Unnnatural Natural History Programmes

[Ferretfancy]

On a cliff top walk in Cornwall I came across some basking adders. Oh, there's lovely I thought as I leaned towards them, and then they sort of hissed .... and I beat a retreat. Only other experience was in the Blue Mountains, Australia, where a snake slithered out of the undergrowth in front of me. I have though stroked some snakes at wildlife parks, they are not cold to touch and are very beautiful but I'd rather really not meet them, although I reckon more people are killed by spiders.

Anna

Death by spider bite is extremely uncommon. Although all spiders use venom to subdue their prey, most have fangs that are incapable of puncturing the skin, and even if they could their venom would be too weak to cause harm. There are only about half a dozen species in the world who are really dangerous to humans, and none of them live here, The black widow is an example of a spider which is quite common in the drier states of America. Local people treat it with caution, but largely ignore its presence,a bite can make an adult feel ill and a young child or invalid might be at risk of death, but this is very rare nowadays. The same thing goes for its Latrodectus relative in Australia, the red back.

London Zoo runs a very successful programme of therapy for extreme arachnophobes, and the dispelling of arachnid myths forms a part.

[johncorrigan]

Last night's programme on Beeb 4 about 'Metamorphosis, the science of change' was fascinating - I had been thinking butterflies and frogs, but they did sea creatures where the juvenile consumed the larva from inside, or the locust changing from solitary to swarmer. The investigation of tadpoles and how they control their metamorphosis was so interesting - some great filming - and of course he talked of the metamorphosing human.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/p00zv0wk/Metamorphosis_The_Science_of_Change/

[Serial_Apologist]

Anna

Death by spider bite is extremely uncommon. Although all spiders use venom to subdue their prey, most have fangs that are incapable of puncturing the skin, and even if they could their venom would be too weak to cause harm. There are only about half a dozen species in the world who are really dangerous to humans, and none of them live here, The black widow is an example of a spider which is quite common in the drier states of America. Local people treat it with caution, but largely ignore its presence,a bite can make an adult feel ill and a young child or invalid might be at risk of death, but this is very rare nowadays. The same thing goes for its Latrodectus relative in Australia, the red back.

London Zoo runs a very successful programme of therapy for extreme arachnophobes, and the dispelling of arachnid myths forms a part.

[salymap]

Malcolm Sargent was a Fellow of the London Royal Zoological Society and I have seen a wonderful photo of MS at the Zoo with members of the BBCSO, of which he was conductor at that time.

He took the orchestra for days out every year, often to London Zoo, and in this photo he is entwined by a huge snake, even round his neck. Members of the orchestra are clustered round him with enigmatic looks on their faces. As a viola player friend of mine remarked.......... oh well, Iwon't go on

[Ferretfancy]

salymap

How's this for an idea? Please list conductors who might well be strangled by a snake, living ones for preference!

[gamba]

Would one want to strangle a dead one ?

[ardcarp]

..has anyone done the Rattle joke yet?