BIG. CRITTERS. IN. FLORIDA!!!! (and you think YOU have pest problems!)

[Jaine Perotti]

Originally Posted by Jay H 237

Being next to a body of water in Florida you'll find lots of "visitors"!

My grandfather's house borders two canals in Cape Coral and I've seen so many different things crawling or scurrying around there it was unbelievable. The small lizards aren't bad and are fun to play with but watch out for the palmettos and other water bugs. I'd rather deal with the deer in my backyard every morning. I've never seen any alligators in the canals there although I have seen them on the sides of the road like in Nahalita's pic.

And be careful when walking through the grass barefoot.

Yeah, I remember visiting Florida when I was a little kid (visiting my grandparents), and I was always spending hours and hours trying to catch the lizards that like to lay out in the sun. I was never able to catch one (I was only 7)! I also remember seeing all sorts of cool birds, with really beautiful and unique plumage. One of the great things about moving to Florida is that I will have a chance to become familiar with an ecosystem entirely different from my own (I am a nature nerd, and my other interest has always been environmental science). Although those alligators still scare me!

Actually, the other night I was watching Animal Planet, and I was watching that show with Steve Irwin in it (Alligator Hunters Diaries or something like that), and I found it so interesting. In that particular episode, one of Steve's favorite alligators died, and even though it was really sad, I couldn't help but chuckle when Steve Irwin sat there crying and said, "I loved her [the alligator] like I love my wife."

Now, can anyone tell me if there are really big spiders in Florida? It's so embarrassing, but I literally scream every time I see one...

[RogerR]

Originally Posted by BurningQuestion

....Now, can anyone tell me if there are really big spiders in Florida? It's so embarrassing, but I literally scream every time I see one...

yeah...they're called banana spiders; they aren't really dangerous, though they seem to have an affinity for weaving webs right at head level on walking trails... i've never heard of anyone ever even bein' bit by one, but i don't think having a spider the size of your hand crawling around your head is a pleasant sensation...luckily, they seem to stick to wooded areas. in miami, you only have to look out for palmetto bugs* and fire ants.<edit> yeah, and love bugs; nothing like drivin' down I-75 during love bug season. just hope you don't run out of windsheild wiper fluid... and if you venture into an undeveloped (now there's a rarity!!) coastal area during dawn/dusk, you might encounter a fun little critter called a "no-see-em"**; just don't leave your car windows open in the presence of no-see-ems, otherwise you'll have to do the something we call the everglades run: AC on full, windows down, at >50 MPH. and how could i forget about the mosquitos? but then, those are everywhere, aren't they? man i left out a bunch of fun little insects, didn't i?</edit>

*we only call them "palmetto bugs" around tourists. around other floridians, we just call them (the bugs) "really, really big cockroaches".
**some of the bigger ones outta be called "see-em-just-fine"

[Michelle Celio]

Originally Posted by RogerR

yeah...they're called banana spiders; they aren't really dangerous, though they seem to have an affinity for weaving webs right at head level on walking trails... i've never heard of anyone ever even bein' bit by one, but i don't think having a spider the size of your hand crawling around your head is a pleasant sensation...luckily, they seem to stick to wooded areas. in miami, you only have to look out for palmetto bugs* and fire ants.

*we only call them "palmetto bugs" around tourists. around other floridians, we just call them (the bugs) "really, really big cockroaches".

Dont forget.."Love Bugs"...