One of the creatures I’m most worried about meeting camping or hiking is a moose. If they had a moose’s temperament they would have been one of the most terrifying things to walk the earth. They would also probably be getting hammered off fermented prehistoric fruit
I live in (not tropical) Australia, so there are practically no animals that are dangerous (camels and big roos might do you harm if you got them at speed in a car)
No lions, tigers, wolves, or bears here. No hippos, no elephants
We have crocodiles way up north, but even they won’t go after you if you stay out of the water
Spiders, octopuses, jellyfish and snakes:
Harmful spiders are redbacks (which are the same spider as black widows) and Sydney funnelwebs, neither of which chase you or seek your shoes (do check under the dunny seat for redbacks though, but it’s not an issue in indoor toilets). Don’t dig up web lined holes with your hands and you won’t be bitten by a funnelwebs
The blue ringed octopus is the only dangerous octopus and it tries to keep out of your way. If it is trapped in a small tidal pool don’t pick it up and you won’t be envenomated
Jellyfish - don’t swim in the ocean where there are signs telling you not to swim in the ocean. Box jellies and irukandji are regional and seasonal and the beaches they threaten are well signposted (that’s also in the tropics and just south of the tropics)
Snakes - Australian snakes aren’t dangerous. They are highly venomous but they don’t want to risk tangling with humans; humans eat them, and have for 40,000 years (that’s 4 times longer than humans have had bread). Give them room and they’ll move off. They pretty much won’t bite unless you corner them, try to catch them, or step on them.
In most of Australia you could sleep unprotected, with your food in an esky at your feet
Australian parrots are big on getting hammered on fermenting fruit
One of the creatures I’m most worried about meeting camping or hiking is a moose. If they had a moose’s temperament they would have been one of the most terrifying things to walk the earth. They would also probably be getting hammered off fermented prehistoric fruit
I live in (not tropical) Australia, so there are practically no animals that are dangerous (camels and big roos might do you harm if you got them at speed in a car)
No lions, tigers, wolves, or bears here. No hippos, no elephants
We have crocodiles way up north, but even they won’t go after you if you stay out of the water
Spiders, octopuses, jellyfish and snakes:
Harmful spiders are redbacks (which are the same spider as black widows) and Sydney funnelwebs, neither of which chase you or seek your shoes (do check under the dunny seat for redbacks though, but it’s not an issue in indoor toilets). Don’t dig up web lined holes with your hands and you won’t be bitten by a funnelwebs
The blue ringed octopus is the only dangerous octopus and it tries to keep out of your way. If it is trapped in a small tidal pool don’t pick it up and you won’t be envenomated
Jellyfish - don’t swim in the ocean where there are signs telling you not to swim in the ocean. Box jellies and irukandji are regional and seasonal and the beaches they threaten are well signposted (that’s also in the tropics and just south of the tropics)
Snakes - Australian snakes aren’t dangerous. They are highly venomous but they don’t want to risk tangling with humans; humans eat them, and have for 40,000 years (that’s 4 times longer than humans have had bread). Give them room and they’ll move off. They pretty much won’t bite unless you corner them, try to catch them, or step on them.
In most of Australia you could sleep unprotected, with your food in an esky at your feet
Australian parrots are big on getting hammered on fermenting fruit
Good Dinosaur reference?