Welcome to this, the first in a series of informative articles which explore the mysterious, often erroneously thought to be mythical, genus of animals, the Melocaeruledus.
As I’m sure you’re no doubt aware the name Melocaeruledus comes from the latin, Melo from “meles”, relating to a badger and the suffix caeruledus suggests a blue hue.
We will start our series exploring the most famous and most commonly seen member of the genus, the Melocaeruledus melesvolans…
Fladger
Scientific name: Melocaeruledus Melesvolans
Common Name: The Flying Badger, The Common Fladger, or simply Fladger
Habitat: Woodland edges, meadows, and hedgerows.
Description: Possessing the striped head of a European badger (Meles meles) and the iridescent abdomen and wings of the common housefly (Musca sp.), this species is a true marvel of natural absurdity. The Common Fladger employs a rapid, darting flight interspersed with bouts of terrestrial rooting.
Behaviour: Omnivorous. It feeds indiscriminately on earthworms, grubs, berries, and unattended sandwiches.
Though largely harmless, it will defend its burrow vigorously.
Notes: The buzz of a Fladger’s wings is distinctly lower-pitched than that of true flies, owing to its heavier body.
12 comments on “Guide to the Genus Melocaeruledus: The Fladger”
I need to know whether these are the size of a badger or the size of a fly, and I need to know urgently before I meet any of them.
They are smaller than a badger, generally similar sized to a house cat.
I’m going to need a bigger fly swat. Is there such a thing as a fladger swat?
Now that Kev is a real scientist, surely he can invent some kind of fladger swatter. My inventing days are in the past. I haven’t invented anything in the last 10 to 15 years.
That’s a tragedy for someone who had so many good inventions. For my part I’ve got an old cupboard door out of the garage which I’m going to use to batter these things if I find any.
Its also nice to see Kev’s higher education being used to incredible effect.
Oh, you know me, I’ll be spinning a bag of dog poo on my finger like cowboy spinning a pistol in a western (like a boss I might add) and I’ll think of something random that could constitute as a “thing”. Perhaps my days aren’t quite over yet.
I’ve read that four times now and I’ve come to the conclusion that it’s part of another conversation.
You reckon I did a you and put a response to one post on a completely different post? Pull the other one, mate. That’s right. You heard me. Pull the other one (?)
I pulled the other one and it came off in my hand, but looking at it, I don’t think it had been fitted properly in the first place, so it’s not my fault.
Waaaaaay! (What?)
It was me. I fitted it.
Sorry everyone.