ok ok OK
Everyone and their brother has sent in this Daily Mail article of this new species of rodent called a "Jerboa". People, this animal is not cute. [looking over glasses in lab coat] Let me tell you why. Rule #17, paragraph 14, item 7 SPECIFICALLY STATES that 'tiny ears' are cute. Rule #15 talks about a small ear to head ratio.
Why? Tiny ears are nibble-able! No one would even NOTICE if you chomped a hamster ear off would they!? No! They are small and fit in your mouf. This guy is like, part moth, and his ears would gak all the way down. Do you want that? Do you? Come on, People.
You got me on the beadiness of the eyes. At LEAST he's got that going for him.
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whadya say?
what about a new rule, one that states that a small head to ear ration is cute? I think it's cute.
Despite the large ears and wrong ratio, I think this guy is pretty cute!!! High BEF :)
posting in defense of this cute creature
I like moths. Gak me.
I think we may need to *gasp* REVISE A RULE! Perhaps it should change to "extreme ear-to-head ratio." After all bunbun ears are sthuper nibblable, and they are not small. Ephelant ears look nibblable, and they're not small.
*nods vigorously and adjusts lab coat* Clearly. *pushes up nerd glasses*
But Meg! Bunnies are cute and they have long ears! Puppies and kittens also have visible ears...Though ham ears are also cute.
I think these little guys are anerable~!
Two of the cutest animals in the world - the Siamese cat and the basset hound - have enormous ears. I rest my case.
His (or her) ears are practically bigger than his (or her) entire body!! C'mon, Meg, that is SUPER cute!! :D
p.s. TrinketsMom... Gak me! lol all over the place!
awww! he's super cute! I'm all in favor of Lizzys rule revision to "extreme ear to head ratio"!
Clearly, Mr. Jerboa-pants is the proverbial "exception" to the rule. His outstanding BEF and quivering nosicle trump his non-compliance with rules 15 and 17. Thank you. (Adjusts glasses and sits to thunderous applause coming from the auditorium audience of Cuteologists.)
Not cute?? Well if that's not cute then frankly you need to rewrite the cute rules, cuz that lil fellow is aderrrable. There needs to be a "large ear exception" added, to take into account situations where the ears are more than 200% larger than the head, which goes so far towards not cute that it wraps around to cute again.
AW! But the small ear-to-head ratio rule has been broken many times before! He is adorable!!
I have to agree with the bun lovers on this one.
In addition, while they are pointed in a downward fashion in the photography, when considered relative to his body position, this wee guy is clearly demonstrating classic "paws up."
I have to disagree with you Megs. I recall seeing a Fennec Fox on this website, and that's the biggest ear to head ration I've ever seen. And they're anerable. Just like these guys.
Wow! He's hilarious! Even cuter when you know that they hop around like miniature kanga-rooroos! I must have one, and i'll chomp his ginormous ears all day!
and teenie tiniest lilest of fingers and a great manicure dont count for nothin?? come on now peoples.
NOT CUTE? NOT CUTE?
This little guy is the very definition of cuteness, he defies rule 15, and remains cute. Trust me (and many other people on this one) this guy is cute.
what does Theo say?? He's cute!!
JERBOAS are SUPER CUTE. i sent meg a video of one scampering around the kitchen floor, they hop like kangaroos! but shes clearly got some bias against jerboas. this tiny ear rule is ridiculous, what about rabbits? dont rabbits have huge ears? are rabbits not cute?
check out this video, guys! its cute jerboa jumping action.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Or2d0CqCcMI
I love him!! Id love to have him hopping all over my apartment!
As the owner(mom) of three (3) jerboas, I can attest to their absolute cuteness. They are wonderful and full of lots of bouncy goodness.
His ear to head ratio may not be great, but his tail to body length ratio is off the charts.
OH NO!!! Oh Great Cute Leader! This critter IS IS IS ADORABLE! I want one!
Poor little Jerboa is entirely cute. Video evidence:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BNFF-VxQjsI
They don't look real!
Agree with commenters above: Rule needs modification to extreme ear-to-head ratio. Bloodhound puppies tripping on their own ears? Cute to the max. Lop bunnies? Super cute. Fox kits? Cute. Jerboas? Definitely cute.
Well - if I might cite some evidence in FAVOR of the cuteness... Charlie the coyote, posted on this very site about a week or so ago, as a "cute" example, has a very large ear to head ratio. His ears are as large as his whole head, and yet HE is cute.
Jill said it. If Charlie's enourmous ears don't disqualify him, then this little guy definitely falls on the cute side of the fence. Charlie's ears are freakin' huge man!
:-)
OH NO!!! Oh Great Cute Leader! This critter IS IS IS ADORABLE! I want one!
Well we've all *squeed* over swift foxes and baby donkeys and part of their uber-cutness is the big ears.
I just think that the ear to head ratio has it's exceptions. Sometimes big ear ARE what makes a critter cute. :) My dog is in that catagory, so I'm biased.
Meg, if you don't want him, can I have him? Pleez? Pleez?
There are also jerboas that do not break the ear to head ratio. See picture of my jerboas here.
http://www.judgedolph.com/images/jerboa.jpg
Following up on this, aren't Basset Hounds cute -- why? Big ears to smaller head ratio. We do need a new rule!
http://www.dailydrool.com/
He's totally cute! He looks like Plusle and Minun! (Google them if you're not familiar, and prepare to be gobsmacked by the cuteness. Stheriously.)
Yeah, I'm going to have to say that giant ears are way cute - in my opinion, cuter than tiny ears. But lets just say that a disproportionate ear size, in either direction, is whats cute! We can't leave this little guy out in the cold.
Sure they lure you in with their darling ears, the BEF, the darling mode of ambulation, and the tail, omg the tail! But then they nail you wif the claws of def! People do not be fooled! The claws of def are a serious threat! (Adjusts nerd glasses and lab coat and takes seat with dignity to cavernous silence in National Symposium of Cuteologists)
And let's not forget Fennec Foxes, they of the enormous airfoil earses...
http://mfrost.typepad.com/cute_overload/2007/02/uh_oh.html
http://mfrost.typepad.com/cute_overload/2006/07/foxes.html
http://mfrost.typepad.com/cute_overload/2007/07/foxes-say-in-fe.html
http://mfrost.typepad.com/cute_overload/2007/12/hoverfox-docked.html
aaaw this guy IS cute! large ears ARE cute. example=FENNEC FOXES (sooooooo sooo adorable)
Jerboas definitely have the potential to be cute, as clearly demonstrated in the video johnny linked, but I would say that this particular picture of this particular jerboa is not all that cute. This little guy just looks kind of scruffy and evil.
honey, i shrunk the chihuahua ;0) come on man, chihuahuas have big ears and i see a fair number of them on here! usually rodents don't appeal to me but this little guy's special!
I would take exception to this comment, my jerboa is neither scruffy, nor evil. Perhaps the picture does not do him proper justice. I guess cuteness is in the eye of the beholder.
But the dainty paws! the DAINTY PAWS!!
I was a sender inner who pointed out that the ears were the perfect handle to gently pull up while snorgeling!
Enough people thought he was cute enough to bring to the attention of the C.O. Democracy at work, peeps! Come on, the Cowardly Lion-like tail alone is worth something! :-)
hahahah. i love how the people are standing up.
i think that it's a eccentric looking mouse.
and eccentric can be cute.
lets open cuteoverload's horizons...
I concur with Meg's assertion that tiny ears and small ear-to-head ratio are the stricter definitions of cute. HOWEVER, there really ought to be a rule for "absurdly disproportionate body parts" of any sort. Yay giant ears!!! And, really, who can possibly say that Dumbo wasn't farkin' adorable?!?
Small BODY to EAR ratio? New cute rule?
and, the jerboa buns, clearly visible in the hole-digging-clip, are uncontestably cute!
Jumpin' jerboas, johnny!