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#87720 11/24/02 06:11 PM
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Baltimore spelling bee word. An Asian prehensile-tailed catlike carnivorous animal.

Post edit: Dear tsuwm, how right you are. Just something to destroy some hopeful kid.


#87721 11/24/02 06:30 PM
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..another splendid example of a *totally worthless word that makes *no sense to learn how to spell. (and, I might add, one which I would never use as a wwftd!)


#87722 11/24/02 10:01 PM
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Did the kids have to define the words in the MD bee in order to be able to spell the word?

Binturong is an easy word to spell.


#87723 11/24/02 10:19 PM
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the kids can ask for the definition; they don't need to define it themselves.

binturongs are cool! in this day of global awareness and ecological disaster, why would this be a worthless word to know?



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#87724 11/24/02 10:22 PM
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formerly known as etaoin...
#87725 11/24/02 10:27 PM
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Oh, et'...

Thanks for the link! That binturong looks like a weasel. I read on your link that it's in the civet family.

Now I have to admit a gray area of learning for me. Aren't skunks in the civet family?

Are ferrets, too? The only reason I ask is I once adopted a ferret named "Muffin" that smelled like anything but.


#87726 11/24/02 10:36 PM
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formerly known as etaoin...
#87727 11/24/02 10:47 PM
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Well, now I'm flat confused. I just checked Britannica and read this:

"The family Mustelidae contains a variety of animals unmatched by any other family in the Carnivora except the civets (Viverridae). The family includes the weasels, ferrets, mink (see photograph ), marten, fisher, skunks (see photograph ), wolverine (see photograph ), otters (see photograph ), badgers (see photograph ), and a number of less well-known animals, a total of about 70 species in 25 genera. " (emphasis mine)

Yet the Britannaic article indicated that the skunk is part of the Mustelidae. And it's also part of the civet group? That's where I'm lost. Is a skunk not part of the civet group?

I'm confused.

One thing, fersure: That binturong looks like a weasel!


#87728 11/24/02 10:54 PM
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Binturong is an easy word to spell.

It's easy to spell if you know how it's spelled. I know I've been too wrong before but, depending on how it's pronounced, I could imagine its being spelled with any variation on bin/ben to/te/ta rong/rang


#87729 11/24/02 10:54 PM
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I think if you re-read the first sentence again, you'll get past your confusion.
it says that the Mustilidae(skunk) family has a lot of variety in its members. the only other family that has as much variety is the Viverridae(civey) family. so skunks aren't civets.



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