Unpopular and Maligned Animals

[Nat]

Thought it might be interesting to have a thread regarding the creatures people tend to dislike almost on instinct. My definition of animal here does not include humans or plants or fungi, but would include any other living entity that feeds on living things that feed on other living things.

I saw this today and thought it was neat:

Researchers discover empathy in rats: (http://www.mnn.com/earth-matters/animals/stories/researchers-find-empathy-in-rats)

[Elijah]

http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/bigphotos/images/060426_hyenas_big.jpg

However, this is interesting...

http://ethiovision.com/hyenas-not-a-laughing-matter-in-ethiopia/

[starryeyes]

Cochroaches. I love all things living and can't even kill a spider in my house, but these things just skeeve me. I have never had one in my house, thank goodness. I went to the Zoo in Santa Barbara and they had a hissing cockroach exhibit. I did not look intentionally, but as soon as I saw them I went I to an instant panic attack. My girlfriend at the time had to like walk me out of the exhibit, lmao. So weird. I have never had a personal experience with them that I can remember.

[Nat]

Cochroaches. I love all things living and can't even kill a spider in my house, but these things just skeeve me. I have never had one in my house, thank goodness. I went to the Zoo in Santa Barbara and they had a hissing cockroach exhibit. I did not look intentionally, but as soon as I saw them I went I to an instant panic attack. My girlfriend at the time had to like walk me out of the exhibit, lmao. So weird. I have never had a personal experience with them that I can remember.

Don't ever move to Texas :)

[Rockinonahigh]

You best not come to louisiana,we have generational roaches..they get bigger every generation..the plametto bugs will spook ya big time..yuck hate em!

[starryeyes]

Ok.. I cant read this thread lmao.

[Glenn]

I had a pet cockaroach I named Big Bug and trained it to follow me in every room, eat off a plate with two front legs, do somersaults, sit on my shoulder, and sit on the sofa with me and watch TV.

[Cin]

I had a pet cockaroach I named Big Bug and trained it to follow me in every room, eat off a plate with two front legs, do somersaults, sit on my shoulder, and sit on the sofa with me and watch TV.

Did it have a favorite show?

[ruby_woo]

Thought it might be interesting to have a thread regarding the creatures people tend to dislike almost on instinct. My definition of animal here does not include humans or plants or fungi, but would include any other living entity that feeds on living things that feed on other living things.

I saw this today and thought it was neat:

Researchers discover empathy in rats: (http://www.mnn.com/earth-matters/animals/stories/researchers-find-empathy-in-rats)

Rats FREAK ME OUT. I've run down the street screaming after seeing a rat. I tried reading the rat article but the rat in a tube picture was giving me the heebie jeebies. I think I'd rather find out my house had ghosts than rats.

I like lizards though, I guess lots of people don't. They have have cute little faces.

[Glenn]

Did it have a favorite show?

We were suppose to be on David Letterman, but it mysteriously disappeared!:blink:

[kannon]

It's funny that nat should start this thread cause one of my least fav animals are

Gnats

Those pesky little flying monkeys.

These smaller flies are worse than the bigger versions cause you can't see them coming or anticipate their flight paths.

[Elijah]

http://jeffvrabel.files.wordpress.com/2011/07/tarantula.jpg

This guy writes a very funny blog about his spider experiences..

http://jeffvrabel.com/2011/07/19/im-sorry-were-not-squishing-those-two-spiders-immediately-why/

[starryeyes]

I had a pet cockaroach I named Big Bug and trained it to follow me in every room, eat off a plate with two front legs, do somersaults, sit on my shoulder, and sit on the sofa with me and watch TV.

O.M.F.G.... *screams*

[The JD]

http://dcairns.files.wordpress.com/2011/10/possum11.jpg

There's a possum that lives in my back yard... we cross paths occasionally, since we're both active at night. Freaks me out every time- it reared up and hissed at me once, and I was the one who nearly played dead. I know I should feel more fondly toward North America's only marsupial, but they're just so....mismatched.

They get a bad rap on the rabies thing too. Though they *can* carry rabies, it's not very likely- their body temp is too low.

[Cin]

We were suppose to be on David Letterman, but it mysteriously disappeared!:blink:

I'm not one bit surprised. It's one of those little know facts, but cockroaches are frequently glossophobic.

[The_Lady_Snow]

:|. This thread is SCARY!!!

[ButchEire]

I have pet rats and I highly recommend them for friends looking for a first small pet for their kids. Rats are FAR less likely to bite than gerbils or hamsters and they are clean and playful. I've had every type of (legal) pet out there and rats are surprisingly high on my love list. I even leave their cage door open because they wander a bit on the top and sides but NEVER leave the immediate cage area. Very smart, sweet pets!

[Cin]

Thought it might be interesting to have a thread regarding the creatures people tend to dislike almost on instinct. My definition of animal here does not include humans or plants or fungi, but would include any other living entity that feeds on living things that feed on other living things.

I saw this today and thought it was neat:

Researchers discover empathy in rats: (http://www.mnn.com/earth-matters/animals/stories/researchers-find-empathy-in-rats)

I love rats. I love rodents in general. I brought my white mouse to school once in my pocket and then my nickname was rat until we moved and I changed schools.

[kannon]

Interesting fact:

rats are not carriers of rabies. They cannot carry or transmit rabies.

[ButchEire]

True, unless they are bit by an animal carrying rabies. Non-meat eating animals like squirrels, rabbits and bats that eat fruit or bugs are also not carriers. Because raccoons and possums scavenge scraps and eat meat, they have a higher incidence of carrying rabies.
ETA: Only because many people believe incorrectly that rats, etc., cannot get or give rabies: http://www.ratbehavior.org/DryBite.htm

They can, but the cases are rare.

Interesting fact:

rats are not carriers of rabies. They cannot carry or transmit rabies.

[kannon]

True, unless they are bit by an animal carrying rabies. Non-meat eating animals like squirrels, rabbits and bats that eat fruit or bugs are also not carriers. Because raccoons and possums scavenge scraps and eat meat, they have a higher incidence of carrying rabies.
ETA: Only because many people believe incorrectly that rats, etc., cannot get or give rabies: http://www.ratbehavior.org/DryBite.htm

They can, but the cases are rare.

"Rabies from rats is very rare and has never been documented in the United States. However, a handful of cases of rabies from a rat bite have been recorded in Poland (Zmudziñski and Smreczak 1995, described in Wincewicz 2002), Israel (Gdalevich et al. 2000), Thailand (Kamoltham et al. 2002) and Surinam (Verlinde et al 1975)."

I wonder if they were able to exclusively link the transmission of rabbies to the rats in Poland, Israel, etc.

I'll have to let my vet know he was wrong.

[The JD]

Interesting fact:

rats are not carriers of rabies. They cannot carry or transmit rabies.

The Black Plague, however....lol. I know, I know, technically, it was the fleas on the rats that spread the plague that killed half of Europe. But still.

I used to have pet rats, loved them. Flea-less pet rats, that is. :|

[Blue_Daddy-O]

I had a pet cockaroach I named Big Bug and trained it to follow me in every room, eat off a plate with two front legs, do somersaults, sit on my shoulder, and sit on the sofa with me and watch TV.

Oh My God... I had to laugh so hard when I read this!!!! LOL!

[starryeyes]

I have a pet ferret named Smokey. I live in California where they are illegal and not of the norm. When I tell people about him, people always freak. They say ferrets are "baby killers" and will chew the fingers and noses off babies. I don't understand where this comes from. My ferret sleeps in his hammock all day, plays with my dogs, snuggles with me, watches me take a shower (lol) and is just a pleasant little cutie. Are these "baby killer" rumors true?? I have never seen anything in print that would justify them.

[kannon]

The Black Plague, however....lol. I know, I know, technically, it was the fleas on the rats that spread the plague that killed half of Europe. But still.

I used to have pet rats, loved them. Flea-less pet rats, that is. :|

there was a case of bubonic or black plague in the the US just last year.

VERY important to deflea your rats. :) They do have antibiotics to treat it but you have to catch it within 24 hours or so.

http://www.dreamstime.com/fleas-and-rat-thumb15386033.jpg

I love rats too.

[Apocalipstic]

I am moved to hear that rats have empathy. :) So cute.

I recently learned armadillos carry Leprosy...I had no idea. With the weather changes they are arriving in TN in larger numbers now.

Possums do creep me out, I admit. One lives behind our apartment and my roommate screams her head off every time it peers in our window. Big Butch girl meltdowns crack me UP!

Bugs? Our once every 13 year cicada infestations creep me out, but individual bugs I just leave alone mostly. After living in South America and Texas, our TN bugs seem kind of insignificant.

A coworker had a pet praying mantis until it flew off a d a bird ate it.

[Apocalipstic]

there was a case of bubonic or black plague in the the US just last year.

VERY important to deflea your rats. :) They do have antibiotics to treat it but you have to catch it within 24 hours or so.

http://www.dreamstime.com/fleas-and-rat-thumb15386033.jpg

I love rats too.

Prarie dogs carry it.
I am fascinated by Bubonic Plague and other infection deseases like Leprosy, Tuberculosis, Polio, etc....

[RiverBoi]

Bats would fit into this category. I personally think that they are kinda cute. ;) AND I love the fact that they eat mosquito's (which is a WONDERFUL friend to have in the south) Bat's eat around 250,000 pounds of insects a night. I suppose many people are scared of them due to rabies or Ozzy lol. I haven't heard of a rabid bat swarm, targeting humans however.

http://articles.latimes.com/1994-02-17/news/vl-24017_1_bat-house

[kannon]

Bats would fit into this category. I personally think that they are kinda cute. ;) AND I love the fact that they eat mosquito's (which is a WONDERFUL friend to have in the south) Bat's eat around 250,000 pounds of insects a night. I suppose many people are scared of them due to rabies or Ozzy lol. I haven't heard of a rabid bat swarm, targeting humans however.

http://articles.latimes.com/1994-02-17/news/vl-24017_1_bat-house

All I can think of is the 250,000 lbs of bat poop.

I wonder how easy it is to train bats?

[dixie]

http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/bigphotos/images/060426_hyenas_big.jpg

However, this is interesting...

http://ethiovision.com/hyenas-not-a-laughing-matter-in-ethiopia/
I think they're cute. And they laugh. Makes them one of my favorites.

http://dcairns.files.wordpress.com/2011/10/possum11.jpg

There's a possum that lives in my back yard... we cross paths occasionally, since we're both active at night. Freaks me out every time- it reared up and hissed at me once, and I was the one who nearly played dead. I know I should feel more fondly toward North America's only marsupial, but they're just so....mismatched.

They get a bad rap on the rabies thing too. Though they *can* carry rabies, it's not very likely- their body temp is too low.
I love possums, although it hurts like hell when they bite. I have one chubby possum and two huge skunks that have hung around my house for so many years that I now feed all three, and just hang out on the porch with them. I posted about how I accidentally tried petting the skunk instead of my cat last night when I was distracted and not really paying attention to what was standing beside my leg. They are pretty tame now, but I'm not sure if they are pet-able quite yet...lol The skunks are not big fans of the possum though, and usually bully him around a bit. Especially if there are sausage balls involved. lol I also used to have a couple raccoons, but they have been gone for a while.

I have pet rats and I highly recommend them for friends looking for a first small pet for their kids. Rats are FAR less likely to bite than gerbils or hamsters and they are clean and playful. I've had every type of (legal) pet out there and rats are surprisingly high on my love list. I even leave their cage door open because they wander a bit on the top and sides but NEVER leave the immediate cage area. Very smart, sweet pets!
I used to have pet mice and rats when I was a kid too. They are very sweet.


Bats would fit into this category. I personally think that they are kinda cute. ;) AND I love the fact that they eat mosquito's (which is a WONDERFUL friend to have in the south) Bat's eat around 250,000 pounds of insects a night. I suppose many people are scared of them due to rabies or Ozzy lol. I haven't heard of a rabid bat swarm, targeting humans however.

http://articles.latimes.com/1994-02-17/news/vl-24017_1_bat-house

I must admit they are kinda cute too, although they do freak me out when they buzz my head during my late night smoking outside...lol

[kannon]

http://www.bbwildliferemoval.com/images/bigbat2.jpg

[ruby_woo]

The idea of rats with fleas makes me want to curl into the fetal position. :eek: I saw a picture of something once called Rat King and I was honestly on edge for days.

Story time:

When I was about 8 or so, there was a weird scratching behind my bed at night. I told my mom, and she assumed it was probably a mouse or something (it was a pretty rural area). Later on, I discovered, there was a hole the size of a fist behind my bed, my mom freaked and got it closed up asap. She told me a few years later that not longer after that she saw a giant rat (she said it was chihuahua size, but who knows) in our garage. Thus the dislike and fear of rats began.

[GeorgiaMa'am]

Bats would fit into this category. I personally think that they are kinda cute. ;) AND I love the fact that they eat mosquito's (which is a WONDERFUL friend to have in the south) Bat's eat around 250,000 pounds of insects a night. I suppose many people are scared of them due to rabies or Ozzy lol. I haven't heard of a rabid bat swarm, targeting humans however.

http://articles.latimes.com/1994-02-17/news/vl-24017_1_bat-house

Bats are awesome! We love our bats . . . on summer evenings, they swarm above the swimming pool just as we start noticing we are being bitten by pesky bugs. During the day they sleep, hanging outside our attic between the slats of the attic vents, their little toes curled in the screens.

[The JD]

Later on, I discovered, there was a hole the size of a fist behind my bed, my mom freaked and got it closed up asap. She told me a few years later that not longer after that she saw a giant rat (she said it was chihuahua size, but who knows) in our garage.

Maybe it was really a chihuahua. :D

[SoNotHer]

I've never had a pet rat, but I understand they're incredibly smart. I adore bats and on any farm I'd have, I would build a bat barn for shelter (and for my own purposes - the guano is excellent fertilizer and as has already been noted, they're the best mosquito control). Until we get a handle on the white nose syndrome and start reclaiming bat habitat, I am very worried about our bats.

I have three possums come into my life. One was hit and stunned and lying on a road. A second was crawling across a road slowly. He had a hernia. And this fall, I found a dead mother possum with one of her babies tossed to the side and dead. When I went to move her body, I noticed movement inside her. There was a little one still alive.

I took the two first possums that I found on the road to a vet in Baltimore (where I was living) who was a wildlife rehabilitator. Both did terrifically with treatment and were re-released over time.

The baby opossum I found this fall was discovered on the road late at night. I let her stay in her mother's pouch all night in a box inside and with blankets over them both (warmth is an issue). The next morning I found that my regular vet, who is a rehabilitator, was out of town but his office referred to another vet a little farther away. The baby was still alive but not moving as much.

The other vet did take her right away and they nursed her as the mother would have and did a great job with her. I felt pretty blessed being given the opportunity to be some part of each of these stories. I don't know why the mature opossums let me touch them and move them into my car. I prayed and talked to them before I did and used a blanket. But that they trust me is one of the coolest things ever.

Thank you for this thread, Nat, and I've enjoyed the posts here. I think myself lucky to live in a world with a wide and beautiful variety of species.

http://virtuallyjulie.com/images/2004Babies/Jul25017.jpg

[Venus007]

I love these. I had one as a kid and my great grandma sat on it and squished it. There was screaming.
http://www.tpwd.state.tx.us/huntwild/wild/images/reptiles/horned_lizardlarge.jpg

[ruby_woo]

Maybe it was really a chihuahua. :D

Or one of the random cats that was always hanging around our house. :)

[starryeyes]

http://ireport.cnn.com/docs/DOC-713416

Wow.. this made me cry. I think disabled animals kind-of fit in this category. The are often discarded and overlooked. I myself have a disabled dog (deaf) who was going to be put to sleep just because he was deaf. What an amazing story and a sweet little baby. Wow! Zippy RULES!

:-D
Starry

[Sassy]

http://dcairns.files.wordpress.com/2011/10/possum11.jpg

There's a possum that lives in my back yard... we cross paths occasionally, since we're both active at night. Freaks me out every time- it reared up and hissed at me once, and I was the one who nearly played dead. I know I should feel more fondly toward North America's only marsupial, but they're just so....mismatched.

They get a bad rap on the rabies thing too. Though they *can* carry rabies, it's not very likely- their body temp is too low.

*squeals!!!* ick ick ick ick!!!! oh, I had a nasty run-in with one of these ugly buggers recently. My li'l dog got hold of one in the backyard around midnight one night... ok, good puppy, protectin' Mama from the overgrown rat... but... ick ick ick ick!!!! it STANK and I was SO glad the dog's shots were up to date ... Funny thing though... I thought she'd killed it. I hauled the dog off the possum and ran in the house ranting the whole way about having to deal with possum remains in the middle of the night and it cold and wet outside.......... erm, possums "play possum" when they're scared..... when I walked back outside to assess the situation the critter had disappeared.......... so the one good thing I can so for 'em, is I haven't had to bury one yet. *laughs!* .....

[Gemme]

I have a pet ferret named Smokey. I live in California where they are illegal and not of the norm. When I tell people about him, people always freak. They say ferrets are "baby killers" and will chew the fingers and noses off babies. I don't understand where this comes from. My ferret sleeps in his hammock all day, plays with my dogs, snuggles with me, watches me take a shower (lol) and is just a pleasant little cutie. Are these "baby killer" rumors true?? I have never seen anything in print that would justify them.

Cats also have this stigma. They are rumored to steal the breath of newborn babies.

http://www.snopes.com/critters/wild/catsuck.asp

I am moved to hear that rats have empathy. :) So cute.

I recently learned armadillos carry Leprosy...I had no idea. With the weather changes they are arriving in TN in larger numbers now.

Possums do creep me out, I admit. One lives behind our apartment and my roommate screams her head off every time it peers in our window. Big Butch girl meltdowns crack me UP!

Bugs? Our once every 13 year cicada infestations creep me out, but individual bugs I just leave alone mostly. After living in South America and Texas, our TN bugs seem kind of insignificant.

A coworker had a pet praying mantis until it flew off a d a bird ate it.

I had a praying mantis! She was awesome. She was quiet and required little care and Hell, any creature that rips the heads off of its mate is kind of cool in my book, not that I recommend that for us humans.

:blink:

Bats would fit into this category. I personally think that they are kinda cute. ;) AND I love the fact that they eat mosquito's (which is a WONDERFUL friend to have in the south) Bat's eat around 250,000 pounds of insects a night. I suppose many people are scared of them due to rabies or Ozzy lol. I haven't heard of a rabid bat swarm, targeting humans however.

http://articles.latimes.com/1994-02-17/news/vl-24017_1_bat-house

http://blog.liveattheorchard.com/files/2011/04/austin-bats.jpg

http://www.bbwildliferemoval.com/images/bigbat2.jpg

It's a baby gargoyle! Okay, not really but it does kind of look like it.

[kannon]

this was my most feared creature as a child

http://www.suttonmass.org/animals/spiders/daringjumping/audax8.jpg

Somehow I always managed to have a stare off or a show down with one. They could sense the fear in me. I was frozen with fear. And it always, always ended with them JUMPIN. I never saw them land. I just assumed they were in full on attack mode and jumped on me to start their physical assault. My reaction was to run screaming to my mom and have her do a full body search.

[SoNotHer]

Love these. They make me smile every time I seem them, especially if they jump.

this was my most feared creature as a child

http://www.suttonmass.org/animals/spiders/daringjumping/audax8.jpg

Somehow I always managed to have a stare off or a show down with one. They could sense the fear in me. I was frozen with fear. And it always, always ended with them JUMPIN. I never saw them land. I just assumed they were in full on attack mode and jumped on me to start their physical assault. My reaction was to run screaming to my mom and have her do a full body search.

[Nat]

It's funny that nat should start this thread cause one of my least fav animals are

Gnats

Those pesky little flying monkeys.

These smaller flies are worse than the bigger versions cause you can't see them coming or anticipate their flight paths.

Ah yes, gnats, the bane of my existence from preschool through adolescence. Thanks for the reminder. :)

[Nat]

Bats would fit into this category. I personally think that they are kinda cute. ;) AND I love the fact that they eat mosquito's (which is a WONDERFUL friend to have in the south) Bat's eat around 250,000 pounds of insects a night. I suppose many people are scared of them due to rabies or Ozzy lol. I haven't heard of a rabid bat swarm, targeting humans however.

http://articles.latimes.com/1994-02-17/news/vl-24017_1_bat-house

The rabies thing is a deal with them, but I've had my rabies shots. :) I had a job for a while catching and releasing wildlife that had gotten into buildings on campus. Bat exposures were the most stressful because you often cannot tell if you've been exposed. If they brush against you, it's considered exposure. If you wake up and there's one in your room it's considered exposure. Their tiny teeth don't make much of a mark. All but one of the bats I caught were released back into the wild. But one bat I had to take down to animal control to have tested - which means killing the poor little guy. He'd crawled into a trash can, and one of the custodial staff reached into the bag and received what could have been a scratch or a bite. I'm sure it was quite a surprise to her! But the bat's little life was sacrificed to reveal no rabies. It's really sucky to drive an animal down to his own death. But rabies is serious. Once you have symptoms, you're already a goner.

I do love the cute little guys. The kind we had were the Mexican Free-tails.

[Cin]

I do love rodents.

Capybara

The world's largest rodent.

It's like a giant hamster.

Interesting side note for catholics - papal dispensation has made the capybara a fish. So this lent don't forget the capybara burgers.

http://www.rebsig.com/capybara/capy1.jpg

[Cin]

Thought it might be interesting to have a thread regarding the creatures people tend to dislike almost on instinct. My definition of animal here does not include humans or plants or fungi, but would include any other living entity that feeds on living things that feed on other living things.


In the spirit of living entities feeding on living things that feed on other living things I thought this article was interesting.

Bugs and Krill, the Other White Meats: Time to Start Eating at the Bottom of the Food Chain

http://www.alternet.org/food/153359/bugs_and_krill%2C_the_other_white_meats%3A_time_to _start_eating_at_the_bottom_of_the_food_chain/

[Jett]

Omg I luved luved luved my rat Peebo, he was a Black Hooded Rat and was so sweet and curled up on my shoulder every night for tv time... they are terrific little friends. =)

I've had snakes, rats etc. for buds and never been biten... I have however pulled my truck over to help a teeny tiny kitten on a remote highway and had my hand savagely attacked (I literally had to shake it off, lol) and ended up getting rabies shots... who knew kittens did crack? Not me apparently...

o.@

[Cin]

have however pulled my truck over to help a teeny tiny kitten on a remote highway and had my hand savagely attacked (I literally had to shake it off, lol) and ended up getting rabies shots... who knew kittens did crack? Not me apparently...
o.@

Well that must've sucked. You don't expect to be attacked by a kitten. It's not the same thing I know but this reminded me of the day when I was bitten by first a dolphin and then an emu. I felt like a bizarro world Dr Doolittle where all the animals hate me.

[Venus007]

I like king snakes, well I like most all snakes but king's have a special place in my heart. In the culture I grew up in, when someone gets a new house, it is traditional to give them a king snake to put under their house. King snakes eat other snakes, even venomous ones. So they are a snaky friend. They are also quite docile and easy to feed and handle in captivity. As an added bonus they look like coral snakes so other predators leave them alone.
http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-uWaTzyk64Kw/Tbb03iEohDI/AAAAAAAAAGk/U_USRUw4uPU/s1600/ArizonaKingsnake1.jpg

[Glenn]

You can make your own home-made, low-fat, powdered protein drink if your hungry by cutting off the wings, arms, legs, and heads of insects, roast them over fire until crunchy, rub them between your palms, then stir your insect powder in water, etc. Or you can drypress them in a coffee filter and make cowboy coffee. Yum!

In the spirit of living entities feeding on living things that feed on other living things I thought this article was interesting.

Bugs and Krill, the Other White Meats: Time to Start Eating at the Bottom of the Food Chain

http://www.alternet.org/food/153359/bugs_and_krill%2C_the_other_white_meats%3A_time_to _start_eating_at_the_bottom_of_the_food_chain/

[always2late]

http://www.bbwildliferemoval.com/images/bigbat2.jpg

Adorable!! I LOVE bats...can't wait to set up my bat box after the move!

[The JD]

Ahh! Snake! Could be poisonous, but maybe not. How does that saying go....Let's see, red next to yellow, kill a fellow, red next to black, friend of Jack. Hmm, okay, be still, snake, lemme see... check! Friend of Jack! This one's okay!

But who the heck has time to do that?? If I see a snake with red, yellow and black stripes, I'm running either way!! :|


I like king snakes, well I like most all snakes but king's have a special place in my heart. In the culture I grew up in, when someone gets a new house, it is traditional to give them a king snake to put under their house. King snakes eat other snakes, even venomous ones. So they are a snaky friend. They are also quite docile and easy to feed and handle in captivity. As an added bonus they look like coral snakes so other predators leave them alone.
http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-uWaTzyk64Kw/Tbb03iEohDI/AAAAAAAAAGk/U_USRUw4uPU/s1600/ArizonaKingsnake1.jpg

[1QuirkyKiwi]

http://www.bbwildliferemoval.com/images/bigbat2.jpg

Bats are cute! I live in a semi-rural area and the Bats here have attitude, either that, or they are drunk! LOL! When walking out at night they will fly directly into you....no biting, no excuse me, either, lol! Living surrounded by farms the area is crawling with wee bugs for them to feast on. :)

[Cin]

You can make your own home-made, low-fat, powdered protein drink if your hungry by cutting off the wings, arms, legs, and heads of insects, roast them over fire until crunchy, rub them between your palms, then stir your insect powder in water, etc. Or you can drypress them in a coffee filter and make cowboy coffee. Yum!

I gotta ask. I get the wings, but why don't I want to include the arms, legs and heads? I mean protein is protein no?

[Cin]

Hammerhead sharks attack humans on an average of once every 11 years.

Dogs bite more than 4.7 million people a year.

http://dsc.discovery.com/sharks/shark-types/great-hammerhead-shark.jpg

Still I'd rather be bitten by a dog.
Once a year.
For 11 years.

[Jett]

FkeSSdwbnPg

[Cin]

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And he rocks. Who knew bats self stim. I had a few in my life but none that did.

That might be the cutest bat ever.

[Jett]

And he rocks. Who knew bats self stim. I had a few in my life but none that did.

That might be the cutest bat ever.

Yes he rocks after he gets his little belly full :D (and good to see you my friend, now that I know who you are... heh =)

[SoNotHer]

This is one of the most amazing and frankly hopeful things I have seen in a while. Thank you.

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[Elijah]

The collared peccary, or javelina, evolved in South America and migrated north, only recently arriving in Arizona. Javelina bones are not found in Arizona archaeological sites and early settlers made infrequent references to their occurrence. It's possible that the peccary spread simultaneously with the replacement of Arizona's native grasslands by scrub and cactus. The collared peccary has one of the greatest latitudinal ranges of any New World game animal, occurring from Arizona to Argentina. The range of the peccary is still expanding, primarily northwestward. In the United States, the collared peccary only occurs in Arizona, Texas, and New Mexico.


http://www.roadtec.com/images/roadtec_news/4_million_square_yards/javelina_construction_lg.jpg

[RavynTuqiri]

I've had snakes, rats etc. for buds and never been biten... I have however pulled my truck over to help a teeny tiny kitten on a remote highway and had my hand savagely attacked (I literally had to shake it off, lol) and ended up getting rabies shots... who knew kittens did crack? Not me apparently...

o.@

I tried to help a stray cat a few years back...it was October, turning cold..I started to fed the tom cat and after a few days he would sit with me on the back porch. I was able to bring him inside an quarantine him in the bathroom. The next day took him to the shelter....we made it all the way to the shelter and when i took him out of the box to turn him over, he attacked....

Got on antibiotics right away and still ended up three days in the hospital with an infection in the knuckle of my pointer finger...they wanted to do rabies shots (the cat got away) and surgery...I passed on both...there hadn't been a case of feline rabies in this state in over 10 years.

Still love cats but damn will think twice about helping a stray again. Or at least how stupid I act around said cute poor cold skinny cat (from hell).

[Apocalipstic]

Bats would fit into this category. I personally think that they are kinda cute. ;) AND I love the fact that they eat mosquito's (which is a WONDERFUL friend to have in the south) Bat's eat around 250,000 pounds of insects a night. I suppose many people are scared of them due to rabies or Ozzy lol. I haven't heard of a rabid bat swarm, targeting humans however.

http://articles.latimes.com/1994-02-17/news/vl-24017_1_bat-house

I love bats, they make me happy! Sosososoo cute!

I even have a bat crossing sign in my kitchen. :)

[kannon]

I want a piglet

http://www.marieclaire.co.uk/imageBank/p/Piglets-crop.jpg

[greeneyedgrrl]

http://www.californiaherps.com/lizards/images/emwebbiisdrc310.jpg
i used to catch these when i was a young' un. *smiles... that brings back memories.

[greeneyedgrrl]

silkworms
http://chenected.aiche.org/wp-content/uploads/2011/05/93347499_6ca58b6645.jpg

[Deirdre]

I want a piglet

http://www.marieclaire.co.uk/imageBank/p/Piglets-crop.jpg

Get in line. ;)

[SoNotHer]

Pigs are actually phenomenal - smart, protective, loyal. We probably do need to form a line.

http://pedalsandpencils.files.wordpress.com/2010/10/some-pig.jpg

[Apocalipstic]

My neighbors used to have a teeny pig. So cute, it would hear my van every day and greet me when I came home from work!

Love them!

[Medusa]

There is a lady at my job that has a pet rat AND a pet pig. She has brought both to our company events and both are well behaved.

The rat wears a vest and will walk on a tiny leash and the pig wears a dog collar and doesnt need a leash because it stays by her whereever she goes.

I dont have an aversion to many living thigs but am not a fan of those jumping spider things (only because Im afraid one is going to jump on my face!)

[Novelafemme]

FkeSSdwbnPg

The girls and I watched this video 4 times in a row and now we all want a baby bat to hang on our finger and rock himself to sleep. That video melts me!

[Apocalipstic]

The girls and I watched this video 4 times in a row and now we all want a baby bat to hang on our finger and rock himself to sleep. That video melts me!

Meee tooo. Its so sweet. LD's teeny feet and wings. :)

[Rockinonahigh]

The girls and I watched this video 4 times in a row and now we all want a baby bat to hang on our finger and rock himself to sleep. That video melts me!

Ive never thuought much about bats but after watching LD,I want one.My son is puting up bat houses cause we have seen the flying round at ight.

[tonaderspeisung]

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/d/d8/Pigs_July_2008-1.jpg/250px-Pigs_July_2008-1.jpg

i had one of these

she was named penelope but i called her bubba
she slept in my pantry, was afraid of mice, liked creamed corn and tried to save my life once

if they are unpopular or maligned they shouldn't be

[Vlasta]

Thought it might be interesting to have a thread regarding the creatures people tend to dislike almost on instinct. My definition of animal here does not include humans or plants or fungi, but would include any other living entity that feeds on living things that feed on other living things.

I saw this today and thought it was neat:

Researchers discover empathy in rats: (http://www.mnn.com/earth-matters/animals/stories/researchers-find-empathy-in-rats)


we didn't have a roaches in my country while I was growing up , but my mom used to tell us stories about roaches during the war ll . well, when I arrived in America first week we stayed in the officer housing . I went to commissary and bought the food to cook since we had been traveling and living on fast food which was foreign to me .

Day later I opened kitchen cabinets and there were this bugs all over , I screamed and I was told it was roaches . I looked in my dictionary and called my mom . Hi mom I have roaches . She said to me you sound like you are proud of it . we were laughing , but I never cook anything there and we moved out ASAP .

I was scare first , but I don't care what they called Palmetto bugs it's still roach to me . After all these years , I have a bug guy to spray on regular bases , but I am more brave , when I keep my windows open sometimes this huge thing slip into house and I am determined to kill it . Sorry guy this is not your house .

as I said I used to be petrified , but now I am after them for kill .

[always2late]

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Now I have to see if there is a local bat sanctuary and go volunteer! I want to rock baby bats too! :)

[DapperButch]

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/d/d8/Pigs_July_2008-1.jpg/250px-Pigs_July_2008-1.jpg

i had one of these

she was named penelope but i called her bubba
she slept in my pantry, was afraid of mice, liked creamed corn and tried to save my life once

if they are unpopular or maligned they shouldn't be

What was her top weight?

[kannon]

Get in line. ;)

Look, what is that over there.

*deirdre is distracted*

*kannon cuts in line*

[Deirdre]

Look, what is that over there.

*deirdre is distracted*

*kannon cuts in line*


*narrows her eyes*

:furious:

[Gemme]

Pigs are actually phenomenal - smart, protective, loyal. We probably do need to form a line.

http://pedalsandpencils.files.wordpress.com/2010/10/some-pig.jpg

And clean. That's probably the largest misconception about pigs....that they are filthy. They are super clean animals.

I want one that I will either name Wilbur or Arthur if it's a boy and either Mathilda or Fancy if it's a girl.

[julieisafemme]

And clean. That's probably the largest misconception about pigs....that they are filthy. They are super clean animals.

I want one that I will either name Wilbur or Arthur if it's a boy and either Mathilda or Fancy if it's a girl.

Same with rats and they are exceptionally clean. We have two ratties and I love them to pieces. They are smart. They both know their names and come when you call them. The video that Nat posted is consistent with what I have seen. Our girl Allie had a degloved tail and had to have part of it amputated. Her sister Ginny has been very concerned about her and taking care of her. We knew Allie was feeling better when her sister started beating her up again!

[Vlasta]

And clean. That's probably the largest misconception about pigs....that they are filthy. They are super clean animals.

I want one that I will either name Wilbur or Arthur if it's a boy and either Mathilda or Fancy if it's a girl.



yes and yes , I have a friend she have a pig as a pet . His name was Henry . She used to live in Atlanta , but moved away due to her ill mother . It was male and a great pet . I agree there is a big misconception about pigs , they are clean and loyal .

He was really big and when she have to go first time out of town to see her mom , I was taking care of pig . I have to admit, I was intimidated by his size and not knowing me as well I didn't know how he will react to me especially without presence of his mom . She wrote for me his feeding schedule , time he suppose to be outside and I faithfully followed her orders . She was gone for a week only , we really never become a friends , but he never hurt me or acted aggressive to me .

Since I always been a city girl it was experience for me , but Henry and I made it quiet well .

[greeneyedgrrl]

what about these? we had an attack and several sightings off our coast not too long ago and it caused quite a stir.
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/5/56/White_shark.jpg/250px-White_shark.jpg

[Scuba]

what about these? we had an attack and several sightings off our coast not too long ago and it caused quite a stir.
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/5/56/White_shark.jpg/250px-White_shark.jpg

"I am a nice shark, not a mindless eating machine. If I am to change this image, I must first change myself. Fish are friends, not food."

Finding Nemo :)

[Gemme]

I respect sharks. I respect any animal that can rip me in two with one good bite and twist. As a show of my respect, I do not go into the ocean and pretend that I am a human turtle on a board and, in return, I have not been eaten.

Carry on.

[Ginger]

silkworms
http://chenected.aiche.org/wp-content/uploads/2011/05/93347499_6ca58b6645.jpg

Are those albino mealworms? I didn't know there was such a thing.

[Ginger]

I do love rodents.

Capybara

The world's largest rodent.

It's like a giant hamster.

Interesting side note for catholics - papal dispensation has made the capybara a fish. So this lent don't forget the capybara burgers.

http://www.rebsig.com/capybara/capy1.jpg

OMG I love these. There are videos on YouTube of people scratching them and the capybara squealing with joy. I'll try to post one:

Capybara - YouTube

[Metro]

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[The JD]

Ha! I love me some fainting goats! They're Nature's bowling pins! :D

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