Do we really need this? Does it serve any scientific purpose? What jokes can you make up? https://www.washingtonpost.com/news...-animal-fart-database/?utm_term=.1c6833e63f2b Animalia Scientists are building an animal fart database By Jason Bittel January 11 at 8:00 AM It wasnt me. But it could have been. (Photo by Goran Tomasevic/Reuters) Do baboons fart? What about salamanders? Millipedes? These questions sound like the sort Bart Simpson might have asked to derail science class. But real-life scientists are now taking to Twitter to provide answers. So far, theyve created a hashtag #DoesItFart and a Google Spreadsheet that details the flatulence habits of more than 60 animals. So, which animals cut the proverbial cheese? Tons, it turns out. Bats do, according to David Bennett, a PhD candidate at Queen Mary University of London. And the bigger they are, the harder they honk. Rats, zebras and bearded dragons are also among Those Creatures That Fart. Birds, on the other hand, do not seem to have a biological need for passing gas, but they could let one rip, theoretically. Marine invertebrates such as oysters, mussels and crabs? Alas, they are whoopee-impaired. Crabs? Nope, they dont. (REUTERS/Jamal Saidi) The science of farts is not just about potty humor, by the way. Cattle gas, for example, is a significant contributor to atmospheric methane that contributes to climate change. And fauna flatulence is also a hot topic among certain crowds ones scientists want to engage. Does it fart? is one of most frequent questions zoologists receive from kids, said Dani Rabaiotti of the Zoological Society of London. In fact, the whole #DoesItFart adventure started when her teenage brother asked if snakes ever experience flatulence. Rabaiotti knew from her own work that the wild dogs of Africa definitely fart, as do the extremely gassy seals that reside on the Atlantic island of South Georgia. But she wasnt sure about snakes, so she consulted snake expert David Steen. [Chimpanzees recognize rear ends like people recognize faces] The short answer is yes, says Steen, a wildlife ecologist at Auburn University. Snakes sometimes discharge feces and musk as a defensive strategy, and this is often accompanied by what I would consider classic fart noises, he said. Steen said this is far from the first time hes fielded this question, as it seems to be a favorite of the preteen crowd. I dont know if animal flatulence questions can serve as a significant gateway to a greater appreciation of biodiversity, but it is always fun to see what captures peoples attention, he said. It is at least an opportunity to engage with a larger audience and bring new folks into the conversation. [MENTION=71815]Dani[/MENTION]Rabaiotti @Julie_B92 Orangutans fart! Quite often in fact. I have had orphaned babies climb on me as they fart! #Doesitfart Michael Reid PhD (@mjcreid) January 9, 2017 And if engagement is the goal or at least a byproduct does it really matter what the topic is? Just because its flatulence doesnt mean its inherently silly, said Adriana Lowe, a researcher of biological anthropology at the University of Kent in the United Kingdom. The diets and digestive systems of animals are an important and fascinating field of study, and gas is just a part of that. Chimpanzees have much in common with humans, including the occasional gas. (AP/David J. Phillip) Lowe studies chimpanzees in Ugandas Budongo forest, animals whose gas appears to vary with their diet. Fruit is tootier than leaves, and figs seem to be the worst offenders, she said. On occasion, these bodily functions have even aided in her research. Several times I have been with one or two chimps and not been aware others are nearby until the farts start, says Lowe. Some of them have that very long, air-being-released-from-a-balloon quality, which is handy because it gives you a bit longer to pinpoint where its coming from. [For more news about animals, people and the world they share, click here to sign up for our weekly newsletter.] #DoesItFart is only the latest in a series of spur-of-the-moment hashtags created by scientists and snickered at by the general public. (Such as: #JunkOff and #FieldWorkFail.) And then there are longer-running, single-scientist efforts, like the snake identifications Steen provides by way of the hashtags #NotACopperhead and #NotACottonmouth. Similarly, Michelle LaRue, a research ecologist at the University of Minnesota, hosts a game in which she posts pictures of cats big and small and asks followers to guess whether the animal is a #CougarOrNot. And Kaeli Swift, a PhD student at the University of Washington, orchestrates a game called #CrowOrNo. (Note: Both games are far more difficult than they might sound.) At this point, I should probably tell you that I also have a hashtag. Its called #ButtOfWhat, and its premise is simple: Educate and entertain while talking about animal backsides. Is it a bit of a childish gimmick? Sure. But I guarantee youll learn a thing or two by following along. (For instance, porcupine coitus involves a fair bit of screaming.) Todays #ButtOfWhat comes from @Trappingcampus & seems a fitting end to 2016. What say you, ButtOfWhatters, whose butt is this? pic.twitter.com/7Yv0GkC1kS Jason Bittel (@bittelmethis) December 30, 2016 This is also why I follow hashtag games like #DoesItFart every one is an opportunity to learn weird and wonderful facts about animals, and they can also provide a glimpse into the lives of scientists. When scientists can present these seemingly silly facts, it invites people to be part of what we know and to find out what we dont, which enables us to show how science works, said Cassandra Raby, a researcher with the Zoological Society of London, who confirms that baboons can drop some bombs. (Females with swollen genitals are the worst, by the way.) You could also make the argument that diversions like these provide scientists with an chance to share data they might otherwise leave in a notebook. We spend a lot of time with our study organism and see some interesting or weird behaviors, said Nick Caruso, a researcher of salamanders (which do not fart) at the University of Alabama and creator of the open-access #DoesItFart spreadsheet. This type of info, unless directly relevant to the study, may not make it into our publications and we dont always get a chance to talk about it. A zookeeper holds a giant African millipede during the annual weigh-in at London Zoo in 2012. (ANDREW COWIE/AFP/Getty Images) So some people are interested in these games for the outreach or data collection they provide, while others just see them as good old fashioned fun. Me? Im obviously in it for the butts. And Ive already got my next topic lined up: Millipedes. Whereas most animals that fart have soft, fleshy derrières, millipedes have hard valves that probably act as silencers for their toots, said Angie Macias, a graduate student studying forest pathology at West Virginia University. Whats more, research has shown that the arthropods create quite a bit of methane in their intestines, and that gas has only one place to go out the back. Put it all together, and I would say that millipede toots are probably very smelly, and definitely flammable, says Macias. Silent, in other words. But potentially deadly. Jason Bittel writes about weird animals for a living. You can find more of his work at his website.
Well, considering that it consists of a Google spreadsheet with 60 entries, I think it's just fun in the biology community. I doubt it's costing much, if any, money to taxpayers. My dog should be entered into a special category of farts--he can clear a room. Here's a link to the actual "database" which was linked in your article: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/19gMMn4Wmw3BNLWMojEy7kgrjnjVB2JlMSwd1s-nYyUc/edit#gid=0
They're collecting a list of animals that are going to be used by the EPA to categorize them as a threat to the environment. Then there are going to be huge fines for owning them or having them on your property. Hey cows aren't the only ones to be contributing to climate change. Soon they will organize huge hunts to eradicate these offensive species from the planet in the name of the planet. I can see it all now.
My god, don't talk about farts. Give me a bowl of Kashi Go Lean Crunch and I go nuclear. I used to crepitate like a Croatian sniper, silent and deadly. Four hours after a bowl of Kashi I'm farting like a Turkish assassin, loud and proud! Pushing 120db with no odor.
They need the fart detectors so they can impose fines. It's not about the environment, it's all about the green.
