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ursa_minor
Oct 17, 2006

I'm hella in tents.
Critterquest.
If you live in an area that is even remotely wooded - go outside and just sit in a spot very quietly for 10 minutes and try as hard as you can to detect movement, to hear the slight rustling of leaves - the amount of life you could find in a relatively small radius may surprise you.

I moved to Maryland from California about 7 months ago, and have since not been able to find a single person that I feel I can really relate to - not that they are all bad people, just so different that I spend my weekends and nights alone. Suddenly filling the role of the ultimate loner, I decided to start hiking with my camera - just to take some pictures to send to my friends back home hopefully illustrating how much Maryland sucked.
I've always had very sharp eyes, better than 20/20 - and have what my family calls "crittervision" - to the point where I will swerve my car as to not hit a spider crossing the road. Mix good eyes, no friends, a macro lens, and a humid environment - and well, you've got your first installment of CRITTERQUEST 2008!

Lets get this party started.

First up, the Six Spotted Tiger Beetle! They appear to be cocky little bastards who constantly feel the need to land right in front of you, as if to remind you who's turf it is.


Next up we've got eeeeeeveryone's favorite, the Gold Backed Snipe Fly - now I know there is a thread about one of these fuckers every other week here on GBS, so hopefully this image won't count as a catchphrase.


gently caress yes! A nightmare factory! This is just your run-of-the-mill Wolf Spider with a party crew of fresh yucklings.


The chances of sneaking up on a Dragon Fly like this are slim, so I was lucky to get as many shots of him as I did.


Speaking of nightmare factory, here's a gross little Purseweb Spider hurriedly crawling off to some corner of the forest where he had an appointment to gross someone the gently caress out.


Hey, it's my favorite insect ever! One I thought I'd never see as well - a Giant Ichneumon Wasp. Her body was about 3 inches, and her ovipositor about 5 - bring the totally length of this critter to about 8 inches.


In a stroke of luck, I found this huge Eastern Eyed Click Beetle with a Pseudoscorpion along for the ride. From what I understand, this is actually a symbiotic relationship - with the Pseudoscorpion eating mites off the 1 1/2" long beetle.


But gently caress all these insects - how about some amphibians?

Here's a Leopard Frog, eying my suspiciously.


It breaks my heart to see young toads go bad, so here I am scolding a baby toad for being a poo poo talkin' little fuckface.


This dude was chillin' hard.


Here is an Eastern Hog-Nosed Snake, trying his hardest to look like a Cobra. I wasn't fooled, and picked him up, upon which he immediately played dead - mouth open, tongue out - the works. I took his subtle hint and put him back on the ground, right side up - so he then THREW himself onto his back again and splayed his mouth, proving to me without a shadow of a doubt that he was dead. I laughed at this for a while, and while I was laughing some fat people on mountain bikes went sweating past me. I thought about how ridiculous I must look - a scrubby, tattooed kid standing in the middle of the woods, laughing at a dead snake.
I briefly considered playing dead too.


Wait, back to some bugs:

Here's everyones favorite shithead - a Harvestman.


A young mantis.


A Patent-Leather Beetle with a bit of a mite problem.


A Black Widow spider - something I've actually never seen in the woods before - usually they are on the overhangs of my house or camping out in boxes in my barn.


This little guy was mean muggin' me pretty hard. When I walked up, he was clumsily trying to get off the path, so I just reached down and gently plopped him in the middle of the path.


Toadbuns are loving cute.


Well, I've got tons more - all taken over the course of about 3 days in the same little patch of forest - but I'll refrain from posting them for now.

Post yer critter pics as well, lets saturate this poo poo with peepers and creepers.

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ursa_minor
Oct 17, 2006

I'm hella in tents.
Well, here's some more pics - I wasn't sure what sort of reaction I'd get - but apparently so far, so good.

Here's some sort of completely alarming Thin Legged Wolf Spider. He was about 2 inches in diameter.


Here is a handsome little Bluebelly/Fence Swift - Note the small tick in his armpit region.


Here's a Shield-Backed Katydid with a pretty awesome swordlike ovipositor.


Here's a Black Winged Damselfy - these little things are beautiful, the picture does it no justice.


A Venusta Orchard Spider - not a very good picture.


A jumping spider with his grill blinged the gently caress out!


This is a jumping spider I found on a low leaf in the shade, so I pinched off the leaf and carried it into the sun - the whole time he looked over the edge of the leaf like he couldn't believe how high he was:

Then he looked at me like "WHY YOU DO DIS?".


Some sort of massive, spiky caterpillar I found in the middle of the trail, and then relocated to more friendly environs.


A mean little Thrice Banded Crab Spider.


A Grass Spider chillin in a time warp.


An Antlion I rudely extracted from his own personal Sarlacc.


Just a bit of a size reference for the average size of Toad I was coming across.


Next update: Bizarre Fungus.


OH, and camera gear:

I just have a plain ol' Canon Rebel XT and a Canon 100mm macro. I'm not even an amateur photographer, and I barely know how to use my camera, as I haven't had it for very long. I'm by no means a photography geek - but I've been having so much fun doing this, I'm considering actually learning something about it.

ursa_minor fucked around with this message at 05:20 on Jul 2, 2008

ursa_minor
Oct 17, 2006

I'm hella in tents.

TigerMoJo posted:

Why are you so mean to the creatures of the forest? Calling them names and such. :(

Haha, it's said with love - if I wasn't a complete critter dorko, I wouldn't go out hunting them out every weekend or reading my Audubon field guides until I fall asleep most nights. Plus the idea of a tiny toad baby being a poo poo talkin' fuckface seems funny to me.

ursa_minor
Oct 17, 2006

I'm hella in tents.
Alright - here's a batch of fungus before I get back to critters and their grossout companions. Now, I don't know the names of any of these mushrooms, although I'm willing to guess one of them is Amanita Muscaria - but beyond that, I don't know - so I'll just make up the names.

If you know the proper names, shout it out.

Teriyaki Jheri-Curl


Clearly, a Penis.


Stink Orange.


Tragedy Sherbet


I found this inconspicuous boner sticking out of a slumbering muppet.


Hey, what the gently caress is this? Way to muddy the pure waters of this fungipost.


*MARIO JOKE*


This fly is the suck-shift janitor of craptown plaza fountain.


MuStArD CupZZz.


*POP*


These little turdpuffs were everywhere, I have no idea what they are.


I saw this on a leaf and it baffled my poo poo out. Any ideas?


The pulverized nut chunks in this amanita look delicious. I'm sure they're not.


Someones empire just done crumbled.


EDIT: Yuckmuffin

ursa_minor fucked around with this message at 23:23 on Jul 2, 2008

ursa_minor
Oct 17, 2006

I'm hella in tents.

SUPERMAN'S GAL PAL posted:

Keep all these amazing pictures coming, everyone. ursa_minor, your pictures are great and this is an awesome thread idea.

The only picture I have is what I believe to be a female Imperial Moth. We've gotten the occasional Sphinx and Luna Moth around here as well. It's a little sad though, because by the time I find them they're usually dying. :(





Ah, I just found a dead Luna Moth - a few days prior I had found what I thought was a Luna Moth wing laying in the path - but I wasn't even sure if we had them around here. Well, I guess we do - but it looks like I missed them.


This Tiger Beetle let me get MACRO NASTY with it.


Another Mantis:


I just barely saw this Yuckmaster get away from from me, but it went all Keyser Soze and disappeared forever under some leaves. I tried to find it, but it was hot and I was crouched right over some dog poop and I had the suspicion a trick was being played on me. Does anyone know what this possible terrorist is?

ursa_minor
Oct 17, 2006

I'm hella in tents.

Haezae posted:

What happened to him?

I believe they are covered with spines that break off at the slightest touch and itch and burn and generally make you wish you didn't have skin.

ursa_minor
Oct 17, 2006

I'm hella in tents.

Laser Beam posted:

Where the hell do you live that you can find such a wide variety of wildlife on an afternoon stroll?

Well, a variety of factors really - I think any humid and hot environment, much like Maryland is right now, has a ton of life in it. I find all these animals by walking very, very slow and periodically crouching by a tree stump and just watching for movement, or listening for faint rustling. Or I'll find an area with lots of leaves at head level and walk back and forth slowly looking for life amongst the branches. But, for the most part, all woodlands are like this - we just aren't really used to carefully watching for insects, or predicting that there might be a lizard on that fallen tree, or predisposed to walking with our heads down, scanning the path directly in front of us carefully. I guess what I meant by "Backyard Metropolis" is that none of these animals are rare or hard to find (with the exception of the purseweb) - you just have to be actively looking for them, and suddenly they are everywhere.

ursa_minor
Oct 17, 2006

I'm hella in tents.
Awesome pictures razz!

Here's some more.

Look, we all know it.


Here is a closeup of the 'peg and socket' mechanism that allows the Click Beetle to do that thing it does - making me jump slightly every time it does, even though I should expect it to since it's a Click Beetle, and that's kinda what they do.
He was playing dead here, but he'd still click, which is sort of like touching a corpse and having it respond with jazz hands.


Another Dragonfly. These guys seem to know that they are absolutely untouchable, and will land right next to you with a cool-kid swagger. Can't say I mind it, though.


Here's a Gulf Fritillary, a clumsy butterfly who didn't seem to mind me getting all up in his grill for a photo op. There was another fancier Swordtail of some sort hanging around on the same patch of flowers, but he must have saw that my equipment wasn't top-notch, and therefore not worth his time. Fuckin' butterflies.


This Mantis was a bit sketched out by my presence, but would still sway gently when the wind in the trees picked up - to match the movement of the shrubs. That's professionalism under fire, folks.


Another click beetle, while I prepare another installment.


Thanks everyone for the nice comments, and thanks everyone who is contributing.

ursa_minor fucked around with this message at 05:25 on Jul 3, 2008

ursa_minor
Oct 17, 2006

I'm hella in tents.

Neil Armbong posted:






Huge copies of the jumping picture spiders would be sweet.

That's an awesome caterpillar - but whats up with it's "Navajo Rug" color scheme? Any idea what kind it is?

ursa_minor
Oct 17, 2006

I'm hella in tents.

A_Box posted:

These are amazing pictures, can't wait to see more. That wasp with the 5" stinger makes me never want to go into the woods ever again.

It's not actually a stinger, it's an egg-laying tube that it - well, drills into a tree with and implants an egg inside a particular type of beetle larvae that it has sensed with it's large antennae. The wasp larvae then devours the beetle larvae from the inside out.

It also bites your penis off. Yeah, I said it.

ursa_minor
Oct 17, 2006

I'm hella in tents.

Spanish Inquisition posted:

I see your Imperial Moth and raise you one PLUS another huge moth I don't know the name of (that moth was bigger than the Imperial). When I found the Imperial, it was exhausted from laying eggs, I'm assuming it died soon after.




Sorry for the quality, both we taken with my cell.

Why, that's an Io moth.

Schubalts posted:

What is this one? Damselfly? Kind of looks like the giants that would hang out on mountain guide signs in Germany.

It's a Short Tailed Ichneumon Wasp - much like the one I posted on the first page, just a different variety.

ursa_minor fucked around with this message at 05:49 on Jul 3, 2008

ursa_minor
Oct 17, 2006

I'm hella in tents.

Spanish Inquisition posted:

It was a really nice guy! I found him in a mall parking lot, and after I picked him up, he helped me find my car! :3:

Weird, usually they are fuckin' dicks. Did you check your wallet? For some reason they like to steal medical insurance cards - probably to mack on free oxycontin.

ursa_minor
Oct 17, 2006

I'm hella in tents.
BARFZONE ALPHA

I generally consider myself a Tom Bombadil-styled hippy fagfucker who enjoys almost all forms of life other than fellow humans - but I HATE ants. Ants can kiss it - and I don't even have to say where they can kiss it because you KNOW where they can kiss it.

Here's secret ant laboratory #1. Whatcha guys makin? Puffed rice? That's pretty cool I guess. Hey, have you seen Wall-E? I heard that poo poo is bomb.


Secret ant laboratory #2. These guys were making GBS threads their collective commie pants when I overturned their previously impenetrable 2x4 superfortress on accident.


Secret ant laboratory #3. What's this, a CLONING OPERATION?! DID YOU REALLY THINK THE POWERS THAT BE WOULD LET YOU GET AWAY WITH THIS?
They quickly rushed off the destroy the evidence while I fumbled with my cellphone.


Oh hey, a baby Grasshopper! Go little guy! No, no, your Camouflage is working great. Thumbs up.

ursa_minor
Oct 17, 2006

I'm hella in tents.
So, I sit down on this log by a stream hoping to get one of those gay little damselflies to flutter on by, just so I can clearly illustrate to my friends just how goddamned iridescent they are - and I happen to peep over my left shoulder and see this:


After my involuntary Scooby-Doo impression, I gather my wits and come to the conclusion that it's some sort of Forest Wolf Spider, about 4 inches in diameter - the largest spider I have ever seen that was NOT a Tarantula. So, I rustle the log little bit hoping to provoke the spider into moving into a more aesthetically pleasing position - and this mom spider comes tearing rear end out of a crack in the log like "HAY MOTHAFUCKA OH HELLNO WHAT THE gently caress IS ALL THIS RACKET CAN'T YOU SEE I GOT KEEDS MUTHAFU----" and then stopped in her tracks when she finally noticed the giant Appleseed gun platform spider looming behind her. She quickly slipped back into a crack, not to be seen again. Once again, I found myself laughing at insect behavior.


Here's another shot of the giant. It's hard to really convey just how large this spider was - but I'd say it's abdomen was about the size of a really large grape. It wasn't very aggressive at all, in fact - after sitting for a while and letting me dork out on it - it sort of sleepily returned to it's previous duty of devouring the souls of minnows as they swam by or something.

Another:


Bonus Assasin Bug:

ursa_minor
Oct 17, 2006

I'm hella in tents.
Also, thanks for correcting me on the Io Moth and the Rove Beetle information. I'm gonna sound like an idiot saying this - but I actually thought it could have been a Rove Beetle just because of how much - er - weight was in front of it's front legs. But for some reason I started trying to investigate glow-worms because it looked like it had bioluminescent capability, and moved reeeaaallly fast, much faster than I've ever seen a beetle move.

I'm gonna start a blog tonight with hi-res pictures available - so I'll make a few more posts here and hopefully post the address of the blog.

ursa_minor
Oct 17, 2006

I'm hella in tents.
Found this as well - anyone have any idea what kind of cocoon it is?

ursa_minor
Oct 17, 2006

I'm hella in tents.
:bubblewoop: IT'S ABOUT TO GET HOT IN HERE :bubblewoop:

http://youtube.com/watch?v=fvimAwIuq-Q


http://youtube.com/watch?v=8x9rtEHtubI


So one night after a CritterQuest, I was laying in bed thinking about how glad I was nothing with spiky legs and long antennae was climbing up my leg. In a helpful gesture, this little Camel Cricket thought he'd give me a taste of what I was missing.


Later on that night, I felt a stir in my testicle region - so I turned on the light and with much lewd mangling and tousling of my junk, found the culprit. A very, very small tick.

ursa_minor
Oct 17, 2006

I'm hella in tents.

razz posted:

And here is a Western Meadowlark nest! They are VERY hard to find. My boss told me that the nest was less that a foot away from one of our marking flags, and it still took us 5 minutes to find it! They sort of weave a tunnel of grass and bury the eggs underneath the vegetation.


Razz, your job seems incredible. What is it, exactly, that you do?

ursa_minor
Oct 17, 2006

I'm hella in tents.

Cyoktine posted:

Looks like a deer tick; you should prolly check yourself for them after you get back from wandering the woods. Lyme disease sucks :(

Oh yes, I definitely do - I've only been bitten once though, and I got it back out within 5 minutes. I've had a flu the past couple days and it's got me paranoid though - so I'm getting tested this week.

ursa_minor
Oct 17, 2006

I'm hella in tents.

jackpot posted:

Loving my new 100mm f/2.8 macro lens. That doesn't mean I'm real good with it yet, but I love it.



Dragonflies are the attention whores of the insect world, they'll all but land on my hand if I just sit still enough.




dragonfly


Dragonfly above, detail:






They never stop moving! :(

AWESOME.
Do you adjust your stuff in photoshop? These are really, really awesome photos and I hope to at some point produce stuff like this.

ursa_minor
Oct 17, 2006

I'm hella in tents.

Stair Destroyer posted:

I can't stop staring at his "face"


What goes on in this brain?


I just imagine some hosed up Voltron pilots behind those eyes.

EDIT: oh snap, i see what you are talking about.

ursa_minor fucked around with this message at 08:04 on Jul 4, 2008

ursa_minor
Oct 17, 2006

I'm hella in tents.

SoundMonkey posted:

Indeed. I'm looking forward to seeing the OP's work in the PAD thread. It's true what you say about the composition... all the pictures are really clear and technically well-executed, but they do feel more like I'd be seeing them in a field guide to insects. Not that that makes them any less awesome.


I would prefer these pictures be seen in a field-guide capacity, I guess. I really appreciate the compliments so far, so much so that I'm very much interested in getting more into this - but right now my interest in the subject far outweighs the interest in the medium.
At any rate, I see jackpot's beautiful pictures and I want to learn about the best way to utilize available light and how to get the sharpest resolution on their little barftown faces.

Oh, I started a blog: https://www.critquest.blogspot.com with hi-res pictures available.

ursa_minor fucked around with this message at 17:35 on Jul 4, 2008

ursa_minor
Oct 17, 2006

I'm hella in tents.
CHECK OUT MY MUSCLES


This is a loving awful photo, as me and my lens were having a bit of an argument or something - so really nothing is in focus - but it's either an Ichneumon or Thin-Waisted Wasp laying eggs in a small crack in a tree.


These mites are all over lots of the woodland creatures I exploit for cold hard cash - anyone know what it is?


Molesting an Eyed Click Beetle - gives a good size reference though.

ursa_minor
Oct 17, 2006

I'm hella in tents.
:woop: UPDATE :woop:

I went out today and didn't get any pics that will make you go ape-poo poo, but I got some stuff regardless.

I made the stupid decision of only putting the new Sigur Ros and the new Girltalk on my ipod shuffle - so I spent the afternoon making the jarring, awkward shift between slowly staggering, heavy-lidded by the overwhelming beauty of existence, or just wanting to get sweaty and gently caress stuff.

These were the two smartest bugs I've ever found. I lifted up a piece of bark and caught these two turdburglers in the act of being gross - but instead of trying to hide immediately, which would have been useless since I already possessed the strength to breach their fortified perimeter - they just decided to look really busy so that I would know that it would be terribly inconvenient for them if I decided to eat them. It worked.


I think these are aphids or babies of some other nasty - but I particularly like their VIP position around the center dude. He must have been giving a militant speech later on.


A horribly out of focus baby Assassin Bug talkin' shop with some sort of Ornate Bullshit Beetle.


Alright, this is a cute picture of a spider - admit it you icy hearted sloths.


Hey, a Bluebelly!


Art moss for the sensitive gentleman.


HEY WAIT HOLY gently caress A SNAPPING TURTLE!

I suggested gently with my foot that maybe he should get off the road a little bit before some dumbfuck hopped up on freedom ran him over. He seemed less than appreciative of the help.


One more for the honeys. I hope you like banana-poop with eyeballs and a lovely sense of humor.

ursa_minor fucked around with this message at 03:59 on Jul 7, 2008

ursa_minor
Oct 17, 2006

I'm hella in tents.
A few more:

A Banded Net-Wing - out of focus:


And a Crashed four-engined bomber...

ursa_minor
Oct 17, 2006

I'm hella in tents.

Nadine Hauklund posted:

Your amazing photography is only rivaled by your brilliant commentary. Great thread!

Thanks! I ran a few pictures by the dudes who really know what they are doing in CC, and I've really got a ton to learn before I can even formulate coherent questions for those guys in the correct jargon - but hopefully once I can start applying some of the concepts they've suggested along with the technical know-how, I can get some really good pictures going. Until now, it's gonna be out-of-focus pictures of spiders and a short caption about how they are "most definitely butt-pirates".

Oh, and M_S_C - the large resolution picture of the aphids is so retardedly out of focus that I doubt you'd want to slap it on anything. Regardless - here's some stuff: https://www.critquest.blogspot.com

ursa_minor
Oct 17, 2006

I'm hella in tents.

Bloody Hedgehog posted:


And just for fun, I give you the penis-pod.



Oh no way nature, nu uh - nice try but no way.

Also, I don't know how to adjust aperture on my camera yet, teeeeeheheh - I'M READING THE MANUAL THOUGH SO WILL SOON.

ursa_minor
Oct 17, 2006

I'm hella in tents.

SoundMonkey posted:

Set the mode dial to "A" or "Av", then use the wheel to set aperture. The camera will set shutter speed for a correct exposure. It's the same on almost every camera.

Please, PLEASE keep this thread going forever. The best part of my morning is F5ing to see what in your backyard clearly has a craving for man-rear end.

Awesome! I know that's the abbreviated version - but this is my first camera other than the little coolpix I got for christmas once. I have a ton of pictures, so I'll try and keep it updated.

ursa_minor
Oct 17, 2006

I'm hella in tents.
:911: IT'S A FREE COUNTRY:911:
That's right little Bro, it is, and you can land wherever you want. gently caress it man, we're all god's green earth or some poo poo like that.


CHECK OUT THESE FAKERS

This is a really terrible picture of a really awesome spider, and Ant Mimic spider. I was about 15 feet away when I saw it on this log surface, and by the way it was moving I knew it was going to be something I hadn't seen before.
I couldn't find this exact spider - but I think it's in this family? http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zodariidae


NOT A Doll's Clearwing Moth (SEE SLO-TEKS POST BELOW). I thought it was a wasp when I was out there, so I steered clear - but after looking at it in photoshop, I started digging through my field guide and decided it was a moth. Obviously, if you know the wiser, let me know.


Something is Fishy about this Bumble Bee....Hmm.
This is what I think - I think it's a Sacken's Bee Hunter - I don't think it's a Bee at all. Nature is fuckin' corrupt.

ursa_minor fucked around with this message at 00:40 on Jul 8, 2008

ursa_minor
Oct 17, 2006

I'm hella in tents.

Slo-Tek posted:

I was getting more of a sycamore borer Synanthedon resplendens or currant clearwing Synanthedon tipuliformis feeling from it.

There are a lot more clearwings than I knew about, dozens of fairly convincing wasp mimics. Looks like many of them are branch borers of various tastes.

I trust anyone's opinion over my own, seriously. All I have is an old Audubon field guide - so I just try and find the closest match and go for it. So many of these insects are completely new to me that I just sorta have to guess. I'll edit the post to reference yours.

ALSO: For all you goons unfortunate enough to live in Maryland - this is where I go on the weekends, and every picture I have was taken here over the course of about 5 afternoons. For such a small park, the biodiversity rocks my balls off.

CEDARVILLE STATE FOREST:

ursa_minor fucked around with this message at 01:57 on Jul 8, 2008

ursa_minor
Oct 17, 2006

I'm hella in tents.

Slo-Tek posted:

I was working from this.

http://mothphotographersgroup.msstate.edu/Files/Live/Living07.shtml

Looking at the shoulder stripes, and the number of stripes around the abdomen, and the black-tipped wings, and the picture of what they were calling a doll's clearwing. When clearwings first hatch, they have completely black wings, and as they fly the majority of the scales fall off. Not an entomologist.

AH, ok - so I think it's safe to say that it's definitely not a Doll's Clearwing, eh?

ursa_minor
Oct 17, 2006

I'm hella in tents.

MemeName posted:

I love your subtle use of arrows in this picture... :xd:
Does anyone know if there's a reason why they're huddled like that? Amazing shot by the way! They look like they're about to bust out some Thriller moves... :neckbeard:

No idea - but I found quite a few instances of it - which is why I thought they must be aphids, even though they looked like juvenile Assasin Bugs or something - which is closer to what they actually are.

ursa_minor
Oct 17, 2006

I'm hella in tents.
So I was just walking along the path when this spider snuck out from his hidey hole and TRIED TO SELL ME DRUGS.



This Black Rat Snake more or less acted like I was trying to sell him insurance.


I don't know what kind of caterpillar this is, but when I touched it, it reacted with what is known within the entomological circles as a "Buck Nasty Squiggle Dance".

ursa_minor
Oct 17, 2006

I'm hella in tents.

Leperflesh posted:

Hometown Cookin'

Ack, goddamnit that makes me want to go home. I grew up in Cool, Ca - so I'm used to chasing around basically everything you just posted - although the Alligator lizard, 5-lined skink, and Ring-necked Snake are some other local favorites. The first lizard you posted is a Bluebelly/Fence Swift - and there are a few different kinds, but for the most part they are all just 'Bluebellies'. If anyone ever tries to correct you on that, splash a drink in their face.

Also: Awesome pictures Mr.Flibble.

ursa_minor
Oct 17, 2006

I'm hella in tents.
I have a hard time imagining this lil' fuzznubbler as a voracious predator, really. He was trying to stop ants that were toiling back and forth up this twig like "EXCUSE ME SIR I..." "HELLO SIR HOW ARE YOU DOING TO-" "HI THERE I'M A PREDATOR AND I EAT ANTS I WAS WONDERING IF YOU WOULD YOU-...OKAY HAVE A NICE DAY". I wish I had a tiny snickers to give him or something to raise his spirits. To put some pep in his step.


A little leaf-footed bug


This is the closest I've managed to get to a Five-Lined Skink, as usually once I get in within 100 yards they take off at 50mph through the forest, tumbling as if gravity turned 90 degrees on it's axis and they were simply falling away from me - bouncing off logs and scrabbling at whatever they can. I can always tell when I've scared one off, because it sounds like a maraca player falling down the stairs.


I'm running out of interesting pictures, just stuff like the one below. Oh hey, the brownest beetle ever doing absolutely nothing, this poo poo is bananas. SO, I'll go out again this weekend and hopefully get some more pictures and stories.


In the meantime, keep postin' yer crits.

ursa_minor
Oct 17, 2006

I'm hella in tents.
^^^ oh god, I didn't see you post this - my post is a terrible one to follow yours. ^^^


THE SAD SIDE OF CRITTERQUEST

Stuff like this is bound to happen when you spend every day of every weekend in the forest - from the time you fall out of bed and accidentally tumble into a pair of pants to when you start running back to your car in the fading dusklight because your landlord's Greek dad told you there were draculas out there.

I was walking back to my car with a slow, post-booyah swagger after walking about 10 miles over the course of 8 hours - probably thinking about some sort of narcissistic poo poo about how cool my backpack looked - when I noticed this little ball of pink and gray near my car - gasping for breath on the hot pavement.


Whatever sort of coolguy persona I had carefully built up in the last two miles back to my car immediately vanished. Here was a very young baby bird who had obviously fallen from a great height, suffered what was definitely a fatal amount of internal damage (which is visible in a picture that I will not post, as I can hardly stand to look at it myself) - and here I was alone in a small parking lot in the middle of state forest, past closing hours. I looked around to see if I could find a nest or ANYTHING near where I could try and, in a hopeless gesture, return the baby to. There were none.


Now, let me make it clear that I love animals, especially little woodland creatures - far too much to let a dying little baby bird lay in the hot sun, gasping and struggling in futility until it finally gave up its tiny ghost. So, I picked it up gently, walked it over to a patch of woods I thought particularly beautiful, and dispatched it as quickly and humanely as I could.

Now, if you are drinking anything, or have any open containers of liquid near your person, grab them and turn them over and pour some liquid out - on your keyboard, bed, lap - I don't care. Pay your respects.
Godspeed lil' peeper - you died so others can live, even the gross ones.

:smith:

ursa_minor fucked around with this message at 01:03 on Jul 9, 2008

ursa_minor
Oct 17, 2006

I'm hella in tents.

FishDogPimp posted:

You stomped a baby bird?

No, I broke it's neck between my thumb, index and middle finger.

ursa_minor
Oct 17, 2006

I'm hella in tents.
Sup Heathcliff.


I could have fired a gun 2 inches away from this Spotted Cucumber Beetle, and he wouldn't have noticed. Whatever was in that flower, it was loving delicious.


HEY LOOK OVER HERE HAhahaha Awwww, it's a bird with a little snackie! I wonder where he's going to take his little treat!? Maybe he is having a date over and is going to-


...have another...bird over.
I heard something behind me, what was that noise? Whatever it was, it's gone now.. Wait, whats this?

HONEY, GET THE KIDS AND GET INTO THE CAR, NOW! GO!


SNAAAAKES COMING!

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHH

STAY TUNED

ursa_minor
Oct 17, 2006

I'm hella in tents.

booker posted:



A big red eared slider chillin on a log. Behind her is a texas river cooter... A Texas River Cooter.

\

HAHahaha, "Texas River Cooter" sounds like something some blues band would warn me about in song format - but also make the suggestion that it's a 'WWWWWWIIIILLLLD RIDE".

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ursa_minor
Oct 17, 2006

I'm hella in tents.

ConfusedUs posted:

Just the wings



This is fantastic.