I believe the most dreaded creature on the island is the centipede, and thanks to the monthly extermination service, the only ones we've found in the house were already dead or dying. We've heard plenty of stories about how horrible their bite is, and they neither offer nor are afforded any mercy. The fear of them is probably comparable to the rattlesnakes in AZ. One of our movers said we should catch several centipedes and soak them in a jar of alcohol (like tequila or rum). Then the alcohol can be used to treat a centipede bite. Then the other mover told us if we drank the remaining alcohol, the bite would hurt even less...
There are public service billboards all over the island, with a picture of a woman and a giant centipede, and the sign saying: "What's Scarier Than Unprotected Sex?" and under the picture it reads: "Not Much..." But centipedes are definitely a close second place.
The picture below is of a mongoose. Anyone remember Rikki-Tikki-Tavi? It's a story about a mongoose who is adopted by a British family, in India, and he protects the family from a pair of deadly cobras. This cartoon is based on the original Rudyard Kipling story.
Mongooses were brought to St. Croix in the 1800s to control the rat populations at the sugar mills. What no one realized at the time was that the rats were nocturnal, and slept in the trees at night. And the mongoose, well, they hunted during the day - and can't climb trees! So now, about 150 years later, both species are thriving here on St. Croix.
A while back I shared an experience on Face Book, about looking out my second-floor bedroom window one night and seeing an eight-legged monster crawling on my screen. It was a LAND crab, like the one below, but with my first thought of it being a spider, you can imagine my terror at seeing it inches away from my face!!! So I called for Jesse and Mike to come look out my window (I didn't tell them what they were looking for) and I was delighted to see Mike jump a mile when he finally focused on the creepy silhouette! Hahaha!
Our yard is frequented by one or more "Yellow-crowned Night-herons," who seem to delight in turning our driveway into a crab killing field. Oftentimes we go outside in the morning to find little crab parts strewn all over, and the large body neatly emptied out (see pretty purple crab body below).
It took a while to figure out what kind of monster was making such a mess. Sometimes I'd wake up in the middle of the night and just stare out the window, wondering what was out there. I would occasionally see a shadow running in and out of the tall grass (like in Jurassic Park), and finally, a couple of times got a good look. I'm pretty sure now we've unofficially-conclusively identified the culprit, and can sleep in peace. If we have trouble sleeping, though, we can always go to the grocery store and pick up a "Marley's Mellow Mood" to relax us a bit...
Incidentally, tonight is a full moon and we were told that the land crab
hunters would be out along the roadsides, catching these
creepy crawlies to put on their dinner plates. Our movers told us the
crabs have to be "purged" by putting them in a box with clean (?) food
for a few days, so whatever nasty stuff they've been eating will be
expelled from their body and replaced with something less undesirable. At this time, I don't know whether I'll be eating any land crabs. Ever. But if I get into a survival situation, at least I'll have an idea of what to do.
Jesse, fearless hunter of the Lionfish, is displaying his catch below. Normally we aren't fishermen or hunters, but the Indio-Pacific Lionfish is an invasive species that is doing terrible damage to the local, native fish population. As such, we are encouraged to either set a marker when we see one of the fish (they hang out in the same spot and don't roam) or eliminate them ourselves. Mike bought manual spears for Jesse and himself, and the next day we were snorkeling in the Salt River Bay and Jesse speared THREE Lionfish.
I hear Lionfish are very tasty, but I'm not interested in learning to prepare them. The spines are venomous, and some of the fish in this region are known to carry a toxin (ciguatera) that can make a person very sick. I would, however, love to try them if I ever find them on the menu of a reputable restaurant! What about you? Would you eat the land crabs and Lionfish? What about iguana???
Today we had to go to Jesse and Morgan's new school (they were going to attend school on-line, but our plans changed). I was delighted to see two large iguanas while I was waiting outside for the kids to finish their placement testing. These iguanas are used to people, and this one let me get within about five feet before he got defensive, so I was able to get several good pictures.
Below is a second iguana, with a much brighter green color. It didn't let me get close at all, and took off into a tree, where it disappeared into camouflage.
Incidentally, two of our movers (they were real characters) are from another Caribbean island, Dominica, and they love to eat iguana. They catch them here on the island, and said they'll call us when they have their next iguana-Q on the beach. They laughed as they told us the story about chasing a big iguana down the road, hoping to have it for dinner, but then a lady came out screaming at them not to kill her pet iguana! They are really nice fellows, and immediately stopped their pursuit, allowing the woman to catch her pet and bring it home.
Apparently there are at least five iguanas who live in safety at the school, and the kids have learned not to mess with them. The iguanas can whip you with their beautiful, long tails, and I'm told it can really hurt. The iguana below looks like it's posing for a glamor shot!
Well, for now I don't think I'll be eating any iguanas, land crabs, lionfish, or drinking centipede-infused alcohol. Of course what you do whenever you get here is up to you. I'll give you the keys to the car and point you in the right general direction.
I'd like to end this blog post by thanking the person who brought our family to this beautiful island, and who is always reminding me to encourage our family and friends to come visit. Let's not disappoint Mike, okay? Here's a picture I took of Mike yesterday morning, outside his office. He has to wear his blues every Monday.
So... Get your travel plans sorted out, and I'll help watch for good airfare...
Hope to see you soon,
Laurel
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