>> ^probie:

So as a firm believer in evolution, I'm fascinated by this creature. But it begins to raise simple questions. What are it's natural predators and/or what the heck has been walking around on the beach for the last X thousands of years for it to evolve such a defense mechanism?
It seems that Australia and Madagascar are the two prime examples of how extreme bio-diversity can become, due to their isolation. Is it that evolution responds differently to different sized "cages". Or could it be that I just am looking at it subjectively, in that, North America's fauna is just as odd and bizarre, (ie. rattlesnakes, grizzly bears, etc.) and that I'm just used to them?
Points to ponder.


Hrm, after watching that spider crab video, maybe stingrays, or even octopus (in shallow water).

So as a firm believer in evolution, I'm fascinated by this creature. But it begins to raise simple questions. What are it's natural predators and/or what the heck has been walking around on the beach for the last X thousands of years for it to evolve such a defense mechanism?

It seems that Australia and Madagascar are the two prime examples of how extreme bio-diversity can become, due to their isolation. Is it that evolution responds differently to different sized "cages". Or could it be that I just am looking at it subjectively, in that, North America's fauna is just as odd and bizarre, (ie. rattlesnakes, grizzly bears, etc.) and that I'm just used to them?

Points to ponder.

I've heard that scientists have been cross-breeding these with the rattlesnake & have come up with the deadly "Viber Viper"

*wtf

I'm pretty wigged out by spiders, but I like snakes. So for me, I tried to mentally convert this video into a snake expert "handling" a cobra or something. The way I see it, sure, you can have an expertise level and skill level that would allow you to handle either sort of animal relatively safely. But even in that case, there aren't a whole lot of particularly practical reasons to put that into practice.

My hometown in Kansas has lots of bullsnakes. In my experience, large older bullsnakes are often pretty docile but the young juvenile ones are usually very defensive and will rear up, strike, and mimic rattlesnake sounds and actions. However, they are non-venomous and don't have "fangs", although they do have short teeth that can provide small, shallow puncture wounds if they get a good nip on you.

I like catching bullsnakes when I see them and handling them a bit before releasing them back into the wild. The docile ones are particularly fun, but even the juveniles that show some aggression can be fun to handle with some caution. I have never been bit myself, but I have seen people that have been. No lasting harm comes from that, and in most instances it wouldn't even draw blood -- the surprise of it is probably worse than the damage.

In spite of that, I have no interest whatsoever in handling something like a rattlesnake or other venomous snake. Looking at them, sure. But I don't see much practicality in handling them. In all likelihood, I could safely handle rattlers in the same way that I handle bullsnakes and avoid being bit. But the cost of failure would be higher (lots of pain and small possibility of death).

So at least for me personally, I don't think I'd be interested in handling black widows even if I was a spider person instead of a snake person. I'm not against the author of this video handling them, but I would stop short of the "you should try this at home" tag!

>> ^NetRunner:

@<a rel="nofollow" href="http://videosift.com/member/GeeSussFreeK" title="member since August 1st, 2008" class="profilelink">GeeSussFreeK I don't really see how that's me fighting a losing battle, so much as you declaring surrender to the idea that mankind will inevitably destroy itself.
I think that's eminently preventable. We just need to grow up, and not really by a whole lot. Just enough not to commit genocide on ourselves.


Weapons have only a part to do with genocide...we were killing each other with sticks long before bullets, and will upgrade to ray guns in time. I am not surrendering, I am saying you're fighting a battle that is not on the same battlefield. And preventing what exactly? Death by knife isn't any more humane than death by gun...and shoot, I would take death by nuke over death by knife any day of the week...except Saturday, that's beer day.

I have been around guns for a long time. When you are in the country and you got a rattlesnake or copper head that you need to get rid of, sometimes it's a little too dangerous for the snake pole. You have no right to say that I can't go get my revolver out and dispatch him with the weapon of my choosing, in so much as your rights are violated. Creating criminals for people who only posses things that can be dangerous is just the liberal version of the drug war. Manufacturing moral crimes where no wrong has taken place. You want tuffer punishments on people who commit crimes, fine, let's talk. No need to punish people whom haven't wronged, akin to the pot head buying nachos.

Congratulations! Your comment has just received enough votes from the community to earn you 1 Power Point. Thank you for your quality contribution to VideoSift.

>> ^ctrlaltbleach:

Does anyone know why they can't just crawl out of the bucket?


They basically have to jump out of the bucket if there isn't anything for them to twist around for elevation. They can prop themselves up, but for them it is kind of like being on your tippytoes. Being without legs, propping themselves up by only pure muscle and spine doesn't last long or extend very high.

>> ^ctrlaltbleach:

Does anyone know why they can't just crawl out of the bucket?


Probably a mostly instinctual thing when they're in danger, stay put shake your tail and strike. On another note, I've had nightmares like this.

it was cute right up till the point where the woman says that their mom was eaten by a rattlesnake... then it was *sad

Rattlesnake bites are usually not fatal, I think I would've taken my chances. God Bless America.

>> ^Fusionaut:
Also, once when I was on vacation in Colorado Springs (I was probably 9 years old) my dad bought me this novelty toy: Rattlesnake Eggs. It's basically an envelope, filled with a bit of rice, and there is a device that you wind up with rubber bands. If you squeeze the envelope just a bit the device lets loose, spins around, and it makes it sound like there's a rattlesnake in the envelope.
So here I was carrying this toy around with me everywhere. I even rehearsed a whole little speech to go along with it if I ever found a victim. Adults of course gave a little chuckle when they heard it but it was different for kids apparently.
One of these days I was playing in this field by the campground and I met another little boy. I immediately went into my act.
"Hey there! How's it going?"
"Good..."
"Look what I have here. Rattlesnake eggs! I keep them in the fridge usually, so they don't hatch. Today though I took them out and they're getting kind of warm. They might even hatch any minute now!"
At this I triggered the toy which caused the boy to sprint all the way across the field as fast as his little legs would take him. I was told afterwards that my whole family watched the whole exchange and took great delight in watching the other kid run like that. Later I met that boy again and we actually became friends and adventured around the campgrounds and stuff.


That sounds like a Calvin & Hobbes story. hehehehe

Also, once when I was on vacation in Colorado Springs (I was probably 9 years old) my dad bought me this novelty toy: Rattlesnake Eggs. It's basically an envelope, filled with a bit of rice, and there is a device that you wind up with rubber bands. If you squeeze the envelope just a bit the device lets loose, spins around, and it makes it sound like there's a rattlesnake in the envelope.

So here I was carrying this toy around with me everywhere. I even rehearsed a whole little speech to go along with it if I ever found a victim. Adults of course gave a little chuckle when they heard it but it was different for kids apparently.

One of these days I was playing in this field by the campground and I met another little boy. I immediately went into my act.

"Hey there! How's it going?"

"Good..."

"Look what I have here. Rattlesnake eggs! I keep them in the fridge usually, so they don't hatch. Today though I took them out and they're getting kind of warm. They might even hatch any minute now!"

At this I triggered the toy which caused the boy to sprint all the way across the field as fast as his little legs would take him. I was told afterwards that my whole family watched the whole exchange and took great delight in watching the other kid run like that. Later I met that boy again and we actually became friends and adventured around the campgrounds and stuff.

^ The Red Balloons MUST win. Because obviously the rattlesnake is racist.

eta: This study has a liberal bias.

Rattlesnakes are nothing to mess with.

Just read this account of a person's first-person account of getting bitten. If you have the stomach, you can also click through to some of the MOST graphic images I've ever seen of what can happen if you've been bitten by a rattle snake.

Incredible.

Sorry I'm late to post here, but I just woke from my week-long hangover.

But seriously, I understand the plight of wrongly mixed drinks. I once mixed Four-dollar-fifth of gin with Diet 7-Up. I thought I was going to hurl BEFORE I was drunk. Which is a crime in Kuwait, I think.

A short list of great drinks that have made me do terrible things to bar stools:

AMF (Adios, Motherfucker)
Long Island Iced Tea (tip the bartender for that extra special Kelsey Grammer amount)
Cherry Bomb ("Bomb" is right. I think I invaded a sovereign nation while drunk on 13 of those fuckers.)
Rattlesnake (something involving Kahlua, Creme de Cacao and taking off my pants at a house party.)

However, the worst combination I have ever tried:

A six-pack of Bud Light chased with an entire pint of Jagermeister and a few swigs of Goldschlager. You don't even want to know the medium Jackson Pollock used in THAT bathroom!

Now it's time to get drunk on PBR and watch midget porn.