Fall Must Be Critter Time!

  As I am doing a bit of "fall cleaning" in the yard, I find all sorts of critters.  Our supply of firewood for the winter needed to be restacked so more could be added.  It is that time of year where we prepare for whatever may come our way during the winter.  Usually, it is more rain than snow or sleet but that does indeed make for messy woodcutting days.  I merely dumped the whole rack on the ground and started anew. Chunk after chunk of firewood was placed back on the rack.  I was feeling a bit smug as it looked so much better!  Nothing like a nice, neat stack to tidy up the place!  I reached for another piece and felt something crawl on the arm!  Ewww!  A huge Two-striped Walkingstick made a beeline for my shoulder!  Uh....NO!!  That just wasn't happening!  I flipped the critter off with a quick shake!  Ugh!  While I usually do not mind critters of any kind, these give me the heebie-jeebies and she was huge!  This lady was about four inches long without counting those two legs poking out front!

  The Two-striped Walkingstick is one of the large walkingsticks that inhabit the Southeast.  These critters munch on leaves at night and hide most of the day which is exactly what this girl thought she was doing. (Yes, I know this is a female because of her size.  The males are almost tiny in comparison!)  I feel like I must have disturbed her beauty sleep! I was careful not to harass her too very much, though, as I would have caught a hefty dose of her "spit".  Pop always called these things "Spit Tobaccos" as they can, indeed, spit a defensive bit of venom at a predator.  If caught in the eye, this "spit" can cause temporary blindness (up to five days!), excruciating pain and even an ulcerated cornea.  Obviously, they are not cute critters to hold!  I left this one be after photographing her!

 Besides Pop's nickname, the insect also goes by Devil's Horse, Devil's Needle, Witch's Horse, Stickhorse and Prairie Alligator.  Yep, with those lovely names attached to this critter, I do think it is fair warning that it is not a plaything.  Spit Tobaccos are not fun....interesting but not fun!