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"...

[nehalita]

Originally Posted by Cappeh

Oh, Jaine. xD

Alligators are nothing. In India, they have ELEPHANTS. :/

actually the mosquitos in india are the size of elephants also. man do they love my blood...

also. as for the spiders... i mean they have daddy long legs but those are harmless...i remember holding them in my hand in preschool (which wasn't far from UM actually). they do have these tiny ones the size of my thumb nail. they're annoying... i seem to find them everywhere in my old house. but they don't bother you.

also... fyi, that picture that i took was actually in a place called "shark valley" (go figure!). It's not a normal road, but my brother and i took a tram through the trail and tried to keep count of alligators. i think we lost track after around 40... it's the coolest place ever. My dad even stood right next to them!


see? it ain't that bad.
atleast these are picture of live alligators. 5 years ago, i had the unfortunate luck of seeing 2 dead alligators in one of our canals. heads cut off, legs cut off, tails cut off. This is what greedy people do in florida and i think it's horrible.

alligators and spiders are great down here but man, have you seen the snakes? my dad seems to love going up to them when they're around our house.

later note: banana spiders are the coolest looking things EVER. if you go on a nature trail you're bound to run into one (and in my case it was physically... numerous times...)

[JaneYoung]

Oh dear you just had to say the snake word and things were going so well too.

I think the banana spiders are orb spiders. Maybe Fruity Pebbles could find a gorgeous pic for us - they are some of the best weavers ever. If you see one then you know the environ. is healthy.

Here in Austin we have wolf spiders. Those are cool. They are big and furry and live in holes and cracks in houses. They eat mosquitoes but not elephants.

[Michelle Celio]

Originally Posted by Jane

I think the banana spiders are orb spiders. Maybe Fruity Pebbles could find a gorgeous pic for us - they are some of the best weavers ever. If you see one then you know the environ. is healthy.

BAM! Banana Spider!

Originally Posted by Jane

Here in Austin we have wolf spiders. Those are cool. They are big and furry and live in holes and cracks in houses. They eat mosquitoes but not elephants.

Love bugs were "manufactured" to eat mosquitoes...didn't quite work.

And why do I know that?!

[JaneYoung]

thank you, happy, happy

[Jaine Perotti]

Lets just say that as a person who hates spiders, this strikes fear into my heart:




Florida: Spiders and Gators and 'Canes... oh my!

[Koko Ed]

Originally Posted by BurningQuestion

Lets just say that as a person who hates spiders, this strikes fear into my heart:




Florida: Spiders and Gators and 'Canes... oh my!

[dlavery]

You all seem to be missing the point.

I can handle the alligators in the canals. I can deal with the spiders on the trails. I am OK with the coral snakes in the palmettos. The mosquitoes in the woods are tolerable. I understand the issue associated with a moose and a fast-moving vehicle attempting to occupy the same volume at the same time. I even have no problem with elephants eating the moose that is eating the alligator. All of these things are sensible, logical, and reasonably expected in the appropriate natural setting.

But this alligator does not seem to understand the rules! HE DOES NOT BELONG INSIDE THE BUILDING!!!! Somewhere along the line he seems to have skipped the "outside - good, inside - bad!" lesson. I just CAN NOT get used to the idea of being in my office and wandering down to the water cooler one morning, only to find "Bubba" sitting in the middle of the hallway waiting for me! That just isn't right!!! He is supposed to stay OUTSIDE where he belongs, not inside sipping on Perrier and having a nosh with the secretaries!

-dave

[Michelle Celio]

Originally Posted by dlavery

But this alligator does not seem to understand the rules! HE DOES NOT BELONG INSIDE THE BUILDING!!!! Somewhere along the line he seems to have skipped the "outside - good, inside - bad!" lesson. I just CAN NOT get used to the idea of being in my office and wandering down to the water cooler one morning, only to find "Bubba" sitting in the middle of the hallway waiting for me! That just isn't right!!! He is supposed to stay OUTSIDE where he belongs, not inside sipping on Perrier and having a nosh with the secretaries!

I've seen plenty inside where aren't so posted to be. I guess you get used to it after living in Florida for 8 years...

I've had them in a school class room. For example =]

[JaneYoung]

maybe if you just gave him a nice bath with the Perrier and cleaned some of the algae off of him, revealing his inner gator, you, too, could find peace and be one with 'Bubba' by the cooler.

[dlavery]

I am just sitting here repeating to myself:

Gators don't belong indoors... Gators don't belong indoors... Gators don't belong indoors...

[tiffany34990]

hmm critters here in the sunny florida...

love bugs always fun... spiders... okay not so much fun... alligators.. i don't see them much by me... too many fire ants at times.. mosquitos..they just love me... all the various snakes... turtles.. the crazy ducks... the frogs..toads (man those can get huge esp at South Fork)... more and more bugs/insects... land crabs chasing you... goats running through your school.. too many lizards to count...wild pigs.... cows in the street.... always fun too...

ya sunny florida is a fun place to be you just know you wanna visit

the critters sometime get into the school/house...but all well... in the end it's all good

[JaneYoung]

Originally Posted by dlavery

I am just sitting here repeating to myself:

Gators don't belong indoors... Gators don't belong indoors... Gators don't belong indoors...

And Bubba says:

There's no place like home, there's no place like home......

It'll be ok Dave, that's what tomorrow is for.