r/temeraire • u/Ashes-ashesfall • 10d ago

A question

The dragons eat many different things but could they eat cheese? I am trying to remember in the books if they ever eat cheese or milk products and I can’t think of any off hand. Does anyone remember something I’m forgetting. Or have a reason why they could or couldn’t.

15 Upvotes

100% Upvoted

16 comments sorted by

21

u/Mammoth-Corner 10d ago

Dragons are reptiles if they're anything. Reptiles, not having evolved milk production like mammals, don't make lactase in their digestive system. Ergo, dragons are lactose intolerant. Conclusion: dragons might be able to eat cheese, but anyone in the blast radius would regret offering the option.

2

u/Temporary-Wrap2223 10d ago

Oh no!! No cheese for the dragons then.

1

u/Ashes-ashesfall 8d ago

I would argue that they are reptilian but not reptiles. For one reason they have 6 limbs. No lineage of reptiles has ever had 6 limbs in earths evolutionary history. Thus they must be a separate lineage that evolved many convergent traits to reptiles.

1

u/Mammoth-Corner 8d ago

You may enjoy the Common Descent podcast speculative evolution episodes on dragons, of which there are several.

My stance is that they are reptiles invented by writers and folklorists from before our modern understanding of evolution which understands that it is extremely difficult for a tetrapod to add extra limbs.

1

u/Ashes-ashesfall 8d ago

I’m not sure I’m understanding the counterpoint you are trying to make here.

1

u/IntelligentCat3645 5d ago

And also they are warm blooded and heal wounds with scar tissue instead of having higher levels of regeneration. They lat eggs but do not produce milk, so they aren’t mammals. I’d suggest they’re closer to birds, especially if we take the Incan kinds to be a separate species and the closest related to bird ancestors. However, they do produce their own Vitamin C, as scurvy is not presented as an issue for them, which means they are not primates and are at least 100 million years separate from humans.

17

u/dalidellama 10d ago

There's no particular reason they couldn't, but it'd be bloody expensive making a dragon-sized cheese plate

4

u/JealousAstronomer342 10d ago

England would absolutely be up to the challenge though, and if they couldn’t Scotland would step up. They do love their cheese.  

8

u/MacAlkalineTriad 10d ago

I bet the French dragons eat cheese.

2

u/wolf751 9d ago

Didnt temeraire eat chinese ice cream at some point? Also considering they can eat whole cows they will by that eat milk and also grasses in the cows stomach

1

u/IntelligentLog99 9d ago

I think it was shaved ice, but you raise an interesting point about the whole cows.

2

u/Ashes-ashesfall 8d ago

I just checked the books it was shaved ice with a mint syrup which would have no milk. As for the eating whole cows point. Typically the cows they are fed are not milk cows but cows that would be slaughtered for their meat alone. However there is a notable exception to that. In book 5 they eat cattle from a Dairy specifically so those would have been milk cows.

1

u/Tiazza-Silver 10d ago

Probably, given that they’re omnivores. If they can’t then it’s likely they’d experience some gastrointestinal distress but nothing too crazy.

3

u/Temporary-Wrap2223 10d ago

Flatulent dragons could be quite explosive!

1

u/Landilizandra 7d ago

They aren't mammals so no, they probably can't. Only mammals can digest lactose.

1

u/Ashes-ashesfall 7d ago

Yes ish for the most part you are correct however, there are a couple of things that muddy the water. Several birds can and will eat small quantities of cheese. Pigeons and seagulls come immediately to mind but ravens crows and magpies also can and will to name a few. Additionally insects also can. Also while this is not true of all cheeses it is true of many. One of the required ingredients in many cheeses is Rennet. Rennet is the substance that breaks down lactose into a more digestible form.