Monday, November 8, 2010

Nature notes: it's that time of year again

Would you say it was good or bad feng shui that I have redbacks busily spinning and weaving around the hinges of both the front and the back security doors? (This house has only two external doors.)

I mean, on the one hand they are living creatures. And on the other hand they are, well, you know.

In other news, on my way out to the supermarket I saw a sleepy lizard calmly poised at the edge of the footpath, waiting to cross the road. Which means I've left it too late to get the back yard mowed again, and the poor yard-mowing dude will probably end up with a mangled sleepy or bluetongue in his mower again. It's a jungle out there.

8 comments:

elsewhere said...

I've never had much truck with feng shui. If I would suspect they were secret serial killer redbacks, living in Adelaide'n'all.

Kerryn Goldsworthy said...

Nothing secret about our serial killers! I think the redbacks are serial killers of earwigs and such (and more power to their eight elbows when it comes to earwigs), but setting up home in the crannies of the architraves is a bit too close to the kittehs for my liking.

You should be aware that anything you say about Adelaide may be pinched for the (Adelaide) book, and that goes for your recent blog post about writing-about-place as well.

Helen said...

I miss the bluetongues of Adelaide. There was a gecko on the kitchen window the other night - sweet things they are.

A NZ relative who came for a visit had a complete meltdown when we told her about the flying foxes in the trees next to the house. Because, of course, they'll land on your head and nest in your hair, won't they!

Kerryn Goldsworthy said...

Helen, I only ever met one gecko I didn't like, and that was the teeny-tiny one that somehow managed to make its way into the innards of the outside unit of the very expensive and at that point fairly new R/C aircon and fry the motherboard. And, of course, itself.

Ariane said...

I'm totally arachnophobic, but for some reason have no real fear of redbacks. I understand your concern for the cats though. Especially if they like to chase little creatures.

Speaking of elbows, avoid getting bit on the elbow by one of them ipsy wipsies, it makes it swell up all red and makes you feel pretty rotten. Speaking from my father's experience.

ThirdCat said...

Apparently, redbacks have been in Dubai for ages and have now made it to Abu Dhabi, though only spotted out near the airport so far which is about 30kms from my apartment...horridly beautiful, beautifully, horrid things that they are I do miss them. And bluetongues.

fifi said...

My place is swarming with redbacks. i almost put my hand on one last week when I was moving somthing in next to the back door.
They are handsome little horrors I must say.

Anonymous said...

Living on the Murray is cool but we have to keep an eye on hannah [she's a dog, actually she's THE dog] and teach her and enforce proper respect for the co-inhabitants of her place.
She has learned she has no hope catching roos so thats OK now she just sighs and watches them.
Sleepy lizards have re-emerged here and we have to make sure she doesn't attack them, we have largely succeeded but each year at this time we have to be ultra careful.
For example an hour or so ago there were two sleepies [sleepys?] indulging in intimate activity and hannah just watched.
Good girl hannah!!!

But the bloody butcherbird needs to learn the same lesson.
He [presuming its 'he'] attacks hannah 20,30,40 times a day.
She barely blinks.

Yesterday we had a goanna, about 40cm in length wander past as we were busy doing nothing on the verandah.
We restrained hannah and later I came here to the computer to check the goanna out.
Probably Gould's goana/monitor.
The really interesting thing I found out was that they, all goannas for that matter, are venomous.
Not just bacteria in mouth dangerous bite type of thing as in Komodos but fair dinkum proper venomous [albeit mildly].
All the more reason to teach hannah respect.
But the bit that grabbed my attention [all this is via Wiki] is that this venomous characteristic was only discovered in 2005!
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Goanna

"However, in 2005 researchers at the University of Melbourne announced that oral venom glands had been found in both goannas and iguanas."



Gee we neglect our environment in this country.


hannah's dad