Hedgecutter Posted October 21, 2014 Share Posted October 21, 2014 Off the back of the Nope thread, what's the most threatening and / or strangest animal which you've come across either home or abroad (away from the zoo of course)? Most threatening for me would be coming across a rattlesnake whilst camping in Nevada. Heard the little f***er but had no idea where it was until I saw it under a rock about a metre away. Give me an adder any day of the week - sometimes you forget just how easy we have it in the UK. That said, most threatening could maybe go to the badger I came face to face with whilst digging a rather tight cave which he seemed to have made home. Let's just say that we took an immediate dislike to one another. Coolest probably goes to the snowy owl which I got within a few metres of a few years back. It had been hiding amongst bracken in a shakehole in the arse end of nowhere near Cape Wrath. I expected it to fly off immediately but like me it seemed to have that mutual "what the f*** are you doing here?!" look about it. Turned out it was the only one reported in the UK that year. Swarley: I'm expecting some good stories from Down Under. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sweet Pete Posted October 21, 2014 Share Posted October 21, 2014 As a kid, me and some others from my street found what we were certain was a scorpion in our street one night. It was exactly like every black scorpion I've ever seen on TV, but small, only the size of a big spider or a cockroach. One of the less well adjusted kids squashed it over and over again with a roller skate. I've heard that you get scorpions in Britain before, but apparently only in one dockside building in London where they set up home years ago, so to this day I've no idea if it really was a black scorpion in our street or a shared hallucination / exaggeration amongst us kids. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bobby Skidmarks Posted October 21, 2014 Share Posted October 21, 2014 I thought Swampy lived in Texas? Anyway, been chased by a few Foxes, i once overtook a Badger in my car that was running like f**k up the motorway at about 3am. I also once came across a few Adders sunning themselves and I ran away like a little girl. My next door neighbour had a tarantula, he was the a creepy b*****d though. The neighbour not the spider, he was sound. Nothing too weird I'm afraid. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hedgecutter Posted October 21, 2014 Author Share Posted October 21, 2014 I thought Swampy lived in Texas? I'm thinking of Swarley, oops. Edited. Anyway, been chased by a few Foxes... I also got followed up the road by a couple of coyotes when I was in Canada. I knew there were some around but I didn't have a car and there was a 15 walk from the house to the bus stop. Usually they're more scared of us but they've keen known to go after kids if they've had a really shite winter. i once overtook a Badger in my car that was running like f**k up the motorway at about 3am. Anything like this? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ross. Posted October 21, 2014 Share Posted October 21, 2014 In the summer here you tend to get a lot of lizards running about. Not massive, maybe 4 or 5 inches long at most. Nippy wee b*****ds, but harmless. When I was in South Africa last year there were some curious looking beasts. Left the place we were staying in the Kruger National park one morning and right outside the door was a massive dung beetle which had managed to fall onto it's back. I left it there. Fortunately didn't see many snakes or spiders. There was one wee tiny insect we noticed, which was smaller than a 5p piece and must have been some kind of insect Albino. Never seen something so white in my entire life. It was bizarre looking. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
supermik Posted October 21, 2014 Share Posted October 21, 2014 As a kid, me and some others from my street found what we were certain was a scorpion in our street one night. It was exactly like every black scorpion I've ever seen on TV, but small, only the size of a big spider or a cockroach. One of the less well adjusted kids squashed it over and over again with a roller skate. I've heard that you get scorpions in Britain before, but apparently only in one dockside building in London where they set up home years ago, so to this day I've no idea if it really was a black scorpion in our street or a shared hallucination / exaggeration amongst us kids. It would be a Rove Beetle. I saw one myself a couple of weeks back and I thought it was a scorpion as well. They point their tails up to scare off predators. It scared me off. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sweet Pete Posted October 21, 2014 Share Posted October 21, 2014 It would be a Rove Beetle. I saw one myself a couple of weeks back and I thought it was a scorpion as well. They point their tails up to scare off predators. It scared me off. Just googled it, that looks like the culprit. You've solved a 20 year old mystery Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Audaces Fortuna Juvat Posted October 21, 2014 Share Posted October 21, 2014 In the Middle East we used to get lots of little lizards/geckos in the house, but I encouraged them as they ate the flying beasties. However, the camel spider was an ugly f*ckpig that I just couldn't take to. .................and they bite. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sjc Posted October 21, 2014 Share Posted October 21, 2014 Saw these in Venezuela: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paraponera_clavata Giant Centipede in South Africa: Scorpion in South Africa: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hedgecutter Posted October 21, 2014 Author Share Posted October 21, 2014 the camel spider was an ugly f*ckpig that I just couldn't take to. ................and they bite. Are those the things that follow you in your shadow, running at you faster the quicker you run away from the thing? Saw these in Venezuela: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paraponera_clavata The pain caused by this insect's sting is purported to be greater than that of any other hymenopteran, and is ranked as the most painful according to the Schmidt sting pain index, given a "4+" rating, above the tarantula hawk wasp and, according to some victims, equal to being shot, hence the name of the insect. It is described as causing "waves of burning, throbbing, all-consuming pain that continues unabated for up to 24 hours". From one ant??! Certainly puts you off stepping on one of their ant hills. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sjc Posted October 21, 2014 Share Posted October 21, 2014 My sister got chased by a Komodo Dragon whilst on island of Komodo: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
forever_blue Posted October 21, 2014 Share Posted October 21, 2014 Are those the things that follow you in your shadow, running at you faster the quicker you run away from the thing? that sounds like my worst nightmare Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LiamDFC Posted October 21, 2014 Share Posted October 21, 2014 Bumped into Leigh Griffiths in the Overgate a few years ago. Still recovering. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gaz Posted October 21, 2014 Share Posted October 21, 2014 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hedgecutter Posted October 21, 2014 Author Share Posted October 21, 2014 that sounds like my worst nightmare Probably wouldn't help that it would look like one of the spider things from the Alien films chasing you across the desert where no one can hear you scream. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Other Foot Posted October 21, 2014 Share Posted October 21, 2014 Bumped into Leigh Griffiths in the Overgate a few years ago. Still recovering. I've heard they lay hatchlings at an alarming rate. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jamamafegan Posted October 21, 2014 Share Posted October 21, 2014 Coolest probably goes to the snowy owl which I got within a few metres of a few years back. It had been hiding amongst bracken in a shakehole in the arse end of nowhere near Cape Wrath. I expected it to fly off immediately but like me it seemed to have that mutual "what the f*** are you doing here?!" look about it. Turned out it was the only one reported in the UK that year. That's really cool - did you go there to see it or was it a chance encounter? Very lucky regardless. When was about 13 I went on holiday to Cyprus I encountered 2 particularly dreadful beasties. When I was a kid abroad I used to go looking for lizards to catch. This involved looking under stones and such. I lifted the lid of a drain open to see 6 lizards scuttle away. But in the corner of the drain there was a tiny web where I then saw a Black Widow esque spider appear. I've just done a search of what the spider is because I didn't think you get this species in Cyprus. Turns out it is a Cyprus Widow. "Bites are painful but rarely fatal when treated promptly – in all cases medical attention should be sought immediately. The bite of the Cyprus Widow is painful and may lead to vomiting and muscle cramps, which may last for 2-5 days." One the same day I encountered a giant centipede. It was absolutely huge and frightening. I smashed it with a brick. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jamiet Posted October 21, 2014 Share Posted October 21, 2014 Shared a bush dunnie with a red back spider. it was sat on the toilet roll holder, i didnt notice it till i had started, thankfully it didnt move. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KnightswoodBear Posted October 21, 2014 Share Posted October 21, 2014 Not as cool or rare as the Snowy Owl, but we've got a couple of Tawny Owls in the garden. Another Cyprus spider story. My mate and I went to a pals wedding in Cyprus years ago and the digs we were staying in were a bit of a shitehole. For some reason the fridge had been pulled out and left to defrost, so I ducked under the unit to plug it back in to be confronted by a very pissed off spider that had been disturbed. I've got photos of it on an old phone somewhere and had a search on returning home. Turns out it was a Tarantula. We managed to throw a bin on top of it and escort it outside where a very interested local in a Liverpool top stood on the fucker. I nearly kissed him. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KnightswoodBear Posted October 21, 2014 Share Posted October 21, 2014 Im not sure whats the most worrying part of this story tbh. Apparently Cyprus is about as far north as they come in Europe. Once we got it outside it sat reared up giving it the full "mon then ya c***s!" stance. This guy and his son walked by and very animatedly started pointing at it and jabbering away. Then he stood on it. I'm pathologically scared of spiders, so the swarthy Liverpool top wearing Cypriot was, at that moment at least, the sexiest being on the planet. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Archived
This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.