Not a scholarly inquiry, just a poll. Dividing line between hand print and paw print?

[sharesunited]

Mom insists that there is a raccoon hand print (as big as a CSI technician could hope for) on her kitchen window.

Paw print, I corrected.

I've seen how they use those hands, those are hands.

OK so where is the dividing line between hand prints and paw prints? I say, humans, apes, and (maybe) monkeys have hands. Everybody else: Paws and feet.

As for snakes: What the hell is that??

[eShirl]

1. opposable thumbs?

I guess

[SoCalDem]

2. hand n/t

[htuttle]

3. I think only humans have 'hands'

Wiki says that the word 'hand' is used for many primates, but what about the old horror short story, "The Monkey's Paw?"

Snakes? Snakes have bellies.

[hlthe2b]

4. Humans and non-human primates have hands (opposable thumbs)

According to the Tulane National Primate Research Center...

...monkeys have hands. The reasoning seems to be that the monkey's arm appendage is adapted for grasping, with four similar digits and one opposable one, aka the thumb. Monkeys can also use individual digits by themselves for pointing, scratching, etc. and can carry things much as we do suitcases.

A paw on the other hand has claws, has no opposable digits, and all digits function together.


The definition of hand is not restricted to humans:

"hand (hănd)
n.

The terminal part of the human arm located below the forearm, used for grasping and holding and consisting of the wrist, palm, four fingers, and an opposable thumb.
A homologous or similar part in other animals, as the terminal part of the forelimb in certain vertebrates."

"paw (pô)
n.
1. The foot of an animal, especially a quadruped, that has claws or nails."

Sources: http://www.tnprc.tulane.edu/public_faq.html AND http://www.nytimes.com/books/first/w/wilson-hand.html AND http://www.answers.com/topic/hand?cat=health AND http://www.thefreedictionary.com/paw



**** That said, many mammals use their paws like hands. My last dog, a beloved sweet Yellow Labrador mix used to hold her bowl with both of her paws and would grab my arm with her paw when she wanted something. ;) ***

[Schema Thing]

5. .

[Codeine]

7. oops nt

[Schema Thing]

6. direct your words to the appendage in question...

if the animal responds by moving their head back and forth in a sassy fashion, it's a hand.

[Codeine]

8. I cannot refute your hypothesis, sir.

Chalk one up for SCIENCE! :rofl:

[Schema Thing]

9. science rocks!

:toast:

[pinboy3niner]

11. LOL!

:rofl:

[Sanity Claws]

10. You corrected your mother?

bad boy.