View Full Version : Crazy critters you have come across in your travels
Sacamuelas
04-07-2004, 15:37
Here is an interesting one from Iraq. What is the oddest creature/insect that you have come across. Post a pic if you got it.
Camel Spiders...
Check 'em out, they can run 10 mph.
From someone stationed in Baghdad. He was recently bitten by a camel spider which was hiding in his sleeping bag. I thought you'd like to see what a camel spider looks like. It'll give you a better idea of what our troops are dealing with. Enclosed is a picture of his friend holding up two spiders. :eek:
DunbarFC
04-07-2004, 15:48
GAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH !
I won't sleep after seeing that
Strangets critter - a monkey dashed across the highway while I was driving in southern Africa
D9 (RIP)
04-07-2004, 15:52
I have a camel spider story from GW I.
We had been laggered up near a wadi for a few weeks, in a little clump of trees. After we moved out, we had a visit from the Doc telling us we needed to be on the look out for camel spiders. As rumor has it, a bunch of people were finding them rolled up in their cammie nets (which strapped on the back of our hummers). The danger, Doc explained, was that these camel spiders would bite you while you were sleeping. Their poison had the effect of a local anesthetic, and then they would literally eat the soft flesh of your cheeks, ear-lobes, or lips.
Nobody was really sure whether or not to believe it, since these kind of storeis are always going around. But the next day they issued some bug nets that we were told to sleep under. Only problem was they didn't have enough for everyone and I didn't get one. If we were one of those who didn't get a bug net, we were supposed to make sure that wherever we racked out it was not under the cammie net of the vehicle. No problem, right? So I found a nice, soft, flat spot in the sand about 5 meters away from our vehicle, laid out my bag, and hit the rack.
When our TF set up a perimeter, TOWs, HMGs and the tanks were on the perimeter. And whenever we would refuel, we would do it at night away from the pos. So it was not unusual to hear the rumbling of a company of tanks or duece-n-a-halfs go by your vehicle in the night, on their way out for a rendezvous with the refueler. That night, I heard tanks going by our vehicle, and knew they were close, but being used to sleeping around the vehicle didn't pay any special attention to it until the next morning.
When I woke up, LOL, I noticed that the tank tracks were about an arm's length away from where I was sleeping. I literally got lightheaded just thinking about it. I'm sure my little sleeping bag looked just like a little bush to those tankers going by in the night. Anyway, bad as they are, the camel spiders didn't seem so menacing after that.
D9 (RIP)
04-07-2004, 15:57
I had a centipede that seemed about a foot long run up my shirt sleeve over there too while unloading boxes of chow for our plt from a warehouse. That was a nasty bastard.
I hate spiders, so there is NO way I'm going to find a picture of this mother.
I spent summer camp in Maine. Unlike sleeping under the stars or in a tent, which I enjoy as I can control my sleeping evironment or have utterly NO control over it, here we slept in ramshackle cabins with torn netting and many gaps and lofts for spiders to build their nests in. I was on the top bunk, next to a 'window'.
There, I made friends with two large spiders, which appeared to be about the same size as the above Camel Spider. I called them the 'spider family', and would check to make sure they were there before I went to sleep and whenever I went out to piss. As long as they were in their web/nearby, I figured I could sleep.
One night, however, I woke up with an especially bad hankering for the toilet. I grab my flashlight, but before turning it on make out a shape on the roof 2 feet above where I'm sleeping.
The spiders had decided to move in. I put up with it (the fear) for a few more nights before deciding to do away with my two new bunkmates. I solicited the help of a hardcore Aussie counselor, and off we went to kill/ permanently evict the spiders. When we arrived at my bunk, I pointed the pair out to him.
He froze.
What's wrong, I asked, suddenly quite scared by the fact that a man who has lived around spiders his entire life (his Dad studied them) had gone white.
'These are Wolf Spiders' he replied. 'The female here could have killed you'.
I never knew if that was true, but it freaked me out. We killed them, but that didn't mean that I slept any easier.
Solid
PS: what happened to your friend after he was bitten?
Sacamuelas
04-07-2004, 16:18
Originally posted by Solid
I hate spiders, so there is NO way I'm going to find a picture of this mother.
Hey Solid.... BOO!!!! LOL :p
Not exotic at all, but I am proud to say that I have sent MANY Black Widows to early graves. Basically, I have a severe hatred for anything that can potentially kill me without me even seeing it.
Damnit, Sacamuelas, you made me reach for my knife. I guess we're even, now.
Air- I was thinking about what it was about killer insects which unnerved me, and that was it. You don't see them, they often don't genuinely mean to attack you, and yet they can kill you.
Solid
Ambush Master
04-07-2004, 17:34
We were moving down a Trail in Laos, not a very safe thing to do but it was going to get us closer to the Objective on time. As we moved, we stayed in the shadows on the side of the trail. All of a suddden my Point Man goes flying past me in a max speed di-di mode followed closely by #2 and #3. I grab a Frag and peek up the trail to see a KING COBRA hauling ass after them !!! I mean this sucker is 10-15 feet long and reared up. His head was about at eye level with me, I didn't even really think, I pulled the pin, lobbed the grenade, and HAULED ASS !!!! After the grenade went off, I looked over my shoulder to see many snake parts everywhere.
I regrouped the team and we moved into the bush to wait out what would definitely soon follow, lots of NVA. They came, found the Snake Parts everywhere and they all laughed their asses off about it. They thought that it had been another group of NVA that had moved down the Trail earlier in the day (we'd seen them) and left the area.
That was almost the scariest Critter moment. More to follow. Next, Cats or Rock Apes?? Hmmm?
Roguish Lawyer
04-07-2004, 17:37
Originally posted by Ambush Master
We were moving down a Trail in Laos, not a very safe thing to do but it was going to get us closer to the Objective on time. As we moved, we stayed in the shadows on the side of the trail. All of a suddden my Point Man goes flying past me in a max speed di-di mode followed closely by #2 and #3. I grab a Frag and peek up the trail to see a KING COBRA hauling ass after them !!! I mean this sucker is 10-15 feet long and reared up. His head was about at eye level with me, I didn't even really think, I pulled the pin, lobbed the grenade, and HAULED ASS !!!! After the grenade went off, I looked over my shoulder to see many snake parts everywhere.
I regrouped the team and we moved into the Bush to wait out what would definitely soon follow, lots of NVA. They came, found the Snake Parts everywhere and they all laughed their asses off about it. They thought that it had been another group of NVA that had moved down the Trail earlier in the day (we'd seen them) and left the area.
That was almost the scariest Critter moment. More to follow. Next, Cats or Rock Apes?? Hmmm?
Great story! This would be great material for the QP history project, I think . . .
Oh Yeah, I met a lawyer once:p
Try a wolf with one eye that hunted sheep like a cartoon character! We'd sleep in the field with our guns, right in with the sheep, and still we'd wake up with one or two missing. #
Got him in the end, though. Nice to have a gun with you when you go to sleep!
Solid
The Reaper
04-07-2004, 18:44
Originally posted by Solid
Try a wolf with one eye that hunted sheep like a cartoon character! We'd sleep in the field with our guns, right in with the sheep, and still we'd wake up with one or two missing. #
Got him in the end, though. Nice to have a gun with you when you go to sleep!
Solid
So, you were sleeping with the sheep?
TR
Roguish Lawyer
04-07-2004, 18:54
Nice. LMAO!
Originally posted by D9
I had a centipede that seemed about a foot long run up my shirt sleeve over there too while unloading boxes of chow for our plt from a warehouse. That was a nasty bastard.
Got bit by one in Hawaii, got me on the arm while I was sleeping. Wasnt too bad, stung for a sec, enough to wake me up, then it just burned a bit. I was on about day 4 of an FTX with about 6 hours total sleep and didnt have any trouble going back to sleep. Another one of our guys got bit right on the cheek, swelled up so bad it shut his eye.
AM Cats, I know you have to have some good cat stories. Creepiest sound I ever heard was one of them grunting off in the dark somewhere, in eastern Thailand.
Team Sergeant
04-07-2004, 21:43
Originally posted by Solid
Air- I was thinking about what it was about killer insects which unnerved me, and that was it. You don't see them, they often don't genuinely mean to attack you, and yet they can kill you.
Solid
Quite deadly. The United States has had about 4 dead in 40 years from the Black Widow. (we kill 14 an hour on the highway)
TS
Eagle5US
04-07-2004, 22:21
It took me quite awhile to ID this bugger...whiptail scorpion:
Eagle
Eagle5US
04-07-2004, 22:26
Shot in the Laotian highlands on site with a crossbow (which I later purchased), this primate was bigger than my 10yr old daughter and entirely pissed off until the macheted him across the forehead. Those canines are over 1 in long
Eagle
Eagle5US
04-07-2004, 22:32
Originally posted by Ambush Master
We were moving down a Trail in Laos, not a very safe thing to do but it was going to get us closer to the Objective on time. As we moved, we stayed in the shadows on the side of the trail. All of a suddden my Point Man goes flying past me in a max speed di-di mode followed closely by #2 and #3. I grab a Frag and peek up the trail to see a KING COBRA hauling ass after them !!! I mean this sucker is 10-15 feet long and reared up. His head was about at eye level with me, I didn't even really think, I pulled the pin, lobbed the grenade, and HAULED ASS !!!! After the grenade went off, I looked over my shoulder to see many snake parts everywhere.
I regrouped the team and we moved into the bush to wait out what would definitely soon follow, lots of NVA. They came, found the Snake Parts everywhere and they all laughed their asses off about it. They thought that it had been another group of NVA that had moved down the Trail earlier in the day (we'd seen them) and left the area.
That was almost the scariest Critter moment. More to follow. Next, Cats or Rock Apes?? Hmmm?
Went to get water with the locals, and this juvenile King Cobra was getting himself some water too!
He was lunch...
Eagle
Eagle5US
04-07-2004, 22:35
closer picture :D
Eagle
Yep, I was sleeping with the fishe--- sheep. It was peaceful because a) the farmer I was with was pretty hardcore and b) I was armed. We eventually got him because he was over-confident and walked by the farmer to get to the sheep. Still provided a mighty fine chase before we nailed him, though.
Solid
brownapple
04-08-2004, 04:37
A lynx on the green of the 4th hole at Torrey Pines. Was walking up the fairway with Fuzzy Zoeller.
Roguish Lawyer
04-08-2004, 05:23
Originally posted by Greenhat
A lynx on the green of the 4th hole at Torrey Pines. Was walking up the fairway with Fuzzy Zoeller.
We had a lynx in our backyard. Here's Catwoman with Angara the lynx.
Roguish Lawyer
04-08-2004, 05:33
And here she is with Annie the jaguar:
Smokin Joe
04-08-2004, 17:40
3 yrs ago I was driving to where we shoot prarie dogs. Up ahead about 100 yards, and about 25 yards off the road I see a boat load of dirt flying in the air. It looked like a super dooper ditch-witch was flinging the dirt out of the ground. The dirt was flying about 5 feet in the air and about 15 ft past a hole that it was coming out of.
I say to my buddy "hole sh*t check that out."
Him...."what the hell...."
So I drive up to about 30 yards away. I grab my mini-14 and my glock 30 jump out of the truck and creep towards the hole.
My buddy says, "hey dude I'll cover you from here" (read dude I'm scared sh*tless I'll sit here while you check it out).
So I creep towards the hole. When up pops the biggest friggin Badger I have ever seen, and he just stares at me. (Mind you this is the first Badger I have ever seen and have only heard rumors about how they will tear your leg off).
I call back to the truck "hey bitch, get your punk ass out of the truck its just a Badger!" So my frighten friend who is 6-4 275 gym queen gets out of the truck with his 25-06 and walks up to me.
I tell him, "stay right here while I flank him for a better shot." All I get is a "uh-uh". I start coming around the Badgers side. Which confuses him. The Badger can't decide what to do so he runs towards my buddy. The guy starts freakin out and backing away. I put around right in front of the Badger. Which kicks some dirt in the Badgers face and stops him.
The Badger then starts jerking back and forth between both of us not knowing which one to go for. He decides he wants a shot at me, and starts moving towards me. I put a 223 through its neck. It doesn't even faze the big bastard. I went to put a round in its head. 'Click' oh sh*t forgot to swap out mags before I got out of the truck no big deal. Buy this time the Badgers about 7-8 yards away and closing in QUICKLY so I transition. To my Glock 30 (.45 acp) and I had to put 6 rounds of Hydra-shock into him before he stopped, which was about 3 yards away before he finally stopped.
(I do not hunt for trophies, I never have and I never will)
I would love to have mounted the bastage but I put to many rounds through his head and the taxadermist said to me "what the hell do you want me to do with that." The Badger was 5ft 5 inches long from nose to tail and weighed 92 lbs.
The Reaper
04-08-2004, 17:50
Coatimundi and sloths in housing areas in Panama.
Coatimundi is pretty neat to watch, though.
Through NVGs, watched a huge skunk cross our paths while patrolling in Honduras.
I will admit to being surprised several times by coveys of quail we kicked up while patrolling at night. They wait till you are almost on top of them, are quite loud, and sound very similar to a heavy machinegun firing during their departure.
TR
Roguish Lawyer
04-08-2004, 18:03
Wow, Smokin Joe, that's one hell of a story!
Smokin Joe
04-08-2004, 19:43
Originally posted by Roguish Lawyer
Wow, Smokin Joe, that's one hell of a story!
I know it was a little lenghty but I just had to tell it to give proper context. :)
TR,
Sir, I thought the Coatmundi was a mythical beast? I'm not trying to be a smart ass I'm being totally serious.
What do they look like?
The Reaper
04-08-2004, 20:02
Originally posted by Smokin Joe
I know it was a little lenghty but I just had to tell it to give proper context. :)
TR,
Sir, I thought the Coatmundi was a mythical beast? I'm not trying to be a smart ass I'm being totally serious.
What do they look like?
Used to see them bopping down the streets of the bases in Panama, opening and looking into all of the trash cans looking for goodies.
Obviously, we have another non-Googler.
TR
Smokin Joe
04-09-2004, 00:52
Originally posted by The Reaper
Used to see them bopping down the streets of the bases in Panama, opening and looking into all of the trash cans looking for goodies.
Obviously, we have another non-Googler.
TR
My mistake Sir, I was thinking of the chubracabra (sp).
I should have utilized Google but I got lazy. Won't happen again.
Team Sergeant
04-09-2004, 08:26
Originally posted by The Reaper
Used to see them bopping down the streets of the bases in Panama, opening and looking into all of the trash cans looking for goodies.
Obviously, we have another non-Googler.
TR
Half raccoon, half cat. It’s strange they covey like quail and break like quail also.
I was on a recon in Panama to fine a new base camp, found a good location, was about to make a call on the radio when all hell broke loose! There must have been 50 of them. They all broke concealment at the exact same moment and were moving like 50 blurs. Quite a sight, especially when you're standing in the middle of them!
TS
Smokin Joe
04-09-2004, 08:31
Originally posted by Team Sergeant
Half raccoon, half cat. It’s strange they covey like quail and break like quail also.
I was on a recon in Panama to fine a new base camp, found a good location, was about to make a call on the radio when all hell broke loose! There must have been 50 of them. They all broke concealment at the exact same moment and were moving like 50 blurs. Quite a sight, especially when you're standing in the middle of them!
TS
Kind of like a Javalina except it can see?
-runs in packs
-all break in different directions if spooked
Ambush Master
04-09-2004, 08:44
Speaking of Javelinas !!! The owner of a ranch that I had a Deer Lease on visited one of the encampments of hunters one evening to pay a social visit. After a few drinks a couple of the hunters got to talking about the huge heard on Javelinas that they had happened upon and had shot. Johnny pulled out his wallet and asked how many tails they had cut off and these two looked at each other and asked, Why ?? Johnny says that those things are such a nuisance that he pays a $50 Bounty, and pays only if they have the tail. Well these two, very drunk at this point, jump into their old WWII Jeep and head of up into the mountains. It was at about daylight when they showed up at the Ranch House, beat all to hell and mad as can be. They had nearly killed themselves finding the pack that they had shot, only to discover that Javelinas DO NOT HAVE TAILS !!! :D
Originally posted by Solid
I spent summer camp in Maine...There, I made friends with two large spiders, which appeared to be about the same size as the above Camel Spider...'These are Wolf Spiders' he replied. 'The female here could have killed you'.
Solid, I'm afraid your leg wasn't just pulled, but nearly yanked completely out of its socket. I can assure you that unlike those areas of our great nation south of the Mason-Dixon line, the only things that will kill you in New England are natives pissed-off at yet another batch of rude tourists, or a moose with an attitude. Having spent my first 18 years all over the wilds of Maine, I'll say you'd be hard pressed to find a native spider with a body over 1.5" in length, let alone something approaching the size of a camel spider <shudder>.