WOMB MATES

Sunday, August 13. 2006

Danielle's entered the third trimester of her pregnancy, and the discomfort is beginning to show. (Her normal hippity-hop is now more of a waddle.) She remains in good spirits, though.

I'll leave it to Gran and Elanor to argue over whether the baby will be a herbivore or carnivore. I'm more interested in why there's only one child in there and not the litter that's normal for rabbits. I've been (very quietly) researching the subject, and there's an unsettling possibility.

Namely, that the pregnancy started as a litter, but that one fetus in the womb early on devoured the others. (I can definitely see that explaining why Coney was a single birth.)

Or course, the other single birth in the immediate rabbit family is Dad. Gran had standard litters in five of her pregnancies, but Dad gestated alone. He's always been a herbivore, but then, I'm the first to admit he's not your normal rabbit.

I can't follow this any further without someone asking what I'm up to, and this raises questions that I don't want to pursue.

Good thing I've made this blog private so no one except me can read it!

Posted by Lindesfarne at 18:08 | Comments (16) | Trackbacks (0)

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Well, there's also a question of why Rudy was a single birth. It isn't uncommon for wolves to give birth to more than just one cub at a time either.

#1 Brit on 2006-08-13 21:58 (Reply)

"Good thing I've made this blog private so no one except me can read it!"

Says the hedgehog posting to an online blog!

I would think that you, of all people, would know that "Private" and "Online" are exclusionary.

Somebody hack her computer and let her know what's going on! Serendipity Weblogs has a major security hole if private blogs can end up posted in alternate realities.

Interesting theory about one child devouring the others, though, but just how soon in the pregnancy could that even occur? When would they have enough of a digestive system, teeth and all, for that to even be possible? And what if they start to eat the mother? Come to think of it, if this theory is true, then why wouldn't that happen with every other carnivore birth? I wouldn't think they'd even get hungry anyway until after birth when the ambilical cord is cut/devoured/whatever. There must be some other explanation.

Personally, especially in Kevin's case, I haven't ruled out the X-Files possibility, where he actually was born with the rest of his litter, but that they're all still living inside him, like the episode where that carnival freak had his own twin living in his stomach. It might help explain his large size, and even he might not be aware of it!

And on that thought, and until next week, pleasant dreams, Lindesfarne!

#2 Framwinkle (Link) on 2006-08-13 23:58 (Reply)

"Come to think of it, if this theory is true, then why wouldn't that happen with every other carnivore birth?"

There are actually certain species of sharks that this occurs. It is known as intrauterine cannibalism, and was discovered accidentally in 1948 (human years), when a scientist was bitten as he probed a very pregnant sand tiger shark's uterus. So while it has not been recorded (to my knowledge) in mammals, it is not undocumented in higher-complexity species.

#2.1 OddClaw on 2006-08-14 13:10 (Reply)

oh thanks fram give them something completely asinine to worry over, On the other hand Lindesfarne, single births could just run in the family in a weird sort of way. You might want to check the genetic profile of your dad versus that of danielle and Coney, maybe something special hidden in the genes of single births amongst litter bearing herbivores.

And Brit, wolf births are not always litters, and in the wild, even if there is a litter not all make it through.

#2.2 Wolf in sheeps clothing on 2006-08-15 21:20 (Reply)

Some shark species cannibalise each other in the womb, sometimes the largest one starts while the others are just eggs....

hmm..

#2.3 LadyRachelLynn on 2006-08-17 01:31 (Reply)

> X-files; own twin

I thought I kept up with that series; Dr. Venture (of Cartoon Network's "Venture Brothers") did the same thing to his brother Jonas in the womb and I thought it was an original idea.

#2.4 Patrick Haggood (Link) on 2006-08-17 15:17 (Reply)

As to the idea of the young devouring the mother post-siblings... I don't think that would be a worry.
In this demention, sharks start out as a... I guess cluster would not be a bad word. But the first one to hatch, still inside the mother, eats the others. Then, eventually the youth comes out alone, looking like a single birth.
If a shark can keep from eating its mother, I am sure wolves and rabbits would have no problems at all.
Also, depending on the species of wolf, only having one or two to a llitter is not that uncommon. Red wolves do that.
But all the rest is very curious, you are right.

#2.5 Wolf on 2006-08-20 20:41 (Reply)

Ewwww. I have got to research THAT Xfiles episode.

But I don't think it would be possible for animals to eat one another in the womb, either. I hope whatever Lindy's researching comes out in the comic or something though.

#3 N on 2006-08-14 12:23 (Reply)

Well, it's possible that Rudy either 1) ate/absorbed his womb-mates or 2) Kell was going through a lean season at the time and only had the strength to form one pup.

Also it's possible that - since predators seem to require a lot of food, to make up for the energy expended in the hunt - the general predator population reproduces at a slower rate than the prey population, to keep the predators from overwhelming the prey and eating themselves out of a job (not to mention existance).

As for how early on it'd be possible for the fetuses to try and consume each other...well, I'd say about as soon as they're tadpole-like, but I'm not completely sure about that. I think they'd just reabsorb their womb-mate into their body,

#4 Ix on 2006-08-14 22:17 (Reply)

My theory is that maybe that was a holdover from Danielle's human days.

Not sure of all the details about humans (hey, I'm the top of the foodchain, why should I?

) but I think they usually have single litters (they're pretty large, so it's a good guess). They're also omnivorous if I recall, which would make a good mix in your house!

I'd maybe ask Rudy more about it, he's the resident authority on humans there. I'd also maybe have a stern talk to him as to how this "Private" message wound up "Viewable".

#5 Ken D. Lion on 2006-08-15 18:46 (Reply)

That's my bet; a hold-over from being Human.

I'm betting that the baby looks like George when it's born.

#5.1 J.J. on 2006-08-26 17:21 (Reply)

Wow! Is Danielle having a rabbit/fennec or a tiger shark!?

#6 Nicky Firenight on 2006-08-16 01:21 (Reply)

Unless fertility drugs are used, those "humans" that Rudy dreamed up have about an 87 out of 88 chances to be born as a singlet. I was thinking that Lindesfarne might be more concerned that the throw of the genetic dice might bring out some interesting characteristics that both this Danielle and Lindesfarne have in their background.

#7 Eva on 2006-08-16 15:29 (Reply)

of course to you realize that danielle was human. so even though she is a rabbit now that would explain that.
and well kevin is unique.

#8 anonymous on 2006-08-17 10:48 (Reply)

now are you trying ta break me heart....me a grandmother with no rabbits allowed in her own land....where am I from....no foxes...{an me so good on a horse...}..its a cruuuuelll world...ah but bless the young uns in rearin their young...

#8.1 amki on 2006-08-26 07:36 (Reply)

It could just be basic probability, a roll of the dice, that Danielle and George conceived only one child. Nothing more than that.

#9 Threyon (Link) on 2006-10-21 19:15 (Reply)

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