[constant thinker]

Yea my cousin did tell me they weren't spiders at all. Just that's what I think of every time someone mentions spider. I definately want to go to Australia. It's the country that's it's own continent! Which is sweet. It's pretty expensive though atleast if your coming from New Hampshire. My cousin (same one that went to Iraq) went to New Zealand (which isn't Australia but near there), but his work payed for it. Though his wife went out to meet him in Australia. They payed $980 for one round trip ticket! Plus it's a pretty long flight. I'd still go if I get the money.

[mike]

Like koala?

I saw a koala in the tree outside my office a few weeks back

I hadn't realised Mike was from AUS, oops.

Hope this doesn't change people opinion of me Yes I am from Australia, although I did live in the UK for a year in 2003.

They payed $980 for one round trip ticket!  Plus it's a pretty long flight.

I suppose as an Australian I have just gotten used to the fact that we have to pay a lot to travel to the US or Europe. Yes it would be a long flight, I flew from Vancouver to Sydney and that was long!

[limpet chicken]

Nope, no slight meant, just had I realised you were from down under, I would likely have realised it wouldn't be the US species of widow spider you had paying you a visit.

Hehe I was reading up on funnel web venom composition and pharmacology, and interestingly enough, there are as a minor component of venom in the sydney funnelbeb, Atrax Robustus, beside the peptide component of the neurotoxins, robustoxin/atraxotoxin, some pretty funky trialkylsilyl compounds and a natural organofluorine compound, quite the unexpected types of compound one would expect from spider venom.

I do believe one species of sun spider, or windscorpion as we call the buggers here, has been found to have some sort of primitive venom or digestive enzyme glands that function to cause tissue damage, but it is not particularly toxic to man, still, I wouldn't fancy a nip in the nether regions by one of those oversised, ambulatory sets of gnashers  

[Bakegaku]

there are as a minor component of venom in the sydney funnelbeb, Atrax Robustus, beside the peptide component of the neurotoxins, robustoxin/atraxotoxin, some pretty funky trialkylsilyl compounds and a natural organofluorine compound, quite the unexpected types of compound one would expect from spider venom.

Yeah... I hear that type is among the most poisonous spiders.  I'm not entirely sure how they judge the most poisonous.  Is it how quickly the bite kills you or how much of the venom is a lethal dose?  Oh well.  I learned a fair amount about the wildlife of Australia from Steve Irwin  

[pantone159]

I can't match the Australian fauna, but my most impressive local spider sighting was some kind of tarantula on the trails here in Austin.  It was red and black colored, cool looking, but I had no camera with me so no picture.

One of my most dramatic wildlife encounters was this rattlesnake, Crotalus horridus (nice name, eh?) who greeted me in, of all places, New England.

[mike]

One of my most dramatic wildlife encounters was this rattlesnake, Crotalus horridus (nice name, eh?) who greeted me in, of all places, New England.

wow nice photo! I have heard that everything is bigger in Texas, I guess this includes the wildlife.

I learned a fair amount about the wildlife of Australia from Steve Irwin

Good old Steve Irwin. It's a wonder anyone wants to come to Australia after hearing about all the "dangers". Well you wouldn't have wanted to be here this last weekend, the temperature reached 44C where I was and 46.5 further in the outback, it felt soooo hot

[Bakegaku]

wow nice photo! I have heard that everything is bigger in Texas, I guess this includes the wildlife.

If you reread he said he found it in New England... makes me more happy to live where I do!    I believe there are timber rattle snakes in my area but they are extremely rare.  

Good old Steve Irwin. It's a wonder anyone wants to come to Australia after hearing about all the "dangers".

Maybe some people, like me, idolize Steve Irwin for a time and as a result want to go to Australia  

I remember going to california where it was almost in the 40 C's (approximation, because everyone around me insists on giving me farenheit readings.  it was a little over 100ºF)  and it didn't feel hot at all.  It's because in New England heat is almost always accompanied by really high temperatures.  When it's 25ºC outside here, it can feel hotter than 40ºC in dryer areas.

[mike]

If you reread he said he found it in New England... makes me more happy to live where I do!    I believe there are timber rattle snakes in my area but they are extremely rare.

oops, sorry I was actually refering to the bit about the tarantula found in Austin (is this in Texas? maybe not), I must admit to a fair amount of ignorance to American geography, I lived in Colorado for a while and have been to Hawaii but that is about it..

Maybe some people, like me, idolize Steve Irwin for a time and as a result want to go to Australia

nothing wrong with that mate, if you like crocodiles, snakes, spiders, bugs, kangaroos, sharks, koalas, tasmanian devils, emus etc then come on down, we also have camels, dingos, whales, and of course great big bloody mosquitos

So is New England like a colonial place? I googled images of new england and the first picture was of a team of cheerleaders, lol, how American (we don't really have cheerleaders here)

[pantone159]

I was actually refering to the bit about the tarantula found in Austin (is this in Texas? maybe not)

Yes, Austin is in Texas.  The snake was in New England (maybe 3000 km away), which, until I met this guy, I would have thought to be the last place I'd see a rattlesnake.  I know better now!

if you like crocodiles, snakes, spiders, bugs, kangaroos, sharks, koalas, tasmanian devils, emus etc then come on down

I do like those things, actually.  I still haven't made it to Australia though.

we also have great big bloody mosquitos

I could do without them.  (We have them here too.)

[constant thinker]

I live in New Hampshire (one of the New England states) and I took a walk through my woods last summer. All of a suddenly I saw this thing fall out of this tree that had fallen over and was propped up against another tree. It fell probably ten yards form me. I looked quickly to see it was snake that was rattling and looking at me. I just backed away because he didn't look to happy. I never thought that those things climbed trees even trees that are fallen over. It was kind of odd.

Last winter (not this winter) I saw a herd of deer 7 or 8 strong pass through my lawn and go into the woods (I live around wetlands). A moose went into my garage a long time ago also.

One of my most intresting encounters with wildlife though was when we had a possum make himself at home between my first and second floor. He probably got through a hole in the ceiling of my breezeway. He smelt pretty bad. Anyways after me and my dad found him, he bought and enormous mouse trap. More of a rat trip, the thing was as big as an adult male hand. He caught it the night we put the trap in the ceiling.

If you live in the city you really have to out to the "country" and spend some time. Also last summer I saw a Peregrin Falcon. Small but beautiful bird of pray. I was dissapointed I didn't see it go into one of its 60+mph (about 97Kmph) dives.

[mike]

Yeah we have possums here too, they are really annoying when they get in the roof of your house. As you say constantthinker they smell, and they are really loud. The possums we have here though are about the size of a small dog. We had a trapper come out and catch three in our roof, they were quite agressive. Check it out..

[constant thinker]

Crazy. Ok I'm not sure if it was a possum, but it's very similar to one so I call it a possum.

[billnotgatez]

Some bird populations would decline a great deal if the mosquitoes (food source) were to disappear.

[mike]

Some bird populations would decline a great deal if the mosquitoes (food source) were to disappear.

True, and I know we need all creatures great and small, bright and beautiful etc etc, just why do they have to be so darn annoying, buzzing in your ears when you are trying to sleep, biting your ankles at BBQ's not to mention that some of ours have Ross River Virus!!

[pantone159]

The opossums here (Texas, USA) look a lot different from yours, mike.  Similar in ways, but the ears look really different. They are still strange looking in their own way.