Jamaican critters - good, bad and ugly

[mountaingal]

WARNING!! This thread is going to feature creepy crawlies, so do -if oonu have faint heart, don't come eenya... [img]/forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif[/img]

Starting with the Fortylegs, commonly known outside Jamaica as the centipede(class chilopoda). Likes dark places.

Centipedes are predators, feeding on insects and small vertebrates, depending upon the species. They subdue their prey with a mild venom issued from fangs called gnathopods. Gnathopods are actually modified legs.

FROM http://allsands.com/Science/Animals/...sec_ylc_gn.htm

[mountaingal]

Re: Jamaican critters - good, bad and ugly

Aedis aegyptii mosquito - bringer of dengue fever


The aedis egyptii is tiny and deadly, nothing like the lumbersome mosquitoes i see in the Canadian north. It's amazing - you can actually see the white stripes on the aedes aegyptii's legs if you're lucky enuff to slap and kill one. This mosquito is said to have arrived from Ethiopia via slave ships. here's some praise from an aedis aegyptii fan:

Aedes aegypti, unlike other species is very intelligent, if one could say that mosquitoes are intelligent. They arrived in Brazil from Ethiopia with the slave trading ships. Living near man for so long she has become totally dependant on him and has learned a lot from him. For instance, she has greatly reduced the `humming' sound she makes with her wings so man cannot hear it, unlike other species whose humming is extremely irritating and awakens the deepest sleeper. She never lives more than ninety meters from dwellings thus guaranteeing her meals. She attacks from below or behind, usually from underneath desks or chairs and mainly at the feet and ankles. The insect is very fast in flight unless gorged with blood. Other types of mosquito even fly into your face and can be easily caught or killed, not Aedes, she's too smart.

[mountaingal]

Re: Jamaican critters - good, bad and ugly

Jamaican iguana Cyclura collei


I went looking for this fella and his kin in their Helleshire Hills home couple years ago but never spotted them. Good thing - I may have run screaming, lol!

here's a more upclose and personal pic from the Institute of Jamaica Web site:

[afer]

Re: Jamaican critters - good, bad and ugly

hi miss MG.

de ongle one mi waan si is de rollingcalf. [img]/forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif[/img]

[mountaingal]

Re: Jamaican critters - good, bad and ugly

howdy afer. was hoping you'd show up. memba say me a do critters, not duppy and other fantasy creatures, lol!

me juss find peggy ants, after bout two hours of looking on the Net. but me pickney waan use de computer, so me catch up wid you later.

[Night Nurse]

Re: Jamaican critters - good, bad and ugly

EEEEEWWWWWWWWWWeeeeeee!!!

Dem dey sinting mek mi skin crawl enuh!

Nexx time please put yu wawning inna di tapic.

Run gawna bachroom gwaan go regurgitate mi good, good Sunday dinna [img]/forums/images/graemlins/mad.gif[/img] [img]/forums/images/graemlins/blush.gif[/img]

[Suesumba]

Re: Jamaican critters - good, bad and ugly

kewl

[mountaingal]

Re: Jamaican critters - good, bad and ugly

lol @ NN.
BTW, folks, i'm looking for suggestions of creatures to feature, so let me know.

wonder if B.H.O. a read dis chread...

[Suesumba]

Re: Jamaican critters - good, bad and ugly

ground lizzard those pretty ones that look like jewels that run around

[mountaingal]

Re: Jamaican critters - good, bad and ugly

one of the "good" the peenywally - also called firefly, and in the States, lightning bug.

They are nocturnal in their behavior, and males commonly fly about in the evening during early summer.... The light, believed to play a role in sexual attraction between the adults, is produced by light organs located on the underside of the abdomen. The intensity and frequency of the flashes vary with the species and probably serve to identify males and females to each other. Synchronized flashing is characteristic of some tropical species.

FROM

http://www.infoplease.com/ce6/sci/A0818737.html

[mountaingal]

Re: Jamaican critters - good, bad and ugly

Originally posted by SueSumba:
[qb] ground lizzard those pretty ones that look like jewels that run around [/qb]

me a look, but jah know, getting seriously creeped out looking at lizzards. UGH! *shudder*

[Suesumba]

Re: Jamaican critters - good, bad and ugly

Originally posted by mountaingal:
[qb]

Originally posted by SueSumba:
[qb] ground lizzard those pretty ones that look like jewels that run around [/qb]

me a look, but jah know, getting seriously creeped out looking at lizzards. UGH! *shudder* [/qb]

to be perfectly honest I almost had a stroke when I first saw those things [img]/forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img] I almost tried to levitate just to avoid the ground

[mountaingal]

Re: Jamaican critters - good, bad and ugly

Superstition alert!!! Here's the Ascalafa odorata - duppy bat, aka black witch moth. in Jamaican, moths are called bats.


"If the duppy bat flies into the house, it is a sign of death". "Bad news will follow, if the bat enters the house". "If the bat is seen in the house, do not chase it just allow it to leave on its own" these are some of the tales the National Institute of Jamaica lists as being associated with this moth.

These huge black moths (25 cm), which fly like bats, have always made their way into human dwellings. No wonder, then, that they have also made their way into our imaginations. Black witches have been associated with death since time immemorial. As far back as the Aztecs, they were considered a sign of bad luck. Large numbers of them appear in early November, just in time for the Feast of the Dead.

Despite its bad reputation, the black witch is actually a beautiful moth. Its black garb has a lovely green or violet sheen. Look closer and you will see that its wings are adorned with magnificent complex patterns.

from http://www.insectia.com/beta/e/iv_c202032.html

[dr. bones]

Re: Jamaican critters - good, bad and ugly

I hate fortylegs. Had one on my foot when I was in Ja in May. It was big, and ugly, and gross. Just glad the thing didn't bite me.

What about rat bats, and cockroaches

[rebelgirl]

Re: Jamaican critters - good, bad and ugly

I have some I liked to see [img]/forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img]

can you find info on the little tree frogs that make all the noise at night?

How many diffrent types of gecko's are in Jamaica? Ooops I Answered that by finding a species list [img]/forums/images/graemlins/blush.gif[/img]

This is one of my favorite the Jamaican Boa



Beautiful snake on the endangered list [img]/forums/images/graemlins/frown.gif[/img]