Creepy Crawlies and their friends.

Hi everyone! Happy 2 month anniversary!

What? No, that's how long I've been living in Cambodia. Crazy, yeah? How many of you were betting I'd still be here?

Oh, c'mon... at least a couple of you should have expected me to stay. Have you read these posts?!? It's awesome here! In fact, at least one or two of you have expressed interest in coming to visit. That's even more awesome, I say.

Hmm? Am I doing another post about what to expect when you come? Well, yes and no. I thought I might show you a little more about what to expect to encounter. That's right! This one's about some of the wildlife...

Praying Mantis - found him at church. No, I'm not kidding, so stop rolling your eyes!

Obviously, being a country with a fair amount of jungle-like forest, there are many creatures lurking about. Obviously, being averse to jungles, I did not go wandering into one just to give you guys a few choice photos. :) I did, however, run into a few of the more common things you'll see running around.

Don't hug the lizard, folks.

First off, you've already been introduced to our friend, the mighty Tokay Gecko. He used to guard the blog before Aidan joined his fan club. Now, he just skulks around, trying to run over my foot whenever I step outside to go downstairs.

Hmm? Yes, they are very cute. However, some things you need to know:

-Don't try to touch them. They don't like being cornered, and once they bite, it takes them up to an hour or more to let go.

-They are very social creatures, except to each other. They love humans, and like to watch us from high vantage points, but they are fiercely territorial when it comes to their own kind. If you have 2 in your home, like we did, it's because it's mating season. Now, we have many small geckos. :)

Super tiny - he's a different kind. This species is fond of watching people wash dishes, for some reason.

Geckos are awesome. They eat things like bugs... and, well, bugs. Interestingly, there's a legend about the Tokay and a snake. People here think that the snake and the gecko have a symbiotic relationship. They believe the gecko will stop making calls because its liver has swollen. Once this happens, the gecko will open its mouth, and the liver snake will enter the mouth, and take a bite of the liver.

Liver snake. A.K.A. Golden Tree Snake, courtesy Wikimedia.

Ahh, I so love the looks you give me. If I had a nickel for every look I got... I'd have a ton of worthless nickels, but they don't take coins here, remember? ;)

These accounts are all first or second hand, mind you. There's no friend of a friend stuff. Even foreigners have seen it. What's the truth? According to Thailand, the tree snake actually preys on the gecko, squeezing it with its tail and eating the leftover bits of food right out of its mouth. Here's the reference, if you're interested: http://www.zoothailand.org. Just search through until you find the snake.

...yes, that was gross, but hey, at least you can count on me to give you the real skinny on things.

Like I'd do a post without a cow... moo!

Another creature you will see is the cow. This animal wanders aimlessly, often along roads and without any sort of human escort. They are known to be deadly, vicious creatures when confronted by their arch enemy, the moto.

As a result, moto drivers have learned to give a wide berth to them, as the cow always wins in a battle of moto vs. bovine.

Aside from this, they are used as pack and plow animals, and a source of food. Though, to be honest, I wouldn't eat one. People in this country have no concept of germs, and buying cow meat from a roadside stand is dicey. Did I mention there's not much refrigeration either?


Moving right along, we come to the common monkey (pronounced "Sw'aa" in Khmai).

Wikimedia. I saw one of these, but wasn't quick enough for a picture.

Monkeys are plentiful here. You'll find them mostly in the forest, or in Phnom Penh near garbage areas. They have no fear of humans, and will likely expect you to give them food. What should you know about these guys?

-Don't feed the monkeys. Ever. You like having monkeys around? That's great. You just don't want these ones around. Why not?

-They sniff glue. Yes. Glue sniffin' monkeys. They saw school children do it, and the children dropped the glue. Monkey see, monkey do. Now a good amount of them are really messed up in the head, and will attack you if you are silly enough to get close to one.

...yes, I am aware that 'Glue Sniffin' Monkeys' would make a great band name. Feel free to use it and cut me a royalty check! :)

If it crawls, and has a bright color, take a photo and then leave it alone. :)

We have your usual insects, like the centipede (millipede?) over to my right. This little guy nearly crawled right up onto Aidan's foot today to have a nice vacation.

Aidan wasn't as eager about the prospect, so he ran away... bravely, mind you.




...and of course, we have spiders!

I put the shoe in the picture for perspective. I did not stay to see what the owner thought of this.

The one you see here appears to be a huntsman spider. A small one. Eric and Ginny once encountered one of these spiders that was probably close to 3x this size... okay, maybe 4x. They get very large, and like to roam without a web - thus the huntsman part. They are also very quick. How did I get this photo? I caught the spider after it took a tumble from the upper room... about a good story and a half drop from where it was.

Cambodians typically use these as a food source. Yes, eww. Still, Aidan says the crickets taste like chicken, so... :)

Courtesy National Geographic. Like I'd go after one of these without help...

The Mekong Catfish is another famous resident. They can grow to 10.5 feet or possibly longer, and are known to wander around the Mekong river, eating pretty much whatever they like.

Here's your river monster folks. There's legends in the outlands of these things catching children and possibly adults by surprise and eating them. How do you avoid getting eaten by a catfish?

Don't swim in the river. Right, like the fish would be your biggest problem if you took a dip in that river. :)

...!!!

There are many more creatures to see here, both by touring the local zoo or forest, and by walking around your home... or standing still while they run over you. Whichever.

Oh, and we do get the occasional rhinoceros...

Look at the size of the horn on that one!

Till next time. :)