Just occurred to me to write something about centipedes. Centipedes are so UNagressive. I've been bitten a few times, and their bites hurt a lot, but they only bite when I grab something by mistake right where they happen to be. Nobody likes getting squished, so I can't blame them.

We have really big centipedes around here. Today, I suddenly noticed that a great big centipede was curled around the rambutan right next to the one I was picking. When I saw him, I'd just brushed him with my hand. He could have bitten me really easily if he'd wanted to. (or she?) I let the branch go, and that centipede went for a good ride on the branch as it swung back up into the air (sorry, Mr./Mrs. centipede).

There's often a centipede hiding in a fresh bunch of bananas. Sometimes I carry the bananas a pretty long way up against my chest. Whenever there's a centipede hiding in there, it never bites. One time I was cutting bananas and washing off the latex in a tub of water. A HUGE centipede crawled out of the bunch I'd just dunked in the water, and he traveled right across the back of my hand. Never bit.

Another time, I was talking to my sister over the phone, and I felt something moving under my shirt. I took off my shirt, and sure enough, a big old centipede fell out.

I was pulling up some mulch one time, and there was a centipede nest - a bunch of little white baby centipedes curled up together with their Mom and Dad.

When centipedes are in the house, I try to catch them by putting a bowl over them, and then sliding a cookie sheet underneath. Works most of the time.

Now, here's my short eel story. My husband likes to go scuba diving to visit with all the ocean wildlife. He's one of those people that just relates with animals, and he actually plays with some of the fish and ocean creatures. He likes to play with eels by scratching them under the chin. REALLY! Ever seen the teeth on an eel? They like to open their mouths and display their extremely sharp teeth. But my husband just puts his finger under their chins and rubs a little. They like it. They put their heads back just like a cat.

Anyone else have a lovely creature story?

Great story, Suncloud! I have a lot of centipedes where I live. My daughter (3 years) and I were sifting compost and found a LOT of them in it. We gently scooped each one out and dropped them in the grass. She calls them "bities" because I told her they bite, but it's good to know they're not aggressive. I've been bit by black widows -- it was BRUTAL!!! I was out of my mind with pain for a week!

Suncloud--
That eel story is amazing!

I have a funny centipede story: We don't see many centipedes here in Massachusetts, but one day as I was walking into the bathroom, preparing to take a shower, I had this really freaky strong inner impression that there was a centipede in the bathtub! Consciously I couldn't believe it, but the little inner voice was very insistent. The shower curtain completely obscured the tub, so with a rapidly beating heart I pulled back the shower curtain, and sure enough, there was a huge centipede crawling around in the tub!

Sundancer--
Yikes! Glad you survived that spider bite. We had a lot of black widows in Arizona when I lived in Tucson, and my family had to kill a few of them, but fortunately we never got bitten. I once found a big tarantula walking around in my bedroom, and there were at least 3 occasions where a scorpion got into my closet-- in my shoe boxes!-- and my dad had to come in and take care of the situation. I won't elaborate.

Sharrhan:


[www.facebook.com]

Centipedes freak me out but I think Millipedes are cute. LOL

Here in Virginia, we have Ladybugs who invade when it gets warm again in October. They come in by the hundreds, through windows and doors, and gather in clumps in the corners of the ceiling. Thank goodness they're not scary, like spiders, or I'd be freaking out. I stuff toilet paper in the south-facing doors, and that slows them down a bit, but they're still a pain because they leave orange spots on all the walls.

Lois Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Here in Virginia, we have Ladybugs who invade when
> it gets warm again in October. They come in by
> the hundreds, through windows and doors, and
> gather in clumps in the corners of the ceiling.
> Thank goodness they're not scary, like spiders, or
> I'd be freaking out. I stuff toilet paper in the
> south-facing doors, and that slows them down a
> bit, but they're still a pain because they leave
> orange spots on all the walls.
>
> [images.kodakgallery.com]
> 2/67/8/867920232211_0_ALB.jpg

Never hear of that before!

(Shucks! My computer wouldn't let me access the photos)

moray eels look scary

like their eyes are permanently frozen in an expression of doomsday cataclysmic surprise

but since their expression never changes

it makes me wonder what is REALLY going on in the slippery mind of theirs

i wonder what they feel

what they dream about

for






lunch

LOL

LaV--
haha... you are a funny girl! Love it.

Sharrhan:


[www.facebook.com]

Hanauma bay had these happy happy looking
colorful fish swimming around everywhere
but dive down and look in the shadows
of the rocky bottom and that's where
the moray eels wait..
in their crevases steadfast staring back at you
with a look that says "don't even think about it"

That is a cool story Suncloud
I endevour to reform any resistance that I feel toward insects when ever I feel it. A good story I have was when I was seeing someone off at the door one time. I had a jacket on with deep pockets which I put my hand inside of while I was talking. Absent mindedly I grabed a cloths peg that was inside wondering why it was there, and rolled it between my fingers trying to better judge the shape as I talked.

One piece of it seperated from the rest of it in this process, so after my friend left, I pulled it out to see what this mysterious thing was. The moment I saw it, this physical jolt like an electric shock jarred my whole body. I reflexivly flung it away with the same intensity that you would use to draw your hand away from a hot element. You guessed it... it was a now, not so alive large spider.

What fascinated me about this whole afair though, was the obvious arbitrary significance of the event without the conscious association. Once I got over the shock of it, it didn't bother me nearly as much. I generally don't mind spiders, and frequently find them quite amazing.

..the ole dead animal in the hand surprise.. my retriever once handed me a decomposed seagull during a night-time walk

..unexpected encounters can be shocking, like a snake striking you from under a slab of rock.. but I guess if you know how to approach these guys.. [www.mysterra.org]

Hi loeve,

Funny story (yech!), and great diving pics!

I don't know what kind of eel it is that my husband sees underwater. He has a lot of pictures of the eels, and they're usually spotted. They look something like the spotted eel in your pictures (Too bad I'm such a computer retard, or I'd link them here).

I should probably have added something to my story about the eel, like "Don't try this at home!"

By the way, I LOVE all the creepy crawly stories people posted here.

Just outside Sequoia National Park I came across a meadow filled with thistle (Circium sp), a rather coarse plant at first sight. It was in bloom and had attracted an incredible menagerie to feed on its nectar. There were hummingbirds, hummingbird moths, hummingbird bees, and other kinds of bees. And they were all fighting each other to get at the flowers. Under a log on the side of the meadow was a clump of about a million ladybugs, settling in for their winter hibernation. A real magical place. Even the most homely plants can have a sublimely beautiful side.

I am a grown man and I hate roaches and crickets.
Eewwww!!

Brian

Love it, Brome!

And now I know that the moth I see here that looks and acts like a hummingbird must be a "hummingbird moth"! Of course!

Just for the record, the eel my husband (Scott) plays with IS a moray eel, called the Whitemouth eel. He says he plays with the eel first by putting his finger in front of the eel's nose, and then he moves his finger back and forth slowly while the eel gets a little familiar with it. The eel will sometimes bump Scott's finger with his nose. They begin to go back and forth together. When Scott pulls his finger back a little, the eel comes forward towards his finger. Then when Scott moves his finger closer to the eel, the eel will back away. Once they get acquainted, then Scott can sometimes move his finger under the eel's chin and rub. The eel loves it. Scott says he's done it about 20 times.

(But again, don't try this at home!)

Raw1228,

I don't mind crickets at all, but I can definitely relate to your roach sentiments.

I'm sure it's not their fault though!

One time my neice was visiting, and she saw a roach in our bathroom. "AAAAAAAA!" But she wouldn't let me smash it. I had to catch it (with a bowl) and put it outside. Good for her!

AAAAA!
I am glad you didnt smash it Suncloud.
Then you would have had not only a roach there,but a mess too.

Me...I never smash bugs.Who am I to do a thing like that?
I just dont like how they look is all.
Maybe I was traumatized by a roach in my childhood.

Brian