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Stag beetles

Posted: Wed Jun 11, 14 10:08 pm
by Mossy68
You all know I'm a bit weird. So every year I look forward to my evening of stag beetles. Came early this year as normally its mid July.
Apparently the eggs need to incubate for 5 years in rot ton wood so much against my wife's wishes for a tidy garden , I have a nice rotting wood pile at the end for the beetles.
They are lesser stags , so only about 2 1/2 inches long and not as impressive as proper stags. Still great to watch flying about. Though I must say their aviation skills could be better !!!

Any of you lot get a yearly treat from our wildlife ???

Posted: Wed Jun 11, 14 10:11 pm
by V8 Sam
arnt they the strongest creature on the plannet?

sure thats some sort of beetle

Posted: Wed Jun 11, 14 10:16 pm
by Mossy68
V8 Sam wrote:arnt they the strongest creature on the plannet?
Don't think so. I think the rhinoceros beetle got a fair power to weight ratio though. Maybe what your thinking of ??? :thumbright:

Posted: Thu Jun 12, 14 8:55 am
by Dave-R
Last time we were in Portugal we had a very large beetle fall down the flue and into the fireplace. It then started flying around like a military helicopter and nearly knocked a glass over on the table.

Managed to pursuade it (with my toe) to exit over the balcony. Jesus it was big. :shock:

Posted: Thu Jun 12, 14 9:31 am
by Demon James
That's awesome Mossy, we see them occasionally when when we ride the downhill course at our local woods.

We also go there when its quite to see the slow worms, used to be adders too when I was a kid but haven't seen any there for 20+ years :(

There was a good 100M stretch of old logs along the edges which was perfect for all this and lizards but all gone now after farmer cleared for machinery storage :roll:

Posted: Thu Jun 12, 14 9:42 am
by Carl
I spotted one of these Crab Spiders on one of my Hazel nut Trees last night, aptly named because of their huge front legs enabling them to catch prey twice their size

Image

Posted: Thu Jun 12, 14 9:46 am
by Carl
Demon James wrote:That's awesome Mossy, we see them occasionally when when we ride the downhill course at our local woods.

We also go there when its quite to see the slow worms, used to be adders too when I was a kid but haven't seen any there for 20+ years :(

There was a good 100M stretch of old logs along the edges which was perfect for all this and lizards but all gone now after farmer cleared for machinery storage :roll:
Occasionally I see the odd Adder sun bathing along the river near me but usually only on very hot days.

I had one of my German shepherds killed by an Adder she was only 9 months old, vet said quit common dogs getting bitten and die.

Posted: Thu Jun 12, 14 2:16 pm
by Dave999
i was on the 316/M3 waiting at some lights when a mouse crossed the road

so i chased him into a car park by harlequins rugby and stunned him with me flash


this is the result

green cross code was perfect....green man all the way


Tres odd


Dave

Posted: Thu Jun 12, 14 4:05 pm
by Ivor
I was deep sea fishing some years ago and looking over the side of the boat I saw a condom floating by.

The skipper then leaned over my shoulder and in a dead-pan Devonshire voice said "I once saw one of those with a gentleman's willy in it".




I think that may be as odd as Dave's green cross code mouse...

Posted: Thu Jun 12, 14 9:55 pm
by Mossy68
I don't think any of us are " normal" on here :shock:

Cool spider Carl. How big ?

Posted: Fri Jun 13, 14 2:07 am
by Kev
Local Rhino Beetle and Moth

Posted: Fri Jun 13, 14 1:17 pm
by V8 Sam
Wowser at that moth!!

Posted: Fri Jun 13, 14 8:11 pm
by Mossy68
Nice one Kev. Oz is so cool for its creatures. :thumbright:

Posted: Fri Jun 13, 14 11:52 pm
by Steve Chapman
Kevs gonna top trump us all with the Aussie critters. Its game over boys!!!. Is that a moth or a squashed Sparrow Kev. Bloody hell.

Posted: Sat Jun 14, 14 2:57 pm
by Carl
Mossy68 wrote:I don't think any of us are " normal" on here :shock:

Cool spider Carl. How big ?
Not very big about the size of a 10p including its legs, but strong as hell to hold prey twice its size and they have the ability to change colour