins and elephants have sex for pleasure ---
**Author:** ![Dinsdale](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/97f17d/32.png) [@Dinsdale](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dinsdale)\ **Post date:** [May 3, 2002, 2:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/only-animal-aside-from-humans-that/106993/10 "2002-05-03T14:18:36Z")
I heard they discovered certain strains of bacteria that would voluntarily watch World Championship Wrestling, but I doubt it. ---
**Author:** ![grettle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/aeb1de/32.png) [@grettle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/grettle)\ **Post date:** [May 3, 2002, 3:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/only-animal-aside-from-humans-that/106993/11 "2002-05-03T15:08:18Z")
Is there any animal other than humans that can have sex facing each other? (as opposed to doggy-style) ---
**Author:** ![El\_Elvis\_Rojo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/898d66/32.png) [@El\_Elvis\_Rojo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/El_Elvis_Rojo)\ **Post date:** [May 3, 2002, 3:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/only-animal-aside-from-humans-that/106993/12 "2002-05-03T15:13:45Z")
Some monkeys do it hanging upside down from trees facing one another. hmmm…that sounds like fun. ---
**Author:** ![UrbanChic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/9dc877/32.png) [@UrbanChic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UrbanChic)\ **Post date:** [May 3, 2002, 3:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/only-animal-aside-from-humans-that/106993/13 "2002-05-03T15:14:49Z")
I’d argue that humans are the only animals that have sex for the _express_ purpose of procreating. I’d say that the rest of the animal kingdom has sex just for pleasure. ---
**Author:** ![xizor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/xizor/32/102_2.png) [@xizor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/xizor)\ **Post date:** [May 3, 2002, 4:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/only-animal-aside-from-humans-that/106993/14 "2002-05-03T16:10:33Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Lady Venom \* > \*\*I’ve also heard that dolphins and elephants have sex for pleasure \*\* With each other? ---
**Author:** ![xizor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/xizor/32/102_2.png) [@xizor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/xizor)\ **Post date:** [May 3, 2002, 4:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/only-animal-aside-from-humans-that/106993/15 "2002-05-03T16:13:54Z")
There is an animal book in my house somewhere thats says the only 2 things that humans do that is not done by other animals are: 1 - drink when not thirsty. 2 - have sex every day of the year. ---
**Author:** ![kitarak](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/898d66/32.png) [@kitarak](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kitarak)\ **Post date:** [May 3, 2002, 4:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/only-animal-aside-from-humans-that/106993/16 "2002-05-03T16:22:00Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by xizor \* > \*\*There is an animal book in my house somewhere thats says the only 2 things that humans do that is not done by other animals are: > 1 - drink when not thirsty. > 2 - have sex every day of the year. \*\* ::blink:: Umm… Wow, those are some pretty energetic… Ohhh, right. 🙂 You mean that humans don’t have specific times when they’re ‘in heat’? ---
**Author:** ![Elenfair](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/cc9497/32.png) [@Elenfair](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elenfair)\ **Post date:** [May 3, 2002, 4:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/only-animal-aside-from-humans-that/106993/17 "2002-05-03T16:29:58Z")
**Legomancer** I disagree. My NSDT Retriever gets sunburns on his nose and on the top of his muzzle if I don’t put sunscreen on it in the summer. He has learned not to lick it off. We run agility competitions with that lovely coloured sunscreen (bright green, blue, yellow or purple!) on his nose and muzzle. Dogs with liver-coloured noses and little fuzz on the muzzle easily get sunburned, and yes, it does hurt, go bright red, blister, and peel. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Peyote\_Coyote](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/5f8ce5/32.png) [@The\_Peyote\_Coyote](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Peyote_Coyote)\ **Post date:** [May 3, 2002, 4:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/only-animal-aside-from-humans-that/106993/18 "2002-05-03T16:55:23Z")
My observations of several cats that have kept me as a pet convinces me the little bastards kill for pleasure. I’ve seen my cats attack or kill mice, insects, birds, snakes, lizards, frogs, small rabbits, chipmunks, and something that was either a large rat or a baby weasel. They eat Purina Cat Chow plus table scraps so I know they’re not hunting out of starvation. They like to kill. ---
**Author:** ![Legomancer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/779978/32.png) [@Legomancer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Legomancer)\ **Post date:** [May 3, 2002, 5:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/only-animal-aside-from-humans-that/106993/19 "2002-05-03T17:07:13Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Elenfair \* > **Legomancer I disagree. My NSDT Retriever gets sunburns on his nose and on the top of his muzzle if I don’t put sunscreen on it in the summer. He has learned not to lick it off.** Hence the “Supposedly”. ---
**Author:** ![Ike\_Witt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ike_witt/32/283_2.png) [@Ike\_Witt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ike_Witt)\ **Post date:** [May 3, 2002, 6:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/only-animal-aside-from-humans-that/106993/20 "2002-05-03T18:53:05Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by jkbelle \* > \*\*Is there any animal other than humans that can have sex facing each other? (as opposed to doggy-style) \*\* The aforementioned Bonobo has sex in the “missionary” position. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/only-animal-aside-from-humans-that/106993.md?page=2)