The critters are coming out!

Note: if you see one of these things that looks like a giant mutant scorpion/ant that crawled straight out of Hell, DO NOT STOMP IT! Yeah, I know… it’s creepy looking, and bugs shouldn’t get that big, but this guy is harmless.

The ammopelmatus fuscus, potato bug, Jerusalem cricket, or whatever alias you prefer, is a good guy who has important work to do out there for the ecosystem. Not only that, but they play drums! Check out this sick beat dropped by a female mahogany Jerusalem cricket in heat:

Mating “song” of a female mahogany Jerusalem cricket. The insect creates this drumming sound by beating its abdomen against the ground.

---

EEK! What else is out there?!

Oh boy, all sorts of creepy crawlers and slithery critters live among the rocks and sagebrush around here! It’s AWESOME! I’ve seen so many noodles [snakes] and desert lobsters [scorpions] out there on adventures with Desert Pigs. I get excited every time we pick up a piece of plywood.

While I am no pro at handling the spicy noodles [rattlesnakes], I’ve managed to move a couple out of the way of volunteers during cleanups, without harming the animal. So far, I’ve found these rattly critters to be mostly reasonable to deal with, as long as nobody surprises each other when meeting.

If you need help in the Dayton area with a snake, Rick is your guy.

---

Which critters are dangerous?

I’ve noticed a change in behavior of locals on social media, when discovering critters. My facebook feed used to be filled with pictures of freshly decapitated snakes, from people wondering what kind it was. But nowadays, I’m seeing good humans post images of live animals, followed by requests for other good humans to come help safely relocate them.

Once upon a time, I reached into my pantry for some Frosted Flakes, and found a gopher snake curled up next to Tony Tiger. I didn’t know what it was, but after I realized it wasn’t venomous, I wanted to be its best friend. Since then, I’ve felt the need to learn all I can about the spicy and mild critters ’round these parts.