Never pick up "fuzzy" ants

[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

[WormGod]

Strangely, I would take a snake bite again over an iguana tail whip. Sounds funny, but you ever had your leg whipped by a 6ft (tail to head) iguana? There be some meat in them tails!!! Years ago, a girl I was dating was deathly afraid of Diplodocus, my giant iguana, so when she came over I would have to put him in his "penthouse" (1/4 of my basement was turned into an enclosed tropical rainforest just for him). Well, this one time, he didnt want to go in and he ran from me (I let him run around the house, but it was cool since he was litter box trained, heh). He had never run from me before and usually seemed to BEG to be held, even if he did kill your arm after 5 mins. But this time, its like he knew I was putting him away to give someone else attention. So, without realising it, I cornered him and went in for the catch. Big mistake. That tail came around like a friggin swinging katana and whipped right across my bare calf. I took a few steps back and dropped. My leg from knee down felt like magma was running across it. It hurt like an SOB for about 3 days and I had a welt for about 2 weeks. Diplodocus 1 - Gary 0

I will take the snake bite over that any day.

[nfpgasmask]

I'm with ya, I had a 4.5 footer for many years when I lived in FLA, I don't know what was worse though, the talons or the tail....both were like a 10d6 attack!

Bart

Strangely, I would take a snake bite again over an iguana tail whip. Sounds funny, but you ever had your leg whipped by a 6ft (tail to head) iguana? There be some meat in them tails!!! Years ago, a girl I was dating was deathly afraid of Diplodocus, my giant iguana, so when she came over I would have to put him in his "penthouse" (1/4 of my basement was turned into an enclosed tropical rainforest just for him). Well, this one time, he didnt want to go in and he ran from me (I let him run around the house, but it was cool since he was litter box trained, heh). He had never run from me before and usually seemed to BEG to be held, even if he did kill your arm after 5 mins. But this time, its like he knew I was putting him away to give someone else attention. So, without realising it, I cornered him and went in for the catch. Big mistake. That tail came around like a friggin swinging katana and whipped right across my bare calf. I took a few steps back and dropped. My leg from knee down felt like magma was running across it. It hurt like an SOB for about 3 days and I had a welt for about 2 weeks. Diplodocus 1 - Gary 0

I will take the snake bite over that any day.