You're an Animorph...What Animals Do You Actually Have Access too?

[Phoenix004]

It's probably none of my business, but I was wondering if the Animorphs had any influence in your chosen profession. Or were you sure that you'd be working with animals at a young age?

It did as a matter of fact. Animorphs was the first book series I read for fun and it definitely inspired my love of reading, writing and animals. Maybe I would've ended up liking all three anyway, no way to know for sure.

[Magdaleen]

As I live in a small, over-looked town by the coast of Norway, there is obviously no zoo nearby where I live. And there aren't any wild, dangerous, useful animals here either.

So the morphs I could get hold of if I ever bothered, would be...
Our pets, of course. I have a dog and a bunch of freshwater aquarium fishes(wouldn't be that useful, but oh well). We used to have salamanders, but both died.

Then there are various insects, like flies and bedbugs and ants and bees and spiders and whatever. However, 'roaches aren't that common over here. And honestly, I can't stand touching insects. Just too gross.

As for birds, there are pigeons, seagulls, house sparrows, mallards, geese, and swans. No birds of prey, those are probably further out on the sea. The only problem with acquiring most birds would be to get hold of them before they fly away. They always fly away when we approach them, you know. Maybe except for swans and those really tame pigeons. But I could be wrong, who knows.

There are lots of cats in our neighborhood, so maybe I could acquire one of them...
Too bad my mom's allergic to cats.

Those are the most common animals I could think of. I'm pretty sure there are rats or mice somewhere here, but those aren't common. Or maybe I'm just ignorant...

[NateSean]

We used to have salamanders, but both died.
They always fly away when we approach them, you know.

Sorry to hear about your salamanders. Amphibians are not easy animals to take care of.

Seagulls have one defining characteristic that would make them fairly easy to get ahold of in the wild; They're scavengers. It takes half a loaf of bread for them to identify you as a food source and by that time they'll get too close for comfort.

Also, Phoenix:

That's actually very cool. I've been to three zoos in my lifetime and I could never get bored at either one. If a maintenence position at the Franklin Zoo ever opened up I think I'd be down there in a heart beat.

And like you, Animorphs influenced me heavily to be a writer. The only other thing KA Applegate wrote that inspired me even more than the series was her response to many of her readers: Be the Best Version of Yourself.

[Semeir-Cooraf-Armaheen]

Visser Three: <OMG A COIN!>

[Phoenix004]

Visser Three: <OMG A COIN!>

What exactly was the point of that?

[AniDragon]

Hmmm, other than cats, dogs, and insects, we've got.... raccoons. And there's a zoo not TOO far, though the only animals I could actually get close enough to would be petting zoo goats, sheep, and rabbits, and maybe pea****s. Actually, the reptile exibit MIGHT let me hold a friendly snake or lizard. No poisonous snakes, though. They only let you hold the constrictors.

Yeah, I'd be pretty much boned. I don't think I'd even be able to get close enough to a seagul to acquire it. But I suppose, if I knew that morphing heals wounds and diseases, I might be a little braver about trying to catch something.

Oh! And ducks. We have a huge duck pond at a nearby park, and they're crazy friendly. So I'd at least have a long distance flyer.... That I could then use to fly over to Cassie's and get myself a decent fighter.

[Stephquiem]

Visser Three: <OMG A COIN!>

What exactly was the point of that?

Wrong thread, maybe?

[warren_bearclaw]

Okay, so here's another question for y'all... If you were to get morphing powers, would you just go acquire animals you 'have access' to, or would you be breakin' into the zoo? I know I would.

[Phoenix004]

Probably do risk-free acquiring to start with, as having a number of morphs to use would make it much easy to sneak into other areas. I would eventually try acquiring a Tiger because I just couldn't resist, but I would be terrified of trying it.

[TobiasMasonPark]

     Well, it's not stealing if you're just acquiring DNA. And, because you're saving the work, the act of breaking and entering is justifiable.

     

[NateSean]

Okay, so here's another question for y'all... If you were to get morphing powers, would you just go acquire animals you 'have access' to, or would you be breakin' into the zoo? I know I would.

I'm an opportunist and a survivor, first and foremost. That means I'll jump on any opportunity that presents the least amount of risk. If I'm taking on the Yeerk Empire solo (remember, as far as I know, there are no other Animorphs) then running headlong into a room full of controllers in tiger morph isn't going to he my first move.

Now, at the moment, I do have access to a zoo. It's a train ride away and I know how to get ahold of transit morphs. But if my ability to last long in the war depended on secrecy and not arousing suspicion, I can't imagine a worse way to do it than to wind up having to explain to my mother why her first born was suddenly several cities away without permission.

[Andalite_Shorm]

Dunno, you proably wouldn't get very close to wild animals, at our house we have, what, one dog (a big scaredy staffie ^^), three cats and one hamster but I guess you could sneak round peoples back yard's in those morphs and then get others and go to petting zoos and so on.

[TobiasMasonPark]

     I think my neighbours would wonder why I'm crawling in their backyard just to acquire squirrels and pets and garter snakes.

     If you're an Animorph then those type of morphs aren't going to to diddly. You're GOING to have to break into a zoo and acquire some pretty big animals. How you'd do that, I don't know. All I can say is that Yeerks aren't afraid of Toy Poodles and Squirels. At least, not the everyday kind. Maybe there are some Kryptonian Squrriels running around.

[Josh (J)]

I wouldn't break into the zoo (emphasis on the one zoo) here, but if I were somewhere else, I would certainly go for it. I'd have to go on a trip to find big animals. Up north they have crocodiles..

[Phoenix004]

     Well, it's not stealing if you're just acquiring DNA. And, because you're saving the work, the act of breaking and entering is justifiable.

     

Oh I'd have no problem breaking in. Like you said, I'm doing it to save the bloody world, so it wouldn't bother me. Sure getting caught is a concern, but if I went in morph after hours the risk would be minimal and some of the animals would be asleep.

I'd be much more concerned about the possibility of something eating me than getting caught by zoo security. I mean what's the worst they can do if they catch me? I haven't stolen or broken anything, and as soon as I'm alone I can morph something small and escape (hopefully before they get my name and fingerprints).