Please distribute this post to all species in danger of adapting to
human-altered landscapes.

Rules for co-existing with people:

1. BE BRIGHTLY COLORED AND/OR CUTE. Your human associates will be more
inclined to tolerate your presence. Be sufficiently attractive, and they
will supply food. Appear fragile, and you've got it made. You
hummingbirds may expand throughout the world, and the red sugar water
supply will be nearly inexhuastible.

2. BE FRUITFUL AND MULTIPLY, BUT NOT TOO FRUITFAL. Humans despise
animals that adapt too well to their world. If you reach, say, 0.01% of
the biomass of the humans around you, committees will spring up to spend
millions of dollars debating how to reduce your population.

3. IF POSSIBLE, BE FRUITFUL ONLY ON THE SAME CONTINENT YOU WERE ON BEFORE
HUMANS INVENTED PAVING. It's okay if you are, say, a House Finch in
North America, but if you are a House Sparrow, the wrath of man shall be
upon you.

4. DON'T POOP!!!!!


Kelly Cassidy -- Washington Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit
Box 357980, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, 98195
kelly at u.washington.edu --- 206-685-4195 --- 206-368-8076