Anybody got some information on dangerous reptiles (snakes) and spiders native to the north coast? Colours for examlpe.
- Thread starter sun chilled
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Reptiles and spiders
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Herpetologist
May we assume from your post that you are an herpetologist searching for specimens to add to your vast collection?
May we assume from your post that you are an herpetologist searching for specimens to add to your vast collection?
1) NO (Not even one!) dangerous snakes on the island. (Except the two legged variety)
2) Spiders: We have the Tarantula-large, hairy and brown or black. We have the Black Widow-black shiny with an orange hour-glass on its tummy. We have centipedes, nasty, worm-like, reddish brown. We have scorpions.
The tarantula is a scaredy-cat and will run away. It can get very nasty if cornered. Do not kill them, they eat cockroaches and small mice. They make nice pets, but then you have to catch the cockroaches and feed them. (One friend would pay kids a peso per cockroach, and then let them watch the hunt.
The latter three: Black Widow, centipede and scorpion are all lovers of dark, dank places like dirty laundry, underneath sinks, or woodpiles. Places where you would never, knowingly, put your hand without looking first.
Never, ever kill a Dominican snake. They are a vital part of the ecological system. If you see snakes, it is because you have a lot of rats, their favorite dish....yum yum...
HB
2) Spiders: We have the Tarantula-large, hairy and brown or black. We have the Black Widow-black shiny with an orange hour-glass on its tummy. We have centipedes, nasty, worm-like, reddish brown. We have scorpions.
The tarantula is a scaredy-cat and will run away. It can get very nasty if cornered. Do not kill them, they eat cockroaches and small mice. They make nice pets, but then you have to catch the cockroaches and feed them. (One friend would pay kids a peso per cockroach, and then let them watch the hunt.
The latter three: Black Widow, centipede and scorpion are all lovers of dark, dank places like dirty laundry, underneath sinks, or woodpiles. Places where you would never, knowingly, put your hand without looking first.
Never, ever kill a Dominican snake. They are a vital part of the ecological system. If you see snakes, it is because you have a lot of rats, their favorite dish....yum yum...
HB
J
John Evans
Guest
is it the brown millipede type thing or the centipede with pincers on the end that is dangerous i dont get close to either but just out of interest
there is also a lizard that moves like a snake and is shiney with a snake like head - does anyone know what its called- i think it also has a tongue like a snake
there is also a lizard that moves like a snake and is shiney with a snake like head - does anyone know what its called- i think it also has a tongue like a snake
No just wanting to reasure some of my kin.
We are considering going on one or two trips and might venture inland.
Unless you intend on poking around rotting tree stumps, overturning rocks or hiking in canefields, you are most unlikely to see anything of consequence.
Relax and enjoy your inland trips.
Gregg
Relax and enjoy your inland trips.
Gregg
none of the various lizards are dangerous.
The centipede with the pincers in front is the really, really nasty one.
As usual, FireGuy says it like it is. Just do not go poking your hands or feet into dark, dank places, or under rocks.
the only two Black Widows I know about were
1) I found one in a stack of excess pieces of wood 40 years ago when I was building my first dojo in the basement of a friend's house. I had seen one when I was a kid at the gun club in Kanawah City, so I recognized it immediately.
2) My son was installing the lights for the runway at the airport in Santiago (STI), and one day he called me and asked me about BWs. He had one in one of the small pits dug for the lights. It had been covered for a few days, and when his men uncovered it to install the fixture, there she was.
Like I said they are not all that frequent.
HB
The centipede with the pincers in front is the really, really nasty one.
As usual, FireGuy says it like it is. Just do not go poking your hands or feet into dark, dank places, or under rocks.
the only two Black Widows I know about were
1) I found one in a stack of excess pieces of wood 40 years ago when I was building my first dojo in the basement of a friend's house. I had seen one when I was a kid at the gun club in Kanawah City, so I recognized it immediately.
2) My son was installing the lights for the runway at the airport in Santiago (STI), and one day he called me and asked me about BWs. He had one in one of the small pits dug for the lights. It had been covered for a few days, and when his men uncovered it to install the fixture, there she was.
Like I said they are not all that frequent.
HB
Get your hands dirty
The centipede looking pincher thingy is nasty, yes HB. I have seen them 6 inches long, in fact just last night, killed one trying to enter our terrace. They move slow but there little kin babys can move fast. The smaller ones are found/ live in dirt if you do much digging. I have been instructed to cut these buggers in three pieces. Cut the head off and then also cut the tail off. An old local said there poisonous. Look in creepy crawly thread.
I am interested in finding out what John Evans asked about. The snake-lizard deal. This creepy, crawly, slithering creature has been spotted numerous times here and I would like to know if anybody know what it is.
Back to the OP's question...If Sun Chilled and kin get bored of the tourist package they can all come up (inland) and help me move 6 completely rotted hay-bales out of an old stable. Then you can have "hands-on" experience of what lurks in the campo
aranoid:
The centipede looking pincher thingy is nasty, yes HB. I have seen them 6 inches long, in fact just last night, killed one trying to enter our terrace. They move slow but there little kin babys can move fast. The smaller ones are found/ live in dirt if you do much digging. I have been instructed to cut these buggers in three pieces. Cut the head off and then also cut the tail off. An old local said there poisonous. Look in creepy crawly thread.
I am interested in finding out what John Evans asked about. The snake-lizard deal. This creepy, crawly, slithering creature has been spotted numerous times here and I would like to know if anybody know what it is.
Back to the OP's question...If Sun Chilled and kin get bored of the tourist package they can all come up (inland) and help me move 6 completely rotted hay-bales out of an old stable. Then you can have "hands-on" experience of what lurks in the campo
aranoid:There are also to be found here brown widows, which are poisonous and seem to like my yard for some reason. However, they are very non aggressive which is good because they like to make nests in our patio furniture and the kids' bicycles.
Also, I used to be so afraid of spiders growing up but am rapidly loosing that sensibility here. It probably house to do with the very large house spider that is very frequent here. They are so docile and unafraid of humans I have seen more than one Dominican pick them up and play with them. In fact I usually let them roam in the house as I figure they eat roaches.
It is also funny that I almost picked up a nice sized tarantula in my yard with a small stick, until I remembered how big and noticeable there fangs are.
Also, I used to be so afraid of spiders growing up but am rapidly loosing that sensibility here. It probably house to do with the very large house spider that is very frequent here. They are so docile and unafraid of humans I have seen more than one Dominican pick them up and play with them. In fact I usually let them roam in the house as I figure they eat roaches.
It is also funny that I almost picked up a nice sized tarantula in my yard with a small stick, until I remembered how big and noticeable there fangs are.
There are a lot of Wolf Spiders too...
Once, I found a tarantula with strange red markings on his belly...he was B I G.
Once, I found a tarantula with strange red markings on his belly...he was B I G.
Had a big tarantula in the garage recently - the first I have seen in 3 years. He was gorgeous with long chocolate fur, and we held the dogs back while we gently swooshed him out with the broom. He was so calm and obliging - great to see something so large and gentle!
Tarantulas and, in fact, any spiders are a phobia with me. After almost 2 years of living here I have not met one yet but the thought still haunts me. I would go as far as to say that I see less spiders here in our home in DR than I did in my house in the UK. The tree snakes are beautiful but I don't want to touch them. Charlie found a rat nest in a hollowed tree a few days ago which was also housing a tarantula.... urghhh thought of it scares me loads. Thank goodness for George!! (my cat)
I have never had a problem with Spiders. I have lived in the tropics for 27 years and have seen and lived with them all.
Unfortunately, I was bitten by an unknow variety during Xmas here in the DR and am having difficulty in clearing up the infection/fungus etc.
My new Doctor has suggested lamasil and cortizone.....we will see
Unfortunately, I was bitten by an unknow variety during Xmas here in the DR and am having difficulty in clearing up the infection/fungus etc.
My new Doctor has suggested lamasil and cortizone.....we will see
Some time back, i had this big grey spider running around in my apartment- the spider only came out at night, it was chasing insects on the walls.
It lived there for a very long time, but one day the maid had killed it with baygon, i still remember the cadaver dead on the bathroom floor........
( sniffle sniffle )
It lived there for a very long time, but one day the maid had killed it with baygon, i still remember the cadaver dead on the bathroom floor........
( sniffle sniffle
)
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I wonder if there is a difference in prevalence between parts of the island. During the summer, I see at least one tarantula every two days while running. They are sometimes squished in the road, but always impressive with that lush brown fur. They've never made an aggressive move toward me. At first I was freaked by them, but then I encountered those nasty cienpies (giant centipede).
The SMALLEST cienpies I've seen outside of our pool (where the adults seem to like to go to lay their eggs so I'd find a dead adult with hundreds of newly hatched little ones) was 12" with a record length of about 19" on the most horrifying (to me). Around here, one doesn't have to go poking under rocks or dank places to find them. Admittedly the first time one scared the cr*p out of me it WAS under my kitchen sink wrapped around the base of our trash can (the body was a good 2cm thick and each of those legs another cm long and all wriggling). They tend to like bathrooms (esp if you have leaky pipes), the underside of toilet seats and just roaming about at night INSIDE (the other house we were renting did have an issue with water flowing everywhere so maybe our whole house was a dank place?)
Be careful with the cienpies...one of our cats was bitten by one and it took a lot of TLC and injectable meds to help him through it. I thought we were going to lose him but he pulled through. My understanding is that they can be equally dangerous to crawling babies and toddlers who are known to have a sense of curiosity that would provoke and encounter.
The SMALLEST cienpies I've seen outside of our pool (where the adults seem to like to go to lay their eggs so I'd find a dead adult with hundreds of newly hatched little ones) was 12" with a record length of about 19" on the most horrifying (to me). Around here, one doesn't have to go poking under rocks or dank places to find them. Admittedly the first time one scared the cr*p out of me it WAS under my kitchen sink wrapped around the base of our trash can (the body was a good 2cm thick and each of those legs another cm long and all wriggling). They tend to like bathrooms (esp if you have leaky pipes), the underside of toilet seats and just roaming about at night INSIDE (the other house we were renting did have an issue with water flowing everywhere so maybe our whole house was a dank place?)
Be careful with the cienpies...one of our cats was bitten by one and it took a lot of TLC and injectable meds to help him through it. I thought we were going to lose him but he pulled through. My understanding is that they can be equally dangerous to crawling babies and toddlers who are known to have a sense of curiosity that would provoke and encounter.
The centipede looking pincher thingy is nasty, yes HB. I have seen them 6 inches long, in fact just last night, killed one trying to enter our terrace. They move slow but there little kin babys can move fast. The smaller ones are found/ live in dirt if you do much digging. I have been instructed to cut these buggers in three pieces. Cut the head off and then also cut the tail off. An old local said there poisonous. Look in creepy crawly thread.
I am interested in finding out what John Evans asked about. The snake-lizard deal. This creepy, crawly, slithering creature has been spotted numerous times here and I would like to know if anybody know what it is.
Back to the OP's question...If Sun Chilled and kin get bored of the tourist package they can all come up (inland) and help me move 6 completely rotted hay-bales out of an old stable. Then you can have "hands-on" experience of what lurks in the campo
Thank you very much for your kind invitation. However I think I am about to develop hay fever. :cheeky:
Very informative post I will certainly try to avoid all damp places and as other posters have pointed out keep away from toilets & bathrooms with leaks. Yes that maybe difficult but I can always buy a new pair of Billy Connelly?s (Scottish comedian), advertised incontinence pants. One wonders why he was called the Bigyin.:cheeky:
J
John Evans
Guest
here is the creature
here is the creature i was talking about - sorry the pic may be very large its a hispaniolan smooth galliwasp - there is also a stripped galliwasp which is darker in colour
here is the creature i was talking about - sorry the pic may be very large its a hispaniolan smooth galliwasp - there is also a stripped galliwasp which is darker in colour
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