Even though many of us now use iNaturalist, this was not always the case. People may or may not have interacted with numerous organisms in less than cordial manner, either with the organism mis-behaving toward you, or the other way around. For me, I am absolutely terrified of dogs. Why? Come sit by …

Wow. All these stories, and yet – maybe someone mentioned malaria, but other than that, mine is the only one involving a MICRO-organism.

Malaria mention here … https://forum.inaturalist.org/t/most-harrowing-experience-s-ever-with-organisms/19252/10?u=pmeisenheimer . I should add that I also had some all too memorable encounters with E. coli, although nothing that involved a week in hospital. I don’t recommend either experience, altho…

[image] juliereid: when I looked in the rear view mirror and saw a giant clawed foot coming slowly over the back seat. Like a horror movie :laughing:

Nothing all that harrowing, certainly nothing involving angry elephants. Years ago while checking out a variety of raptor nests in the Nevada springtime, I was hiking up a talus slope to access a site. In the talus were some shrubs growing up through the rocks. As I worked my way up I began to en…

Bluff charged by female coastal Brown Bear south of Valdez Alaska. I was working for Cordova Ranger District of the USFS and myself and 2 colleagues were walking a river delta when we came up on a sow relatively suddenly who was in one of the cuts. Believe me when that massive head popped up out of …

[image] daniel112: tarantula hawk wasp Ah yes, when a scientist looks at a species, and just can’t decide what name would be adequately terrifying.

I grew up in Scotland, and apart from the infamous Scottish midges I was never exposed to anything dangerous or poisonous. I moved to the Middle East in the mid-80s and started diving, mainly in the Red Sea off the Saudi coast. Rarely saw anything that was I many way dangerous, sharks were distant …

Always tuck long pants into your socks when out in the field. If you don’t, your pant cuff might just scoop up a bumble bee, which will then crawl up the inside of the pant leg, get trapped at your crotch, and demonstrate its annoyance by stinging you multiple times in the pills. You will immediatel…

I’ve actually had a similar case. I used to be the child who would trample around through anything the undergrowth could throw at me, but just this year, when I was cleaning up some trash near my house, I went into what I’m guessing was a poison oak patch, and I can honestly say it was one of the wo…

Most Harrowing Experience(s) Ever with Organisms

Nature Talk

eric-schmitty January 10, 2021, 1:38am 77

Nope, just nope.

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Most Harrowing Experience(s) Ever with Organisms

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