Australian Dangerous Creatures

[OverTheTop]

Cane Toads

Billie the dog is addicted to cane toads. And she's not alone

Many dogs pick up the habit of licking cane toads, and with warmer and wet weather it can be especially risky. Here's how to spot the signs and what to do if your dog is poisoned.

www.abc.net.au

If you get the chance, have a look at the humorous documentary "Cane Toads: An Unnatural History". Well worth digging to find it on the web.

 

[OverTheTop]

'There's a python in your wheel': Note left on car leaves Sydney dad shocked

www.9news.com.au

 

[BABAR]

On the other end of the spectrum, there's:
View attachment 483792
... who's apparently on a mission to soften its image:

Don't find Tasmanian devils endearing? Meet these babies, the size of a jam jar

A new litter of Tasmanian devils at an animal sanctuary is changing public perceptions of the species.

www.abc.net.au

Remember “Gremlins”?
baby bears, tigers, leopards, and even alligators and crocodiles are cute too……but…….

 

[BABAR]

Hey Fred, I see you're walking with a limp. What happened?
"Gympie gympie".
Well, obviously. But what happened?
"Gympie gympie".
Yes, clearly, but how?
"Gympie gympie".
Sigh.

Who‘s on first?

 

[Tech 68]

Today's posting on Powerline about legally owning a kangaroo here in the ' States...
Some of the comments are pretty witty.

https://www.powerlineblog.com/archives/2023/01/the-daily-chart-legalize-kangaroos.php

 

[Cape Byron]

Today's posting on Powerline about legally owning a kangaroo here in the ' States...
Some of the comments are pretty witty.

https://www.powerlineblog.com/archives/2023/01/the-daily-chart-legalize-kangaroos.php

"Oh, I can't go to Australia. Everything tries to kill you!"

"Fine, honey. We'll just get our own kangaroo and it can kill you in your own backyard."

+=

 

[kuririn]

You lookin' at me?

 

[Cape Byron]

The threat of being killed by your pet kangaroo is small, but never zero.

https://www.news.com.au/technology/science/animals/man-77-killed-by-wild-pet-kangaroo-in-rural-western-australia/news-story/91e1bfad4a78c62b92bd199ed6f6e63c

That was a grey kangaroo. One of the smaller species.

 

[John Kemker]

You lookin' at me?
View attachment 557142

This is why you don't f*#$ with 'roos.

 

[teepot]

Too bad you don't have Lions and Tigers. Then you could say Lions and Tigers and Drop Bears Oh my.

 

[Cape Byron]

Toadzilla.

Monster 25cm, 2.7kg toad like a 'football with legs'

Ranger Kylee Gray says she was so shocked to discover a 2.7 kilogram "Toadzilla" next to a hiking trail in North Queensland she thought it was a practical joke.

www.abc.net.au

 

[Cape Byron]

Another fatality. Looks like an Eastern Brown.

 

[Sooner Boomer]

Not everything in Straya wants to kill you. Over here (USA), there are dozens of products supposedly from Oz that are supposed to be good for you (pain creams, shampoo, etc.). Here's something that's supposed to have clinical evidence for its use: https://www.webmd.com/a-to-z-guides/manuka-honey-medicinal-uses
Somewhere, probably stuck in the back of a drawer, I've got some small tubes of this stuff I was given at wound care. Never did taste it, though.

 

[smstachwick]

Paralysis ticks

Gardening, AKA being attacked by grass ticks. Okay, the garden hasn't had much care for the past year and a bit and the grass is long and currently quite wet. Perfect breeding ground for grass ticks. They are the nymphs of the suitably nastily named paralysis tick and need a blood meal to develop into their next stage.

A large number, ~20, decided that I was the aforementioned blood meal.

The little suckers (get it?) are <1 mm long and hard to extract once they have their nasty fangs in you. Scratching irritates them, so they inject their nastiness into you. Symptoms include pain, redness, itchiness, nausea, sweating and uncontrolled swearing.

Time for some inside work and a whisky.

 

[Cape Byron]

Paralysis ticks

Yeah. Aptly named as they do cause paralysis and death in smaller mammals (dogs, cats). Approximately 1:10,000 carry a disease called 'Tick Typhus', which is Lyme Disease by any other name. Hideous. Had it once and thought dying was a good option.

But we don't have Lyme Disease in Australia. Just something else which is the same, basically.

I can deal with the spiders and snakes, but ticks aren't my favourite critter. Insect repellent is next to useless. Just get bitten and try to get the little @#$% out with tweezers.

 

[kuririn]

Paralysis ticks

Australian Weed Wacker

 

[smstachwick]

Australian Weed Wacker
View attachment 568232

“Don’t mind me, just watering my suicide plants!”

 

[Cape Byron]

Australian Weed Wacker
View attachment 568232

Dude, that's a standard gardening tool.

 

[Huxter]

CATS Even?!?

"Can Australia curb its killer cats?"

Can Australia curb its killer cats?

Free-roaming felines kill billions of native animals and pose a huge threat to endangered species.

www.bbc.com

"Australia has a cat problem. Its population of just over eight million feral and domestic cats are thought to kill billions of native creatures each year, many endangered.
For Juniper, favoured prey included birds, rodents and even red-bellied black snakes, Mr Fathers says."

 

[SolarYellow]

There are videos on YT about "professional" cat hunting families in Australia. Kinda like hog hunters in the SE US.

In one, I remember them holding up a .300 Win Mag cartridge and talking about it. Seemed a bit of a silly splatter for housecats, but if varminting is their excuse and it gets their overlords to deign to allow them to have it, I'm all for it.

Personally, I'd be all about the .17 - .22 cal RF and CF stuff if that was my game. Maybe .204R for long shots.

 

[Huxter]

Do the videos contain recipes too? How to serve cat!

 

[OverTheTop]

There is a book available on many uses:

101 Uses for a Dead Cat - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

 

[Rex R]

If only the cats had a taste for rabbit...

 

[Cape Byron]

Beautiful animal and a great photo. Broad Headed Snake. Yes, it will kill you if you don't leave it alone. Today's top 'live a longer life' rule: Leave snakes alone.

 

[Tech 68]

 

[Cape Byron]

 

[Funkworks]

View attachment 571586

Well-done meat for all.

 

[Huxter]

View attachment 569392

Take THAT mother nature!

 

[SolarYellow]

Bet it sends rodents scurrying.

 

[Tech 68]