Out of action for a few days.....

[MarkCDodd]

Got stung by one of these lovely little guys....

http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Red_Bull_Ant_Sand.JPG

I have been stung many times before but for some reason I had a reaction to this one.

My left leg turned a lovely shade of red and puffed up to a huge size.

Ouchy.....

[peterd]

how the ant as it got a headache

[Northern Lass]

I hope the ant is ok!!

[Maths girl]

we missed you -- hope you are feeling better!

[grangers14]

I was wondering where you were.
What a nasty looking thing! I hope you are feeling much better now.
Jo

[Rob]

When i was in Australia i was warned about this little feller.They said his favourite hiding place was under the toilet seat!!
Well you can imagine what happened!!
The Redback spider (Latrodectus hasselti) is a potentially dangerous spider native to Australia that resembles a Black widow spider. It is a member of the genus Latrodectus or the widow family of spiders, which are found throughout the world. The female is easily recognisable by its black body with prominent red stripe on its abdomen. Females have a body length of about a centimetre while the male is smaller, being only 3 to 4 millimetres long. The Redback spider is one of few animals which display sexual cannibalism while mating.Their are often found under toilet seats.
Redbacks are considered one of the most dangerous spiders in Australia.[1] The Redback spider has a neurotoxic venom which is toxic to humans with bites causing severe pain. There is an antivenom for Redback bites which is commercially available.

Oh Mark hope you're feeling better.

[Northern Lass]

It is an ant not a spider!

[Jimmy]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Redback_spider

[Rob]

I worry about you Northern Lassie!!
When i said i was warned i referred to the Redback Spider not an ant!!
You just wade in with your "funny (not!!) comments" withouit reading what's been said!
This is the 2nd time in the last few days you've waded in!!
Take some friendly advice from an older person namely when reading or doing things.Calm down!!

[Annie]

Hi Mark hope you are feeling much better now, don't lke the look of that Ant, nice to have you back.

Annie

[Northern Lass]

:roll: I worry about you Northern Lassie!!
When i said i was warned i referred to the Redback Spider not an ant!!
You just wade in with your "funny (not!!) comments" withouit reading what's been said!
This is the 2nd time in the last few days you've waded in!!
Take some friendly advice from an older person namely when reading or doing things.Calm down!!

Listen Robert OLD pal!!

Let's actually analyse what you say ok
and here's an idea make your post clear and unmbiguous

No where did you say you were referring to a spider....

Rob said.....

When i was in Australia i was warned about this little feller. (this is on the heels of talking about ants...if you meant another insect why not state it
my mind reading capacities are not up to reading warped ones!)
this little fella you say...so we can only imagine that you are referring to the ant )

They said his favourite hiding place was under the toilet seat!! (so what are we talking about here...still no mention of spiders..oh! must be ants he is wobbling about!)

Well you can imagine what happened!! (well why not we have to second guess everything else you post!)
The Redback spider (Latrodectus hasselti) is a potentially dangerous spider native to Australia that resembles a Black widow spider. It is a member of the genus Latrodectus or the widow family of spiders, which are found throughout the world. The female is easily recognisable by its black body with prominent red stripe on its abdomen. Females have a body length of about a centimetre while the male is smaller, being only 3 to 4 millimetres long. The Redback spider is one of few animals which display sexual cannibalism while mating.Their are often found under toilet seats.
Redbacks are considered one of the most dangerous spiders in Australia.[1] The Redback spider has a neurotoxic venom which is toxic to humans with bites causing severe pain. There is an antivenom for Redback bites which is commercially available.

(zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz
by this time we have all fallen asleep
so no one gives a wotsit about what you want to impress on us...you googled it anyway!!)


So may I make a suggestion Mr Wonderful!!
take time before you wish to dazzle us with your googling skills
to read what you put



how are you Mark?

[mikleed]

Who says emigrate to Australia ?......stuff the place !.......and they slag England.... what a laugh!
Mike.

[peterd]

by the way mark and all the aussie on site happy Australia day

[Jimmy]

I agree peterd, Happy Australia day, A Wonderful Country.

[MarkCDodd]

First day back at work and it itches like hell but better than I thought it would be..

As for the nasty wildlife in Australia.....

You learn to live with the vaious beasties. Redback spiders are in huge numbers, I could go outside and get a dozen in five minutes, but it has been years since anybody died from one. I think about 500 get bitten each year. They live in particular spots and do not move around much so as long as you are aware of their favorite lairs then they are not a problem.

Funnel Web spiders are much scarier. They kill the occasional person and most who are bitten are putting on clothes or shoes where the big hairy beasties have been hiding.

The many different deadly snakes are also in very large numbers. In the forest near me I have seen Red Belly Blacks, Tiger Snakes, Copperheads and Brown Snakes. Each of these can kill you, but the Red Belly woud have to inject a lot of venom. They are fairly docile, except the Tiger Snake which sometimes chases you whilst making a "barking" sound, and will move away as long as you make enough noice with your footsteps. If I see a Tiger Snake I will not try and scare it off but wait for it to move away or find another path. Once again, deaths are rare and anti-venom is held in all hospitals.

My brother was almost expelled for hiding a live Red Belly Black in my sister's school desk. When she lifted the lid to get her text books the snake hissed and the class exptied in a few seconds

There are jellyfish that will kill you within minutes and a young girl died in less than 60 seconds a few months ago. Once again, you know where they are and can avoid them with any sense. Sometimes they are in unexpected places and that is just bad luck.

Crocodiles like to eat tourists up north. Americans seem to ignore the "Do not swim here!!!" signs.

The scariest creature I have ever come across are the wild boars. I used to hunt them and more than once ended up in a tree shooting at one that had taken a dislike to me. Whoever introduced these to Australia for "fun" must have been insane.