Rainy Season Critters

Usually by this time of year, the rains have begun in earnest. So far they have only teased us. Although the moisture has been slow in coming, the rainy season critters have been arriving . . . pang'ono, pang'ono (bit by bit). 

This first picture is that of a chongololo which is like a centipede and has hundreds of legs. Interestingly, this critter coils into a ball when picked up. When he does that he looks like he'd make a handy trivet; although I don't think the varmint would care for that.

Frogs have been announcing the arrival of the rains. Their singing is usually a precursor to its arrival. And when termites, or inswa, arrive, you can often see them feasting at night, as in the second picture.

The first time I had escargot was at my Aunt Esther's house when I was about 12. Little did I know that snails would be a seasonal part of my life one day. Rains bring snails. When they arrive we start checking our house as they love to climb the walls. What could be harmful about that? Well, snails like to poop on the walls, leaving ugly marks long after the feces are gone. So, usually the morning ritual involves checking the walls or nearby ground for violators. When found, they are pried very carefully off the wall, then sent sailing into the atmosphere. Bon voyage!

Camel spiders, like the dead ones shown next to the computer mouse, start showing up long before rain arrives. They are scary-looking and actually scurry toward you--this is supposedly not an act of aggression, but an act of seeking your shadow. That may be so, but it is still scary!

Termite wings lie in abundance on our carport right now. We got a light rain last night, 1/2 inch, but it still brought the inswa out. Their lives are brief--once they emerge, they fly around for a short time, lose their wings, and if they aren't eaten by ants or frogs, a minority of them crawl away to find some wood.

Even briefer of a life span is that of the scorpion, pictured last. I saved the best for last. About the length of a dollar bill, these look frightening but word has it that their sting is no more than that of a wasp. I don't really care to find out! I've never figured out where these critters go~they are either DOA after emerging from the mud, or Tracy relocates them to another part of the yard. He is kinder than I am!

Please pray that God would send the rains in abundance. I recently saw pictures of heavy rains in California. We need those kinds of rains here~people are beginning to get worried about their crops. Rain is long overdue by at least a month. May God send us this lifegiving moisture~even if it does bring all of the accompanying critters!