Strangest Wildlife I've Seen So Far

[kfergos]

I've seen a fair amount of wildlife on my rides lately: For the first time ever, a fox; and then, a few days later, two juvenile foxes just running down the small road I commute on; endless wild turkeys, including a flock today that had a number of young turkeys that were just as ugly as the adults; rabbits, chipmunks, squirrels (red and grey), turtles, snakes, etc. But on Saturday, on the Nashua River Rail Trail, I encountered the strangest thing I've ever seen on a bike trail:

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2595/3688581808_b76f547b6c.jpg

And this was nowhere near a pond or anything. He was alive and aggressively defended himself from my gentle prodding, but I didn't see him on the return journey. I hope he got safely wherever he was going.

[Tri Girl]

That is a strange sighting!

[sarahspins]

Ha! we used to have some barn cats that would walk the better part of a mile to the creek and back to drag back crayfish.. We didn't even think there was enough water in the creek for them year round (it doesn't actually have running water most of the year, just when it rains).

[Mr. Bloom]

A few years ago, I went out to get the paper and saw one of those on our sidewalk.

Since a hurricane had just come through, I'm thinking "did that lobster blow in with the storm???" We're in Indiana! Of course, I was 20 before I knew that shrimp had heads...:rolleyes:

[shootingstar]

Should take pics of live purple starfish occasionally that get onto the bike path. And this bike path is ..downtown.

[Biciclista]

yes, we want to see the purple starfish.

[beccaB]

I saw one of those crawdads in a cul-de- sac where I turn my school bus around. It had its' pincers up in a defensive position trying to attack the bus. All 15 tons of it! Cracked me up, it did! the kids got a big kick out of it too.

[Zen]

I once saw a crawdad smack in the middle of my yard, quite a ways away from the creek.
Maybe cats fish them out then drop them when they get peenched (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fxPg7CwtG2w)

[kenyonchris]

I was on patrol at night around midnight on the bike trails that run through the woody parts of the city parks and is it ever DARK. Came around a corner and my headlamp illuminated a GIGANTIC raccoon. Raccoons I see all the time, but not of this crazy nuclear meltdown size. He was in the middle of the path, sitting up on his hind end, with a stick in one hand and a baggie in the other. I am not sure what he had in mind for the baggie, but I wasn't going to hang around to find out what opposable thumbs could do with sticks...after a very un-coplike noise like a squeak of surprise, I decided retreat was not undignified given the circumstances. I totally expecting him to be doing a little victory dance when I turned around to make sure he wasn't going to latch on to my retreating back....he wasn't. He was looking in the baggie.

[Biciclista]

he was about to smoke the pot in the baggie with his new pipe.

[babynoahsmom]

Turtles and snakes! Lots of them. The flats where I like to ride run along some catfish ponds. We see turtles of every size and way too many snakes. My riding partner got a small box turtle for her daughter the other night. She was afraid to put it in her rear pocket. She was trying to ride wiht it in her hand and hold onto her handlebars. It bit her brake cable and it now has a spot with little turtle teeth marks. I told her only you.......

[babynoahsmom]

Oh yeah, and Armadillos! Mostly dead ones. I always wonder why I never see any dead baby ones, they are always big ones. Do the little ones hide somewhere?

[Tuckervill]

In Jamaica in 2007, on a downhill mountain bike ride, a giant HOG came squealing out in front of me on the road, and ran right in front of my tire! It was the funniest thing I've ever seen.

Through the fog of time, I've begun to wonder if someone poked that pig to make it come out at just the right time.

Karen

[kenyonchris]

he was about to smoke the pot in the baggie with his new pipe.

Oh, I hope not. What is the world coming to when I have to start arresting the wildlife?