Never pick up "fuzzy" ants

[Joe_Black]

Well, I have to admit to having attempted to stomp a few from time to time. They have a habit of showing up usually when I'm working under one of my Caterpillars, and they're pretty resilient to being whacked with a 3/4" wrench. They don't like PB Blaster much either, but pop pretty quick when encountering oxy-acetylene.

Typically I'm a live-n-let-live kinda guy, except when I'm in a confined space!

[Chopper]

according to what's that bug, they do squeak, and in one form or another they are native all over....mexico and cali, to n.c. and fla.

[nfpgasmask]

Huh, looks like these are actually wasps, according to http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Velvet_ant

Bart

[Chopper]

Yeah, it was waspy....but beautiful.

[So-CalVX]

uh huh... I called it. oh yeah

[WormGod]

I would be fired and that would be one dead bug. Then again, I am not so curious as to want to touch, hold, or really even care about bugs, so I probably wouldnt have been in that situation, heh.

When I was a teen, I was a naturalist at a nature center. Gave tours to kids and groups and showed and handled various animals. One of the rules there was, when handling snakes (and giving the whole song and dance speech while doing so), if the snake bites you, act like it did not happen so's not to alarm the group. There were MANY times when a corn snake or black snake wasnt in the mood to be handled and they would sink their teeth right into an arm. You just ignored it and kept right on talking. I am older and wiser now, and realise I am above snakes on the food chain. Let one try that again.

[mbeach]

I saw an ant nearly kill a guy in Panama many years ago.
It was a big (like an inch long) ant -we used to call them 50 cal ants (as in .50 caliber).
It bit him on the neck -his neck swelled up so much that it blocked his airway.
Bee sting kits apparently weren't working fast enough, so we had to *hastily* clear an LZ so he could be medevac'd.

Ever since then, I give ants a wide berth.

[nfpgasmask]

I am older and wiser now, and realise I am above snakes on the food chain. Let one try that again.

Awww come on man, you would do the same thing if you were the snake. I've been bit by many a snake (non-venomous of course) and I think it is best not to react. Typically, once a snake knows biting isn't gonna work, they usually calm down a little. That was the case with the big yellow bellied racer I caught here. It bit me in the hand and then calmed down right away. I caught that snake within minutes of catching this baby gopher snake. The little guy was a completely different story. He wouldn't stop biting and hissing no matter what. Eventually he calmed down a little, but he was not happy I picked him up!



I can't wait for spring so I can get out to the Sierra in search of the California Mountain Kingsnake!!

I'm surprised with my new Mata Mata turtle, he is completely docile. He squirms a little and wants to be let go, but there is no biting at all...

Not the case with stinkpots, snappers and softies....

Bart