…it occurred to me that I’ve been remiss in minimally-addressing one subject pretty much any other Person of Deployment has yakked about to the collective ooohs-and-aaahs of the folks back home.
Critters.
[UPDATE: at Jtg's behest, the poikilothermic ectotherms. You know -- critters.]
I mentioned the little, bitty desert foxes back in 2008 -- they still dance around after dark, and *someone* dug a den under my hootch last winter. FYI, fox kits squeak like mice until they’re about three weeks old. And there’s a pair of jackals that commute between the FOB and the suburbs outside the gate -- they first introduced themselves by ghosting past me at o’-dark-thirty and startling the bedoodlewhoopies out of me while I was enjoying a dust-free breeze.
Now, I could follow the lead of some of the more sensationalist milbloggers and expound on the size, speed, and ferocity of the ubiquitous and iniquitous camel spider, but I’d be lying. I haven’t seen a camel spider since yesterday afternoon, the biggest one I’ve seen was only about the size of a CD, and, although they’re *fast* li’l buggers, none has ever demonstrated any inclination to see what I tasted like. One ran across my boot once, but he was just after the scorpion in front of me. Oh, almost forgot – we’ve got scorpions.
Not all the bugs around here are poisonous, of course. I lucked out because I had my camera when I spotted this desert locust (and he wasn’t moving, so my eyesight isn’t totally shot, yet). Gee, only a couple million more, and he could be a plague.
Flutterbies are all over the place. How completely out-of-character that my attention would be captured by -- *koff* -- “Painted Ladies”…
And I didn’t even have to look twice to recognize this Air Force moth. I knew it was an Air Force moth because he thought his camouflage was working perfectly…
Naturally, most of the multileggers are fairly small, but there are a few exceptions.
This is Ed. He’s actually pretty nonchalant around people, but a bit camera-shy and my battery crapped out before I could move between him and his “owner” for a better shot. I got a decent vid of him in action a few hours later, though.
He’s also an RC toy we used to determine if the newbies had a sense of humor -- he was almost shot back in December by someone who’d been reading too much about camel spiders…
Venturing into the vertebrate realm, theexothermic drink-too-much-water-and-they-explode beasties are pretty-well split between reptiles and amphibians (yeah, amphibians in the desert – go figure). The place is alive with skinks, but they refuse to show themselves while I’m carrying the camera. The leopard geckos are much friendlier – they’ll even pose in the shower for you.
No, I did *not* ask her out.
The Iranian earless toad is supposed to be either “endangered” or “of concern” in Iran, but the little hoppers are all over the place here. Literally. They show up right after the rainy season is over and hang around until just before the next rainy season, when they obviously adjourn to subterranean toad mosh pits to party the winter away.
Meet Waldo. He’s one of about fifteen “endangered” toads that I cornered in my room and returned to the Great Outdoors with a stern lecture on the evils of trying to turn my boots into a condo.
Now, how big is an Iranian earless toad? So far, the largest one I’ve seen is about the size of my thumbnail. Of course, I have wide thumbnails. Waldo was happily perched on this pebble until I got the bright idea to go get a ruler.
Soooooo, bearing in mind that you’re looking for a cammied ambush predator with a jillion natural enemies that’s about a half-inch long -- Where’s Waldo?
Okay, Hi-Rez here for those of you -- and you *know* who you are -- who just *have* to do some serious looking.
Next Episode: "Not Every Snake In Iraq Is Venomous, But Venomous Is The Way To Bet," or, "Vhy Ve Call Dem Vipers."
Critters.
[UPDATE: at Jtg's behest, the poikilothermic ectotherms. You know -- critters.]
I mentioned the little, bitty desert foxes back in 2008 -- they still dance around after dark, and *someone* dug a den under my hootch last winter. FYI, fox kits squeak like mice until they’re about three weeks old. And there’s a pair of jackals that commute between the FOB and the suburbs outside the gate -- they first introduced themselves by ghosting past me at o’-dark-thirty and startling the bedoodlewhoopies out of me while I was enjoying a dust-free breeze.
Now, I could follow the lead of some of the more sensationalist milbloggers and expound on the size, speed, and ferocity of the ubiquitous and iniquitous camel spider, but I’d be lying. I haven’t seen a camel spider since yesterday afternoon, the biggest one I’ve seen was only about the size of a CD, and, although they’re *fast* li’l buggers, none has ever demonstrated any inclination to see what I tasted like. One ran across my boot once, but he was just after the scorpion in front of me. Oh, almost forgot – we’ve got scorpions.
Not all the bugs around here are poisonous, of course. I lucked out because I had my camera when I spotted this desert locust (and he wasn’t moving, so my eyesight isn’t totally shot, yet). Gee, only a couple million more, and he could be a plague.
Flutterbies are all over the place. How completely out-of-character that my attention would be captured by -- *koff* -- “Painted Ladies”…
And I didn’t even have to look twice to recognize this Air Force moth. I knew it was an Air Force moth because he thought his camouflage was working perfectly…
Naturally, most of the multileggers are fairly small, but there are a few exceptions.
This is Ed. He’s actually pretty nonchalant around people, but a bit camera-shy and my battery crapped out before I could move between him and his “owner” for a better shot. I got a decent vid of him in action a few hours later, though.
He’s also an RC toy we used to determine if the newbies had a sense of humor -- he was almost shot back in December by someone who’d been reading too much about camel spiders…
Venturing into the vertebrate realm, the
No, I did *not* ask her out.
The Iranian earless toad is supposed to be either “endangered” or “of concern” in Iran, but the little hoppers are all over the place here. Literally. They show up right after the rainy season is over and hang around until just before the next rainy season, when they obviously adjourn to subterranean toad mosh pits to party the winter away.
Meet Waldo. He’s one of about fifteen “endangered” toads that I cornered in my room and returned to the Great Outdoors with a stern lecture on the evils of trying to turn my boots into a condo.
Now, how big is an Iranian earless toad? So far, the largest one I’ve seen is about the size of my thumbnail. Of course, I have wide thumbnails. Waldo was happily perched on this pebble until I got the bright idea to go get a ruler.
Soooooo, bearing in mind that you’re looking for a cammied ambush predator with a jillion natural enemies that’s about a half-inch long -- Where’s Waldo?
Okay, Hi-Rez here for those of you -- and you *know* who you are -- who just *have* to do some serious looking.
Next Episode: "Not Every Snake In Iraq Is Venomous, But Venomous Is The Way To Bet," or, "Vhy Ve Call Dem Vipers."
Wonderful, well written commentary.
I is in awe!
Thanks for the writeup.
I haven't had such a whimsical chuckle for too, to long a time.
Kudos!
Now, them critters be awesome, but you haven't seen awesome unless you've had the (sick) opportunity to watch African army ants dismantle fist-sized beetles in less than 2 minutes.
Always gotta be a one-upmanship doesn't there?
Anyhow....
I still have the cringes from the memories of those sounds, as this red carpet of ants swarmed over the poor 'fungo beetle'.. Long story...
Ooooh, ugh, *shudder*.... crunch, fold, spindle, crunch, crunch, crunch...
*shudder*
Grasshopper spit-up.
Yeah, it is *now*, but it wasn't when I went to school. Critters were either ectothermic or endothermic, and what you kids call "exothermic chemical reactions," we used to call "explosions"...
But if you give a skink a carbonated beverage, he becomes exothermic in a hurry.
*pop!*
Couldn't change the patch......bummer
Jerry
0>;~}
Sticky-side *out*, smarty-pants.
When She Who Didn't Abort me was concerned about scorpions while in quarters at Fort Benning, she put the legs of my and my sister's beds in juice cans full of... turpentine.
Can you imagine the hue and cry such an act would raise today?
You're supposed to use mayonnaise jars, not juice cans...
And, no, rat meat does not go into the chili.
0>;~}
And everybody knows rat meat doesn't belong in chili.
You dress 'em out and toast 'em, like with squirrels...
I recognize the sound you heard with the army ants. Except in Oregon it was a swarm of hornets taking down and butchering grasshoppers. After the crunching noises, you could see them fly away with heads, drumsticks, and body sections. One got an abdomen, and he was over-gross for takeoff, kept bouncing off the ground as he flew away.
Just you, Mr. DeBille. Just you.
And John.
And Cassandra.
And...
Although, to be honest, one usually does it since the gun is pumped to about 20-something. But there ain't nuttin' wrong with another one or three 'On Account'.
And, no, no, and no........no Swamp/Orchard Rat, Rotisserie style. Man, if I ever get a chance to visit the Castle, I'm making sure SWWBO is doing the cooking.
0>;~}
Nice pics, Bill.
And everybody knows that rat meat doesn't go in chili.
You dress 'em out and toast 'em, like squirrels...
My Better Half has always had these sneaking suspicions that the meat in the oh-so-tasty spring rolls in the restaurant in downtown Can Tho was neither pork nor chicken nor good red beef...
Between the little green weed and the wall. so cute. I lurv frogs and toads.
Do not lurv scorpions or spiders of any kind. Or snakes, venemous or not.
Ummmmmm -- bad news and good news, Saker...
The good news is, of course, that camel spiders aren't really spiders.
My Better Half has always had these sneaking suspicions that the meat in the oh-so-tasty spring rolls in the restaurant in downtown Can Tho was neither pork nor chicken nor good red beef...
And an astute lady she is, Blake. Rice rat and frog are the two ambulatory protein-sources-of-availability in that part of the Delta. Might have been Mekong catfish, though.
Might have been beef up around Chau Doc. In Rach Gia, it'd be prawn, and in Old Fat Sailor's old stomping grounds, it would be something you'd find in a shop selling exotic pets.
Annabelle: I SEE IT!
Yup, you found him! Now draw a circle around him so everybody else can see him.
*kidding*
Right, that's it. If this unit ever gets off its behind and deploys I'm bringing a spidey-stabbing knife. Just in case.
The hedgehogs were adorable, though.
Not a fan of getting spider goosh on your boots?
Figgered you'd like the hedgehog. Just make sure you wear gloves when you play with them.
They usually have fleas.
*sound of saker-inhaling-helium and then letting out a scream*
Bill - think we could score a video of that, too? We could use it when we post things regarding Teh One.
You do realize, Saker, that you're just encouraging him?
Especially if you head to Afstan while he's in Iraq, the threat is pretty much empty?
8^ D
I can probably get ya a good, helium-aided scream from the VES.....'course, I'd have to figure out what makes her scream first, cause it sure ain't spiders, snakes or rats.
0>;~}
Also I would like to point out, sir, that you are much closer than Bill is right now.
But I'm The Armorer. I'm not going to let a martial artist get within arms reach.
And even if I did - don't underestimate the ability of a fat former wrestler to absorb damage while closing...
;^ )
Besides, you oughta come visit.
Bill would be sooooooooooooooooo jealous.
You don't have to call him "sir" -- these days, he works for a living.
Bill would be sooooooooooooooooo jealous.
*snarl*
I can walk around in public carrying an AK and go full auto with it on the local range without LEA panicking *and* I don't have to pay for the ammo!
So there.
Uh-huh. Like *that* has anything to do with what will make you jealous. Stick to the subject, Old Man. This isn't a speech by Teh One.
How about this, then?
Serving as eye candy to make boyfriends jealous is now evidently a part of my job description...
Yeah, I *knew* you'd think that was funny.
LOL re Ed, the RC spider. The Marine! Goth sent me pictures of the camel spiders - they really are quite disgusting.
Why d'you think he puts up with my shite otherwise?
OK, pictures of foxes, jackels and hedgehogs requested.
If foxes and jackals would cooperate and show up when I had the camera, Karla, it's be easy. Doing what the "award-winning wildlife photographers" do would get me in trouble -- they use bait. There *are* hedgehogs around, but I haven't seen a single one, so far. Or a married one, for that matter.
Buuuuuut, I'll keep looking....