Before we get into any of the frothing mass of bad nooze that has already piled up today–if we get to it at all (heh-heh!)–let us salute a bird named Peanut, recently confirmed by Guinness World Records as the world’s oldest living chicken.
“Peanut” is 20 years old. She was raised in Michigan by retired librarian Marsi Darwin.
My grandpa had chickens, but I can’t tell an elderly chicken from a young one. I am told a chicken normally lives five to ten years–so Peanut is a real matriarch.
Just another one of those little things God put into Creation to keep our heads from exploding…
Pretty amazing. I never imagined that a chicken could live so long.
I wonder if she’s developed any unusual ideas or habits that other chickens don’t live long enough to develop.
That’s an interesting question. I know that cats learn throughout life. My cat has learned new behaviors in the last year, of her own volition. Animals are intelligent, and if they lived longer, there’s no telling how much they could learn.
My iguana (17 years old, instead of 5 to 10) learned a lot of things that iguanas don’t normally know or do. I’m sure he thought he was a mammal.
Did he get a degree in Nothing Studies? 🙂
I am of the opinion that in God’s original purpose, short lifespans were not part of the plan. Animals are limited, in comparison to humans, but that does not mean that they aren’t intelligent, or capable of learning. With longer lifetimes, animals could probably amaze us with their cleverness.
Look at how much a mouse can learn in just 18 months of life. If mice lived ten years, they’d be earning law degrees.
It’s really miraculous, just how intelligent mammals can be. The neuron is an amazing thing. Just one retinal cell is capable of things that a supercomputer can’t do. So even the small brain of a mouse can be very powerful. The more I learn about animals, the more amazed I am with our God.
Have you ever had pet mice?
No, but I’ve had hamsters. I’m not sure that they equate, in terms of intelligence.
I would expect them to be pretty close to equal.
I know that hamsters are very charming little creatures. It’s easy to lose your heart to one.