History Literature / TheSnoutersFormAndLifeOfTheRhinogrades

-->''"The noteworthy fact that the captured Nasobame weeps has psychological interest, for it presupposes that the animal possesses insight and the power of reflection."''

* NonMammalMammaries: Subverted; some species of Rhinograde don't suckle their offspring and thus don't have mammary glands because they don't need them. Played for laughs in another, immobile species that bribes other rhinogrades to bring it food in exchange for milk, as even the ''males'' have large (and suspiciously human-like) mammaries.

* SuperPersistentPredator: ''Tyrannonasus imperator'' (Heberer's Predatory Nasobame), will chase its prey for HOURS, but it's [[JustifiedTrope Justified]], because of its low metabolic rate and its ability to store glycogen (glucose energy) not just in its liver.
** Even so, they rarely catch their prey.

* FrogsAndToads: There are no reptiles and only one species of amphibian native to the Hy-Yi-Yi Islands; it's a frog that apparently has really big tadpoles (which are eaten by the islands' natives during ceremonial feasts).

* NonMammalMammaries: Subverted; some species of Rhinograde don't suck their offspring and thus don't have mammary glands because they don't need them.

** Subverted when the islands sink and everybody on the island drowns.

[[caption-width-right:250:BizarreAlienBiology indeed.]]

* {{Expy}}: To RealLife, the Shaggy-faced Snouter is really obviously based on the woolly mammoth. They are covered in thick fur, eats plants, has large slab-like molars, uses its nose to grab things, travels in herds, and is one of the largest Rhinogrades.

* HistoricalInJoke: some Rhinogrades may have evolved into Turbellaria "flatworms".

* EverythingIsBetterWithSpinning: The ''Nasobame'' last resort defense against a ''Tyrannonasus'' is to grab a branch with its tail and spin around, confusing the predator and making it dizzy to the point of throwing up.

* DeathWorld: [[AvertedTrope Averted]], there is nothing especially dangerous about Hy-Yi-Yi or its inhabitants. Even for the snouters, life is easy; besides

A [[SpeculativeDocumentary speculative]] {{mockumentary}} book first published in 1957 and written by German zoologist Gerolf Steiner (under the pseudonym of [[Harald Stümpke AuthorAvatar]]). It documents a (fictional) order of strange mammals [[spoiler:mostly]] native to the Hy-yi-yi Islands known as the Rhinogrades, or Snouters. Among other things, the most unique trait of the Rhinogrades is the ''nasarium'', an organ derived from the nose that has evolved to fill every conceivable purpose imaginable.

A [[SpeculativeDocumentary speculative]] {{mockumentary}} book first published in 1957 and written by German zoologist Gerolf Steiner (under the pseudonym of [[Harald Stümpke ArtistAvatar]]). It documents a (fictional) order of strange mammals [[spoiler:mostly]] native to the Hy-yi-yi Islands known as the Rhinogrades, or Snouters. Among other things, the most unique trait of the Rhinogrades is the ''nasarium'', an organ derived from the nose that has evolved to fill every conceivable purpose imaginable.

A [[SpeculativeDocumentary speculative]] {{mockumentary}} book first published in 1957 and written by German zoologist Gerolf Steiner (under the pseudonym of [[ArtistAvatar Harald Stümpke]]). It documents a (fictional) order of strange mammals [[spoiler:mostly]] native to the Hy-yi-yi Islands known as the Rhinogrades, or Snouters. Among other things, the most unique trait of the Rhinogrades is the ''nasarium'', an organ derived from the nose that has evolved to fill every conceivable purpose imaginable.

A [[SpeculativeDocumentary speculative]] {{mockumentary}} book first published in 1957 and written by German zoologist Gerolf Steiner (under the pseudonym of Harald Stümpke). It documents a (fictional) order of strange mammals [[spoiler:mostly]] native to the Hy-yi-yi Islands known as the Rhinogrades, or Snouters. Among other things, the most unique trait of the Rhinogrades is the ''nasarium'', an organ derived from the nose that has evolved to fill every conceivable purpose imaginable.

* AllAnimalsAreDomesticated: Skamtkvist somehow manages to tame an adult male Tasselsnouter and teach it to whistle two of Bach's pieces almost perfectly (however, it should be said Tasselsnouters are thought to be highly intelligent).

[[caption-width-right:250:BizarreAlienLocomotion indeed.]]

* HumansAreBastards: Nearby nuclear testing sinks the Hy-Yi-Yi Islands (which have been around for almost 300 million years).

->''"The noteworthy fact that the captured Nasobame weeps has psychological interest, for it presupposes that the animal possesses insight and the power of reflection."''

* BizarreAlienReproduction: Most snouters breed few and far between (due to their low mortality rate from the lack of predators), and many do not suckle their young (some species don't even have mammary glands). [[spoiler:But by far the strangest are the hermaphroditic marine species found off the coast of Antarctica (one of which breeds by gemmation)]].

A [[SpeculativeDocumentary speculative]] {{mockumentary}} book first published in 1957 and written by German zoologist Gerolf Steiner (under the pseudonym of Harald Stümpke). It documents a (fictional) order of strange mammals native to the Hy-yi-yi Islands known as the Rhinogrades, or Snouters. Among other things, the most unique trait of the Rhinogrades is the ''nasarium'', an organ derived from the nose that has evolved to fill every conceivable purpose imaginable.

* BizarreAlienReproduction: Most snouters breed few and far between (due to their low mortality rate from the lack of predators), but by far the strangest are the hermaphroditic marine species found off the coast of Antarctica (one of which breeds by gemmation).

* GagNose: The final evolution of this trope.

* OurMonstersAreWeird: [[UpToEleven Really]], '''really''' weird.

* {{Expy}}: To RealLife, the Shaggy-faced Snouter is really obviously based on the woolly mammoth; it it covered in thick fur, eats plants, has large slab-like molars, uses its nose to grab things, travels in herds. and is one of the largest Rhinogrades.

** The Earwing (''Otopteryx volitans'') flies with its ears (using its nose to steer).