Critters of The Desert Part 1 - Scorpions
I've seen a few scorpions in my day and have felt their tail between my toes more than once but the ones e get in Perth are midgets.
The Desert Scorpions in central Australia are like terrestrial lobsters but I believe not seriously toxic. Nor are they quick to sting. I prodded one gently with a stick to test it's patience and to garner a sense of it's personality, a getting to know you mechanism if you will.
It did not choose to attack the stick
(like many spiders and big ants I've tried it on) but ran in a strange zigzag manner very quickly away. It might respond differently to a living appendage of course but I was satisfied it looked more fearsome than it behaved.
The above animal would be about 10cm( about 4 inches) in length when extended.
I would not choose to sleep in the desert without sturdy and well sealed protection, if not space, between myself and the ground.
posted by David Burge at
6:30 AM
11 Comments:
Hi David,
Wow!!!! What a photo!!! These guys look like they're clued-up to the 'stick-prod assessment routine'! They may be a lot smarter than we give them credit for! LOL. I wouldn't try side-stepping a zig-zagging critter like that! Hope you have (ahem) weather/dust sills under the doors of your houses over there! Could keep out more than 'dust'...!
cheers,
ω
I figured down there you blokes would have some kind of ritual like biting the tails off and doing a shot of Bombora. I'd do it...if you do it first!
This comment has been removed by the author.
Wha I meant to say was;
Wayne you're right damn it! The scorpion was probably wise to my stick trick personality testing process!
Nick, if we ever share one of those bottles of tequila that desecrates it with a scorpion I shall arm wrestle you for the least crunchy bits.
I wouldn't be caught dead in a place like this!
"Stick prodding"..."zig-zagging"..."crunchy bits"...oh my...good photo though!
PG:)
It's actually the agave worm, from the cactus. Never have eaten one I'm ashamed to say. Sounds strange, but I'd rather eat a scorpion (deep-fried or something) than a tuna fish sandwich. I hate stuff like tuna fish.
I've swallowed a few of those worms under the misapprehension that I might have an 'experience'.
I even chewed on one to no avail.
I have come across a scorpion in an expensive bottle of tequila once but never ate it.
Can't think why you don't like Tuna!
Scorpions are really beautiful creatures. Better to see them in the wild than encased in acrylic on some yahoo's belt buckle. When I was in China I saw the street food venders were selling scorpion kabobs - a skewer with about 10 tiny roasted scorpions. I passed.. this time. Ever read "Do androids dream of electric sheep?" Unusual story describing the state of animals on Earth. I am enjoying your photos from your travels....
I love these sketches Dave...especially Dingo and the Olga's.
Some great work will come out of this experience!
You are inspirational...I need to draw more too!
I am off to put my sketch book in for my trip to the red centre...in June (maybe not the best time but it will have to do)
thought i'd get the one finger in use here...sorry mate i never got back to you on email...have been on a painting surge, no bloody time for bloody anything...you know what that is...alas ,its now run dry...hence the time to indulge...just want to say; nice work man! so refreshing to see someone not in the gumtree brigade...nice vision( you do have ph. no's of those two girls?wow!)i think i should do something new whenever i see work like yours and nicks,but we are who we are, so i'm of to venice again. we all have our muses(yours far more atractive than venice!)anyhow,good on you for doing your own thing...its a pleasure to see sincere wuork no matter who does it, but when its comboned with talent as well, its doubled...keep going mate! joseph 'z'
Cheers Joseph!
I really appreciate you taking time out of a hectic schedule to drop me line.
I think you should stick to what you do as well.
Your sense of balance in a landscape is probably unique. You were meant to do it.
My wife grabbed me your DVD with North Carlton and the Yarra Valley demos in them when she was at the Alice Springs library last week. I spent most of last Saturday watching it x2.
The windy little slipway demo is breathtakingly awesome. I learnt a heap from that DVD.
There are some dramatic formations up here but they don't necessarily make good subjects.
Kind of frustrating to drive past incredible beauty every day and know that it's just never going to be much on paper.
Re My Lady friends picture, I guess I should dedicate that one to Alice Springs. This town is not JUST the capital of Desert Art.
You can rest assured the beauty of Venice will outlast those two.
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