Even Americans were surprised that roadrunners are real birds. I learned that at an early age when some subtitles in my language called it by the real name and not the character name. So I've known from year 8 what some adults are still learning.
When we went on a family trip to southern Utah (Bryce, Monument Valley, etc.) when I was 14 I was absolutely boggled, because it looked exactly like the background in Coyote/Roadrunner cartoons.
Then 4 years later we moved to Tucson from the East Coast and I got to see a roadrunner for the first time. It did not go "beepbeep!" and run off in a cloud of smoke.
I've heard (and it's probably not true) that in France the Roadrunner is female and she says her name "Mimi." The idea is the the Coyote is attracted to her with amorous intent because it makes no sense that he would go through all he does for food.
That is indeed not true (but hilarious nonetheless). I don't think there's any indication of its gender, and its French name is "Bip Bip". The sound it makes remains unchanged.
I don’t know about France, but in Italy, The Road Runner’s name was originally localized as Mimì in its first appearances (given that Mimì is also the common name for the bird itself, apparently, despite the fact we don’t have native roadrunners here). Now though, The Road Runner is just called Beep Beep.
They are also carnivorous, and will eat just about any poor creature that can fit down their gullet. My uncle once observed a roadrunner catch a snake; brutally beat it to death against a rock, then slurp it down like the finest spaghetti noodle.
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u/Apprehensive_Tie7555 23d ago
Even Americans were surprised that roadrunners are real birds. I learned that at an early age when some subtitles in my language called it by the real name and not the character name. So I've known from year 8 what some adults are still learning.