Trying to compare "biofootprint" of differnt animals by working out maximum theoretical distance it can travel in its life assuming no interruption etc. Tortoise can live up to 100+ years. Assume all of that time is spent travelling, how far can it get as a proprotion of is body length, say. Likewise a mayfly. Which would would have a greater footprint?
(was drunk when I thought this up and its been bugging me ever since. Incidentally, how fast can a Galapagos tortoise go?!)
2006-11-18 05:14:45 · 1 answers · asked by CuChuoi 1 in Science & Mathematics ➔ Zoology
Well, adult mayflies are not going to live very long. I suppose they can cover some ground if borne by wind. Are you compensating for the fact that they take up like 1/1000th the space of a tortoise to begin with?
A galapagos tortoise moves slowly, and can pretty much go anywhere he wants, except of course he's bounded by the island.
So I guess you can say a mayfly might be able to put on more linear distance, but a tortoise is going to cover more mileage in his lifetime.
2006-11-18 07:26:21 · answer #1 · answered by Strix 5 · 0⤊ 1⤋