Pic spam post

[hellziggy]

I'll put the pics behind a cut to spare those who don't care (although as my faithful minions you should at least be pretending to care!) and those who are easily squicked by big frickin' creepy bugs!

On Saturday after we escaped the torture that is Mandatory Overtime, lucky13charm and I were standing by our cars talking and looking at the big ol' snapping turtle in the pond when I looked down and noticed a very big, very dead bug.
He was fucking HUGE!!! I don't know what he is and I don't really want to know. I had no problem moving him for pictures because he was dead, but the thought of him alive? Ewwwww!

So, for your viewing pleasure, creepy gigantic bug posing by the pond:



And next to a quarter for size comparison:




Also, on my way by, I stopped to take pictures of what Lucky & I have named Gertrude the Retarded Goose.

Here she is on her nest:



So, now you're asking why is she retarded? Because this is where she chose to build her nest. Apparently wanting to watch the traffic go by is more important than a safe, secure and secluded location. This is at least the third year a goose has nested in this spot. After all, what could be safer than having your babies hatch 5 feet from 4 lanes of traffic!

Comments

[theseamster.livejournal.com]

Big bugs do, in fact, squick me out, but they also fascinate me. This one is no exception. Since it's dead and kinda dried out, it's easy to tell that it does have a very interesting pattern on it's back.

And yeah, very glad it was dead, for your sake and world's. Neat pictures, though, especially the quarter one.

[chebutykin.livejournal.com]

(psst -- they eat frogs!)

[hellziggy.livejournal.com]

Ewwwwwww!

[chebutykin.livejournal.com]

The bug is one of the least creatively-named creatures in existence, the Giant Water Bug.

http://bugguide.net/node/view/13708

I know the things on sight because I drew about a half-dozen of them in super-detailed illustrations while working on my biology degree.

[hellziggy.livejournal.com]

Should known that you'd know what El Creepo was...

Ewww. Of course now my taxonomy obsessed self will have to go put a Lethocerus americanus tag on the pic in the gallery. *shudder* Just couldn't bring myself to try to figure that one out!