Invent an animal

Oooh, I'd be afraid of crushing mini-animals. And, an antelope that fits in your shirt pocket? That'd make ink stains seem almost acceptable.

I would, though, go for brighter colors. Mammals generally don't come in bright colors (except for some monkey rumps). Turquoise bears might be neat, or mauve hippos.

Cows that give chocolate milk.

Cats that obsessively clean the house, wash dishes and mow the lawn while I'm at work.

A turkey crossed with a spider so that everybody can have a drumstick on Thanksgiving.

Trained mosquitoes that only suck blood from bloodsucking lawyers.

How bout if you mix a zebra and giraffe, with a li'l bit of cow?

Oh wait, that's been done...

Equus, what great ideas! I'd go especially for the cats. A dream come true.

As for colours - I just read a book by a somewhat strange German author. He describes the funniest annimals - also coloured bears.

I want something soft and cuddly that lets me sleep at night.

I already went for cats just like our cats - but that chase frisbees and go for long walks - they can clean house, too, if you like - but that is way weird!!! And I have invented flying horses!

I like miniature animals - Craven's elephant is good - and it won't be all mean and unwell, like the one in "Jurassic Park" - but we need real new animals - not just variants of the ones we have.

I will need to let my fantasy loose at work today....

It is quite hard inventing real new critters, yes? I have a sort of semi-transparent wind hovering creature, that sounds like wind-chimes - that never touches ground in mind, so far....

Okapis DO look like they were invented in a place like this, don't they?

hmmmmmm - I turned my imagination loose - BUT - new critters seem to me to be fun only if they obey the laws of science and natural selection - pure fantasy is fine, but I feel it needs the discipline of science.....

soooo - I have been thinking of what is in the oceans - and I have run up against a practical issue.

why do so many of the denizens of our oceans have scales?

i'd like to see a real jackalope

Hmm, scales, there is probably some biophysics answer for that, dunno, myself.
Given the weight of all that water, they need to deflect the load by causing an increase in bubbles per cc, thus the increased texture to the skin, and they look nice. The scales I mean. OK, no? Well, how about each time they turn the scales each give the denizens a bitsy amount of extra propulsive force? No? OK, your turn.

something dog-sized that can be domesticated and feels and purrs like a cat..... A mellow tiger.

How about microorganisms that eat pollution?

Why do fish have scales?
So they can weigh anchor.

NOT helpful! LOL

I like a couple of ideas from TV, such as the mini house hippos, and on that episode of The Simpsons where the cat and dog get fused, front end to front end "Twice the fun, none of the mess"....until, of course the two fused backsides appear, lol

Mind you, as a chef, the pig is quite frankly a near perfect animal in terms of versatality....

Speaking of fish-- how about peanut-butter-and-jellyfish?

It's almost impossible to come up with new ideas for animals that aren't based on earth creatures. Our brains have a hard time being that creative.

WHat about creatures of energy and no sunstance?
What about beings that are made of dark matter...... hmmm, too massive.
Something without fur, scales or skin?

Littlek, what should the inside then be? And what would hold it together?

Something made of light. Like the aliens in 'Cocoon'. I always like them.

inside of what? The energy beings? nothing, just energy. Gravity would be tempted to pull them apart and electromagnetics would hold them together? Maybe they have a tiny core of dark matter.

Oh, that sounds interesting. Yes, a tiny core only - but it has to be there, I guess.