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Post by krazydiamond on Nov 5, 2004 16:44:39 GMT -5
i went downstairs to feed the cat at noontime and i found this wandering across the floor: needless to say, i kinda freaked out a little (read a LOT), it was about 8 inches long and i've never seen anything like it before (later ID'd as a Spotted Salamander).....the cat was equally freaked, tail the size of a bottle brush, hissing and spitting....i was desperately trying to keep her away from it and IT away from her...threw a box over it and slid cardboard underneath. transported the little critter to the garage for show and tell later when hubby gets home and then it's OUT HE GOES! creepy, KD
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Post by hermatite on Nov 5, 2004 16:53:43 GMT -5
wow! who says your life isn't exciting? (I use the same pail and save method for bugs - my husband is perfectly aware of the fact that I married him to have someone to kill bugs for me). If you've got any obsidian, I'll trade you for some clean underwear...I figure you probably need it.
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deepsouth
fully equipped rock polisher
He who rocks last rocks best
Member since January 2004
Posts: 1,256
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Post by deepsouth on Nov 5, 2004 17:04:32 GMT -5
You were lucky that you spotted the spotted one in broad daylight. Very nice specimen. My cousin had this happen in the middle of the night. Going to the loo in our rented holiday home in Sicily she freaked out when a lizard ran across the wall . She realy thought her heart had stopped for a while.
Luckily she survived. caught the ltlle creature and showed us next morning haha.
Jack
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rollingstone
starting to spend too much on rocks
Member since July 2009
Posts: 236
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Post by rollingstone on Nov 5, 2004 17:05:26 GMT -5
What a gorgeous creature! I wish I had rocks with such vivid colours. Trivia: spotted salamanders can live for 30 years. Find a nice woodsy area to let him go (its natural habitat), a pond around would be nice too.
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Post by Cher on Nov 5, 2004 17:54:57 GMT -5
When I was little we had tons of white spotted salamanders around here but I think they are all gone, haven't seen one in years. That is awesome but I don't think I'd want it in the house. I'm assuming it was the cat who was hissing and spitting. Cher
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Post by krazydiamond on Nov 5, 2004 18:01:15 GMT -5
definite case of a bit of both, Cher.....hahaha, but like Jack said, i'm SO glad i didn't stomp on the poor little bugger in my barefeet! i would have woke the dead screaming! it took me AND the cat a while to get back to normal...
KD
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Post by rockyraccoon on Nov 5, 2004 20:43:47 GMT -5
beautiful creature though. doesn't brett have some of these kinds of creatures for pets - send it to him ;D.
kim
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Post by sandsman1 on Nov 5, 2004 21:50:29 GMT -5
kd if he walked across my floor he-d be my next pet hes so cool looking
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Post by bearpaw mt on Nov 5, 2004 23:20:05 GMT -5
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Post by BearCreekLapidary on Nov 6, 2004 23:20:39 GMT -5
Hey K.D.,
I actually worked with a half wit at the Ulysses gasoline Plane (we recovered Propane from the Natural Gas), a couple of years ago.
This kid that worked ther (an Amoco Oil & Gas Employee) actually swallowed one of those salamanders whole ... then about an hour later started to feel ill (go figure) and then at 2:00am (our shifts were 12 hour shifts 7:00am to 7:00pm and pm to am) he left work and went to the hospital.
Apparently these salamanders give off a toxin as a defense mechanism and "Spanky" (the half wit) had a reaction to the toxin. Oh, he lived ... but he wished that he had died!
I generally do not cal people half wits ... but, this individual fits the description.
John
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Post by krazydiamond on Nov 7, 2004 10:02:36 GMT -5
ewwwww...that is SO gross! that is NO wits, Bear, zippo, goes in one ear and picks up speed.
ok, so maybe only on Fear Factor....but no, not even.
thanks for sharing, Bear....(i think).
KD
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stonedagain
starting to spend too much on rocks
Member since October 2004
Posts: 114
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Post by stonedagain on Nov 7, 2004 12:59:00 GMT -5
Living in the country is so animated! John's story about the half wit reminded me of a friend's story. Several years ago, for shock value, he stuck a live wooly worm into him mouth and chewed it up. The joke was on him, though. They apparently shed their 'fur' as a defense mechanism. Each of the little strands of hair is barbed like a fish hook. The doctor's couldn't remove the barbs, so they had to work their way through his tongue. It took several weeks. Needless to say, he's not going to try that one again!
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