Ciao!
Welcome back to my blog. As of this writing, I have not had any gelato today! It's early though. I did not abscond to France. Still in Italy.
Rome's Most Numerous Residents
Rome is a city of 2.5 million people. I am beginning to suspect that the animal population is even higher. For the last two weeks, I have been conducting studies on the animals of Rome. Here are the species I have identified.
Rattus aerealis
Common Name: Pigeon
Habitat: Just, like, everywhere
Description: Pigeons are incredibly common in Rome. Their two most common activities include pecking fruitlessly at the ground and engaging in unsuccessful mating displays. Reports have also been made of pooping on both important historical monuments and the tourists who ogle at them.
Pigeons are useless except as a form of entertainment, for example when they attempt to order gelato.
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| "Are you're sure you don't have breadcrumb flavor? Then can I just get the cone?" |
Corvus arsonus
Habitat: Wherever there are lots of other birds
Description: Crows have quite a bit of history in Rome. They were often looked to by augers for signs from the gods. In addition, a crow scavenging still-burning food from a sacrificial altar caused the destruction of the Casa Romuli. If Nero knew that, he might have blamed them for the fire of 64 as well.
Laridae vocala
Common Name: Gull
Habitat: Outside of windows. Especially when people are trying to sleep
Description: The gull is a staple in Rome, partially because it seems so out of place. If you look at Rome on a map, the only water source is the Tiber. However, there is an abundance of windows for flocks to congregate near. Gulls, like pigeons, are known to perch and even raise young in historical locations such as the Imperial Forum and the Baths of Domitian.
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| Why yes, that gull is well-positioned to poop on passers-by |
Canis lupus adorabilis
Common Name: Puppy
Habitat: Outside shops and in parks
Description: Puppies have one real job in Rome: to go around and look cute. They can be found on- or off-leash, and they are generally cool just hanging out. They will occasionally be seen in historical sites such as Pompeii.
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| This picture will never not be my favorite |
Felis catus feralis
Common Name: Kitty
Habitat: Largo Argentina and other ruins
Description: Kitties in Rome do not have owners. They live in things called cat sanctuaries, where they generally lounge about on old temples and stuff. Apparently, the kitties at these cat sanctuaries can be adopted, but they tend to be shy of humans.
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| They also don't give a damn about signs |
Extinct Species
There are some species that are no longer seen around Rome, but can still be found depicted in ancient art. These depictions are important because they show the existence of these species in a way that is still considered iconic today.
Obviously, the most famous wolf in Rome was the she-wolf that suckled Romulus and Remus. However, this Etruscan depiction seems to be quite dissimilar from modern-day wolves found in the United States and elsewhere.
Owls were used as symbols for wisdom and used to identify the goddess of wisdom, Minerva or Athena. They are also super adorable in ancient depictions.
This image of a coyote is much more recent than the other images of extinct animals in Rome. This may indicate that coyotes could still be found in the city as recently as the 1990s.
I would like to give a special thank you to Suzanne Timm, who provided the picture for the crow and the first picture for the puppy.
The Gelato (UPDATE)
My roommates and I went and got gelato after dinner.
I got lemon cream and cheesecake.
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