[HPFGU-OTChatter] What not to say in Scotland and in Australia

[Shaun Hately]

On 15 May 2003 at 15:58, Petra Pan wrote:

> Question for the Aussies:
> 
> Do beavers as a species exist in 
> Australia?

Only as an introduced species. Basically virtually every native mammal in Australia is a 
marsupial (there's a tiny mouse that is a placental mammal). Closest equivalent to the 
beaver in terms of place in the ecosystem is the very weird monotreme, the platypus.

>  Someone who had worked 
> on the old Nickelodeon show "Two 
> Angry Beavers" once told me that 
> the show had to change names when 
> exported to Australia because in 
> Australia, 'beavers' does not mean 
> dam-building water dwellers with 
> big flat tails.  If this is true, 
> what did y'all think of the show 
> "Leave It to Beaver" (if that show 
> made it to you)?!

Well, it's true 'beavers' has a different meaning in Australia (and not one you'd want to 
use on a kids show) but Australian kids know what a beaver is - interesting thing about 
growing up in Australia is that a lot of kids know European and American things - like 
geography, history, and wildlife - pretty much as well as Europeans or Americans 
because so much of our TV comes from those markets. The Angry Beavers was shown 
here, but the title wasn't changed as far as I know - I suppose it's possible it was at first 
but it definitely currently airs under that title. Same with leave it to Beaver. Certainly 
been shown here under that title.



Yours Without Wax, Dreadnought
Shaun Hately |webpage: http://www.alphalink.com.au/~drednort/thelab.html
(ISTJ)       |email: drednort at alphalink.com.au | ICQ: 6898200

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