# Re: Can camels swim?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/re-can-camels-swim/36473>\
**Category:** Cecil's Columns/Staff Reports\
**Created:** [October 10, 2000, 10:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/re-can-camels-swim/36473 "2000-10-10T22:42:19Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 5\
**Page:** 4

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**Author:** ![BickByro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/13edae/32.png) [@BickByro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BickByro)\
**Post date:** [December 26, 2000, 4:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/re-can-camels-swim/36473/61 "2000-12-26T16:10:44Z")

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mice can swim, and damn do they look cute doing it! their little tails whip back and forth in a sperm-like motion…

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**Author:** ![Fishhead](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/9f8e36/32.png) [@Fishhead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fishhead)\
**Post date:** [December 27, 2000, 3:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/re-can-camels-swim/36473/62 "2000-12-27T15:22:34Z")

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Believe it or not, I actually sat through a seminar where a guy described his research dropping different African gophers into water to find out if they could swim. Some of the ones from very arid climates could not. He had pictures of these things and the test system, with transparent sides so you can see these things struggling. Given that these are arguably the most hideous mammals on (or under) the earth, I doubt that even PETA members would care much. However, I thought the whole thing was pointless and stupid. I did not agree that this research could provide any evidence of lineage, and thought that it could provide little of use in the case of ecological comparisons.

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**Author:** ![JillGat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/9fc29f/32.png) [@JillGat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JillGat)\
**Post date:** [December 27, 2000, 6:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/re-can-camels-swim/36473/63 "2000-12-27T18:01:32Z")

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I just saw an article in the paper this morning about an eleven year research project in Colorado that showed that unimmunized children contract measles and pertussus more than immunized children do.

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**Author:** ![dublos](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/f08c70/32.png) [@dublos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dublos)\
**Post date:** [February 16, 2001, 4:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/re-can-camels-swim/36473/64 "2001-02-16T16:58:10Z")

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**JillGat**

Huh?

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**Author:** ![JillGat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/9fc29f/32.png) [@JillGat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JillGat)\
**Post date:** [February 16, 2001, 11:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/re-can-camels-swim/36473/65 "2001-02-16T23:25:58Z")

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I was just sayin’ that people do all kinds of seemingly pointless research.

I also want to say that I feel all warm and fuzzy that this thread has re-emerged.

- Jill

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