Author Topic: The Hoof Thing  (Read 2771 times)

0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic.

Offline Terenia

  • Jr. Staff
  • *****
  • Posts: 10125
  • Karma: 490
  • Gender: Female
  • Got it memorized?
The Hoof Thing
« on: April 28, 2009, 04:09:50 PM »
Okay, so we all know that Andalites absorb nutrition through their hooves. I've been thinking about it lately, and I'm not sure exactly how that works. Are the hooves hollow? How would they discriminate between grass and a foreign object, like a rock? Are the hooves only outer protection and then there are muscles on the very bottom of their "feet" that open and close at will? Do the hooves actually pick up the grass and whatnot? How does it pull the nutrition out?

Anyone seen a drawing or anything of the underside of an Andalite hoof? I'd be interested to see how it looks.

Best Fanfiction Author 2008
Best Roleplay Writer 2009
RAFian Artist of the Year 2010
Best Roleplay Writer 2011
Best Roleplay Writer 2013

Offline goom

  • the underling of underlings
  • Administrator
  • *****
  • Posts: 8929
  • Karma: 690
  • Gender: Male
  • no other distinguishing characteristics.
    • Twitch.TV Streams
Re: The Hoof Thing
« Reply #1 on: April 28, 2009, 04:29:59 PM »
i imagined the hooves doing some sort of osmosis.
dunno if it'd work for grass.. :P

Offline Xan

  • Jr. Xtreme Member
  • ******
  • Posts: 1934
  • Karma: 70
  • Gender: Male
  • It's a Trap!
Re: The Hoof Thing
« Reply #2 on: April 28, 2009, 05:37:06 PM »
It's crush and THEN absorb, much like how a spider eats its prey. When the grass is liquefied by some enzyme in the hoof, then it can be absorbed through osmosis.

Offline anijen21

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 666
  • Karma: 49
  • Gender: Female
Re: The Hoof Thing
« Reply #3 on: April 28, 2009, 08:29:54 PM »
that seems like it would take too long to happen while they're running...

I can't see the *absorbs nutrients like osmosis* thing either. They'd need to eat bulk food to maintain their size. I mean horses eat grass and they barely stop eating to do anything else. Grass is not calorically dense. The way Applegate describes it, it's like Andalites live off of 500 or 600 calories a day.
I go off topic on purpose.

Offline ThinkAgain

  • Jr. Xtreme Member
  • ******
  • Posts: 1299
  • Karma: 73
  • Gender: Male
  • What to say?
Re: The Hoof Thing
« Reply #4 on: April 28, 2009, 08:32:40 PM »
It's not just grass though. I forget which book, but I remember Ax talking about running in the rain, and accidentally absorbing a couple worms. He then complained that more protein than he needs keeps him awake. That means grass, while the main component isn't the only thing they eat. This partially solves the calorie problem, but complicates the absorption one.

What does it mean to be free?

Offline estrid

  • God
  • ********
  • Posts: 12820
  • Karma: 279
  • Gender: Female
  • LOL
Re: The Hoof Thing
« Reply #5 on: April 28, 2009, 08:43:09 PM »
well they can open and close their hooves (in AC member elfangor says he closed his hooves in the yeerk side not to taste it?) so i always pictured it like a sucking mouth that sucks up grass thru an esophogous type musle in the leg straight to the stomache
" 'What do you care if he drains a few vegetables?' I asked. 'He's a vampire!' Chester snarled. 'Today vegetables....tomor row, the world!' " Bunnicula-a Rabbit Tale of Mystery




Jess is my RAFbest friend cuz she is way awesome!
Cody-my gayBFF for eva!
Coolest Member of the Year 2009

Offline ThinkAgain

  • Jr. Xtreme Member
  • ******
  • Posts: 1299
  • Karma: 73
  • Gender: Male
  • What to say?
Re: The Hoof Thing
« Reply #6 on: April 28, 2009, 09:10:10 PM »
In the Oatmeal book, they had the Visser in a cinch when they described that he was in the pool, and Marco threaten to blow up a barrel of oatmeal into the pool. The Visser complied because he knew that he would absorb the oatmeal, which would ruin him. He is later described as escaping after he morphs something that eats with a mouth.

Wouldn't this mean that it is not voluntary?

What does it mean to be free?

Offline goom

  • the underling of underlings
  • Administrator
  • *****
  • Posts: 8929
  • Karma: 690
  • Gender: Male
  • no other distinguishing characteristics.
    • Twitch.TV Streams
Re: The Hoof Thing
« Reply #7 on: April 28, 2009, 09:13:30 PM »
In the Oatmeal book, they had the Visser in a cinch when they described that he was in the pool, and Marco threaten to blow up a barrel of oatmeal into the pool. The Visser complied because he knew that he would absorb the oatmeal, which would ruin him. He is later described as escaping after he morphs something that eats with a mouth.

Wouldn't this mean that it is not voluntary?

maybe not for liquids?

Offline musicman88

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 836
  • Karma: 27
  • Gender: Male
Re: The Hoof Thing
« Reply #8 on: April 28, 2009, 09:42:23 PM »
I always thought that the bottom of the hoof (at least a patch of it) was soft and can possibly give off some kind of organic acid which can quickly dissolve plant matter and then suck it up before the hoof is lifted from the grass.  And maybe Andalite's bodies are more efficient than our bodies and need less energy.  They do run around on grass all day so it's not like they're constantly searching for food either.
YOU'RE WINNER !

Offline estrid

  • God
  • ********
  • Posts: 12820
  • Karma: 279
  • Gender: Female
  • LOL
Re: The Hoof Thing
« Reply #9 on: April 28, 2009, 09:44:49 PM »
In the Oatmeal book, they had the Visser in a cinch when they described that he was in the pool, and Marco threaten to blow up a barrel of oatmeal into the pool. The Visser complied because he knew that he would absorb the oatmeal, which would ruin him. He is later described as escaping after he morphs something that eats with a mouth.

Wouldn't this mean that it is not voluntary?

i saw that as a KASU. cuz if that was so they would be constantly eating, cuz the hoove is always absorbing. there has to be a way to make it voluntary
" 'What do you care if he drains a few vegetables?' I asked. 'He's a vampire!' Chester snarled. 'Today vegetables....tomor row, the world!' " Bunnicula-a Rabbit Tale of Mystery




Jess is my RAFbest friend cuz she is way awesome!
Cody-my gayBFF for eva!
Coolest Member of the Year 2009

Offline Shark Akhrrana

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 771
  • Karma: 48
  • Gender: Female
  • OOOH FISH
    • Chronicles of Hyrule
Re: The Hoof Thing
« Reply #10 on: April 29, 2009, 03:30:51 AM »
didn't Aximili once say he accidentally ate a snail and gave him extra unwanted energy or something like that.

Also Elfangor was able to NOT eat  when he was walking on yeerk areas in the tiny universe so Andalites can voluntarily stop absorbing nutrients

===============================================

Offline JFalcon

  • Sr. Member
  • ****
  • Posts: 352
  • Karma: 33
  • Gender: Male
  • I need to get out more . . .
Re: The Hoof Thing
« Reply #11 on: April 29, 2009, 09:19:30 AM »
Even as a kid reading the books I always thought it was wierd that it was, at least, implied that they would eat by running but drink by standing still, so I just figured they absorbed at will since maybe grass you run on tastes better? If they can choose to make a distinction on when they'll eat and drink and such I figure it's up to them when they absorb.
But I sort of expect since they live off of grass that they would have to absorb constantly or, you know, have an insanly slow metabolism, otherwise I figure they'd die what with all the limbs and with all the exhertion Ax and Elfangor are shown to be doing in the series and TAC.
But then I based that theory off of an episode of Gargoyles, my knowledge of metabolism as a child was indeed that limited and hasn't gotten any better in my old age  :P
"I would be a ghost of this dynasty before I'd be a general of rebels and traitors!" ~ Pang De, Romance of the Three Kingdoms

"My brain! My brain! Me hurty to think!" ~ Zim, Invader Zim

"Fight it off? You must have me confused with someone who's brave." ~ Church, Red vs Blue

Offline Intrepid

  • Xtreme Member
  • *******
  • Posts: 2156
  • Karma: 19
  • Gender: Female
Re: The Hoof Thing
« Reply #12 on: April 29, 2009, 07:40:11 PM »
Perhaps it's somewhere in between voluntary and involuntary, somewhat like breathing is for us.

Offline morfowt

  • God
  • ********
  • Posts: 8333
  • Karma: 112
  • Gender: Male
  • this is my avatar. it's a picture of nothing...
Re: The Hoof Thing
« Reply #13 on: April 29, 2009, 07:44:50 PM »
Perhaps it's somewhere in between voluntary and involuntary, somewhat like breathing is for us.
that's the best theory I've heard so far...

Offline ThinkAgain

  • Jr. Xtreme Member
  • ******
  • Posts: 1299
  • Karma: 73
  • Gender: Male
  • What to say?
Re: The Hoof Thing
« Reply #14 on: April 29, 2009, 08:08:05 PM »
Perhaps it's somewhere in between voluntary and involuntary, somewhat like breathing is for us.
that's the best theory I've heard so far...

I Agree, that explains much of it. Avoiding it only consciously, but doing it involuntarily every other time. This could explain calories more, as to be constantly absorbing energy, yet being able to avoid things that may be toxic. That makes sense. It was likely the scene with the Visser in the pool was either a KASU or a plot device.

What does it mean to be free?