Thread: Here's some Australia questions:

Originally Posted by johnmw1

Justin,
...
Snake myths that have fooled gullible people

The Death Adder has a sting in its tail.
Snakes hypnotise their prey.
Tiger Snakes chase people.
Snakes milk cows.
If you kill one of a pair of Tiger Snakes, its mate will hunt you down to take its revenge.
In Australia, there is a Hoop Snake that takes its tail in its mouth and then goes bowling merrily along.

.....

John

John,

Although it's not the direct topic of your post, I'm relieved to see you didn't include drop-bears in this list. I used to live in Darwin in the late '90s and I've seen these hideous creatures in action (and the drop-bears too ).

One of my friends had the misfortune to be walking along under the shade of a coolibah tree one day, and as he sat and watched and waited for his billy to boil a drop-bear fell on him and attacked.

I've never seen injuries like it. The poor bugger lost the use of his left eye and left hand pinky finger, and was in a coma for 12 weeks - he also developed a bad case of clamydia.

Although we have some of the world's most deadly snakes and much international attention is devoted to them, the arboreal drop-bear is a much overlooked killer and transmitter of clamydia. Anyone visiting this country should be aware and take appropriate safety precautions.

James.

Originally Posted by Jimbo

John,

Although it's not the direct topic of your post, I'm relieved to see you didn't include drop-bears in this list. I used to live in Darwin in the late '90s and I've seen these hideous creatures in action (and the drop-bears too ).

One of my friends had the misfortune to be walking along under the shade of a coolibah tree one day, and as he sat and watched and waited for his billy to boil a drop-bear fell on him and attacked.

I've never seen injuries like it. The poor bugger lost the use of his left eye and left hand pinky finger, and was in a coma for 12 weeks - he also developed a bad case of clamydia.

Although we have some or the world's most deadly snakes and much international attention is devoted to them, the arboreal drop-bear is a much overlooked killer and transmitter of clamydia. Anyone visiting this country should be aware and take appropriate safety precautions.

James.

James, I'm not quite sure what you're talking about but I know it's funny.


Justin

Originally Posted by jaegerhund

James, I'm not quite sure what you're talking about but I know it's funny.


Justin

It's believed that the drop-bear is a sub-species of the common Koala. Population geneticists and Zoologists hypothesize they split from the mainstream species via a random genetic mutation somewhere between 100 000 and 1 000 000 years ago.

They live in trees, like the Koala, and also seem pre-disposed to developing clamydia, or "soggy - bottom", like the Koala. Apparently they share similar physiological and morphological traits as well. But that's where the comparisons end.

They are an enigmatic creature, and this is compounded by the fact that very few people (scientists included) have ever had first - hand experience of them. Those that have are typically in no state to subsequently describe them with any accuracy or lucidity.

That they are real is unquestionable. Tissue samples taken from under the fingernails of victims have revealed the genetic similarity to the Koala. Highly acidic masticated Eucalyptus leaves have been found in victim's hair. It is thought the creatures drip this substance on their victims from above to disorientate. This, combined with the fact that victims display more serious wounds around their face and head, leads to the term "drop". The term "Bear" is a misnomer. Koalas aren't bears.

James.

I want to take umbrage with the chicks all looking like Elle Macpherson. Doesnt Australia have the largest Obesity problem in the world - overtaking America at the start of this year? I am sure I read somewhere that Queensland just upgraded its stretchers and ambulances to accommodation the rapidly expanding frame of the average Oz.

I wasn't aware that Elle had put on so much weight recently, but the pictures I still have in my mind are from Sirens. Again and again and again...

Si

Thanks James for the explanation (quite professional indeed) ---- thanks John for the bit on the snakes. So British tourists don't like the creepy crawlies? ---- the snakes and dangerous animals is one of my tops reasons for wanting to go to Australia (bloody Yank I am). Thanks Si for the latest on Aussie weight issues ---- Thanks Elle for putting a smile on my face and Thank God for creating such a work of art in the first place.

Justin

Something about two of our more interesting spiders.

The Red Back
The dangerous black widow or red back, (Latrodectus hasselti) belongs to this family and these spiders are notorious for their poisonous neurotoxic venom. A black widow's toxin is 15 times more poisonous than that of a rattlesnake, making her one of the few spiders in the world capable of seriously harming humans. Due to the good hospital services, deaths from a bite are not recorded any more.


These spiders make a littery web and the webs can be described as an intersecting mass of scaffold work with a central area consisting of a three-dimensional trellis of silk. From the web to the ground are vertical threads with sticky glue at the bottom. If an insect crawls against the thread it will break and the prey will hang in the air awaiting the attack of the spider. Although they are small of size they are violent attackers and do not fear to attack much larger insects than themselves.

The Sydney Funnel Web Spider

They are mostly terrestrial spiders, which build typical silk-lined tubular burrow retreats, with a collapsed "tunnel" or open "funnel" entrance from which irregular trip lines radiate out over the ground. Exceptions, which lack trip lines but may have trapdoors, are those Hadronyche from South Australia, like Hadronyche adelaidensis, Hadronyche eyrei and Hadronyche flindersi. The silk entrance tube may be split into 2 openings, in a Y or T form. In the case of Hadronyche formidabilis the burrow may be in the hollow of a tree trunk or limb, many meters above ground level.

Adult male spiders leave the burrow permanently to seek a mate. Such wandering male spiders may enter houses, sometimes even find their way into clothing, and thus account for many bites. Most funnel-web spiders are ground or log dwellers but at least two are tree dwellers (Hadronyche formidabilis and Hadronyche cerberea: respectively the Northern and Southern tree funnel web spiders).

Atrax robustus, the Sydney funnelweb spider, has a distribution centering on Sydney, extending north to the Hunter River, south to Shoalhaven River, and narrowing westwards as far as Lithgow. Hadronyche has a considerably wider distribution; being the coastal areas and highland forest regions from Tasmania to Queensland.

And finally something for the Elle lovers out there, ENJOY

Cheers
John

Thanks John --very good presentation there --- I've come across Black Widows myself --very beautiful spider -- but deadly. The funnel web is one I've heard of and has been highlighted on American TV --- looks like an agressive little bugger. We have a spider called a Brown Recluse --- it hides in dark places and is rarely visible. It can leave massive wounds that don't heal well (large open wounds) and is a nasty little fellow. My mom got bit by one (not a bad bite) -- the doctor scouped out the infected area and she has a permanent discolored area there.

As far as snakes we have coral snakes (rare but highly venomous), coperheads, rattlesnakes, and water mocassins (cotton mouth). I've stepped on a few mocassins while hunting when I was younger --- luckly they were sluggish at the time but usually are very aggressive and will hold their ground like a rattler.

Anyway -- don't mean to harp on the Aussie wildlife but it's what I'm most familiar with --- feel free to expand the subject matter --city life, history,culture, etc --- but don't leave out the babes.

Justin

P.S. (John, of your three photos of spiders, I think the Elle spider is probably most dangerous --- but I'd die a happy man)

Just read a bit on Australian culture --- points out the key parts of mateship and egalitarianism --- are these academic concepts or do Aussies actively recognize them and be sure to live by them? Maybe a difficult question to anwer but what the hell?

Justin

Originally Posted by jaegerhund

--- I've come across Black Widows myself --
Justin

Yeah so have I Justin, I was married to one I think.

Originally Posted by jaegerhund

Just read a bit on Australian culture --- points out the key parts of mateship and egalitarianism --- are these academic concepts or do Aussies actively recognize them and be sure to live by them? Maybe a difficult question to answer but what the hell?

Justin

I think this is a whole different topic which hopefully someone a bit more skilled than myself can answer that one.

Cheers
John

OK - the heck with animals, history and culture....you want to know why we love the Aussies??

Click here