animals
40 Pics Prove That Australia Is The Land Of ‘Nope’
Nope. NOPE.
Australia is such a beautiful country – having been there myself, its city is filled with life and a wide variety of people who contribute to the rich culture of the country. From Asian to Western cuisines to the beautiful deserts, the last thing you need is to spot a spider. Koalas are adorable, kangaroos are cute (from a good distance), but this country has a different image when it comes to ‘pests’ and ‘insects’.
Insects don’t grow to as long as my arm. I have an average arm. Earthworms aren’t supposed to make BIG holes in the ground. Earthworms are supposed to be small and can be carried with a matchstick. Not a piece of log. This is why my sister-in-law’s first warning upon stepping into her house was ‘be wary of the spiders, they kill.’ I don’t recognize venomous and non-venomous species, at least not when I’m panicking.
Anyway, here are 40 things we didn’t sign up for in Australia.
1. This is a Grey-headed flying fox, a megabat species native to Australia.
Looks wet, but the bat was okay. It wasn’t sick.
2. This is Western Australia’s biggest python, feasting on a crocodile.
This is Liasis olivaceus or olive python, the biggest of its genus in Western Australia feasting on an Australian freshwater crocodile (Crocodylus johnstoni).
Australia is the home of many native crawling and deadly species; 100 out of 170 snake species are venomous. 21 of them are the most venomous in the world and kill about 2 to 4 people each year. If snakes don’t scare you (even when their bite can kill you within minutes), maybe spiders will.
Several species of arachnids in Australia are extremely venomous. One of them is Sydney funnel-wed spider which is known for its deadly bite that kills an adult in 15 minutes. And there are over 2,400 other species to meet while you’re here!
Lucky for those of you who’ve already booked your trip; less than 50 are venomous. And while they do get rid of flies and mosquitoes, some might actually miss flies more than meeting a deadly spider.
3. Lizard just claimed the house.
4. Meanwhile, huntsman spider here isn’t exactly ‘dangerous’. Some people consider them as a good housekeeper in getting rid of cockroaches.
5. Roger Roo from Alice Springs looking smoking good. Sadly he passed away earlier this year.
6. Araucaria Pine Cone is the size of a head and has been reported to kill people when it falls.
Australia’s spiders and snakes are not the only dangerous and lethal creaturs that have killed people every year in the country. The pine cones that fall from trees can weigh about 10kgs; the hailstones are about the size of tennis balls; we haven’t told you about this creepy forest below.
7. A Spider Frost in Rural Victoria, Australia.
8. Dead whale carcass about to blow up from gas.
9. Nifty the Saltwater Crocodile (Crocodylus Porosus) in Darwin.
10. This is Australian bug.
11. Nobody gets near the electric meter, not ever the owner.
12. Snake in the toilet? Well, hun, time to get a new toilet.
13. Cane toads hitchhiking a 3.5m python because a storm swept Kununurra.
14. This native slug (Triboniophorus aff. graeffei) is huge and red. Can be found only in an extinct volcano is Australia was only discovered in 2013.
15. You’re not drunk. Just keep a toad to keep the snakes away.
16. Meanwhile, snakes shop in Australia.
17. Do you think filling the tank on your own is easy? It’s a life and death situation in Australia.
18. A train of hairy caterpillars.
19. Tiger (thankfully, not ‘and’) snake breeding ground.
20. Giant earthworms roam the earth below you in Queensland, Australia.
21. That’s why we don’t just wear our shoes. ‘Check them first,’ they said.
22. This is Dofleinia armata, the armed or striped anemone that can be found in Broome, Western Australia. They are dangerous and can inflict sting injuries that last for months.
Looks cool. Just don’t touch it.
23. World’s second most venomous snake in the world inside a kid’s lunch box in Australia.
24. A typical view in a mangrove swamp in Australia.
25. Imagine suddenly notice a silhouette on the floor and it’s actually of a snake.
26. This python made himself at home.
27. Probably the Goliath Stick proving that insects can be more than tiny.
28. Very venomous blue-ringed octopus. (Why it’s on your hand?!)
One bit can send the victim onto paralysis which will stop their breathing. CPR has to be constantly given until the victim is taken to the hospital and the victim has to be helped for the next 12-24 hours until the poison is naturally flushed out.
And yes, this is a VERY dumb thing to do. Don’t just take up a fancy looking octopus into your hand.
29. If you see this, you know you’re in Australia.
30. Nature is scary. These hailstones are the size of tennis balls.
31. This one just sticking out the backdoor of a house.
32. Kitchen is off-limit for the day.
33. Just another toad eating a snake. Keep scrolling.
34. A termite mound is monumental even compared to human’s top achievements.
Imagine having to build something 10km or 6.82 miles tall. How many people, resources, money and years will that take? Termites, in their scale, did something similar and this is just one among many mounds that can be found in the northern territory of Australia. And they are much more solid than cement.