Australia is not like New York!
Everything is bigger, hairier, scarier and creepier than our beloved New York critters. Take the above fruit bat for example. I’ve seen dogs smaller than this thing. We nearly stepped on it while going for a walk. It’s body was about a foot long from head to toes. I’m not sure how it died, maybe hit by a car, but these things are everywhere and it’s always freaky if you walk the sidewalks at night because they sit in the bushes along the way and when you walk under a shrub they make a big ruckus as they flap out from right next to your head with their ~ 2′ wingspan.
Tik Tiki, aka Gecko
Here’s another intruder that was living in our home. I know these by the Bengali name ‘Tik Tiki’; you would know it as a Gecko. They make a loud annoying sound at night when you’re trying to sleep and they’re out hunting. The first couple days I was freaked out by them, now I kind of like them and have given names to the family of them living in a hole on our back porch. They eat bugs, what’s not to like?!
Speaking of bugs, we get some big ones here. Check out this gnarly intruder that I almost stepped on heading to the restroom. Glad I was paying attention…
I had a classmate sleep on a couch last night and he woke up somehow with a similar sized roach pinched between his fingers. When he looked and saw it being held between his fingers, suddenly its legs started running and he was completely freaked out. He still has no clue how it got between his fingers like that while he was sleeping. Only thing I can think is some kind of reaction to an itch while he was sleeping.
The exception to the welcomed bug eating guest rule is the following famed creature; largest of it’s species in all the world! We’ve killed 3 in the house so far. The rule of thumb is that if I hear a freakish scream come from anywhere in the house, I know to grab a couple flip-flops and run to tag team help my roommate, Martin take on these lightning fast, far jumping nightmares.
Since seeing this first one, I always have these in the back of my mind when the lights go out for sleep. My roommates came home to find a large one on the ceiling directly over the center of their bed. I’m sure they were glad they stayed out late that night. I’m praying I never wake up to feeling one of these crawling on me! That said, I’ve learned something about myself. Apparently my fear of these freaky creatures is superseded only by the fear of knowing one is still alive in the house. Therefore, when I see them, I become just brave enough to make sure the later is not possible. For a moment, I’m judge jury and executioner. Then I scream and wet my pants.
I hope you enjoyed this post. Soon I’ll have to do one on welcomed guests!