Why are the called clowns?

[TimmyG]

I really don't understand thsi name. Nothing looks clownish about them, no big red nose, no green head with white scales, no good jokes. About the only clown thing I can think of is you can fit alot of them in a car! So how do clowns get their name?

[josh@outbackreps]

One of the origional imported animals had a tear drop like marking on its face that resembled the ones that clowns have so the animal was names clown due to that marking.
After breeding the animals it was found that the marking was random and not part of the clown gene but the name stuck.

[withonor]

Interesting. I never questioned why they were called clowns. When I see one I always notice that they're "wearing" a crazy mask.

The tear drop explanation is a nice thing to know.

[minguela]

The patches in the head and the body looks like the patches that the Clowns use. At least that is how I look them. But they really shine when you make color combination with Pastels (paster or Killer Clowns) and Lessers (Lesser Clowns). With that colors they really looks like a clowns.

[OhhWatALoser]

i always thought it was because of their dopey looking head pattern, they look clownish to me

[AnthonyCaponetto]

I guess we all have our own stories...

When coiled up, the pattern reminds me of that ruffled collar on Bozo's suit. lol

[kellysballs]

I heard the teardrop marking story as well.