Tuesday, August 3, 2010

The Exception Is The Duck-Billed Platypus

My older brother texted me last night and asked, "Is a turtle a reptile, an amphibian, or a mammal?"  I responded (correctly) with "Reptile."  And his next text said, "Are you sure?  Because it lays eggs like a mammal, but it lives in the water like an amphibian."

It took me a few times reading that to fully comprehend what he was saying.  My brain was so convinced I had misread it, that it wouldn't allow me to read his text all the way through.  So to avoid more confusion (and to allow me to make fun of him more easily) I called him back instead of texting him back.

Me: "Um, mammals lay eggs?"
Him: "Yeah, don't they?"
Me: "Are you a mammal?"
Him: "Yeah."
Me: "And what kind of egg did you hatch from?"
Him: "Well, not all mammals lay eggs.  We're the exception."
Me: "So have you ever seen a cat or a dog lay eggs?  Or have you been to a farm to watch the cows hatch?"
Him: "No, but....  Oh... okay, oops.  I got mixed up."
Me: "Yeah.  You got really mixed up.  And a turtle isn't an amphibian because it is born with lungs and never lives completely underwater."
Him: "Okay, got it.  Wait, so are birds mammals?"
Me: "...."

That "...." was me blinking slowly and shaking my head while hanging up.  I wish my brother would learn how to use Wikipedia before texting me.

2 comments:

-lisa- said...

you seriously made me laugh outloud. thanks. I needed that.

Anonymous said...

Yay! I'm not even embarrased. I'm proud.