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Why do we domesticate some animals but not others? It's all about the four Fs.

Here's the real reason why you can't ride a zebra.

Photo credit: Canva

Horses were domesticated over 5,000 years ago. Zebras, never.

Humans have domesticated several kinds of animals over the millennia, from trusty horses and mules to livestock for milk and meat to our favorite furry companions. But why those specific animals and not others? What is it that led us to those particular choices? Why can we ride horses but not zebras? Why don't we purposefully breed "war bears" to fight for us?

That last question comes straight from the always-interesting and often-hilarious CGP Grey, whose YouTube videos explore all kinds of things we wonder about but don't necessarily take the time to research. In the video "Why Some Animals Can't Be Domesticated," Grey explains the four main elements that make an animal a good candidate for domestication, which excludes bears (and many others) from the list.

Grey alliterated the four elements to make them easier to remember: Friendly, Feedable, Fecund, and Family-Friendly. Let's dig into what those mean.


- YouTube www.youtube.com

Domestication requirement #1: Friendly

This one is fairly self-explanatory, but basically an animal has to not post an inherent, immediate threat. We have to be able to catch them if we're going to domesticate them, so that eliminates all of the "carnivores whose day job is murder" as Grey puts it, as well as the large, nervous prey animals that are too afraid of us to let us get anywhere near them.

wild animals, domesticated animals, gazelle Good luck trying to catch a gazelle.Photo credit: Canva

Domestication requirement #2: Feedable

Every animal is feedable, of course, but that doesn't mean it's easy or cheap to feed them, especially in large numbers. This category pretty much eliminates pure carnivores and some omnivores, leaving mostly herbivores (and some unpicky omnivores) that are easy and cheap to feed. And that aren't dangerous (see #1).


wild animals, domesticated animals, chickens, chicken feed Chickens will eat just about anything.Photo credit: Canva

Domestication requirement #3: Fecund

This requirement is all about breeding and babies. Some animals are extremely slow to breed, like pandas and elephants, making them undesirable candidates for domestication. Animals that have mate frequently and have relatively short gestation times and/or large litters are more suited to domesticated life. They also need to grow up quickly, which also takes elephants out of the pool.

However, as Grey points out, humans can still tame other animals like elephants. But taming is not the same as domesticating. The basic rule is: If it's on a farm, it's domesticated. If it's in a circus, it's tamed.

Domestication requirement #4: Family-friendly

This is where the horses and zebras question comes in. Horses were domesticated in Eurasia, but if humans started in Africa, why weren't zebras domesticated first? Grey explains that while horses tend to live in hierarchical herds, zebras are more independent with no family structure. Humans can capture the lead male horse and get the rest of the herd to fall in line. Zebra herds are more of a free-for-all and they're kind of jerks to even one another.

While it would seem that horses we see in the United States today are indigenous, the North American horse species went extinct around 10,000 years ago. They were reintroduced to America by 16th-century European colonialists who spread them throughout the country through Native American trade routes.

horses, zebras, domesticated animals, wild animals There's actually a big difference between horses and zebras besides just the stripes.Photo credit: Canva

Barnyard animals have inherent family structures that humans have figured out how to fit into. These animals learn to see the humans who own them as a lead cow, top chicken, or whatever.

Way back in the hunter-gatherer age, when humans were just figuring out animal domestication, animals had to have all four of these requirements. Today, we have the ability and technology to domesticate more animals if we want to, but we also have less of a need to. Some breeds of foxes have recently been domesticated, bred to be friendly with humans. How fun would it be to have a pet fox? Foxes are incredibly cute but wildly intelligent. So good luck keeping one in your backyard for very long.

- YouTube www.youtube.com

Technically, a lot more animals could be domesticated if people really wanted to put in multiple human lifetimes of time and effort, but why?

You can follow CGP Grey on YouTube for more fun and informative videos.

This article originally appeared in April.

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Proud mama ferret wants her human to pet babies and isn't taking no for an answer

How could anyone resist?

Photo by Alfred Kenneally on Unsplash

Proud mama ferret shows human her babies.

Sometimes you come across a video that's just too cute not to share. That's the case with this one of a mama ferret that has recently given birth and wants nothing more than her owner to cuddle with her babies. At first it looks like she's coming over to her owner's hand for some pets, but she soon starts gently trying to get her human's fingers in her mouth to pull them. After a few tries, the ferret is successful and tugs the hand over to her box where tiny cries can be heard.

It's full of tiny babies! The person does a quick pat and removes their hand but the ferret is having none of it. She is proud of her babies and is determined for her human to get a good look at them. I've always heard that ferrets are smart creatures. I just had no idea they were also so persistent when it comes to things they want. This mama ferret marched herself right back to her human as if to say, "Excuse me, we aren't done here." It doesn't take much convincing for the person to give the babies another look.

But even after the human picks up one of the babies and gives it a gentle pat before placing it back with its siblings, the mama ferret didn't feel like that was sufficient. She came right back again and again to guide the person's hand to her little box of babies.

It's safe to say she's proud of the work she's done. The babies are adorable and I'm sure she's a great mama.


This article originally appeared three years ago.

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Chatty animals get 'interviewed' with a teeny tiny microphone, and boy is it entertaining

Here to answer all your burning questions, such as "may I touch your snoot?"

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Freya from Maya Higa's YouTube video.

Ever wonder what an ideal date for a lemur would be? Or a lizard’s favorite Disney princess?

Thanks to one YouTube poster with a passion for animals and an endearing sense of humor, all questions shall be answered. Well, maybe not all questions. But at the very least, you’ll have eight minutes of insanely cute footage.

In a series titled “Tiny Mic Interviews,” Maya Higa approaches little beasties with a microphone so small she has to hold it with just her thumb and forefinger. And yes, 99% of the animals try to eat it.

There’s Ginger, the pig with a lot of stored up resentment toward the big bad wolf. She ain’t afraid to talk about it, either. Or so her passionate snorts would indicate.

Then there’s Brazilian porcupine Boris (at least, I think that’s what Boris is after Googling, I’m no zoologist), who is asked to name his favorite food. For the record, it’s corn. And no, you may not touch his snoot.

Godzilla, the itsy bitsy turtle that fits into one hand, gets asked, ironically, “what’s it like being land’s fastest animal?” Though Godzilla remains stoically silent, an image of super cool speedster sunglasses gets superimposed onto his face, along with the words “I am speed.”

The best part to me is a bird, aptly named Giggles, gloriously laughing at a cheesy joke. In fact, here’s a nod to all the birds with impeccable names in this video.

Mordecai, Costello, Bartholomew (these include stars from Higa's first interview) … I’m looking at you.

Though these critters provide some top notch entertainment, there’s plenty of valuable information being thrown into the mix as well.

All the exotic “interviewees” are part of Zoo To You Conservation Ambassadors, a permitted facility in California, Higa informs her viewers. Rescued or surrendered from the illegal pet trade, or permanently injured, these animals receive permanent care and become a part of Zoo To You’s education program. Pretty sweet gig, right?

Higa herself is a wildlife rehabilitator, falconer and streamer who focuses a lot of her content on conservation. Though her online persona veers toward the upbeat and positive, she isn’t afraid to shed light on some darker facts around certain threats many species face.

"The natural world that these animals come from is being absolutely decimated,” Higa states in another video. “The UN estimates that over one million plant and animal species face extinction today. Pollution, habitat loss, climate change, the wildlife trade, exploitation, general human intervention…is causing us to lose species at rates unprecedented in human history. We’re experiencing a mass extinction.”

Wanting to be part of the solution, Higa has founded her own nonprofit organization called Alveus, which, like Zoo To You, acts as an exotic animal sanctuary and virtual education center.

If you’d like to support Higa’s sanctuary, you can do so by donating to donate@alveussanctuary.org via PayPal.

And if you’re already jonesing for more adorable “Tiny Mic Interviews,” you’re in luck! You can find even more on Maya’s YouTube channel here.


This article originally appeared on 09.02.22

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13 Youtube channels that people say give them comfort in times of stress

We all need a little comfort watch now and then.

Tasting History with Max Miller, Girl With The Dogs

Some of the best TV isn't even on TV

Traditional television might have once been the predominant way to escape into a simpler world, but more and more folks are finding the same type of comfort on Youtube.

After all, Youtube was essentially the first platform that enabled people to both create and consume content specifically keened into their unique interests, and it remains an entertainment powerhouse because of that.

On Youtube you can learn new things, see spectacular sights, laugh at funny sketches, go on a deep dive into your favorite bits of pop culture, and more. Sure, you can basically do these things on its social media predecessors like TikTok and Instagram, but in bite-sized versions. For those who still appreciate long form content, i.e. old folks, it’s nice to have something that feels a bit like a comfort tv show, with the candidness of a home video. And for that, Youtube is king.

Odds are your Youtube algorithm is well set with creators you enjoy, but if you’re looking to add something new, we’ve got a curated list of options brought to you by our sponsors. Aka Reddit.

Someone by the user name of ThatsMrMuckToYou asked: “What is your comfort Youtube channel?” and people responded with all kinds of different answers. But overall what people really seemed to find comfort in was helpful information (travel videos, history, science, etc.) combined with a host who was down-to-earth, warm and didn’t promote an agenda.

Take a look at some of the best contributions below.

1. Tasting History with Max Miller

Uncover the origins of the world famous PB&J, discover what makes deviled eggs so devilish, find out why the heck the Michelin tire company is the authority on good food, and more with host Max Miller. In each episode, Miller recreates ancient or historical recipes while explaining the very human stories behind them. After each video you’ll feel a little smarter, and a whole lot hungrier.

2. Defunctland

Defunctland got its claim to fame with documentary style videos exploring the history of extinct theme parks and amusement park attractions. Unsurprisingly Disneyland relics make up a bulk of the content.

Nowadays, the Defunct canon also consists of television shows deeply buried within every millennials subconscious, like “Zooboomafoo” and “Between the Lions.”

3. Wolter's World

This channel promises "HONEST travel advice without all the extra fluff" and definitely delivers. Wolter's World primarily focuses on do's and don't of different cities, but will also go off the beaten path every once in a while, like with his "travel scams" video. It's no wonder that folks find comfort in seeing beautiful places around the world, or that they love the charming way Wolter helps them learn about these gems.

4. Steve1989MREInfo

You’ve probably never thought to yourself, “you know what I’d really like to see today? A guy eating vintage military rations.” But still, Steven Thomas quells that curiosity before it happens. Some of Thomas’ most notable reviews are of a 61-year-old peanut butter from a Korean War-era C-ration.as well as an American Civil War-era hardtack from 1863. Besides the obviously unique content, folks really love Thomas’ calm delivery and catchphrases, such as "nice hiss"—referring to the oh-so satisfying sound that can be made when opening hermetically sealed packages.

“Actually really fascinating to see how food preservation has evolved over the decades!” one fan noted.

5. Camping With Steve

Dubbed the “modern day Bob Ross” by some viewers, Steve Wallis doesn’t consider himself a survivalist, but seems to be able to camp anywhere—from mountain terrains to more unusual spots like Walmart parking lots. On his channel, you can learn about all sorts of camping styles, including "boondocking", "urban stealth", “gold mining,” "bushcraft", and yard camping. It’s all in an effort to, as Wallis puts it, to "take back camping for the people."

6. History Tea Time with Lindsay Holiday

As perfectly suggested in the name, Holiday’s 20-ish minute history documentaries feel as fun, warm and refreshing as a nice cuppa tea. Her knowledge is also pleasantly wide spread, allowing her to be able to delve into a variety of topics. But one thing remains the same now matter what—here passion.

As one viewer put it, “the way she breaks down people’s lives really humanizes them and actually makes me interested in learning history.”

7. Food Wishes

In an internet teeming with recipe videos, this one is petty special

John Armand Mitzewich, more commonly known as "Chef John” might never been seen in his videos, save for his hand holding utensils, but his narrations have a lovely singsong tone, and one can always expect some kind of rhyming wordplay joke. For example: "You are, after all, the law man of your slaw, man."

Plus, Chef Jon frequently spices up his recipe with some cayenne pepper, since in his opinion it gives the extra touch of the heat being out “the unique tastes of the dishes forward.”

8. Urban Rescue Ranch

Videos of baby coyotes, vultures, beavers, armadillos, raccoons, kangaroos, capybaras…need I go on?

The Urban Rescue Ranch was originally a “crackhouse,” and turned into a Certified wildlife rehabilitation facility and farm sanctuary for exotic livestock in central Texas that are often hunted. Despite a lot of the cheeky titles (like “How to Catch and Cook a Baby Deer”), these wholesome videos just show reduced animals living their best lives.

9. Smarter Every Day

For the more left-brained folks out there, engineer and science communicator Destin Wilson Sandlin strikes a perfect balance between education and entertainment as he “explores the world through science.

Check out what one viewers had to say:

“Destin is contagiously upbeat, seems to be very passionate about everything he approaches and does an excellent job of explaining whatever the subject matter is. His giddiness about some of the same things I would get excited about is a nice mood boost when I need it sometimes. His appreciation for the workers that make things happen is nice to see too. The guys a legit rocket scientist, but relates to mechanics, farmers, machinists, and a whole bunch of other tradesmen as equals, not in a demeaning way that some presenters can do sometimes.”

10. Kitboga

Being a “great example of chaotic good,” Kitboga records himself getting back at phone scammers. It’s not just some satisfying schadenfreude, either. Kitboga tries to educate people by walking them through common scammer lies, and reports them when able.

11. Primitive Technology

Just as the name suggests, host John Plant demonstrates thow to make tools, traps and forms of shelter using only materials found in the wild.

Though you’ll see a lot of stones axes and woven bark fiber items, there’s “no talking, no cringe intro, no 'like comment subscribe', no flashy editing, no sound effects, no viral thumbnails, no giveaways, no drama, no sob stories, no clickbait, no sponsors, no fakery”…which at least one viewer really appreciates.

12. Adam Savage’s: Tested

If you’re jonesing for more “Mythbusters” vibes, this is the channel for you. Join Adam Whitney Savage, former “MythBusters” host, as he goes behind the scenes of popular movies to dissect how iconic props are made, or as he infuses some wonder into everyday objects like USB cables. The possibilities are endless.

13. Girl With The Dogs

Vanessa De Prophetis has been a professional pet groomer for 12 years, and can attest that “it’s never a dull moment.” So it’s no wonder that she was able to rack up a huge following with her comedic and informative content (which, by the way, goes to help local dog rescues).

De Prophetis shares both her “best” and “worst” canine and feline clients, but it’s clear that she loves them all in the way she interacts with them.

One fan wrote, “It’s great when a really aggressive dog tries to take her head off and she’s just like, “sir.”

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