# What the hell is this...thing (creature) **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [April 28, 2010, 7:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-the-hell-is-this-thing-creature/537656 "2010-04-28T19:26:28Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Locrian](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/locrian/32/14146_2.png) [@Locrian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Locrian)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2010, 11:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-the-hell-is-this-thing-creature/537656/21 "2010-04-28T23:56:00Z")
> [@Autolycus](#): > > AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHH!!! _runs screaming from the thread_ WTF?? :eek:😕 That made me jump. What the hell kind of eggs are these?? I’m glad I DON’T read Spanish now… ETA: Okay, it IS a cake. Now I no longer desire cake. ( Shudders like hell ) ---
**Author:** ![Morbo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/morbo/32/389_2.png) [@Morbo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Morbo)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2010, 12:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-the-hell-is-this-thing-creature/537656/22 "2010-04-29T00:24:49Z")
> [@elfkin477](#): > > Unfortunately, I don’t know what erizo or oruga mean, so all I get it “I have no idea what this animal is…perhaps a marine or a species of giant .” Erizo = hedgehog; oruga = caterpillar ---
**Author:** ![elfkin477](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/a9a28c/32.png) [@elfkin477](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elfkin477)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2010, 12:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-the-hell-is-this-thing-creature/537656/23 "2010-04-29T00:31:59Z")
> [@Morbo](#): > > Erizo = hedgehog; oruga = caterpillar So… are they being sarcastic? A marine hedgehog seems like sarcasm to me. ---
**Author:** ![Morbo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/morbo/32/389_2.png) [@Morbo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Morbo)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2010, 12:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-the-hell-is-this-thing-creature/537656/24 "2010-04-29T00:38:32Z")
> [@elfkin477](#): > > So… are they being sarcastic? A marine hedgehog seems like sarcasm to me. I definitely got that vibe, although it’s not hard to think of a hedgehog when looking at the sea mouse. ::Posts squeeifying [hedgehog picture](http://reflexivepractice.files.wordpress.com/2009/09/hedgehog.jpg):: ---
**Author:** ![outlierrn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/outlierrn/32/3005_2.png) [@outlierrn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/outlierrn)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2010, 12:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-the-hell-is-this-thing-creature/537656/25 "2010-04-29T00:50:36Z")
> [@Polycarp](#): > > You guys didn’t [browse that page enough](http://www.dogguie.com/curiosa-torta-de-alien/)! :eek: You, also, did not browse that page enough [http://www.dogguie.com/esculturas-espectaculares-de-alien-y-depredador/](http://www.dogguie.com/esculturas-espectaculares-de-alien-y-depredador/) ---
**Author:** ![Inigo\_Montoya](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/inigo_montoya/32/124_2.png) [@Inigo\_Montoya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Inigo_Montoya)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2010, 3:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-the-hell-is-this-thing-creature/537656/26 "2010-04-29T15:08:48Z")
> [@davekhps](#): > > Dorsally, yes… but it’s the ventral (underside) that has the distinctive, ummm, vertically-smiling shape. > > [Better picture here](http://content4.eol.org/content/2009/02/02/19/60712_large.jpg). Dude…you ever _seen_ a pussy? ---
**Author:** ![Knorf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/58956e/32.png) [@Knorf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Knorf)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2010, 3:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-the-hell-is-this-thing-creature/537656/27 "2010-04-29T15:42:40Z")
> [@outlierrn](#): > > You, also, did not browse that page enough > > [http://www.dogguie.com/esculturas-espectaculares-de-alien-y-depredador/](http://www.dogguie.com/esculturas-espectaculares-de-alien-y-depredador/) And yet, [still more inadequate page browsing evident](http://planetoddity.com/the-island-of-the-dolls-a-dark-tourist-attraction-in-mexico/). ---
**Author:** ![Spice\_Weasel](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spice_weasel/32/5435_2.png) [@Spice\_Weasel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spice_Weasel)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2010, 3:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-the-hell-is-this-thing-creature/537656/28 "2010-04-29T15:56:35Z")
[QUOTE=elfkin] So… are they being sarcastic? A marine hedgehog seems like sarcasm to me. [/QUOTE] The gist of the text is that some people keep bizarre creatures for pets, but that the authors of said page have no idea what the creature is, and are randomly guessing based on known animals. Did you get that? Some people keep these as _pets_. Am I the only one NOT grossed out by this thing? I want one!!! ---
**Author:** ![Whack-a-Mole](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/whack-a-mole/32/141_2.png) [@Whack-a-Mole](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Whack-a-Mole)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2010, 4:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-the-hell-is-this-thing-creature/537656/29 "2010-04-29T16:50:26Z")
> [@olivesmarch4th](#): > > Am I the only one NOT grossed out by this thing? I want one!!! Dude! It looks like the hairball I snaked out of my drain a few weeks ago…except bigger and it crawls around. ---
**Author:** ![Polycarp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/82dd89/32.png) [@Polycarp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Polycarp)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2010, 7:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-the-hell-is-this-thing-creature/537656/30 "2010-04-29T19:14:23Z")
> [@elfkin477](#): > > So… are they being sarcastic? A marine hedgehog seems like sarcasm to me. Well, based on the custom of giving popular names to marine life based on some real or fanciful similarity to a land animal (sea horse, sea cow, sea lion, etc.), the idea that “sea hedgehog” fits _Eunice_ seems really sensible to me.. If I ever saw a land mouse that looked like that, I’d be heading down the road as fast as possible, while dialing up SAC to nuke it from orbit. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Whack-a-Mole](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/whack-a-mole/32/141_2.png) [@Whack-a-Mole](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Whack-a-Mole)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2010, 2:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-the-hell-is-this-thing-creature/537656/31 "2010-04-30T02:41:08Z")
> [@Polycarp](#): > > If I ever saw a land mouse that looked like that, I’d be heading down the road as fast as possible, while dialing up SAC to nuke it from orbit. 🙂 It’s the only way to be sure. ---
**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:** [April 30, 2010, 4:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-the-hell-is-this-thing-creature/537656/32 "2010-04-30T04:18:56Z")
I was expecting a Chupacabra or at least a fox with mange. That looks like Chupacabra’s hairpiece. ---
**Author:** ![Autolycus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/22d042/32.png) [@Autolycus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Autolycus)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2010, 6:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-the-hell-is-this-thing-creature/537656/33 "2010-04-30T06:45:23Z")
> [@Whack-a-Mole](#): > > It’s the only way to be sure. Unless Polycarp is Schrödinger. ---
**Author:** ![Malleus\_Incus\_Stapes](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/malleus_incus_stapes/32/3293_2.png) [@Malleus\_Incus\_Stapes](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Malleus_Incus_Stapes)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2010, 6:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-the-hell-is-this-thing-creature/537656/34 "2010-04-30T18:44:27Z")
Yeeeek! Run everybody, it’s the Night of the Living Hairball! > [@spoke-](#): > > Boy, no kidding. Let’s not forget [this critter](http://www.flickr.com/photos/42561499@N00/4461958753/), the subject of its own thread a while back. Or [Barry the Sea-Worm](http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-1165930/Barry-giant-sea-worm-discovered-aquarium-staff-mysterious-attacks-coral-reef.html). ---
**Author:** ![Malthus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/85f322/32.png) [@Malthus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Malthus)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2010, 7:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-the-hell-is-this-thing-creature/537656/35 "2010-04-30T19:21:03Z")
> [@Malleus\_Incus\_Stapes](#): > > Yeeeek! Run everybody, it’s the Night of the Living Hairball! > > Or [Barry the Sea-Worm](http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-1165930/Barry-giant-sea-worm-discovered-aquarium-staff-mysterious-attacks-coral-reef.html). Best comment on Barry: > [@](#): > > ah, my first husband. I wondered where he had gone. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Spice\_Weasel](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spice_weasel/32/5435_2.png) [@Spice\_Weasel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spice_Weasel)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2010, 8:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-the-hell-is-this-thing-creature/537656/36 "2010-04-30T20:06:15Z")
> [@Whack-a-Mole](#): > > Dude! It looks like the hairball I snaked out of my drain a few weeks ago…except bigger and it crawls around. I’ll take that as a ‘‘no.’’ **Sr. Olives** looked at the photo and said, ‘‘Oh my god, that’s disgusting.’’ To me, it looks like a furry [sea slug](http://www.kk.org/thetechnium/solar_sea_slug.jpg). Or an underwater tribble. ---
**Author:** ![MrDibble](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mrdibble/32/114_2.png) [@MrDibble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrDibble)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2010, 8:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-the-hell-is-this-thing-creature/537656/37 "2010-04-30T20:56:44Z")
…and Cousin It never went on holiday in Majorca again! ---
**Author:** ![The\_Stafford\_Cripps](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/the_stafford_cripps/32/7167_2.png) [@The\_Stafford\_Cripps](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Stafford_Cripps)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2010, 8:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-the-hell-is-this-thing-creature/537656/38 "2010-04-30T20:59:15Z")
Squeeee! ---
**Author:** ![Spice\_Weasel](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spice_weasel/32/5435_2.png) [@Spice\_Weasel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spice_Weasel)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2010, 9:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-the-hell-is-this-thing-creature/537656/39 "2010-04-30T21:22:50Z")
> [@Scheidt-Hoch](#): > > Squeeee! I knew there were at least two of us out there. ---
**Author:** ![Negative\_Lite](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/ce73a5/32.png) [@Negative\_Lite](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Negative_Lite)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2010, 9:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-the-hell-is-this-thing-creature/537656/40 "2010-04-30T21:48:22Z")
> [@Morbo](#): > > Erizo = hedgehog Yes, but “erizo marino” is a sea urchin. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-the-hell-is-this-thing-creature/537656.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-the-hell-is-this-thing-creature/537656.md?page=3)