Reptiles, arachnids, and other creepy critters thread - Because I know I'm not the only Kiwi into that shit

An orb weaver picture I took at mom's in Alabama last week. BIG ASS spider (body length about 4 inches)! When you touch its web, it runs around to the other side and starts thrusting the web in and out at you. Very creepy, but totally cool at the same time. Web shot and extreme closeup.

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Those Snails I got to breed for my Skink's diets are still alive, one of them is doing great is super active, the other two less so, they are eating green beans and collard greens in this picture. No babys yet, but I'm hopeful snaillets soon™


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I think they are about as interesting and personable as any vegetarian invertebrate could be. Which is kind of damning with faint praise but hey. They shit an absolutely ridiculous amount on all available surfaces though.
 
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Two arboreal orbweavers moved into the garden a couple of weeks ago. It's been cool seeing the prey accumulate in the webs each day by the time I get home from work. They're basically impossible to photograph properly, though.
 
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The Lizard Queen said:
Why do people think reptiles are creepy?
Things like rodents are so much worse, with their scurrying and eyes and nasty little paws... eugh.
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Eh, I don't think rodents are too bad either. I just don't think I could keep them as pets with as high maintenance as they are, plus rats for example only live maybe 3 years and usually have lots of health problems later in life (esp cancer and tumors) :(

Here's a few pics from an event I helped at a few weeks ago. My friends baby aldabra tortoise continues to grow and be sassy and manipulative af
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Ribbit said:
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This was probably inhumanely posed, in all honesty.
The Lizard Queen said:
Why do people think reptiles are creepy?
Things like rodents are so much worse, with their scurrying and eyes and nasty little paws... eugh.
Click to expand...
Rodents can be cute too.
They are just much more likely to spread diseases to us, given they are taxonomically closer in relation to us.
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Not sure what this cute little thing is, but I uncovered him/her while surveying for Scarlet Kingsnakes, and took a quick photo before putting the wood back in place and leaving him/her be.
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This one is a Florida Mouse caught in a drift fence, a fairly unique species of deer mouse endemic only to the sandhills of north & central Florida.
They are one of many species to utilize Gopher Tortoise burrows, although they usually create their own little side-tunnels just below the entrance to the tortoise burrow.
 
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Fanatical Pragmatist said:
This was probably inhumanely posed, in all honesty.

Rodents can be cute too.
They are just much more likely to spread diseases to us, given they are taxonomically closer in relation to us.
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Not sure what this cute little thing is, but I uncovered him/her while surveying for Scarlet Kingsnakes, and took a quick photo before putting the wood back in place and leaving him/her be.
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This one is a Florida Mouse caught in a drift fence, a fairly unique species of deer mouse endemic only to the sandhills of north & central Florida.
They are one of many species to utilize Gopher Tortoise burrows, although they usually create their own little side-tunnels just below the entrance to the tortoise burrow.
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That's super cool, I know gopher tortoises are keystone species especially because so many other animals utilize their burrows. I know eastern indigo and eastern diamondback rattlesnakes are common roomies with gopher torts, as well as the aptly named, endangered gopher frog.
 
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Android raptor said:
That's super cool, I know gopher tortoises are keystone species especially because so many other animals utilize their burrows. I know eastern indigo and eastern diamondback rattlesnakes are common roomies with gopher torts, as well as the aptly named, endangered gopher frog.
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Most species that aren't either birds* or arboreal lizards use GT burrows out there in those sandhill/xeric scrub/pine savanna ecosystems. Another cool one is the Florida Pine Snake.
It makes sense if you've ever been in those environments, really sandy and barren without much else permanent shelter.

*Even then Burrowing Owls also use old GT burrows, and I think there is some other kind of ground bird that has been recorded rooming down in those holes.
 
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