# We're evacuating the planet for an unspoiled Earth. What animal species do we take with us? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [November 19, 2010, 5:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/were-evacuating-the-planet-for-an-unspoiled-earth-what-animal-species-do-we-take-with-us/561234 "2010-11-19T17:16:35Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![Rachellelogram](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rachellelogram/32/8689_2.png) [@Rachellelogram](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rachellelogram)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2010, 4:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/were-evacuating-the-planet-for-an-unspoiled-earth-what-animal-species-do-we-take-with-us/561234/61 "2010-11-23T04:58:31Z")
> [@Ranchoth](#): > > I recommend bringing chimpanzees…as they reach sexual maturity twice as fast as humans, a rigorous program of selective breeding, biological engineering, and savage training should be able to produce a viable slave race within half a century. If they’re smart enough to be enslaved, then they’re too smart for us to enslave. Humanity is not worth saving if this is the way it has to be done. ---
**Author:** ![Ranchoth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ranchoth/32/1066_2.png) [@Ranchoth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ranchoth)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2010, 9:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/were-evacuating-the-planet-for-an-unspoiled-earth-what-animal-species-do-we-take-with-us/561234/62 "2010-11-23T09:28:45Z")
> [@rachelellogram](#): > > If they’re smart enough to be enslaved, then they’re too smart for us to enslave. Now that’s just silly…we’d obviously stop short before making them _too_ smart to enslave. That’s just common sense—we just need them smart enough follow basic instructions, and associate disobedience with pain. No one’s talking about deliberately making them intelligent enough to undo their manacles, or override the Electro-Restraint Collars™. I mean, that’d just be _deranged_. ---
**Author:** ![kambuckta](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/53a042/32.png) [@kambuckta](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kambuckta)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2010, 9:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/were-evacuating-the-planet-for-an-unspoiled-earth-what-animal-species-do-we-take-with-us/561234/63 "2010-11-23T09:52:51Z")
Of course we always take earthworms. They’ll convert all the leftover vegetable matter into castings which make the available ‘soil’ nutrient rich and able to support the growing of future vegetables. And on the plus side, they don’t take up much room on the spacecraft getting us out of here. ---
**Author:** ![GuanoLad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guanolad/32/42_2.png) [@GuanoLad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GuanoLad)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2010, 10:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/were-evacuating-the-planet-for-an-unspoiled-earth-what-animal-species-do-we-take-with-us/561234/64 "2010-11-23T10:47:12Z")
Presumably any animal will bring their own parasites and bacteria, which will upset the ecosystem if they don’t have their own natural predators with them; so in the end you may have to bring a whole lot of the unsavoury creatures along with the food source, workhorse, and cute ones. ---
**Author:** ![mbh](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a6a055/32.png) [@mbh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mbh)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2010, 1:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/were-evacuating-the-planet-for-an-unspoiled-earth-what-animal-species-do-we-take-with-us/561234/65 "2010-11-23T13:52:32Z")
Cattle and whitetail deer, for food. Dogs, for utility and companionship. Cats, for pest control. Bees, for pollination. Meerkats, for entertainment. And dung beetles, for cleanup. ---
**Author:** ![BMalion](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e274bd/32.png) [@BMalion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BMalion)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2010, 2:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/were-evacuating-the-planet-for-an-unspoiled-earth-what-animal-species-do-we-take-with-us/561234/66 "2010-11-23T14:05:30Z")
I must be the only one who doesn’t want cats. if we don’t bring the vermin, why do we need cats? ---
**Author:** ![Tom\_Scud](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/f08c70/32.png) [@Tom\_Scud](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tom_Scud)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2010, 2:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/were-evacuating-the-planet-for-an-unspoiled-earth-what-animal-species-do-we-take-with-us/561234/67 "2010-11-23T14:48:01Z")
> [@BMalion](#): > > I must be the only one who doesn’t want cats. > > if we don’t bring the vermin, why do we need cats? From Skald’s hypothetical, there should be native wildlife. (Aside from the “if we don’t bring the vermin” part, which is more difficult than it sounds). ---
**Author:** ![BMalion](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e274bd/32.png) [@BMalion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BMalion)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2010, 3:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/were-evacuating-the-planet-for-an-unspoiled-earth-what-animal-species-do-we-take-with-us/561234/68 "2010-11-23T15:10:24Z")
> [@Tom\_Scud](#): > > From Skald’s hypothetical, there should be native wildlife. (Aside from the “if we don’t bring the vermin” part, which is more difficult than it sounds). To me, cats are vermin. ---
**Author:** ![MegaBee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f0a364/32.png) [@MegaBee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MegaBee)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2010, 3:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/were-evacuating-the-planet-for-an-unspoiled-earth-what-animal-species-do-we-take-with-us/561234/69 "2010-11-23T15:41:58Z")
> [@BMalion](#): > > I must be the only one who doesn’t want cats. > > if we don’t bring the vermin, why do we need cats? I don’t like cats at all. However, we’re going to a pre-agricultural parallel Earth. Rats and mice will be there, and they’ll get into our granaries. Domesticated cats will both stick around when humans are about and eat the vermin that’s after our food stores. Otherwise, we’d have to go about domesticating the proto-housecats that are already on said parallel Earth, and that takes a long time. ---
**Author:** ![TruCelt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/trucelt/32/523_2.png) [@TruCelt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TruCelt)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2010, 4:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/were-evacuating-the-planet-for-an-unspoiled-earth-what-animal-species-do-we-take-with-us/561234/70 "2010-11-23T16:04:34Z")
I sincerely doubt any vermin would survive the space flight. I mean, it’s not as if they’ll be issued an oxygen mask. Perhaps the odd tape worm would make it through, but even then you’d expect that we’d each get a physical before the flight. Worms are a good idea. I still think cattle are a bad one. Maybe just the miniature cows. Does anybody know if they are considered yummy? ---
**Author:** ![Acid\_Lamp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/d6d6ee/32.png) [@Acid\_Lamp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acid_Lamp)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2010, 4:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/were-evacuating-the-planet-for-an-unspoiled-earth-what-animal-species-do-we-take-with-us/561234/71 "2010-11-23T16:06:36Z")
Bees,Dogs, Cats, Goats, Pigs and Guinea fowl or a wild domestic chicken cross of some sort. Specifically in terms of dogs, we will need a currently employed herding breed or three, one or two good small terrier types for ratting, and I would strongly recommend bringing a heavy shedding northern breed to provide us with an easy and plentiful supply of soft hair for spinning. Pigs should be wild outcross that have significant amounts of boar bloodlines for hardiness. Cats: pick two hardy breeds, one short hair, one long. No brachycepahlic breeds, we need the best bang for our buck. Everything else will be developed from the megafauna available. ---
**Author:** ![Wile\_E](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/c37758/32.png) [@Wile\_E](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wile_E)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2010, 4:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/were-evacuating-the-planet-for-an-unspoiled-earth-what-animal-species-do-we-take-with-us/561234/72 "2010-11-23T16:07:31Z")
> [@rachelellogram](#): > > If they’re smart enough to be enslaved, then they’re too smart for us to enslave. > > Humanity is not worth saving if this is the way it has to be done. I agree. I am all for monkey butlers but we have to treat them well and pay them … in bananas. ---
**Author:** ![BMalion](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e274bd/32.png) [@BMalion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BMalion)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2010, 4:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/were-evacuating-the-planet-for-an-unspoiled-earth-what-animal-species-do-we-take-with-us/561234/73 "2010-11-23T16:10:31Z")
> [@Acid\_Lamp](#): > > … > Specifically in terms of dogs, we will need a currently employed herding breed or three, one or two good small terrier types for ratting, … So don’t be redundant, leave the cats. They won’t miss us anyway. ---
**Author:** ![Scuba\_Ben](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/278dde/32.png) [@Scuba\_Ben](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scuba_Ben)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2010, 4:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/were-evacuating-the-planet-for-an-unspoiled-earth-what-animal-species-do-we-take-with-us/561234/74 "2010-11-23T16:52:20Z")
Camels! Don’t forget the camels! For that matter, pretty much every domesticated animal for food, materials, and/or labor. Yes, that includes roast swan. ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2010, 5:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/were-evacuating-the-planet-for-an-unspoiled-earth-what-animal-species-do-we-take-with-us/561234/75 "2010-11-23T17:06:09Z")
If we have to set up a new ecosystem, then ALL of them. OK, maybe we can leave off a few species that are foes of humankind, like bedbugs. ---
**Author:** ![Wile\_E](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/c37758/32.png) [@Wile\_E](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wile_E)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2010, 5:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/were-evacuating-the-planet-for-an-unspoiled-earth-what-animal-species-do-we-take-with-us/561234/76 "2010-11-23T17:14:47Z")
I think we could plan on leaving behind the pests, like bedbugs and roaches, but they’d probably come along anyway. ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2010, 5:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/were-evacuating-the-planet-for-an-unspoiled-earth-what-animal-species-do-we-take-with-us/561234/77 "2010-11-23T17:39:23Z")
> [@Wile\_E](#): > > I think we could plan on leaving behind the pests, like bedbugs and roaches, but they’d probably come along anyway. Roaches are pretty nessesary. So are mosquitos, but we might be able to skip a certain species. ---
**Author:** ![Oy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/bc8723/32.png) [@Oy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Oy)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2010, 5:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/were-evacuating-the-planet-for-an-unspoiled-earth-what-animal-species-do-we-take-with-us/561234/78 "2010-11-23T17:41:07Z")
Honest question: why are mosquitoes necessary? ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2010, 5:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/were-evacuating-the-planet-for-an-unspoiled-earth-what-animal-species-do-we-take-with-us/561234/79 "2010-11-23T17:53:41Z")
> [@Oy](#): > > Honest question: why are mosquitoes necessary? Well, we could likely get along without _Anopheles sp_. Pretty much, all major species are interlocked- one prey upon or is dependent upon another. Some mosquito species larva prey upon other mosquitos, some only drink nectar. In the arctic they may make up to 50% of the biomass that birds feed upon. Many species of fish, amphibians, spiders, and what not feed primarily upon mosquitoes. Then of course there are species that feed upon \*them. \* For another example, dudes hate “no-see-ums” but without them, we’d have no chocolate as they pollinate the cacao plant. Here’s a interesting article that claims we _might_ be able to get along without mosquitos. [http://www.nature.com/news/2010/100721/full/466432a.html](http://www.nature.com/news/2010/100721/full/466432a.html) ---
**Author:** ![Oy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/bc8723/32.png) [@Oy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Oy)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2010, 6:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/were-evacuating-the-planet-for-an-unspoiled-earth-what-animal-species-do-we-take-with-us/561234/80 "2010-11-23T18:32:39Z")
I’m willing to give it a shot. Other things will fill in the void. I don’t think mosquitoes are a domino-species. But the inter-locking species idea is one reason why we should consider taking nothing but dogs with us to alt-Earth (dogs fill pretty much the same niche as humans, since they can live on human leftovers). [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/were-evacuating-the-planet-for-an-unspoiled-earth-what-animal-species-do-we-take-with-us/561234.md?page=3) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/were-evacuating-the-planet-for-an-unspoiled-earth-what-animal-species-do-we-take-with-us/561234.md?page=5)