by Matthew Cobb
Teddy Bear is a delightful male porcupine who makes the most fantastic noises. One of his annual treats is to eat pumpkin round Hallowe’en, as we showed last year. In fact there were two videos posted last year, the second of which (>3 million views!) has just had a seasonal viral revival. If you squint your ears, you could almost swear he says ‘Pumpkin’:
It may sound cute but the fact that it keeps making noises and raising its head shows it’s fearful that it may have its food stolen by the ‘monster with the camera’. It’s similar to when a dog growls and bears its teeth if you try and take its food away.
His human takes away his food to position it better in his hands and he doesn’t seem to mind. I think these squeaks are similar to guinea pig squeaks when they are enjoying their food. They mutter and gesture in similar ways.
Yeah, he seems much more blissed out than freaked out. Reminds me of young kids with a birthday cake much more than a Nazi concentration camp.
b&
You can read a bit about Teddy here.
Apparently they make these sounds when they are enjoying themselves, not in defense. He has only ever known life among humans and has no fear of them or their pets.
(and sub)
Yay! My assumption right.
I can never hear the words people hear. I think something is wrong with my pattern recognition. However, people who speak various languages to claim to hear words from him in their own language.
The power of the paradiddle! Erm, pair of doilies. Whatever.
b&
I can’t be the only one who thinks: It’s a “mini-me” (looks and sounds) of “Cousin It” from The Addams Family.
He’s a happy guy. I hear “it’s good” and a bunch of other stuff.
This is what he says when he doesn’t want to share:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UGz8jcbJjRw#t=33