Dave says,
>In what appears to be animal play, what we are seeing is not play as we
>know it, but instinctive behavior that originally had survival value,
I sure wouldn't take issue on a matter such as this with someone who works
for Wisconsin's Department of Natural Resources, but the statement leaves
me newly mystified about the behavior of a pet raccoon (Archie) and a big
mongrel dog (Tom) that I had years ago on a farm in Ohio.
My front porch was about 4 feet above ground level. Tom would lope by the
porch at a slow trot, and Archie would jump down spraddle-legged on his
back and ride around the yard. Having no stirrups, he'd eventually slide
off, whereupon the whole procedure would be repeated.
Marion Brady
-- gmbrady@aol.com mbrady@digital.net