The Dangers Of Fossiling

[Triton]

I don't really know where to go fossil hunting in Mid-Coast Maine..so I have no dangers presently.

[Uncle Siphuncle]

Here's a nasty aftermath of fossil collecting - I kayaked a South TX river this week and got some points and horse teeth, but a burr must have poked my ankle, allowing something nasty to get in. Now I'm fighting cellulitis with antibiotics - hope it doesn't turn into staph.

[Gatorman]

Yeah Cris and I have both gotten sticks shoved into (or through in my case) our feet and gotten bad infections along with hookworms nasty nasty little creatures and the pills you have to take to kill them almost kill you i hate those things i guess thats what you get running through the forest barefoot :Cave Man:

[worthy 55]

Have you ever seen an ant like this? And do they sting? :Cave Man:

[ebrocklds]

that is a velvet ant. it is actually a wingless wasp belonging to the family Mutillidae. and yes they do sting. it is supposed to be very painful as well. i also read on wikipedia that they have been found in dominican amber. ( since this is a fossil forum ) also it appears that the one you found is Dasymutilla occidentalis. found in the eastern USA.

[worthy 55]

Thanks for the info. I have seen them before around the house and I was just wondering what they are. :Thumbs-up:

[Gatorman]

if you pin them down with your finger they make a cool squeaky sound but then it will most likely sting you and that hurts really bad specially on the tip of a finger (i know from experience)

[Triton]

Here's a nasty aftermath of fossil collecting - I kayaked a South TX river this week and got some points and horse teeth, but a burr must have poked my ankle, allowing something nasty to get in. Now I'm fighting cellulitis with antibiotics - hope it doesn't turn into staph.

..Dude be super careful :S

I read about staph a few days ago, people say it's deadlier than AIDS Good luck dude..

[NCteeth]

Have you ever seen an ant like this? And do they sting? :Cave Man:

They call those "cow killers" around here. Don't ask me why. I may see 2 or 3 a summer.

[NCteeth]

Heres what Wiki says...

They are known for their extremely painful sting, the venom of which was jokingly stated to be powerful enough to kill a cow, hence the nickname "cow killers." Additionally, it has been stated cows occasionally would be stung while rolling in the sands of Florida. The resulting sting would fester, allowing the screw-worm fly to enter the wound. This would result in the death of the cow. The name hung on to the velvet ant even after the screw fly was eradicated in Florida in 1982. As with all Hymenoptera, only the females sting, and like all other wasps, they can sting multiple times. If handled, they also have a structure called a stridulitrum on the metasoma which they use to produce a squeaking, chirping sound (more like a high pitched hum) to warn would-be predators.

[Gatorman]

yup they hurt been stung a bunch of times normally on the foot a few times on the fingers when making em squeak

[JimInAugusta]

Avon's Skin So Soft will keep the chiggers away nicely.

Jim

[Guest N.AL.hunter]

I was in Bonanza, Utah splitting open rock for insect and plant fossils one early June a few years back and was constantly attacked by large gnats (as compared to the ones around my home area). They bit me on every exposed place. I couldn't resist scratching the bites and ended up with large scabs all over. I later found out they were called buffalo gnats. "OFF" did not seem to phase them. A couple of years later, I went back to the same place and had a much better time because there was a strong wind blowing that kept them grounded.

Around here in N. Alabama and Southern Tennessee, I almost always find Black Widows and Scorpions in the talus slopes at the base of roadcuts and in glade areas. Always on my watch for any critter.

[ebrocklds]

NALHUNTER

i as well have been victimized by the gnats at bonanza. i woke up very early and drove 4 hours to the site, digging was good for about an hour until it warmed up and the bugs came out to play (or feast). i planned on staying all day but i couldn't take it any longer than about 5 hours. so i left prematurely and went home.

i have been many other times and never had the same problem. i think that at certain times of the year they are out in force.

brock

[Guest N.AL.hunter]

ebrocklds

What time of year was it when you were attacked? Maybe they are just there in the late Springtime.

I really love digging/splitting at that site. Have not been there in four years. Can't wait to win the lottery so that I can collect full time (well as much as the wife will let me) and make it there again.

[ebrocklds]

i believe it was in late may. i have been there several times and they all just merge together. if you ever get the chance to come to utah and collect i would be more than happy to give you the grand tour and hit alot of my frequented sites.

by the way what did you find at bonanza. the best things i have found are a dragon fly and an eight inch long leaf from an elephant ear plant(?) i also found the standard sycamore, willow, and lygodium leaves. i did find a nice 6 petaled flower as well.

brock

[Guest N.AL.hunter]

The single best item I found is a small cluster of five (or four?) feathers, all still together. I did find a few single feathers also. Many different insect species, with a few being very detailed, but nothing as large as a dragon fly. Except a very large wing and a very large cricket/grasshopper leg. Overall I have well over 20 different species of insect from that site. As for plant material, I have not been as lucky as others. Most of my stuff very common. All my stuff is packed away now for moving into new home where I will finally get a whole bedroom just for my fossils. When possible, I will post pics for all to see. In Utah, besides Bonanza, I have collected trilobites (before U-dig took over the Elrathia Site) west of Delta in and around the Marjum Pass area, and had a great time getting topazes at Topaz Mtn. I've also visited the museum in Vernal (spelling?).