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John writes...

I looked through the archives and you seem to get this question somewhat often but I would really like to know at least vaguely what the heights of the major gargoyles are (within half a foot would work). At the very least could you give the height of Lexington? He tends to not stand up straight a lot and its a little hard to tell.

If its really that bothersome forget it but as I'm sure you know the estimates from fan vary so much even a guess from you would probably be more accurate. I suppose even one height would help as I could just estimate from that...

I'd appreciate any help on the subject but I would blame you if you have better things to do.

Greg responds...

It's not that I have better things to do, but I'm just not a numbers guy...

Response recorded on June 03, 2008

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Vaevictis Asmadi writes...

This isn't a question, it's really an answer to a question you once asked, and hopefully you'll find it useful or at least interesting.
Some years ago, somebody asked you if gargoyles are warm-blooded, and you answered:
<<"I guess so. Is there a third category?">>

Well, there ~is~ a third category, sort of. Animals can be partly warm-blooded and partly cold-blooded -- in-between, or "a little from column A, a little from column B," so to speak.

I'm sure you can imagine a mixture of warm-blooded-ness and cold-blooded-ness, but if you are interested in the details, they are on Wikipedia, in the articles "Cold-Blooded" and "Warm-Blooded." I don't want to sound like I'm lecturing you about science, so in short: being cold-blooded or warm-blooded are just the two most common combinations of six different metabolic traits, but other combinations do exist in nature. Just looking at canon and canon-in-training information, it appears to me that gargates have some cold-blooded traits (they absorb thermal energy, they apparently sleep in suspended animation, and they eat less than a mammal of their size) and some warm-blooded traits (they have hair, they're active in cold weather). I'm very interested in what your thoughts are about gargoyles, if you still feel they might be in a "third" category. I'm so curious about their biology.

Greg responds...

It sounds like they're some combo to me. In any case, I have no intention of changing the characters to match a category. Rather posit a new category. But if something exists that fits, great.

Response recorded on May 30, 2008

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holly clark writes...

where do gargoyles come from?

Greg responds...

eggs

Response recorded on May 28, 2008

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Anonymous writes...

I got a question about Staghart. (No, not THAT question!) Are his antlers deciduous or do they stay on all the time like true horns?

Greg responds...

Damnit, Jim, I'm a writer, not a biologist!

That being said, I'd tend to say the latter.

Response recorded on May 28, 2008

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melissa writes...

Hiya.
Little question about the stone healing. I noticed that some of your characters have piercings. Would they heal up if the rings weren't in when they went to sleep? Can gargoyles get tattoos? Also, do gargoyles have belly buttons? I'd think being oviparous means they wouldn't.
Thanks!

Greg responds...

If a piercing's completely scarred over, it might not heal -- or at least not in one night. But otherwise, yes.

Tatoos... I may not know enough about tatoos to answer that, but unless I'm missing something I don't see why not. Though you'd need a pretty thick needle, I'd think.

I wouldn't think they have belly buttons.

Response recorded on May 27, 2008

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Chimaraz writes...

Is the practice of raising eggs communally based on tradition for Gargoyles, or is it more of an instictual biological imperative? The answer we usually get is that it's the Gargoyle way, but is it the Gargoyle way because they're told they've always done it that way, or is it the Gargoyle way because instinct tells them that if they lay an egg in the rookery, all eggs in the rookery are theirs? It is the most sensible course of action, based on their reproduction, but did the practice arise because of how they reproduce universally as a species, or do they reproduce universally as a species because of how they practice parenting?

... Chicken or egg?

Greg responds...

Egg or gargoyle?

Response recorded on May 20, 2008

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dph writes...

Thank you for your previous response to my question about Ophelia. IYou have stated that the ability of a female gargoyles and female gargoyle beasts to become pregnant is tied to Earth's natural cycles. Are the abilities of female gargoyles and female gargoyle beasts to lay eggs also tied to Earth's natural cycles?

Greg responds...

Uh... probably.

Response recorded on May 13, 2008

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Anonymous writes...

Is there any gay or lebian gargoyles?

Greg responds...

Yep.

Response recorded on May 07, 2008

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dph writes...

Previous in Ask Greg you've stated (from this page - http://www.s8.org/gargoyles/askgreg/search.php?qid=10195)

Matt writes...

I've been crunching some numbers concerning the Avalon Clan and their breeding cycles.

Now, the beasts on Avalon should have already started breeding by 1996. No eggs should've hatched yet, but there should be one egg on Avalon waiting to hatch in 2038.

The gargoyles however are another matter since they must be much older than beasts to reach breeding age.
Lets take Ophelia for example. In 1996, Angela and Ophelia (who hatched in 1058) are about 39 years old. The need to be about 50 before their first mating. For Angela, in the real world, this will come 11 years later when she concieves the egg containing Artus in 2007. For Ophelia on Avalon however, 11 more years will equal 264 real world years! Which means she wouldn't be old enough to mate until the year 2,260 AD (To get her in tune with the Earth rhtyms we'll say the fall equinox of 2,267AD.)

So, what I'm wondering is, you've said that the Avalon Clan would be bringing eggs to Queen Florence Island in 2198, but I think they are only gonna have a beast egg or two to bring since none of the gargoyles will be old enough yet, is this correct? What are your thoughts on this?

Thanks Greg.
Greg responds...

I'm not sure your premises follow...

I'm fairly certain Ophelia will lay an egg at the same time as Angela -- assuming she's alive at the time. The physical maturity to lay an egg may be reached before the planetary bio-rhythm is, if that makes sense.

The truth is... I've worked all this out in the past, but I just don't have the energy or the time right this minute to go back and confirm my math. But I think I'm right.

Also, previous in Ask Greg you've stated - ( http://www.s8.org/gargoyles/askgreg/search.php?qid=7564 )

Faieq writes...

A while ago I noticed a short ramble of yours entitled 'While I'm thinking of it...' It was rambled on Monday 4th March 2002. I won't repeat the whole thing here, however the beginning started off with you repeating an exchange between you and Aris Katsaris concerning the date Angela and the other eggs on Avalon would have hatched and underneath your response you wrote;

"With all this in mind...

I know I've established -- both here and in my own head (particularly with regards to G2198) that eggs hatch on the Spring Equinox.

But does anyone remember whether (and where) I've established what month the eggs are laid in?

I can't recall if this has come up yet.

Anyone know? And would this solve my problems at all?"

Recently I remember another question previously submitted on Friday October 13th by Aris Katsaris that may help you.

"Aris Katsaris writes...
A small tidbit that you revealed through the last contest was that the hatching of the eggs takes place in March 21st - the Spring Equinox, that is.

Now, I always felt it would be on an equinox or a solstice- those are the only dates that make sense really... Is the laying of the eggs also done on the Spring Equinox (ten years earlier ofcourse)?

How about the egg's conceiving? Have you decided how much time is spent between the eggs's conceiving and laying?

Greg responds...
That's interesting. Maybe.

As for conception, maybe I'll make it a six month term and put it on the fall equinox.

The truth is I chose March 21st because it's my son's birthday. But sometimes things in the Garg Universe just seem to come together. It's cool that way.
recorded on 10-20-00"

From your above response I assume that the eggs would be laid on the spring equinox, with the females being fertile on the fall equinox from the previous year.
I don't know whether this would clarify any problems over when the eggs hatched, but I hope it helps.
Greg responds...

I agree, it helps. Thanks.

I also don't know if it fixes my math problems, but I'm hopeful. And I like the idea of females being in heat at the fall equinox and laying their eggs in the spring (and the eggs hatching ten years later in the spring). For a race, that is so attuned to the bio-rhythms of their planet, it just feels right.

I don't think that literally all the eggs are conceived on the EXACT same night. Same with laying. Same with hatching to some extent too. There's probably something like a three night window for these things (say, two nights on either side of the equinox).

Now, here's my questions: Assuming that the fall equinox of 2008 is at night time on Avalon,
1)is the window of opportunity for Ophelia to became pregnant on Avalon a few hours or a few days? I know this sounds rather dumb, but given that time passes more slowly on Avalon and the in real world, you've there a window of opportunity of 2-3 days before and after, I was wondering if that window of opportunity was shortened on Avalon because of the difference in the way time passes.

2)Normal gargoyle pregnancies are 6 months. If that time was spent on Avalon, that amounts to 6 months * 24 Avalon time differential to equal 144 months or 12 years in the real world. If Ophelia was to become pregnant in 2008 and stay on Avalon the entire duration of her pregnancy, her egg wouldn't be ready to be laid until 2020. 2020 is 2 years after eggs normally laid in 2008 would normally hatch. Would Ophelia be able to lay the egg in 2020 or would she have to wait until 2028 to lay the egg?

Greg responds...

I don't know. I'm sorry, I should know, I guess. But this stuff is so damn complicated that I can't just answer off the top of my head anymore without getting myself in trouble.

Response recorded on April 07, 2008

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Woods writes...

In the Rock Hudson and Lexington wake up at 7:45 this is accounted to jet lag but in New York it would only be 2:45pm, so wouldn't have made more sense for Hudson and Lex to wake at elevenish in London

Greg responds...

Even after less than one night, they are already starting to adjust to the new timezone. That's how attuned to the biorhythms of the planet the ancient race of gargoyles are.

Response recorded on February 05, 2008


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