While trying to find an image file, I came across this photo. It was taken in the vicinity of Junction, Texas. I was doing a little monument recovery and found this monument with debris covering the rod. After removing the debris with my bare hands, I noticed these little critters. Lesson learned (use gloves).
I was recovering benchmarks along the levee in Tunica County, MS back in 2002-2003, with one of the party chiefs at my previous employer. He started to reach down into a deep monument case, and I saw something move, and grabbed his arm. There was a baby/small cottonmouth down in the monument well. It was about 10-12 inches deep.
A very common resident of the Stones Mounds (PLSS & Mineral Survey Corners) in Nevada (and other parts of the Great Basin). I have encountered hundreds (maybe a thousand) of the little (and not so little) buggers. So far so good (no stings). Of course Rattlesnakes and various spiders like those shady mounds too, not to mention small rodents infected and/or infested with God knows what.
Fun and games in the Desert Southwest.
Loyal.
Y'all can keep those critters. We don't need anything else like that.
In the intercity doing a job once, a newish rodman was sweeping out a hole with his bare hands. I damn near hit him with the shovel. Dug around it, and sure enough. 2 needles. After that, he always wore gloves.
a decade or two ago I was in a group walking along a cut trail in Costa Rica.
a woman noticed the various holes in the bank and decided to look in one, real close...
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We have similar monuments here, but without critters.
They probably don't like the white stuff.
leegreen, post: 403609, member: 2332 wrote: We have similar monuments here, but without critters.
They probably don't like the white stuff.
Agreed. In Upstate NY the worst I've seen is a mouse nest and while he was surprised when we flipped the lid open, we went about our job and let him be. I'm assuming he appreciated it.
In winter one has to be careful down here in Oklahoma due to the deadly "snow scorpion". Like the arctic fox and hare, it turns white in the winter and can be very difficult to see in snow until it's too late. A sharp eye can discern their two black little beady eyes; their only giveaway.
Zoidberg, post: 403623, member: 8841 wrote: In Upstate NY the worst I've seen is a mouse nest and while he was surprised when we flipped the lid open, we went about our job and let him be. I'm assuming he appreciated it.
Last spring I opened a box and mama mouse lit out running with this guy's brother still attached to her teat. I checked the next day and the whole family was gone, so I assume she came back for him.
Those arachnids and the other venomous critters are why I just visit places that do not receive a healthy dose of winter to clear out the 'undesirables'.
I'll just wrestle the snow snakes thank you. Steve
Cripes, y'all are crazy 😉
I always poke the rod about 50 times into any hole which may contain a monument and other assorted live things which may bite, sting, or inject venom into me before I'll stick my hand down there. Rod tips are cheaper than a visit to the ER. 😎
ps: poking the rod in a non monument hole, such as one in the woods can result in a catastrophic invasion of yellow jackets.
Unfortunately I must confess that this was hardly the most stupid thing I've done. Not all when I was young...
I aspire to be situationally aware.
GeeOddMike, post: 403679, member: 677 wrote: Unfortunately I must confess that this was hardly the most stupid thing I've done. Not all when I was young...
I aspire to be situationally aware.
I was out in the scrub oak timbers around here a few year ago looking for pins. I got a good signal and swiped 6" of dead leaves and leaf mold away with my boot...and uncovered a nest of about a dozen baby copperheads (who happen to be just as venomous as an adult).
Be careful where you stick your paws...
Jim Frame, post: 403630, member: 10 wrote: Last spring I opened a box and mama mouse lit out running with this guy's brother still attached to her teat. I checked the next day and the whole family was gone, so I assume she came back for him.
[USER=100]@Angel[/USER] is going to luv this
Loyal, post: 403573, member: 228 wrote: A very common resident of the Stones Mounds (PLSS & Mineral Survey Corners) in Nevada (and other parts of the Great Basin). I have encountered hundreds (maybe a thousand) of the little (and not so little) buggers. So far so good (no stings). Of course Rattlesnakes and various spiders like those shady mounds too, not to mention small rodents infected and/or infested with God knows what.
Fun and games in the Desert Southwest.
Loyal.
Knew someone who use to
camp out in Utah and took a night vision scope to view the scorpions crawling around at night.
He said it was pretty entertaining.
Robert Hill, post: 403685, member: 378 wrote: Knew someone who use to
camp out in Utah and took a night vision scope to view the scorpions crawling around at night.
He said it was pretty entertaining.
Scorpions also fluoresce under ultra-violet light (as do spiders). Pretty wild stuff!
While doing some Tungsten (or gold) exploration out in Central Nevada many years ago, we were using ultra-violet lights to locate certain minerals at night (scheelite as I recall), the scorpions stood out like a sheep turd in a bowl of milk.
Loyal
Robert Hill, post: 403685, member: 378 wrote: Knew someone who use to
camp out in Utah and took a night vision scope to view the scorpions crawling around at night.
He said it was pretty entertaining.
They glow brightly under a UV or black light for some crazy reason.
Just because I'm paranoid, doesn't mean they aren't out to get me.
As a kid living in Saudi we'd catch black ones that would grow upwards 9-10" long. They weren't the ones that could do you in. A little yellow sucker no more than 2" long could inflict a wound so painful one would gladly cut off the offending limb, or so I was warned.
Just because I'm paranoid, doesn't mean they aren't out to get me.
"like a sheep turd in a bowl of milk"
My Granddad had sheep until his death in 1963. I do not recall every finding a sheep turd in a bowl of milk. Do they taste a bit like shredded wheat or more like wheat chex?