Ever since Jaws, great whites have had a reputation as killing machines that has never seemed much point questioning.

However, that could all be about to change – after a study into the fearsome predators’ dining habits.

Scientists towed a 36ft Brydes whale carcass into a well-known hunting ground for the animals in an exercise aimed at documenting how they tackled the huge free lunch.

And these amazing pictures show how up to 30 of them stripped a single whale carcass – and gave an ‘extraordinary’ insight into how the much-feared predators behave.

But while many would have expected a feeding frenzy and potentially lethal fights between the razor-teethed gians, the behaviour observed was quite different.

The sharks appeared to select choice cuts of the dead whale and did not appear to be aggressive towards each other.

Free lunch: The 30 great white sharks were provided with a whale carcass so scientists could study their eating habits

Tasty findings: Alison Kock was the principal scientist at Save Our Seas Shark Centre and Shark Spotting Programme, at Cape Town in South Africa and was surprised by the sharks

Alison Kock, 33, the principal scientist at Save Our Seas Shark Centre and Shark Spotting Programme, at Cape Town South Africa, said: ‘Contrary to their reputation as mindless killers, the level of selectivity for which parts of the dead whale they ate was extraordinary.

‘They targeted the energy-rich blubber, often making repeated “test bites” where no flesh was removed, and removing flesh only once they had determined it was what they wanted. If they got a mouthful of muscle, they often spat it out.

‘They were very picky.’

It’s thought the huge whale was killed after being struck by a boat and was found floating towards Miller’s Point near Cape Town, South Africa, where the clean up operation for the local authorities would have been difficult as their huge bodies are harder to remove on land.

It was also feared the body – giving off oils that attract predators like sharks – may have drawn in great whites to an area frequented by swimmers.

Kock added: ‘Permission was granted by the authorities to have the dead whale towed to nearby Seal Island where the carcass was less of an issue and the sharks could help solve the clean-up problem.

‘In addition it provided an unparalleled opportunity to document white shark behaviour and record the number of sharks in the area.

‘Whale carcasses are believed to be a very important source of food for white sharks with some scientific evidence suggesting they follow whale migrations possibly to, opportunistically feed on dead or sick whales.’

Jaws: Alison Koch said: ‘Contrary to their reputation as mindless killers, the level of selectivity for which parts of the dead whale they ate was extraordinary’

Blubber: During the nine-day experiment Kock and her team made some shocking discoveries, including the fact that the sharks seemed to have a huge preference for soft blubber over tough muscle

During the nine-day experiment, which ended on Saturday, Kock and her team made some shocking discoveries, including the fact that the sharks seemed to have a huge preference for soft blubber over tough muscle.

‘In the case of the whale carcass the sharks knew exactly what they wanted,’ said Kock.

‘It provides evidence that when they bite into a surfboard, or kayak or person wearing a wetsuit they can immediately determine it’s not something they want to eat.

‘It’s very common in attacks on humans for white sharks to take a single bite and leave it at that. Our study provides more evidence that they are simply tasting and looking for meat that is nutritious. It shows that they are not just swimming around mindlessly eating everything they come across, as they are sometimes portrayed.’

She added: ‘I was surprised at the total number of white sharks that fed on the dead whale over the nine days we documented the event. We recorded over 30 different sharks in total. At one stage we had up to four white sharks feeding simultaneously on the carcass.

‘The first two days were the busiest with the most sharks, and the activity slowly decreased as the sharks had their fill. The last two days we recorded no sharks feeding on the carcass.

‘Many of the sharks I recognised as individuals hunting seals around the island from this shark season, as well as previous years. We used their unique dorsal fins to identify them, but there were also new sharks that I had never seen before.

‘The sharks showed very little aggression towards one another in the presence of such a large food source, often feeding side by side.

‘Some of the sharks we observed were gorging on the blubber and you could actually see their bellies getting fuller.

“Some would arrive quite skinny and by the end of their session they looked pregnant with their bellies bulging.’

During the study, the sharks reduced the carcass down to less than seven feet (two metres) of bone and muscle, having removed all the blubber.

Shark enthusiast Kock, added: ‘This is the ultimate example of the very important role sharks play in the ecosystem. That of recycling life, and of keeping our oceans healthy by removing dead and decaying animals like dead whales.’

via Shark attack: Incredible pictures of 30 great whites stripping a whale carcass provide ‘extraordinary’ insight into eating habits | Mail Online.

It is really hard to tell which animal is the most poisonous in the world. The one that has the most toxic chemicals? The one that kills the biggest amount of people a year? Or maybe the one with the biggest amount of poison?

First of all, I have to admit that the title is a bit incorrect, because there is a difference between poisonous and venomous animals. A poisonous animal carries harmful chemicals called toxins primarily used for self defense. Therefore venomous animals deliver their toxins by stinging, stabbing, or biting. So poisonous animals are passive killers, while venomous animals are active killers.

Nevertheless, theory aside, they are all really dangerous. So look really closely at each photo, cause next time you meet them can be the last thing you ever see.

1. Box Jellyfish

The top prize for “The World Most Venomous Animal,” would go to the Box Jellyfish. It has caused at least 5,567 recorded deaths since 1954. Their venom is among the most deadly in the world. It’s toxins attack the heart, nervous system, and skin cells. And the worst part of it is that jelly box venom is so overpoweringly painful, that human victims go in shock, drown or die of heart failure before even reaching shore. Survivors experience pain weeks after the contact with box jellies.

You have virtually no chance to survive the venomous sting, unless treated immediately. After a sting, vinegar should be applied for a minimum of 30 seconds. Vinegar has acetic acid, which disables the box jelly’s nematocysts that have not yet discharged into the bloodstream (though it will not alleviate the pain). Wearing panty hose while swimming is also a good prevention measure since it can prevent jellies from being able to harm your legs.

Jelly box can be found in the waters around Asia and Australia.

2. King Cobra

The King Cobra (Ophiophagus hannah) is the world’s longest venomous snake – growing up to 5.6 m (18.5 ft) in length. Ophiophagus, literally means “snake-eater” as it eats other snakes. One single bite of this deadly snake can easily kill a human. This snake is even capable of killing a full-grown Asian Elephant within 3 hours if the larger animal is bitten in a vulnerable area such as the trunk.

It’s venom is not as toxic as other venomous snakes, but King Cobra is capable of injecting 5 times more venom than black mamba and can result in mortality up to 5 times faster than that of the black mamba. It is quite widespread, ranging across South and South-east Asia, living in dense highland forests.

3. Marbled Cone Snail

This little beautiful looking Marbled Cone snail can be as deadly as any other animal on this list. One drop of its venom is so powerful that it can kill more than 20 humans. If you ever happen to be in warm salt water environment (where these snails are often found) and see it, don’t even think of picking it up. Of course, the true purpose of its venom is to catch its prey.

Symptoms of a cone snail sting can start immediately or can be delayed in onset for days. It results in intense pain, swelling, numbness and tingling. Severe cases involve muscle paralysis, vision changes and breathing failure. There is no antivenom. However, only about 30 human deaths have been recorded from cone snail envenomation.

4. Blue-Ringed Octopus

The Blue-Ringed Octopus is very small, only the size of a golf ball, but its venom is so powerful that can kill a human. Actually it carries enough poison to kill 26 adult humans within minutes, and there is no antidote. They are currently recognized as one of the world’s most venomous animals.

Its painless bite may seem harmless, but the deadly neurotoxins begin working immediately resulting in muscular weakness, numbness, followed by a cessation and breathing and ultimately death.

They can be found in tide pools in the Pacific Ocean, from Japan to Australia.

5. Death Stalker Scorpion

Contrarily to the popular belief most of the scorpions are relatively harmless to humans as stings produce only local effects (pain, numbness or swelling). However, the Death Starker Scorpion is highly dangerous species because its venom is a powerful cocktail of neurotoxins which causes an intense and unbearable pain, then fever, followed by coma, convulsions, paralysis and death. Fortunately, while a sting from this scorpion is extremely painful, it would be unlikely to kill a healthy, adult human. Young children, the old, or infirm (with a heart condition) are at the biggest risk.

Death stalker scorpions are spread in North Africa and Middle East.

6. Stonefish

Maybe Stonefish would never win a beauty contest, but it would definitely win the top prize for being “The World Most Venomous Fish”. Its venom causes such a severe pain that the victims of its sting want the affected limb to be amputated. It is described as the worst pain known to man. It is accompanied with possible shock, paralysis, and tissue death. If not given medical attention within a couple of hours It can be fatal to humans.

Stonefish stores its toxins in gruesome-looking spines that are designed to hurt would-be predators.

Stonefish mostly live above the tropic of Capricorn, often found in the shallow tropical marine waters of the Pacific and Indian oceans, ranging from the Red Sea to the Queensland Great Barrier Reef.

7. The Brazilian wandering spider

The Brazilian Wandering Spider (Phoneutria) or banana spider appears in the Guinness Book of World Records 2007 for the most venomous spider and is the spider responsible for most human deaths.

This spider is believed to have the most potent neurotoxic venom of any living spider. Only 0.006mg (0.00000021oz) is sufficient to kill a mouse. They are also so dangerous because of their wandering nature. They often hide during daytime in highly populated areas inside houses, clothes, boots, and cars.

Its venomous bite causes not only intense pain, the venom of the spider can also cause priapism – uncomfortable erections lasting for many hours that lead to impotence.

8. Inland Taipan

The prize for “The World’s Most Venomous Snake” goes to the Inland Taipan of Australia. Just a single bite from this snake contains enough venom to kill 100 human adults or an army of 250,000 mice. Its venom is at least 200 – 400 times more toxic than a common cobra. The Inland Taiwan’s extremely neurotoxic venom can kill an adult human in as little as 45 minutes. Fortunately this snake is very shy and there have been no documented human fatalities (all known bites were treated with antivenin).

9. Poison Dart Frog

If you ever happen to be running through the rain forests somewhere in Central or South America, do not ever pick up beautiful and colorful frogs – it can be the Poison Dart Frog. This frog is probably the most poisonous animal on earth.The 2 inch long (5cm) golden poison dart frog has enough venom to kill 10 adult humans or 20,000 mice. Only 2 micrograms of this lethal toxin (the amount that fits on the head of a pin) is capable of killing a human or other large mammal. They are called “dart frogs” because indigenous Amerindians’ use of their toxic secretions to poison the tips of their blow-darts. Poison dart frogs keep their poison in their skins and will sicken or kill anybody who touches or eats it.

10. Puffer Fish

Puffer Fish are the second most poisonous vertebrate on earth (the first one is golden dart Frog). The meat of some species is a delicacy in both Japan (as fugu) and Korea (as bok-uh) but the problem is that the skin and certain organs of many puffer fish are very poisonous to humans.

This puffy fish produce rapid and violent death..Puffer’s poisoning causes deadening of the tongue and lips, dizziness, vomiting, rapid heart rate, difficulty breathing, and muscle paralysis. Victims die from suffocation as diaphragm muscles are paralyzed. Most of the victims die after four to 24 hours. There is no known antidote, Most deaths from fugu happen when untrained people catch and prepare the fish.

Statistics show that there were 20 to 44 incidents of fugu poisoning per year between 1996 and 2006 in all of Japan and up to six incidents per year led to death. Since Fugu’s poison can cause near instantaneous death, only licensed chefs are allowed to prepare it.

via The World`s Biggests: 10 Most Poisonous Animals in the World.

Another sub-par review because someone thinks we are wrong about the information in LETHAL. When actually, we are right.

Earthquakes are a real threat in Washington State, the most recent occurrence being in 1996. The potential for more happening in the future is there, because of existing, known fault lines.

Tornadoes are often also real threat in Washington State.  In 1972, Washington lead the country in tornado deaths. And in 1997, 6 tornadoes touched down in Washington state in a single day.

 April 5, 1972 – Washington’s Deadliest Tornado Outbreak

* An F3 tornado touched down in Vancouver

* 6 deaths and 300 injured, Washington led nation in tornado deaths that year

* Tornado swept through a grocery store, bowling alley, and grade school near where Vancouver Mall is today

* 50 million dollars in damage

* Later that day, another F3 tornado touched down west of Spokane

* And an F2 tornado struck rural Stevens county

* Numerous severe thunderstorms with large hail and damaging winds were reported over other areas of eastern Washington 

As for the Great White Shark in the woods, it’s likely the user is in a coastal forest, and when in a coastal area, we list the dangers that the oceans represent, as a general rule.

It’s frustrating that our app consistently gets bad reviews for having information that is accurate, but unexpected or against “common wisdom.” Oh well.

We here at Team LETHAL will make a deal with you, Yukon Corneilius. If you will re-rate our app with 5 stars instead of 4, we will do everything within our ability to help fix San Diego’s disease problem. If that’s what it takes to get a 5 star review, we’ll do it.

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Another positive review of Lethal, this time from a Canadian site.

Review: Stay aware with Lethal!

Today I have an application called “Lethal” which uses the GPS location function in your iPhone to assess the area you are in of dangers!

Lethal by Elany Arts Inc.

Lethal measures your surrounding area forthreats using four scales: Wildlife, Crime, Disease, and Disasters. The application locates you via the GPS function of the iPhone and then runs the assessment based on information complied from Government and Academic statistics and research.

Lethal just actually expanded its coverage to Canada, so along with Canadian coverage, the app has over 650 locations covered throughout North America.

When the application is started, Lethal searches for your location and then immediately assess the threats in the area. I have posted an image above of its assessment of Vancouver, BC, Canada (looks like a disaster is coming). Moreover, you can browse locations as well. So for example, if you are about to travel somewhere, you can get an early heads-up of the area. You also have access to a newly added feature called “Rank” which ranks the most dangerous areas to least areas, or vice versa.

Currently, Lethal is available in the iTunes AppStore for $0.99.

Enjoy!

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I would be pretty terrified to see an 8 foot long rattlesnake. I can’t really even fathom what that would look like. Think of the striking range that snake would have!

A diamondback in the rough

At last, a naturalist finds his Holy Grail: A rare rattler in remote Florida park

The eastern diamondback rattler struggles to stay alive as a species, no thanks to humans.John Serrao

April 26, 2009 6:00 AM

I don’t know what it was that suddenly brought my eyes to ground level after an hour of scanning the branches of the pines and oaks for birds along a remote trail in Florida’s vast Appalachicola National Forest. Was it the sunlight reflected off the glossy, yellowish skin? Or the wide, heavy shape stretched straight out among the thin, curving fallen branches that littered the ground? Or — most likely — the regular pattern of big, dark diamonds that extended four feet in a straight line just a few feet from my and my wife, Felicia’s, feet.

Even though I’d never seen one before, I immediately knew what the animal was, and after a glance of just a fraction of a second, I repeated three or four times in an excited but hushed voice to Felicia: “Diamondback rattlesnake!”

The eastern diamondback rattlesnake has been my “Holy Grail” — the number one item on my “bucket list” — for more than 30 years. Quite simply, it’s the biggest, most dangerous snake in the United States. A handful of snakes, including the indigo snake and our own black rat snake, may slightly exceed the diamondback’s maximum recorded length of eight feet, but none can match its sheer bulk and weight, nor the immense size of its head. I’ve seen timber rattlesnakes in the Poconos that measure 4½ feet long and 8 inches in circumference, and I can’t possible imagine an eastern diamondback rattlesnake almost twice that size.

What an impressive creature to encounter in the pine forests of Florida, Georgia or the Carolinas! But, despite countless visits to the wilderness areas of these southern states over the past three decades, including places highly recommended by other naturalists, foresters and park rangers, I’ve never seen one — until March 24, 2009, a date I’ll never forget.

After my initial shock at the sight of such a big snake just a few feet off the trail, I quickly assessed the situation. It appeared very calm and remained completely motionless, stretched out lengthwise in the sunlight. Its beautiful, yellowish-tan skin was shiny and almost iridescent, indicating that it had very recently shed it skin.

The conditions for photographing it could not have been better, and, since no people were in the forest except for Felicia and me, I could take my time and just enjoy this amazing, once-in-a-lifetime (I hope not) experience. I photographed it from every angle for at least 15 minutes, and it remained motionless.

Then, before we moved on, in order to prevent it from being detected by anyone who might harm it, I gently tapped it with a branch. This caused the rattlesnake to slowly withdraw beneath the cover of a shrub, where it coiled up to face me and began to rattle, warning me not to come any closer. It seemed both fearless and non-aggressive at the same time — an animal completely secure with its own status at the top of the food chain, with no natural enemies except humans.

Unfortunately, humans have taken a terrible toll over the years on populations of eastern diamondback rattlesnakes, just as they have with timber rattlesnakes in the northeastern states and various species of western rattlesnakes. Unbelievably, unlike our own timber rattler, the eastern diamondback enjoys no laws to protect it — no restrictions against killing, collecting, habitat destruction or the insanity of “rattlesnake roundups,” a community snake-hunting tradition started long ago by ranchers who thought rattlesnake populations were too high.

Dr. Bruce Means, the expert on this species, conducts research in the Florida Panhandle and has written extensively on its biology and population declines. I read his excellent book, “Stalking the Plumed Serpent” (Pineapple Press, Sarasota, 2008), this past winter and became even more obsessed with finally seeing an eastern diamondback in the wild after vicariously experiencing his adventures with this magnificent reptile (the first chapter, which relates a nearly fatal bite and his struggle to crawl back to civilization, is sure to raise the hairs on the back of anyone’s neck). However, Dr. Means, in a letter written to me in February, sadly informed me that the eastern diamondback rattlesnake now survives in good numbers only on a few isolated, remote barrier islands and within vast, protected wildernesses like the 500,000-acre Appalachicola National Forest.

During our 10 days in Florida, we saw 125 species of birds and almost 40 reptiles and amphibians. We saw the dusky pygmy rattlesnake; the beautiful and rare Gulf Hammock rat snake; the unusual, legless eastern glass lizard; and hundreds of butterflies of a dozen species flitting from flower to flower along the long, sandy trails. Alligators were common, including a mother with seven babies. And a big water moccasin coiled up, opened its mouth widely, and displayed its sharp, venomous fangs and famous “cottonmouth” while I photographed it.

I’m sure that all of these sightings will remain in my memory over the years, but none will be more treasured, vivid and indelible than my first experience with America’s most impressive snake, the eastern diamondback.

Let’s hope that, before it’s too late, laws will be passed to protect this relatively inoffensive reptile so that it can continue to give nature lovers unforgettable experiences in the southern pine forests of which it is such a magnificent part of the natural heritage.

User Review:

LETHAL Response:
All cities in the US and Canada with populations over 100,000 (according to most recent Census numbers) are covered in the latest update. Let us know what town you’re referring to, and we’d be happy to check it out.

None of the cities in the app are listed as 35 times the national average in any crime category. In Violent Crimes certain Canadian Provinces are 12 times. In Rape certain Canadian Provinces are 24.1 times. And in the Murder Category Downtown St. Louis is listed as 13.3 times the national average.

As a basic rule of thumb, if a city is within 10 miles of the ocean, we’ll list the aquatic dangers.

It’s 99 cents now, actually. And we do a lot of research to provide the most accurate information. As always, if you have a problem with any of the data, please contact us directly. We often make updates to make the information as valuable as possible.

User Review:

Our Response:

As we make clear in our FAQ’s and our sources section, LETHAL talks about possibilities, not what has happened. According to weather experts, tornadoes are completely possible (though with low likelihood, as noted in the app ) in the Flushings sections of Queens, as is demonstrated by the number of Tornadoes that have touched down in NY and NYC in the past. A NYC are Tornado has touched down as recently as 2006.

As for Copperheads, Queens is within their national range, and being an urban or suburban area does not mean the snake can’t show up. In fact, expects say that Copperheads may prefer some urban areas because of the many areas in which they can hide.

Since the App Store gives developers no ability to respond to user reviews, we’re going to do it here, occasionally. Mostly for our own sanity, since sometimes the things people say need to be debated a little!

Our Response:

Risk of either mosquito and crocodile attacks ARE low in the everglades. In the case of the mosquito, the LETHAL app is warning you about the possibility of an attack that would pose danger to a person. LETHAL is concerned more with deadly diseases, not just general itchiness. Disease bearing mosquitoes are actually rare in Florida, while not so rare in other parts of the world.

I think the user confused alligators and crocodiles. There are many alligators in the Everglades, and the risk of a gator attack is indeed heightened. However,  there is also a very small population of crocodiles in the Everglades. In fact, it’s the only place in the world where both crocs and gators co-exist.

But there is absolutely no documented record of an attack on a human by a crocodile there. (Or anywhere in the United States, for that matter.) American Crocs actually have a reputation of being less aggressive than crocs elsewhere in the world (though there have been attacks in Central and South America, where they are more prevalent.)

So for both mosquito and croc, putting the level of attack risk at “Low” is correct.

Thanks for saying we’re fun, but do understand that we strive to be educational too! We really really do!

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This is exciting! We’re listed as one of 9 apps that will change your life. Unfortunately, they’re listing our old price.

9 APPS THAT WILL CHANGE YOUR LIFE

April 24, 2009

Plan ahead

($1.99; iPhone)

Just how safe is your gated community? Lethal uses your location to determine how likely you are to be mauled, mugged, maimed or injected with flesh-eating bacteria by some otherwise cute ladybug. And you thought suburbia was safe.

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Even more LETHAL!

by Steven Sande on Apr 23rd 2009

Remember LETHAL? It’s an app that can keep you awake at night by telling you about all of the dangerous things that can kill, maim, or at least injure you. The good thing is that LETHAL does it in a humorous way.

We did a review of LETHAL a few months ago, and now the development team at Elany Arts has taken the app to a new level. Not only did they significantly upgrade LETHAL, but they also dropped the price of the app from US$1.99 down to US$0.99.

What’s changed? 

• LETHAL now gives a risk ranking for every US and Canadian town or city with a population over 100,000, plus all Canadian National Parks. If you’re within a large metropolitan area, you can watch your LETHAL index change as you drive around.
• More disasters! More dangerous animals!
• The crime information is more specific, with new updated crime data from the FBI database.
• You can view rankings for all locations from most dangerous to least (or vice versa) for all indexes and specific risks. Want to find the #1 area to get killed by a grizzly bear? LETHAL can help.
• Speaking of animals, they’re now displayed with their relative risk based on prevalence in the area and confirmed attacks (I griped about this in my earlier review, since they showed mountain lions as a big risk in my suburban neighborhood).
• Disasters are also displayed with their relative risk based on prevalence and confirmed incidents.

LETHAL (click opens iTunes) is a fun and fascinating app, and the new lower price and extra-chunky feature set makes it even more worthwhile.

Link

Rattler’s reputation takes a toxic turn for the worse

Experts suspect species is becoming deadlier

By Scott LaFee (Contact) Union-Tribune Staff Writer

2:00 a.m. April 20, 2009

With warming weather comes the return of rattlesnakes and renewed reports that one species of the slithering reptile may be biting more people and becoming more dangerous.

In recent years, some doctors and toxicologists in Southern California and across the Southwest have reported anecdotal evidence of an increase in snakebite cases, with more patients suffering extreme – sometimes fatal – consequences.

Last summer, San Diego Poison Control officials said the recorded number of “unusually powerful” snakebites had increased for the second consecutive year. Media attention has fanned the furor, most recently an article in the current issue of Scientific American that suggests the venom of the southern Pacific rattlesnake, a common species in San Diego County, is becoming “extratoxic.”

That’s bad news for potential bite victims and arguably worse news for rattlesnakes, but some herpetologists and snake experts question whether the phenomenon is real.

Each year, the San Diego division of the California Poison Control System records 40 to 60 rattlesnake bites in San Diego County, said Dr. Richard Clark, a toxicologist at the University of California San Diego and medical director of the local poison control center. In 2004, the poison control system recorded 42 rattlesnake bites to humans in the county. In 2005, there were 45; in 2006, 54; in 2007, 47; and last year, 41.

The real number is higher, Clark said, because snakebites are not among cases that doctors are required to report. Clark said he believes that locally, one or two snakebites in 2008 were fatal.

In the United States, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, there are roughly 7,000 reported venomous snakebites each year, 15 of which on average prove fatal.

Clark said the number of snakebites varies with shifting environmental conditions. Wildfires, for example, can substantially affect rattlesnake habitat, reproduction rates and prey availability. He predicted that the annual number of rattlesnake bites will trend upward “as we continue to build and expand into East County and snake habitat.”

San Diego County is home to four species of rattlesnake: the speckled, the red diamond, the sidewinder and the southern Pacific, which is a subspecies of the western rattlesnake and the most abundant rattler in the region.

It’s the southern Pacific rattlesnake that’s generating headlines and concern, with speculation that the species is evolving and expanding into a more dangerous animal. To some degree, scientists say, there are reasons to worry.

First, southern Pacifics are more widely distributed than other indigenous rattlesnakes. They live in diverse habitat from the beaches to the mountains, and they are tolerant of disturbed, developed areas.

“Southern Pacific rattlesnakes thrive where people prefer to live, so people encounter them relatively frequently,” said Dr. Sean Bush, a professor of emergency medicine at Loma Linda University and a snake researcher.

Second, the snakes appear to be more easily annoyed than other species and are more likely to defend themselves aggressively. Clark described them as having “nasty dispositions” and more inclined than other rattlers to bite before retreat.

Bush called them “people-biting snakes.”

It’s the bite, of course, that concerns doctors, scientists and potential victims. Rattlesnake venom is a lethal cocktail of toxins that quickly causes significant tissue damage and hemorrhaging. The bitten prey weakens and dies, and then the snake consumes it.

In humans, an ordinary rattlesnake bite produces initial swelling and bruising around the wound, but quick treatment and new antivenins mean rattlesnake bites are rarely fatal.

There is research to indicate that the venom of at least some southern Pacific rattlesnakes contains an additional deadly ingredient: a fast-acting neurotoxin that affects breathing and muscle control. (A telling symptom of a southern Pacific bite is rapid, uncontrollable muscle twitching.)

A neurotoxin is also present in the Mohave rattlesnake, a deadlier, desert-dwelling species found primarily in Arizona and Mexico, though part of its range reaches into eastern San Diego County.

Some researchers have speculated that interbreeding with Mohave rattlesnakes has produced a deadlier version of the southern Pacific. Richard Dart, director of the Rocky Mountain Poison and Drug Center in Denver, said it’s possible. “If they’re rattlesnakes, they’ll interbreed. I’ve seen it in the lab, though it’s probably not something that happens in nature every mating season.”

William Hayes, a biologist and snake researcher at Loma Linda University, is more skeptical. He dismisses the idea that southern Pacific rattlesnakes are naturally evolving a more toxic venom. The majority of western rattlesnakes lack neurotoxins in their venom, he said. If some southern Pacific rattlesnakes do in fact have them, it’s likely to be an unidentified toxin.

Bush suggests the phenomenon may be an example of convergent evolution.

“That is, an animal develops a similar trait because it utilizes it for a similar task,” Bush said. “Sort of like giraffes and brontosauruses both having long necks, probably to feed on leaves high in trees.”

On one thing all of the researchers agree: Size matters in snakebites. Adult victims tend to fare better than children because of greater body mass. And the bigger the snake, the worse its bite.

“I don’t know where the myth about baby rattlers being more dangerous came from,” said Dr. Roy Johnson, an Escondido-based physician and herpetologist. “The key is how much venom is injected, and a big snake injects a lot more venom than a small snake.”

Anecdotal reports of nastier snakebites may be due to a proportionate increase in big snakes. Hayes said chronic drought conditions in Southern California may have reduced reproductive rates among rodents and other small mammals, which are the southern Pacific’s preferred prey.

As a result, the rattlesnake’s reproductive rate has also declined, reducing the number of juvenile snakes. “We may well be seeing a shift toward more bites being inflicted by larger rattlesnakes simply because smaller snakes may now be disproportionately few,” Hayes said. Southern Pacific rattlesnakes can grow up to 4 feet in length.

Snakebite data suggest big snakes usually bite big people. Children tend to be bitten by small rattlesnakes they stumble upon inadvertently. Adults are more often bitten by rattlesnakes they try to pick up.

“If anything, we can expect the escalating emphasis on snakes in nature television programming to inspire more people to make dumb decisions about handling venomous snakes,” Hayes said. “We might be seeing a shift in the demography of snakebite victims, with more adult men, many under the influence of alcohol, getting bitten by snakes they should not have been messing with.”

Johnson, the Escondido physician who has treated hundreds of snakebite victims over 30 years, agreed: “Mostly people get bitten because they tried picking up a snake, because they weren’t smart enough to know better.”

HOW TO TREAT A BITE

Rattlesnake bites are rarely fatal when the victim receives fast treatment. Administering antivenin is critical. Traditional first aid, such as applying ice, using a tourniquet or putting suction to the wound, may cause more harm than good.

If the bite occurs while in a remote setting, the wounded area should be immobilized (especially if it is an arm or leg) and the victim quickly but safely transported to the nearest phone. Dial 911 and wait for assistance. If no phone is available, drive to a hospital or clinic.

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LOCAL RATTLESNAKES

 

WESTERN/SOUTHERN PACIFIC 
Crotalus viridis helleri

Description: Up to 4 feet in length. Light gray or brown, with pale margins around dorsal blotches. At higher elevations, specimens may be black. Juveniles have yellow-green tails.

Habitat: Seacoast to pine-wooded mountain ranges.

Behavior: Aggressively defensive.

RED DIAMOND 
Crotalus ruber

Description: Usually in the 3-foot range, though some adults may exceed 5 feet. Distinctively reddish or tan, with subtle diamond pattern on back and a black-and-white tail.

Habitat: Areas of rock and brush, such as coastal sage scrub.

Behavior: Generally docile, though individual temperaments vary.

SOUTHWESTERN SPECKLED 
Crotalus mitchelli pyrrhus

Description: Up to 3 feet in length. Color matches earth tones of environs, with black speckles forming indistinct bars or blotches on back. Dark rings on tail.

Habitat: Most abundant in inland rocky areas and in the desert.

Behavior: Alert, nervous and quick to rattle when disturbed.

SIDEWINDER 
Crotalus cerastes

Description: Rarely exceeds 2 feet. Generally pale tan and pink, matching desert sands. Dark square blotches on backside. Hornlike protrusions above eyes.

Habitat: Sandy desert

Behavior: Quick and elusive, leaving distinctive J-shaped tracks.

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Attacks of Nature: Killed by Lightning

Posted: 3:57 PM Apr 21, 2009 Last Updated: 7:48 PM Apr 21, 2009 Reporter: Liz Hayes

Lightning is an incredible force of nature.

Each spark can cross more than five miles in length, reach temperatures of 50,000 degrees Fahrenheit, and contain up to 100 million voltes of electricity.

According to the National Weather Service, since 1940, there have been 62 lightning related deaths in Wisconsin.

And in the midst of Severe Weather and Tornado Awareness Week, that’s an important number to consider.

Liz Hayes continues her special series, ‘Attacks of Nature.’ Here, she explains how mother nature can change lives forever, as a young man is ripped from his family and friends by a devastating strike of lightning.

On July 24, 2006, members of the Antigo-based hard rock band Below Logic were working on their brand new bus.

They were going to use it to take their music across the country in the hopes of making it big.

But before they could, the unthinkable happened.

“We were in a hurry to get all the stuff in the bus because it was set up outside and Curt had ran back into the house and me and Bill were loading stuff on the bus and when we got on the bus we heard a really loud explosion,” said Dave Krueger, 29, of Below Logic.

A storm had brewed out of nowhere and Curtis Meyer, 24, had been struck by lightning. He died instantly.

“I can’t explain the noise that I heard but it was really loud. Next thing I look outside, and Curt was lying on the ground,” Krueger said.

Hundreds of thousands of volts of electricity struck a giant tree in Curt’s backyard.

He was running for shelter when the lightning entered his body.

Krueger couldn’t believe what had happened.

“One minute we’re working on our bus, following our dream of being a musician and next thing you know, boom, he’s gone in a blink of an eye like that. It’s been tough. It’s been really hard,” he said.

Curt was known as a quiet, down-to-earth, well-mannered guy who loved music and the outdoors, and dreamt of becoming a rock star.

“He did a lot for a lot of people and he knew a lot of people and he didn’t go on telling people about it, you just heard about it from other people. He wanted the band to go out and try it and see what would happen,” said Bob Meyer, Curt’s father.

His parents, who were so proud of their son, were overwhelmed with emotion.

“I was told Curt was struck by lighting, all I could think was he must have been on the golf course….and when you find out that it happened just in his yard, right at his house, that just doesn’t make sense. It’s not supposed to happen,” said Ruth Meyer, his mother.

And now everytime Krueger hears the low rumble of thunder, he’s reminded of how precious life is.

“It’s changed my life big time in the fact that now if it’s storming, if it’s thundering and lightning I’m not outside,” he said.

The Meyers have started an Antigo chapter of The Compassionate Friends.

“It’s so hard losing a child,” said Bob.

It’s a grief support group that has helped the couple cope with their son’s death.

“I think because we know the pain of losing a child, it just does us good to reach out and help others who may be going through the same thing,” Ruth said.

And now all three want people to know that lightning is incredibly dangerous, and that if you happen to be in the wrong place at the wrong time, you can be killed in a mere moment.

“Mother nature’s always been strong. I believe the storms and that are getting worse,” Bob said.

The day before he died, Curtis wrote an email to a new friend.

In it he writes, “I like to think of myself as a moral man. I believe in God and in doing the right thing. When I die I want people to think of me as a good, respectable person that never gave up on life.”

And that’s exactly how we will. 

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Lightning strikes Mack Bayou home

April 20, 2009 – 10:28 AM

Debbie Wheeler

The Walton Sun

 

Lisa Hinds has lived in coastal areas all her life, but never incurred any damage from storms until Monday morning.

Hinds was in her second-floor bedroom at her Mack Bayou home during the hard rains, along with her two dogs, Lola and Ricco.

When the storm worsened, Hinds gathered up the pups and went downstairs to turn off electronics. The three then curled up on the sofa to wait for the storm to pass.

About 10 minutes later Hinds heard a loud boom and saw pieces of her framed artwork that had been hanging in the ascending stairwell came flying down the stairs.

“All the smoke detectors went off and I immediately smelled smoke,” said Hinds. “I picked up the dogs and ran to the back door. The yard was scattered with debris from the house. I ran outside and smoke was billowing from the house, but I couldn’t tell if it was a tree or if it was the house.”

She frantically dialed 911.

“Lola, Ricco and I stood on the porch soaking wet and lightning was all over the place. I ran to the garage, opened the door and looked back at my home. All I could see were red flames in my bedroom upstairs,” she said.

Hinds learned later that lightning had struck her home, entering the southwest corner of her second-floor closet, and traveling along her metal clothing rod to other points in the house.

Tuesday morning her house still reeked of a burn odor as she pointed to the broken glass in the downstairs hallway, burned electrical wall sockets, broken picture frames that held valuable and sentimental photos and artwork, and debris littering the outside. What was most heartbreaking, though, was finding the black burn mark left on her son’s baby blanket she wrapped him in to bring him home from the hospital.

“I didn’t save many mementos from my boys’ childhood. The blankets I brought them home from the hospital in was one of the few,” she said sadly. “That can’t be replaced.”  

Hinds and her pups are now homeless and looking for a place to live.

“They say it will take about six months to get my home livable,” she said.

So far, she knows the roof needs to be replaced, as does the electrical wiring, appliances and electronics.

“My clothes are wet and smell like smoke,” she added.  

“It was a strange day. But I’m safe and my doggies are safe. I was told that if I had been upstairs when it hit, I would be dead. I believe everything happens for a reason,” she said. “It just all feels surreal.”

According to South Walton Deputy Fire Chief Sean Hughes, the home incurred approximately $60,000 worth of damage.

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I don’t really understand why W made hunting Grizzlies legal when their numbers had barely recovered.

Bear facts: As bears die, hunters and climate change blamed

Bozeman, Mont. – Hunters are killing grizzly bears in record numbers around Yellowstone National Park, threatening to curb the species’ decades-long recovery just two years after it was removed from the endangered species list.By: Associated Press, Associated Press

Bozeman, Mont. – Hunters are killing grizzly bears in record numbers around Yellowstone National Park, threatening to curb the species’ decades-long recovery just two years after it was removed from the endangered species list.

Driving the high death rate, researchers say, is the bears’ continued expansion across the 15,000-square-mile Yellowstone region of Montana, Idaho and Wyoming.

Bears are being seen –and killed – in places where they were absent for decades. And with climate change suspected in the devastation of one of the bear’s food sources, there is worry the trend will continue as the animals roam farther afield in search of food.

“Last year may have been one those fluke years,” said Chuck Schwartz, a bear biologist with the U.S. Geological Survey. “Last year could be the beginning of a trend.”

Yellowstone’s 600 grizzlies were removed from the endangered species list in 2007, following a recovery program that cost more than $20 million. If the death rate stays high for a second consecutive year, that would trigger a review of the bear’s endangered status.

Federal officials say there were 48 bears killed by humans last year, out of 71 total deaths. At least 20 of the bruins died at the hands of hunters who shot bears in self-defense or after mistaking them for other animals.

“It’s kind of a spur-of-the-moment thing. All you see is a big bear coming at you full speed,” said Ron Leming, a Wyoming elk hunter who survived an attack from a 500-pound male grizzly after his father shot it dead with an arrow.

“If you play dead he might sit there and eat you,” Leming said.

Schwartz and other biologists who study grizzlies insist the population remains strong for now, growing on average 4 percent to 5 percent a year. Yet they acknowledge climate change could prove the wild card that puts that growth in check.

An epidemic of beetles in Yellowstone’s high country has laid waste to tens of thousands of acres of whitebark pine trees, which have seeds that some grizzlies rely on as a dietary staple.

Beetle epidemics are cyclical in the Northern Rockies. The latest one has been prolonged by several consecutive winters in which subfreezing temperatures did not last long enough to knock back the infestation.

If a warming world leads to less whitebark pine, environmentalists fear grizzlies will become more aggressive in challenging hunters – contests that bears usually lose.

“The prospect is that every year is going to be a bad food year because of what’s happening to whitebark,” said Doug Honnold, an attorney for the group Earthjustice.

Citing dying pine forests as a major threat, Honnold’s group sued the federal government in an attempt to get Yellowstone grizzlies back on the endangered species list.

Christopher Servheen, bear recovery coordinator with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, said his agency is closely monitoring the population and already crafting a plan to stem the death rate.

Promoting hunters’ use of bear spray – a mace-like substance that deters charging bears – tops the list of non-lethal strategies for handling bears.

But some hunters including Leming, who narrowly escaped his bear run-in near Cody, Wyo. last fall, say they would rather rely on a gun. Bear spray, Leming said, is great to have on hand when he’s sleeping in his tent. In the woods, he’d rather have a handgun at his side.

Gregg Losinski, an education specialist with Idaho Fish and Game, said promoting the possibility of future grizzly bear hunts might convince more people to buy into bear conservation.

Hunts currently are not allowed, but Losinski said the mere possibility could give hunters a sense that they will get a “payback” for conservation.

Other measures being considered to curb bear deaths are stepped-up public education efforts and restrictions on livestock grazing, to prevent bear attacks on sheep and cattle.

Even with those measures, researchers say bear deaths are inevitable as the animals returns to a different landscape than that occupied by their ancestors.

Before early European settlers drove bears to near extinction, there were an estimated 50,000 grizzlies in the western half of the United States.

Yellowstone’s bears are among about 1,500 that have since repopulated the Northern Rockies. They must compete for space with several million tourists, and property owners.

“Some people say, ‘This is terrible, there’s more bears killed now than in many years,’” Servheen said. “Well, there’s more bears now.”

Link

I had no idea. So now what should we carry to defend ourselves? Or should we just not worry about it?

Is Bear Pepper Spray Legal or Illegal to have in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park?

With more than 2 black bear per square mile and around 900 miles of hiking trails and roadways in the Great Smoky Mountains national park, your chances of having a bear encounter up close or from a distance are quite good. Because of this many hikers and campers carry cans of bear pepper spray they have purchased from either outfitters or online.

Regardless of what these stores or web sites are telling you, it is ILLEGAL to carry, posses or use any form of bear spray, pepper spray, mace or any other irritant gas spray in the Great Smoky Mountains national park. This is not just a “park rule” but a weapons law on federal property – not something you want to break at any cost.

Don’t kill the messenger as I was in complete shock when I learned of this through the kindness of a park employee who read on one of my web sites my recommendation to purchase and carry bear spray when hiking or camping in the Great Smoky Mountains national park.

It’s pretty obvious to anyone who hikes or goes camping in the Great Smoky Mountains national park that it is against the law to have a loaded firearm in the park. There are signs at every trailhead and this general rule – make that law – applies to most national parks.

The fact that guns are prohibited from the Great Smoky Mountains national park also appears on the back of park maps, in written park literature, is stated in lectures given by both park personal and volunteers and on the parks web site.

What is virtually impossible for the average park visitor to find anywhere is the fact that you can not carry bear spray or on your person – that includes in your backpack while in the park.

Even more confusing is the fact that if you do a general search on theGreat Smoky Mountains national park web site under “National Park Service for the term “bear spray” it describes the use of bear spray in other national parks.

Yesterday I went to a handful of local outfitters or their web sites in the Gatlinburg, Pigeon Forge and Sevierville area and they all have bear pepper spray for sale. When I asked not one told me I could not carry bear spray in the park.

As a mater of fact one of the best known outfitters in Gatlinburg whose store is so close it is almost in the GSM national park has on their web site “Bear Spray & Personal Protection For A Safe Hike In Great Smoky Mountains National Park Or In Your Own Neighborhood”.

To be further confusing many other companies online, web sites, hiker forums etc all advocate the use of Bear Pepper Spray in national parks – often specifically referencing the Great Smoky Mountains national park.

As mater of fact it is also used as a reason why guns should not be needed against a bear attack in a national park. I myself recommended it many times as a viable non lethal alternative to guns with a far lower chance of serious collateral damage to others.

I see Appalachian Trail through hikers in the Great Smoky Mountains national park as a group unknowingly breaking this law quite regularly and since their travels take them through various jurisdictions with varying laws they are at a greater risk of being caught up in breaking this weapons law on federal property.

In case you are wondering what the exact law is and if it has been misinterpreted by me here it is:

TITLE 36–PARKS, FORESTS, AND PUBLIC PROPERTY

CHAPTER I–NATIONAL PARK SERVICE, DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

PART 2_RESOURCE PROTECTION, PUBLIC USE AND RECREATION–Table of Contents
Sec. 2.4 Weapons, traps and nets.

(a)(1) Except as otherwise provided in this section and parts 7 (special regulations) and 13 (Alaska regulations), the following are prohibited:
(i) Possessing a weapon, trap or net
(ii) Carrying a weapon, trap or net
(iii) Using a weapon, trap or net
Definition of a weapon is described below:

TITLE 36–PARKS, FORESTS, AND PUBLIC PROPERTY

CHAPTER I–NATIONAL PARK SERVICE, DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

PART 1_GENERAL PROVISIONS–Table of Contents

Sec. 1.4 What terms do I need to know?
Weapon means a firearm, compressed gas or spring-powered pistol or rifle, bow and arrow, crossbow, blowgun, speargun, hand-thrown spear, slingshot, irritant gas device, explosive device, or any other implement designed to discharge missiles, and includes a weapon the possession of which is prohibited under the laws of the State in which the park area or portion thereof is located.

If you have purchased bear pepper spray through one of my web sites for use only in the GSMNP and you wish to return it, contact me through the site and I will arrange for you to be able to return it for a full refund.

If you own bear spray, don’t bring it into the Great Smoky Mountains national park and I suggest you call any other place you wish to carry it before you bring it there.

If you are not happy with the law banning the use of Bear Spray in the GSMNP, don’t harass the park employees, complain to your congressman or Washington.

As for my recommendation to the national park, I would consider adding a written notice that bear spray or any irritant gas device is illegal to posses in the GSMNP on:

• Park bulletin boards – the first one being at the beginning of the AT in Fontana.
• The black bear page on the parks web site
• Printing it on future bear, hiking and camping literature
• On the back of future issues of park maps where other park rules are located right next to where it says firearms are prohibited.

There are questions as to the effectiveness of Bear Spray and well as potential safety issues for those not properly trained in its use.

I also as that if you have a hiking or camping forum you post in, blog, MySpace or Facebook page you let others know about this law by linking to this page at:

http://yoursmokies.blogspot.com/2009/04/is-bear-pepper-spray-legal-or-illegal.html

As always comments are not only welcome but encouraged.

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Snakes Alive! Watch Where You’re Walking!

Snake Expert Explains Which Snakes Are Harmful, Which Aren’t

JACKSON, Miss. – There have been reports recently of snakes popping up all across Mississippi.

 

Just this week, several snakes were found in a Hattiesburg middle school. One even bit a teacher. 

Snake expert Terry Vandeventer explained that people don’t have to look very far in Mississippi to find snakes. 

Terry Vandeventer found this snake hiding under some old tin.

 

There’s no such thing as a snake repellent, Vandeventer said. Mothballs and commercial repellants don’t repel snakes. So homeowners should keep areas mowed and clean. 

Along the edge of a building that hasn’t been mowed is a good place for rats and mice, which also makes it a good place for snakes to pursue their favorite foods. Snakes are good because they destroy rats and mice, but they’re a nuisance around the house where there’s children and pets. 

“If I’m available, I’ll go remove a snake,” Vandeventer said. “I don’t charge for it or anything like that, but I would rather take away and release it where it would do some good than have it killed. I’m not snake busters.” 

Roofing materials, which Vandeventer said he calls “Katrina Tin,” that have been blown off old buildings are prime hiding places for snakes. In fact, Vandeventer found a copperhead under some roofing material with 16 WAPT cameras rolling. 

This copperhead was found hiding under old tin in Terry.

 

“Now, that is not a deadly snake, but he will ruin your day,” he said. “This is a snake found in urban areas.” 

Vandeventer said copperheads are potentially dangerous because they are venomous and they bite a fair number of people in Mississippi, but they are not considered a lethal species. In other words, he said, copperheads rarely, if ever, cause a human fatality. 

However, Vandeventer said, there have been some very close calls in the U.S. 

“It’s an animal that’s secretive, that wants to be left alone,” he said. “But when people seem them, they always make an effort to kill them. And as a result, we have a lot of bites in Mississippi from copperheads.” 

He also found a bigger snake, which was a chicken or rat snake. Both snakes were found near rodent burrow holes. 

The timber rattlesnake was once common in Mississippi, but is now rare.

 

Vandeventer showed 16 WAPT News a timber rattlesnake, or a kind brake rattlesnake. 

“This is a snake that was once common in Mississippi but is now somewhat rare,” he said. “They’ve been destroyed on a wholesale manner. This is the snake that was on the first American flag — don’t tread on me, the timber rattlesnake.” 

The Mississippi corn snake is often mistaken for the venomous copperhead and killed. In the end, Vandeventer said, the best idea is to use common sense and leave snakes alone.

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Danger looms in abandoned mines, so stay away

Bill Wilson

Wed, Apr 15, 2009 (4:54 p.m.)

Spring has sprung, and with it people are coming out of their winter lairs and into the great outdoors. Nicer weather means more hikers, campers, and mountain bikers. The mountains that surround our fair hamlet are a big draw for thousands of people from all over the world. Unfortunately these same mountains are peppered with abandon or inactive mines. Though exploring an old mine may be tempting for some, ignoring the potential danger it brings can be disastrous. The following are hazards that can be found in the abandon mines around Boulder City.

Shafts — The collar or top of a mine shaft is especially dangerous. The fall down a deep shaft is just as lethal as the fall from a tall building — with the added disadvantage of bouncing from wall to wall in a shaft and the likelihood of having falling rocks and timbers for company. Even if a person survived such a fall, it may be impossible to climb back out. The rock at the surface is often decomposed. Timbers may be rotten or missing. It is dangerous to walk anywhere near a shaft opening; the whole area is often ready and waiting to slide into the shaft, along with the curious. A shaft sunk inside a tunnel is called a winze. In many old mines, winzes have been boarded over. If these boards have decayed, a perfect trap is waiting.

Water — Many tunnels have standing pools of water which could conceal holes in the floor. Pools of water also are common at the bottom of shafts. It is usually impossible to estimate the depth of the water, and a false step could lead to drowning.

Ladders — Ladders in most abandoned mines are unsafe. Ladder rungs are missing or broken. Some will fail under the weight of a child because of dry rot. Vertical ladders are particularly dangerous.

Timbers — The timber in abandoned mines can be weak from decay. Other timber, although apparently in good condition, may become loose and fall at the slightest touch. A well-timbered mine opening can look very solid when in fact the timber can barely support its own weight. There is the constant danger of inadvertently touching a timber and causing the tunnel to collapse.

Cave-ins — Cave-ins are an obvious danger. Areas that are likely to cave often are hard to detect. Minor disturbances, such as vibrations caused by walking or speaking, may cause a cave-in. if a person is caught, he can be crushed to death. A less cheerful possibility is to be trapped behind a cave-in without anyone knowing you are there. Death may come through starvation, thirst, or gradual suffocation.

Bad air — “Bad air” contains poisonous gases or insufficient oxygen. Poisonous gases can accumulate in low areas or along the floor. A person may enter such areas breathing the good air above the gases but the motion caused by walking will mix the gases with the good air, producing a possibly lethal mixture for him to breathe on the return trip. Because little effort is required to go down a ladder, the effects of “bad air” may not be noticed, but when climbing out of the shaft, a person requires more oxygen and breathes more deeply. The result is dizziness, followed by unconsciousness. If the gas doesn’t kill, the fall will.

Explosives — Many abandoned mines contain old explosives left by previous workers. This is extremely dangerous. Explosives should never be handled by anyone not thoroughly familiar with them. Even experienced miners hesitate to handle old explosives. Old dynamite sticks and caps can explode if stepped on or just touched.

Rattlesnakes — Old mine tunnels and shafts are among their favorite haunts — to cool off in summer, or to search for rodents and other small animals. Any hole or ledge, especially near the mouth of the tunnel or shaft, can conceal a snake.

Finally, please remember there is only one safe way to deal with abandoned mines- STAY OUT! For further information contact the Boulder City Fire Department 293-9228.

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I would not have guessed that snake bites account for nearly this many deaths per year.

Lethal Snake Bites Kill 200,000 A Year
13 April 2009

Five million people worldwide, mostly in rural Asia and Africa, get bitten by snakes each year. Hundreds of thousands die or suffer permanent disability. A shortage of antivenin treatment in poor countries endangers countless farmers, young adults and children. 

Larry Bulanadi is known in the Philippines as the Cobra King, because of his skill in hunting the feared spitting cobra – a highly venomous snake that spits toxin at its prey.

Farmers have asked him to rid their farms of cobras. 

Today Bulanadi was called by this farmer who found two snakes in his field. If he gets bitten by a cobra, he could die quickly. Hospitals are far away and often they do not even have antivenin.

“There is a good chance to find snakes here because the field has been cleared of places they could hide,” he Bulanadi said. “Farm owners ask us to clear the field of snakes because it is a risk to their lives.”

The World Health Organization (WHO) says about five million people around the world are bitten by snakes each year. As many as 200,000 die, and about 400,000 lose limbs. Most victims are in developing countries in Africa and Asia.

The WHO says victims in developing countries, many of them children, die because they are far from medical help and because there is a global scarcity of antivenin.

Dr. Visith Sitprija runs the WHO Collaborating Center for Venomous Snake Toxicology and Research in Bangkok. He says the high cost of producing antivenin means poorer countries such as Cambodia and Burma cannot get adequate supplies. 

“It’s our commitment and in the terms of reference with WHO that we have to provide antivenin. They order from us from time to time,” Dr. Visith says, “but still we are not serving entirely the whole country, their country.”

Unlike other medicines that can be mass produced, Dr. Visith says antivenin is often tailor-made for snakes from specific locations. “Although they may share the common toxin component, the biological effect varies, you know depending on the environment, genetics and the food they eat,” Dr. Visith said.

That means antivenin for a spitting cobra in the Philippines may not work on someone bitten by a similar snake in West Africa.

In one snake farm in Bangkok, children are introduced to a variety of snakes. They learn that most snakes bite people only by accident, and they learn ways to avoid bites – such as wearing rubber boots.

For now, experts say the best ways to reduce the death and injury toll from snake bites are prevention and education.  

Link

Here’s another perspective on the story of the SUV that caused a sinkhole and then got swallowed up in it. This was a friend of that SUV driver writing on livejournal – he witnessed the whole thing. There are some good photos of the incident on the site.

So, my friend blanky blank did some not so good things before driving and caused one of the biggest traffic accidents in UCF history. And I was there to see it, and I was there to wait 6 hours for them to finally let us go…187!

… I’m ok, I actually was in my own car comming to meet him, so me and shaina got there right after the crash, and we saw the car sink into the ground it was f-ed up hahaha. you can imagine what would make someone pass out lol

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I can’t blame Texas for wanting to do something in the wake of that horrible death last month. For all the sensation around bear, shark, and mountain lion attacks, dogs pose the greatest threat.

Lawmakers going after ‘vicious’ dogs

Measure would require owners to have liability coverage

AUSTIN — After intensifying penalties two years ago on owners of dogs that seriously injure or kill in unprovoked attacks, Texas lawmakers now are targeting the mauling canines, too.

Moved by the death last week of a baby killed by two pit bulls, a controversial bill before the House would define a “vicious” dog and would require owners to obtain liability insurance to protect the public.

Rep. Trey Martinez Fischer, D-San Antonio, is sponsoring the bill, which he says is needed more than ever after the death of 7-month-old Izaiah Gregory Cox of San Antonio.

“There’s going to be a lot of debate about this bill, but the way I feel about it … we must act to address the issue of vicious dogs before this Legislature adjourns,” said Martinez Fischer. The measure was heard Monday by the House Committee on County Affairs, though no vote has been taken.

In the span of four days at the end of March, two children were killed in separate pit bull attacks across Central Texas. In Luling, 18-month-old Tyson Miller was fatally mauled after the tot apparently wandered into the backyard alone, where a female pit bull was chained. The most recent case is that of Cox, who was left alone in a room with two pit bulls while his grandmother warmed a bottle.

Rep. Joaquin Castro, D-San Antonio and a member of the committee, predicted the measure will advance to the House floor for debate.

Among other things, the proposal would clarify the definition of a “vicious dog” based on the dog’s physical nature and ability to kill or injure.

Specifically, if the dog showed unprovoked aggression or signs it would attack without reason, it could be defined as vicious by animal control officers or a municipal judge. A vicious dog ruling, Martinez Fischer said, could be appealed.

The bill would increase the responsibility of pet owners to keep vicious dogs away from people and other animals. It would be a second-degree felony, instead of a third-degree felony as now, if a dog attacked anyone younger than 15 or older than 65.

Animal groups oppose it

Last year, a 76-year-old Texas City woman was attacked by three pit bulls. She survived the attack.

“There may have to be some adjustments or compromises made, but I do think we will pass a bill this session,” Castro said. “We have gotten a few calls and e-mails. It’s all been positive. People want to see some action taken on this.”

The proposal is fiercely opposed by animal groups, which charge that it’s an unwarranted attack on pet owners. The proposal, they say, would harm thousands of responsible dog owners by restricting activities in public places such as parks.

“We certainly have some problems related to aggressive animals, but this bill goes too far,” said Ronald Stried, president of the Texas Veterinary Medical Association.

One of the issues animal groups have with the bill is whether it will inadvertently allow local governments around the state to pick on certain breeds.

Martinez Fischer, who said he once raised a 100-pound Rottweiler named Montezuma, replied: “This bill doesn’t go after breed-specific. It goes after behavior. Some people may argue that behavior is breed-specific. I’ll say that behavior is what it is.”

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Considering how little danger bears actually pose to people, and how few people there actually are in Alaska… I really don’t support any plan that allows hunters to take down large amounts of the small populations of bears that live there.

Under recent scrutiny for their wolf hunting and seal bashing practices, Alaska is now on the chopping block of condemnation for its eradication of the black bear.

In what some are calling the “predator-control toolbox,” recent board and state government decisions over certain species of wildlife in Alaska are causing a landslide of negativity not only for the outsiders, but from the local perspective as well. 

A report in the Alaska Dispatch, a small and recently established online news source developed due to thestate’s unheard voices, explained a recent decision made by a group whose purported role is to protect all wildlife: 

The Board of Game and Department of Fish and Game aim – or at least hope – to kill up to 60 percent of the 2,500 to 3,000 black bears (in a particular region)

Alaska, whose square mileage is touted as being the largest state in the United States at 663,268 sq mi 
(1,717,854 km²) and yet the least densely populated, with under 700,000 human inhabitants, it is safe to say that the abundance of wildlife and natural beauty present is far from a shocker. However, The Department of Fish and Game, in the name of protection, support the removal of many of those species because they pose a “threat” to other animals deemed more important. 

For instance, they host bear trapping clinics to teach individuals 16-years-old and older the art of that which is illegal and most states with bears. In 2004, the initiative to ban bear baiting lost out by a relatively narrow margin of 46% for the ban and 54% against it. Many hunters in Alaska, according to the Department of Fish and Game, do not support bear baiting. Black bears are a trophy hunt and are also used for their meat. 

Mistakes in both baiting and killing could serve to negatively impact other more protected species such as the accidental killing of another wildlife animal or even the protected brown bear due to similarities: 

brown bears can range from near black or dark chocolate along the coast to the “blonde” phase often seen in interior grizzlies. Black bears can vary in color from jet black to white, but black, brown (or cinnamon), and blue (or glacier) are the three most common color phases. Black is the color encountered most frequently across the state, but brown or cinnamon bears are sometimes seen in Southcentral Alaska and on the Southeastern mainland. Cinnamon-phase black bears are also common in the Interior, so be sure to look at the other characteristics of any brown-colored bear at your station

What about the “collateral damage” trapped in snares intended for the blacks only? 

In defense of the program, black bears are the biggest nuisance to humans due to their curious natures, however, they are by far the least dangerous of all three types of bears indigenous to the area and prefer to take flight rather than fight. Black bears attack when cornered, injured or protecting their cubs. In the wild, browns have been known to wipe out their black brothers in certain reported cases due to the timid nature of the black. Black bears also do not regularly engage in violent behaviour with wolves, and are typically the loser when it comes to fights over a kill. 

In the article, it was further explained the Board’s decision to now open up killing the Grizzly Bear, once considered an “untouchable,” in a certain area: 

Board decided in Monday’s meeting to allow the snaring and killing of both black bears and grizzlies in the McGrath control area. Apparently not even grizzlies maintain the “untouchable” status they once enjoyed in Alaska’s predator-control programs.

They also allowed a legal number of what is considered “collateral damage” of ten brown bears, that is mistakenly snaring or the lethal harvest of the so-called protected browns. And if that weren’t enough, the Board voted 4-2 to allow children aged 10 to 15 to join the experienced hunters in the black bear slaughter. 

Public outcry was tempered by the assurance that snaring of bears, whether black or Grizzly and of course the gassing of wolf pups also approved as part of the thinning out of the population process, was a humane practice, corroborated by “experts.” Snaring, however, is a relatively unregulated practice with little or no boundaries for operation. For the “general trapper,” the rules of killing a wolf as set forth in the 2008-2009 regulations specifically prohibit the use of helicopters in the transport (pdf version of regulations in the you may not section). 

In Alaska, the Alaska Science Center completed an analysis of the encounters with all bears in the state over the past one-hundred years. In the report, it is estimated that the total black bear population in the massive state at the time of the report was around 110,000. And yet, 86 percent of bear attacks were from the treasured brown, not black. If you go to the official fish and game site, they would have it appear that blacks are dangerous and unpredictable killers as they lump their threat level into a general “bear” categoryon a wildlife description page specified for the black bear, although the black responsible for 12 percent of bear attack fatalities, with the much lesser population of brown absorbing an 86 percent kill rate. On the description of the brown, there are no references at all to the high rate of aggression or danger posed by the much smaller population. As for the blacks, the low incidence of attack is not to say they are your fuzzy pet friend, just they aren’t posing a serious danger to the general population, human or endangered species. 

The ADF&G is run by the Alaska state government. 

So is the recent eradication process to eliminate a potential danger or an attempt to get rid of the black bear because it is an annoying animal, posing a “potential” problem for a non-endangered species of a moose population that is allowed by law to be harvested at an annual rate of 7,000 for its 175,000 total numbers. How about stopping the harvesting instead? Moreover, the alleged threat of wolves to specific populations, the caribou, in the state and the recent controversy over the mass killing and even the recently approved gassing of puppies has left the largest state in the nation looking a little blood thirsty happy these days. Caribou are not on the endangered list, with over a million of them pouncing around on the open land of Alaska, outnumbering the human population of the state and the balance between the wolf and the caribou as a natural predator/prey relationship is an important part of nature. Wolf attacks, whether by a gray or red, on humans are very rare, especially unprovoked, where they left to the wild or in cases where wolves did not have rabies. Fatal attacks are even more rare with wolves, especially when compared to a one year analysis of fatal dog attacks in the United States alone (note Alaska’s number). 

Gassing of animals is considered inhumane in 12 states, where a ban on the practice is already in place. Six other states have recently set forth attempts to have the practice banned because of its potential outcome: 

“During the process, which can take 30 minutes, panicked animals may gasp for breath, try to claw out of the chamber, and even attack each other.”

The support of hunting is one thing. The support of ethnic cleansing is another.