Don't know what I don't know about the desert

[Njaco]

I'm also a Novice from the North. What the hell are goatheads and cholla?

 

[highdesertranger]

cholla = a type of cactus. nick name jumping cholla because it seems to jump out and stick you.

goathead = a type of ground plant. the seed pods are about the size of a pea and have spikes on them. you do not want to step on them barefoot. but you don't want to be walking around barefoot in the desert anyways. goat heads are a special treat for bicycle tires.

everything in the desert bites, stings, or sticks you. LOL highdesertranger

 

[akrvbob]

He desert is both an incredibly dangerous place, but also a magical, mystical place at the same time!!

 

[Cammalu]

Those cholla are a trip! It you even brush a tiny bit against it a whole chunk of the cactus will come off and be sticking in you! I don’t know how wind doesn’t just tear them to pieces.

 

[Ella1]

Birdwatchers in an area infested with fire ants uses vinegar on fire ant stings. I've carried a small bottle ever since, but haven't had to use it. For scorpions and centipede bites, urine is said to work. Urine is also used on the portuguese man of war stings, if you get any of those...

 

[SoulRaven]

The desert is not the only place to have goatheads, and they are horrible when you get them stuck in your socks! It is always a good idea to check your pet over when returning from a walk. We lived in the desert out in the county for 3 years, in a small town for another 3. Being aware of the signs of dehydration when not used to a dry climate is #1 in my book.

 

[Woost2]

I forgot to check back here after returning north earlier in the year. My dog was totally underwhelmed by Quartzsite. Anything he sniffed had stickers involved and that desert pavement was a poke in his paws every step of the ways. Really, that is some sharp stone, ready to twist an ankle at any step. Can't say I loved it either. Dust. Must be an acquired taste. Toddled on to Tucson where the very beautiful Gilbert Ray campground had been recommended. Holy shit. There was not a centimeter off the paved roadway that wasn't filled to the brim with cactus and other startling plants. I never saw such density anywhere else. Don't know if this was planted or simply encouraged. Beautiful but .... ACK! Anyway, it was a no go. Asked a ranger about solutions and he said to go up. Prickly stuff peters out at altitude. Useful info and we had many lovely days/nights at about 5000 feet. Didn't run into the goatheads until Texas and they were sneaky. My dog breathed a huge sigh of relief when we stopped at my cousin's in Sun City Georgetown, TX where there was thick glorious manicured grass! He is a child of the North.

 

[Suezq]

Are the scorpions out in Jan. Feb. in the desert. If bitten, how is it treated?

 

[highdesertranger]

they are around but less active. if you start moving rocks and vegetation you are more likely to encounter one. I believe the only scorpion in Arizona you need to worry about is the Bark Scorpion. the sting from the others is like a bee sting.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arizona_bark_scorpion

highdesertranger

 

[lenny flank]

IIRC, they have stopped making antivenom for Centruroides bark scorpions because so few people get stung by them.

 

[highdesertranger]

interesting. highdesertranger

 

[lenny flank]

I think they also stopped making Coral Snake antivenom. Same reason.

 

[highdesertranger]

isn't kinda hard for a Coral snake to actually inject their venom in you because of the shape/location of their fangs? highdesertranger

 

[lenny flank]

Yep--they're just bitty little guys with small heads and short fangs, so it's hard for them to get a really good bite on you.

I knew a guy who kept one--it was actually pretty calm and mellow and didn't mind being moved around for cage-cleaning etc. Not like most elapids, who tend to be really nervous and runny.

 

[B and C]

Had to kill a three footer a score (at least) ago in my backyard. AFAIK they only have teeth and have to chew on you to break the skin. Between fingers and toes is the soft spot for us humans. A few weeks before that I had one about a foot long on the staircase. When I went up the stairs, I almost stepped on it and blamed our son for leaving a shoelace on the stairs. On the way down I saw it for what it was. A pair of tongs and a machete later it was dispatched. One of the neighbors had one in his front yard later (the mate?) that we cut the head off with a shovel about 5 inches from the head. That five inches came alive with a fury and was hammering the shovel with its' mouth wide open. Would have probably broken skin if it was a bare leg.

I have never seen one outside a zoo prior to this or since.

 

[Gevalia174a]

Coming from CT where humidity is high, my nails break often. A lot. Out here I always keep them very short.