Mt. City Montage
by PAULINE TOM
“Be on the alert when walking.” Roy Glover on Maple tidbitted, to get the word out.
“On the 6th, I moved my push mower and found a small 16-inch rattler coiled underneath. I am from far West Texas, in Snyder, and grew up watching for rattlers so I knew immediately what it was. He was too young to rattle but I could see the button and one ring so I judged him to be about one year old. Rumor has it they travel in pairs but I could only find one. I don’t believe in relocation of poisonous snakes, so I killed this one.”
Judge Beth Smith continues to get reports of rattlesnakes from all over Precinct 2. Mika Scott on Live Oak Drive Facebooked, “These things scare the *!($# outta me.” With a photo showing the several-times-larger-than-a-finger walking stick, she continued, “That’s how big it is. It’s on our shed.”
Several times in the past month, RonTom has called me out to see a remarkable walking stick. Tidbit surfing, to see if my little sister carried an old wives’ tale, I learned caution might be well-advised when face-to-face with a walking stick. Although they do not spit, some species can propel a chemical similar to turpentine when they feel threatened.
One of the chemical-propelling walking stick species in Texas is nicknamed “spitting devil.” It’s a 6-inch black-with-yellow striped version. Nearly always, the large female has a small male “piggybacking.” On Sunday, we had a non-yellow-striped pair “piggybacking” on bricks just outside our garage door. I wore glasses while photographing them … just in case.
KissMe, our Great White Hunter with red spots and splotches, has taken a liking to capturing and eating walking sticks. KissMe almost got a tarantula last week. We rescued the tarantula, just as we have rescued most of the large scaly lizards he finds. Midweek, Ron called me to the front porch for viewing of a scorpion attack on a cricket.
Scorpion reports are coming from all over Mountain City. Donna Helm tidbitted, “We had 11 scorpions in May (on Pecan). Hadn’t ever seen one in the whole 18 years we have been here. I put out sticky traps at the door and caught two more. I also sprayed around the door frames with Bengal Roach Spray. Haven’t seen another one, but if I do, I’m calling Clyde! I hate scorpions!”
I hope some readers take a liking to submitting tidbits. Send to [email protected] or phone 512-268-5678.
