Snakes

[Currie]

This little (about 16") Sand Viper wandered into our camp in Sinai one
evening. Skye, our dog noticed it first, as we were playing cards.
After oiking it into a tupperware box, I took him about 100yds away, and
released him into a bush beside a date palm.
On return, I backtracked the way he had come - under our tarp, and
through between Janice's flip-flopped feet...!!!! :Wow1:
Right about then, she :yikes: :drool:decided it was time she was zipped up
in the tent..... :elkgrin:

Another smaller Sand Viper....

Egyptian yellow-lined scorpion... deadly..!!!

Camel Spider... body length of about 4" leg span about 8"....
Nasty bite, but not venomous.

And our first-ever chameleon....

 

[michaelgroves]

Camel Spider... body length of about 4" leg span about 8"....
Nasty bite, but not venomous.

Not actually a spider, either! Although, despite appearing to have 10 legs, it is still in fact an arachnid (in this case a solifuge). The front pair are pedipalps, akin to the antennae on insects.

In South Africa they are called Red Romans. I believe solifuges are the world's fastest-running invertebrates. They can certainly run incredibly fast - we've had them scuttling around our campsites in various parts of the world. They tend to run around in big circles around the campfire, catching any crawling insects that are being attracted towards the light. They make a lot of noise with their mandibles, especially when they catch a grasshopper!

Here's another pic of one in a campsite in Agadez, Niger:

.

 

[Spikepretorius]

In South Africa they are called Red Romans

Also called Baardskeerder. Direct translation = beard shaver/sheers. Because of those mandible things that they have

 

[achampagne]

I hate snakes, I stepped on one trail running last weekend and it completely freaked me out.

 

[Spikepretorius]

Regarding that guy with the pet Black Mamba, here's a blurb about him
http://www.lowvelder.co.za/index.ph...mmunity&id=130:man-and-mamba-its-a-weird-fang

 

[Lichen]

A coiled snake does not mean that it is ready to strike. It can just as easily mean that it is sleeping. I think that they have to uncoil to strike?

 

[Cody1771]

no a snake stikes from coiled or semi coiled position. it cant strike stretched out for obvious reasons. no snake will "fake" sleeping to get a strike on a humon. they give all sorts of notice unless you go and step on him while hes sleeping thats why you should always wear your hiking boots and long pants when hiking in an area with poisoneous snakes.

 

[Ric]

Snakes are cool :victory:

 

[whatcharterboat]

While we certainly may have more deadly / venomous species than anywhere else, OZ isn't known for big constrictors. Ahh....... that's what I used to think anyway!!!

 

[FreeManDan]

In North America there is a rhyme to help you remember if a snake is deadly or not, its “shovel on the head, snake is dead”:costumed-smiley-007

 

[Cody1771]

In North America there is a rhyme to help you remember if a snake is deadly or not, its “shovel on the head, snake is dead”:costumed-smiley-007

yeahhh..... right.... if you dont understand it, kill it?

 

[Ursidae69]

In North America there is a rhyme to help you remember if a snake is deadly or not, its “shovel on the head, snake is dead”:costumed-smiley-007

That's pretty lame.

 

[tommyd]

While we certainly may have more deadly / venomous species than anywhere else, OZ isn't known for big constrictors. Ahh....... that's what I used to think anyway!!!

Big Olive python! Great photo.

 

[Scoob]

I dont know why, but I'm terrified of snakes. I always have been. I've never had a bad expierience with one, and have never even touched one, so I have no idea what it is about them that creeps me out so much. I'm told that it's pretty amusing to watch me run like hell in the opposite direction when I see a snake. Luckily up here in the north we dont have many venomous ones, atleast I dont think we do.

 

[Layonnn]

I dont know why, but I'm terrified of snakes. I always have been. I've never had a bad expierience with one, and have never even touched one, so I have no idea what it is about them that creeps me out so much. I'm told that it's pretty amusing to watch me run like hell in the opposite direction when I see a snake. Luckily up here in the north we dont have many venomous ones, atleast I dont think we do.

Just so you know, about 99% of the snakes in the world, are thinking the exact same thing, well, the desire to get away from you part. I have heard black mambas will just outright attack you.
Only, if they think they are camouflaged, they will sit still, if they know they have been spotted most will "slither like hell" away from you. haha.

Snakes near me on land when my dog isn't with me, im okay with. Snakes in the water when im in the water, me very scared of getting bit in the face.


Anyone ever heard the rumor that snakes can't bite under water cause they will drown? Is this true for some snakes? I know it's definitely not true for all. When i was in my teens, we would keep the fish we caught in a basket that sat under water. We pulled it up one time to put another bream in there and saw a medium sized water snake with a fish in it's belly, and it was now stuck in the cage haha.