Monitor Cliff Scalers
October 7, 2009 6:59 AM Subscribe
In the book I'm currently reading, City of Djinns,
is this intriguing passage:
"Centuries earlier, one class of Marathars had perfected a technique for scaling the cilff faces that had protected the hill forts of Central India: they trained giant monitor lizards – which in the Deccan grow to over five feet long – to climb up sheer rock faces; and so firm and fast was the lizards' grip on the cliff's cracks and crevices, that the Maratha assault troops were able to tie ropes around the reptiles' bodies and clamber up behind them."I know that the gap between myth and reality in Indian reality/history/mythology is often slim, so I ask, does anyone have some concrete (or similar) instances/or the likelihood of this story being real?
Best answer: This guy appears to have done it. And here.
posted by amanzi at 7:32 AM on October 7, 2009
posted by amanzi at 7:32 AM on October 7, 2009
Best answer: "A persistent myth that has little support from zoology or history"
posted by Phanx at 8:01 AM on October 7, 2009
posted by Phanx at 8:01 AM on October 7, 2009
The Military System of the Marathas corroborates. But then, even serious historians are apt to fall for really good stories without necessarily considering the likelihood of the subject matter being true. Happens all the time.
On the subject of training monitor lizards....
posted by IndigoJones at 8:22 AM on October 7, 2009
On the subject of training monitor lizards....
posted by IndigoJones at 8:22 AM on October 7, 2009
Response by poster: Thank you, amanzi for the great second link (as someone commented there, "Made. Of. Fucking. Win.") and Phanx for the science.
posted by tellurian at 3:17 PM on October 7, 2009
posted by tellurian at 3:17 PM on October 7, 2009
This thread is closed to new comments.
posted by Eicats at 7:19 AM on October 7, 2009