# You're wrong. **URL:** \ **Category:** Cecil's Columns/Staff Reports\ **Created:** [September 6, 2001, 7:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/youre-wrong/80095 "2001-09-06T19:39:31Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Lycor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/59ef9b/32.png) [@Lycor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lycor)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2001, 7:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/youre-wrong/80095/1 "2001-09-06T19:39:31Z")
There is a certain species of fruit bat, called Dayak, where the males lactate for their young. Leon Trotsky was also reputed to lactate for his young. The debate over its appropriateness supposedly caused his fall from grace. Heh. I dunno about that one. ---
**Author:** ![tiny\_ham](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/a183cd/32.png) [@tiny\_ham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tiny_ham)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2001, 7:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/youre-wrong/80095/2 "2001-09-06T19:43:15Z")
Are you suggest, my good sir, that Trotsky was a fruit bat? pistols at dawn. ---
**Author:** ![Ethilrist](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ethilrist/32/4604_2.png) [@Ethilrist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ethilrist)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2001, 7:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/youre-wrong/80095/3 "2001-09-06T19:47:17Z")
“so if he weighs the same as a bat… then…” “HE’S TROTSKY!!!” sorry. somebody will be along in a minute to remind you to include a link to Cecil’s column when you post things like this, lest people poke fun where they may. ---
**Author:** ![Lycor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/59ef9b/32.png) [@Lycor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lycor)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2001, 8:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/youre-wrong/80095/4 "2001-09-06T20:03:16Z")
Sorry. I was referring to [http://www.straightdope.com/classics/a2\_321.html](http://www.straightdope.com/classics/a2_321.html) And I believe I should have posted there…not enough sleep, and too much inattention. I do wonder about Trotsky, though. ---
**Author:** ![tiny\_ham](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/a183cd/32.png) [@tiny\_ham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tiny_ham)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2001, 8:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/youre-wrong/80095/5 "2001-09-06T20:05:54Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Lycor \* > not enough sleep, and too much inattention. I feel this could be everyone’s sig. ---
**Author:** ![Lycor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/59ef9b/32.png) [@Lycor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lycor)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2001, 8:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/youre-wrong/80095/6 "2001-09-06T20:12:52Z")
Maybe it should be. ---
**Author:** ![Kat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/b19c9b/32.png) [@Kat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kat)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2001, 10:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/youre-wrong/80095/7 "2001-09-06T22:03:53Z")
**Lycor** appears to be correct… [Dayak Fruit Bat](http://www.eesp.freeservers.com/dayak.htm) [The Incredible Milk-Producing Male Bat](http://www.batcon.org/batsmag/v13n1-7.html) Nothing in there about Trotsky, though. ---
**Author:** ![Ennui](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ennui/32/3396_2.png) [@Ennui](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ennui)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2001, 6:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/youre-wrong/80095/8 "2001-09-07T06:16:09Z")
Well, google had one cite on the amazing lactating Leon. Short but funny, and it does also reference the male bat issue, well in this case Batman. BTW, IMHO whether or not Trotsky breast fed his children would make a great question for Cecil. 😛 ---
**Author:** ![Ennui](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ennui/32/3396_2.png) [@Ennui](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ennui)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2001, 6:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/youre-wrong/80095/9 "2001-09-07T06:21:30Z")
A thousand pardons for the faulty [link](http://www.angelfire.com/la/carlosmay/lactate.html). ---
**Author:** ![Midgard](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/48db29/32.png) [@Midgard](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Midgard)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2001, 5:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/youre-wrong/80095/10 "2001-09-07T17:38:37Z")
Ummmm, the original question was “Is there any mammalian species where the males breastfeed the young?” Cecil said “no.” While the lactating bats are all quite interesting, both of the cited articles state "Males were not observed nursing young. " While I concede that this opens up the _possibility_ that Cecil was wrong (which we all know just _can’t_ be), it’s still a far cry from definitively stating such heresies…