{"id":130039,"date":"2024-09-25T15:20:38","date_gmt":"2024-09-25T19:20:38","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/?p=130039"},"modified":"2024-09-26T16:12:41","modified_gmt":"2024-09-26T20:12:41","slug":"what-can-we-learn-from-animals","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/what-can-we-learn-from-animals\/","title":{"rendered":"What Can We Learn From Animals? Sy Montgomery’s Experience"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

What can we learn from animals? What two animals changed Sy Montgomery’s perspective on living beings?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

After deciding to become a nature writer, Sy Montgomery had many experiences with animals that helped her appreciate animals and people in new ways. We’ll look at the lessons she learned from two of those animals: a pinktoe tarantula and a chicken-stealing ermine.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Continue reading for the lessons animals can teach us.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

Clarabelle the Tarantula<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Montgomery\u2019s experience with a pinktoe tarantula is one example of what we can learn from animals. The tarantula taught her how to appreciate the beauty and individuality of a species she previously feared.<\/strong> She describes how on a research trip to French Guiana, she was offered the chance to hold a tarantula that resided in the research team\u2019s living quarters. Despite her fear of spiders, her curiosity drove her to accept. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

(Shortform note: Like Montgomery, many people fear spiders\u2014some estimates suggest that 6% of people have serious arachnophobia. However, only about 0.5% of spiders actually pose a danger to humans.<\/a> Pinktoe tarantulas have a mild venom<\/a> that won\u2019t harm a human, and their other defense mechanism\u2014fine hairs on their abdomen that they can use to sting predators\u2014will typically only mildly irritate human skin.)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As Montgomery held the tarantula, she recognized the small animal\u2019s individuality. Instead of viewing her as just a representative of a scary species, Montgomery began to feel an attachment to the tarantula\u2014she felt a responsibility to care for and protect the little creature. She noticed her gentle, docile nature and her grace. As the trip went on, Montgomery\u2019s affection for the spider\u2014later named Clarabelle\u2014increased, and her presence made Montgomery feel more at home. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

(Shortform note: The respect, admiration, and care Montgomery felt as she held Clarabelle align with the ways animals are typically regarded in Buddhist traditions. In Buddhism, all animals (including often-maligned creatures like spiders) are considered sentient beings deserving of respect.<\/a> Like humans, they\u2019re believed to be capable of achieving enlightenment\u2014a state in which a being is free from the cycle of life, suffering, and death. Thus, Buddhists try not to harm any living being, including spiders.) <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Montgomery\u2019s relationship with Clarabelle gave her a new appreciation for all spiders, opening her up to a whole different world that exists on a much smaller scale. When she returned to the US, she noticed and enjoyed the spiders around her home\u2014creatures she never would\u2019ve considered before. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

(Shortform note: If you want to become a friend to spiders in your home like Montgomery, here are a few tips for engaging with them safely:<\/a> First, it\u2019s best not to touch spiders. Though most aren\u2019t dangerous to humans, you could still get hurt or accidentally harm the spider if you pick one up. If you need to relocate a spider, you can move it using a cup or jar and a piece of paper. Finally, limit your use of pesticides as much as possible\u2014they can introduce toxins to the environment that harm beneficial species.)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Chicken-Stealing Ermine<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Another animal who altered Montgomery\u2019s perspective was an ermine\u2014a member of the weasel family\u2014who killed and stole one of her beloved chickens. One winter day, Montgomery found one of her chickens dead in their coop. When she tried to pick the chicken up, she came face-to-face with a snowy white ermine\u2014the animal who had killed the hen. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

(Shortform note: Ermines and other members of the weasel family are typically more helpful than harmful to human interests.<\/a> They most often eat rodents such as mice, rabbits, and voles\u2014animals that can become pests if unchecked. Typically, ermines only prey on chickens when other food sources are scarce, such as during winter, when the ermine killed Montgomery\u2019s hen.)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The ermine stared back at Montgomery as if challenging her. She expected to feel anger toward the ermine because she loved the hen it killed. Instead, Montgomery found herself admiring it<\/strong> for its impressive feat and its fierce bravery in the face of a much larger creature like herself. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The ermine reminded Montgomery of her mother. Like the ermine, Montgomery\u2019s mother had caused Montgomery a lot of hurt\u2014she could be ill-tempered, controlling, and cruel as a parent. However, she was also a woman who escaped poverty, went to college, and built a career and<\/em> a family at a time when societal norms<\/a> made it difficult for a woman to do any of those things.  Montgomery\u2019s mother and the ermine were both individuals who succeeded against unlikely odds through their daring and determination. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

After this experience, Montgomery\u2019s perspective on her mother\u2014who had died earlier that year\u2014changed. She realized that she missed her mother deeply, despite their difficult relationship. Likewise, she found a new sense of admiration for all that her mother had accomplished. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Connection Between Forgiveness and Empathy<\/strong>

By admiring the chicken-stealing ermine and thus learning to see her difficult mother in a new way, Montgomery demonstrated the connection between forgiveness and empathy. Some experts argue that to forgive someone, you must be able to empathize with them<\/a> enough to understand the context surrounding their harmful actions. When you understand why they behaved as they did, you can offer them compassion and forgiveness, even though they hurt you. 

Montgomery was able to offer the ermine compassion because she understood that from the animal\u2019s point of view, killing her chicken was a means to survive. Similarly, compassion allowed her to empathize with her mother\u2014she understood her mother\u2019s harmful behaviors in the context of a lifetime of hard work and struggle.

However, some experts also note that extending forgiveness and compassion doesn\u2019t mean excusing bad behavior or automatically welcoming the harmful person back into your life. It\u2019s primarily a practice to allow you to heal and let go of some of your hurt.<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

What can we learn from animals? What two animals changed Sy Montgomery’s perspective on living beings? After deciding to become a nature writer, Sy Montgomery had many experiences with animals that helped her appreciate animals and people in new ways. We’ll look at the lessons she learned from two of those animals: a pinktoe tarantula and a chicken-stealing ermine. Continue reading for the lessons animals can teach us.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":14,"featured_media":130202,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[9,160,43],"tags":[1589],"class_list":["post-130039","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-psychology","category-science","category-self-improvement","tag-how-to-be-a-good-creature","","tg-column-two"],"yoast_head":"\nWhat Can We Learn From Animals? Sy Montgomery's Experience - Shortform Books<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Animals are more than beloved companions. They're also teachers of life lessons. Here are two examples of what we can learn from animals.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/what-can-we-learn-from-animals\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"What Can We Learn From Animals? Sy Montgomery's Experience\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Animals are more than beloved companions. They're also teachers of life lessons. Here are two examples of what we can learn from animals.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/what-can-we-learn-from-animals\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Shortform Books\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2024-09-25T19:20:38+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2024-09-26T20:12:41+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/s3.amazonaws.com\/wordpress.shortform.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/scientist-ermine.webp\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"1456\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"816\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/webp\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Katie Doll\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Katie Doll\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"5 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/what-can-we-learn-from-animals\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/what-can-we-learn-from-animals\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"Katie Doll\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/c3e1b539e89423b544ede91ab2bff937\"},\"headline\":\"What Can We Learn From Animals? Sy Montgomery’s Experience\",\"datePublished\":\"2024-09-25T19:20:38+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2024-09-26T20:12:41+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/what-can-we-learn-from-animals\/\"},\"wordCount\":1010,\"commentCount\":0,\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/#organization\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/what-can-we-learn-from-animals\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/scientist-ermine.webp\",\"keywords\":[\"How to Be a Good Creature\"],\"articleSection\":[\"Psychology\",\"Science\",\"Self-Improvement\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"CommentAction\",\"name\":\"Comment\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/what-can-we-learn-from-animals\/#respond\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/what-can-we-learn-from-animals\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/what-can-we-learn-from-animals\/\",\"name\":\"What Can We Learn From Animals? Sy Montgomery's Experience - Shortform Books\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/what-can-we-learn-from-animals\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/what-can-we-learn-from-animals\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/scientist-ermine.webp\",\"datePublished\":\"2024-09-25T19:20:38+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2024-09-26T20:12:41+00:00\",\"description\":\"Animals are more than beloved companions. They're also teachers of life lessons. Here are two examples of what we can learn from animals.\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/what-can-we-learn-from-animals\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/what-can-we-learn-from-animals\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/what-can-we-learn-from-animals\/#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/scientist-ermine.webp\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/scientist-ermine.webp\",\"width\":1456,\"height\":816,\"caption\":\"A scientist in a yellow jacket studying a white ermine in a field, showing what we can learn from animals\"},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/what-can-we-learn-from-animals\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"What Can We Learn From Animals? Sy Montgomery’s Experience\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/\",\"name\":\"Shortform Books\",\"description\":\"The World's Best Book Summaries\",\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/#organization\"},\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Organization\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/#organization\",\"name\":\"Shortform Books\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/\",\"logo\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/06\/logo-equilateral-with-text-no-bg.png\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/06\/logo-equilateral-with-text-no-bg.png\",\"width\":500,\"height\":74,\"caption\":\"Shortform Books\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/\"}},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/c3e1b539e89423b544ede91ab2bff937\",\"name\":\"Katie Doll\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/6239731a3fc739640b80be30f2b1727a055d3535d0ee4569e8282faa323e47fc?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/6239731a3fc739640b80be30f2b1727a055d3535d0ee4569e8282faa323e47fc?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"caption\":\"Katie Doll\"},\"description\":\"Somehow, Katie was able to pull off her childhood dream of creating a career around books after graduating with a degree in English and a concentration in Creative Writing. Her preferred genre of books has changed drastically over the years, from fantasy\/dystopian young-adult to moving novels and non-fiction books on the human experience. Katie especially enjoys reading and writing about all things television, good and bad.\",\"knowsAbout\":[\"Bachelor of Arts in English With a Concentration in Creative Writing\"],\"jobTitle\":\"Senior SEO Writer\",\"worksFor\":\"Shortform\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/author\/katie\/\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO Premium plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"What Can We Learn From Animals? Sy Montgomery's Experience - Shortform Books","description":"Animals are more than beloved companions. They're also teachers of life lessons. Here are two examples of what we can learn from animals.","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/what-can-we-learn-from-animals\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"What Can We Learn From Animals? Sy Montgomery's Experience","og_description":"Animals are more than beloved companions. They're also teachers of life lessons. Here are two examples of what we can learn from animals.","og_url":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/what-can-we-learn-from-animals\/","og_site_name":"Shortform Books","article_published_time":"2024-09-25T19:20:38+00:00","article_modified_time":"2024-09-26T20:12:41+00:00","og_image":[{"width":1456,"height":816,"url":"https:\/\/s3.amazonaws.com\/wordpress.shortform.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/scientist-ermine.webp","type":"image\/webp"}],"author":"Katie Doll","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"Katie Doll","Est. reading time":"5 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/what-can-we-learn-from-animals\/#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/what-can-we-learn-from-animals\/"},"author":{"name":"Katie Doll","@id":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/c3e1b539e89423b544ede91ab2bff937"},"headline":"What Can We Learn From Animals? Sy Montgomery’s Experience","datePublished":"2024-09-25T19:20:38+00:00","dateModified":"2024-09-26T20:12:41+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/what-can-we-learn-from-animals\/"},"wordCount":1010,"commentCount":0,"publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/#organization"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/what-can-we-learn-from-animals\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/scientist-ermine.webp","keywords":["How to Be a Good Creature"],"articleSection":["Psychology","Science","Self-Improvement"],"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"CommentAction","name":"Comment","target":["https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/what-can-we-learn-from-animals\/#respond"]}]},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/what-can-we-learn-from-animals\/","url":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/what-can-we-learn-from-animals\/","name":"What Can We Learn From Animals? Sy Montgomery's Experience - Shortform Books","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/what-can-we-learn-from-animals\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/what-can-we-learn-from-animals\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/scientist-ermine.webp","datePublished":"2024-09-25T19:20:38+00:00","dateModified":"2024-09-26T20:12:41+00:00","description":"Animals are more than beloved companions. They're also teachers of life lessons. Here are two examples of what we can learn from animals.","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/what-can-we-learn-from-animals\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/what-can-we-learn-from-animals\/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/what-can-we-learn-from-animals\/#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/scientist-ermine.webp","contentUrl":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/scientist-ermine.webp","width":1456,"height":816,"caption":"A scientist in a yellow jacket studying a white ermine in a field, showing what we can learn from animals"},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/what-can-we-learn-from-animals\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"What Can We Learn From Animals? Sy Montgomery’s Experience"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/#website","url":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/","name":"Shortform Books","description":"The World's Best Book Summaries","publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/#organization"},"potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/#organization","name":"Shortform Books","url":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/06\/logo-equilateral-with-text-no-bg.png","contentUrl":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/06\/logo-equilateral-with-text-no-bg.png","width":500,"height":74,"caption":"Shortform Books"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/"}},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/c3e1b539e89423b544ede91ab2bff937","name":"Katie Doll","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/6239731a3fc739640b80be30f2b1727a055d3535d0ee4569e8282faa323e47fc?s=96&d=mm&r=g","contentUrl":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/6239731a3fc739640b80be30f2b1727a055d3535d0ee4569e8282faa323e47fc?s=96&d=mm&r=g","caption":"Katie Doll"},"description":"Somehow, Katie was able to pull off her childhood dream of creating a career around books after graduating with a degree in English and a concentration in Creative Writing. Her preferred genre of books has changed drastically over the years, from fantasy\/dystopian young-adult to moving novels and non-fiction books on the human experience. Katie especially enjoys reading and writing about all things television, good and bad.","knowsAbout":["Bachelor of Arts in English With a Concentration in Creative Writing"],"jobTitle":"Senior SEO Writer","worksFor":"Shortform","url":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/author\/katie\/"}]}},"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/scientist-ermine.webp","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/130039","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/14"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=130039"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/130039\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":130970,"href":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/130039\/revisions\/130970"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/130202"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=130039"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=130039"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=130039"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}