51
votes
Accepted
Why would a seal be flinging an octopus around above the water and then slapping a kayaker with it?
Sea Lions and Fur Seals are known to eat octopus, but they're a bit difficult for them to eat as is. They're one of many creatures that fling food out of the ocean to tenderise, stun, kill, or rip ...
- 15.4k
50
votes
What is wrong with the rabbit living under my shed?
The fact that you've never seen it eat doesn't mean it's not eating. That just means it doesn't eat while you're watching. Don't feed it. It's not a pet. It's a wild animal and will take care of ...
- 4,384
34
votes
Accepted
"Due to the sheep in the settlement the surrounding area has no mosquitoes"
It looks like there is some truth in it. I don't think that it has to do with the sheep so much as it does with their grazing habits.
During the day, mosquitoes like to rest in tall grass or among ...
- 69.2k
31
votes
What are the benefits of saving bats?
You could ask what the importance is of any species or related group of animals. They all have their place in the ecosystem, and there will be consequences when any of them disappear.
In the ...
- 21.4k
30
votes
How dangerous are kangaroos?
Kangaroos can be very dangerous to men. It's never a good idea to approach them and we should always exercise caution when in the vicinity.
However, they don't go looking for people to attack. They'...
26
votes
Accepted
How dangerous are kangaroos?
Generally speaking wildlife should not be harassed by humans, but left alone. Bites can infect you with unwanted bacteria and require stitches in a hospital.
Large animals should always be left alone ...
- 9,589
26
votes
How dangerous are kangaroos?
Potentially, very dangerous.
Kangaroos can be big (largest confirmed stood 2.1 m (6'10") tall and weighed 91 kg (201 lb)!), they're strong, they have killer claws that they will use to try and gouge ...
- 53.4k
26
votes
How effective are Air Pistols and AIr Rifles, bought in Canadian retailers, against dangerous animals?
Air guns are effective against small animals such as rodents. The more powerful air weapons can take down larger animals such as deer, but these are hunting weapons.
Never use any weapon (or even ...
- 3,849
24
votes
Accepted
Why do predators seem as abundant as prey in trail camera footage?
If the footage has been put on YouTube, it's probably been edited. Reasonable editing would be to show the range of species and/or behaviour in the area - after all, it's entertainment or at most ...
- 25.9k
23
votes
How to humanely kill an injured rabbit?
unfortunately, you have limited choice. My suggestion is to hold the rabbit body in one hand, and the head in the other, quickly snapping the head up and backwards will break the spinal column and ...
- 996
23
votes
Accepted
What is this weird mechanical thing I found in the woods?
The fact that's it's staked out near a hunting tower suggests it's bait to attract animals. A couple of factors suggest it's meant for wild boar (which are found in Austria), or at least to withstand ...
- 25.9k
22
votes
Accepted
Why do you not aim for the head while archery hunting?
Compare a human skull to that of a deer. The human skull is dominated by the brain, so a shot to the head is likely to penetrate the cranium and brain.
On the other hand, a deer brain is very small ...
- 336
22
votes
Dozens of earthworms came on my terrace and died there
Purely speculative hypothesis:
Worms are coldblooded, which means they depend on temperatures above freezing for their metabolism to function. They survive the winter by burrowing down below the ...
- 7,501
20
votes
How dangerous are kangaroos?
Having grown up on a farm in Western Australia which is inhabited with kangaroos I have never thought of kangaroos as a danger to humans.
In my experience kangaroos are afraid of humans (unless ...
- 301
20
votes
When is it a bad idea to follow a game trail?
Traffic Jams
The way that game trails are created is by animals walking on them and therefore you can have a higher chance of seeing them. Small animals will get out of your way but moose or bears ...
- 69.2k
19
votes
Accepted
What are the benefits of saving bats?
Bats eat hundreds of mosquitos per bat every night, which is amazing for human peoples and the principle reason people hang up special made bat houses. Bat guano (poop) also creates habitats for other ...
- 53.4k
18
votes
Why do you not aim for the head while archery hunting?
The head tends to be a harder target to hit than the vital organs in the center of the body, but a penetrating hit there is more likely to take a human or animal to unconsciousness and inability ...
- 447
18
votes
Accepted
Are elk and deer colorblind to blaze orange/pink clothes?
Humans have trichromatic vision. Deer, Elk (wapiti) and some other animals have dichromatic vision. It's not that deer and Elk can't "see" oranges and reds, they just perceive them differently.
...
- 1,847
17
votes
Accepted
How can I tell if a opossum is truly dead?
How to tell if an opossum is truly dead?
The only safe thing you can do is wait. Commonly after an hour, the ears of the Opossum start to move slightly. This is your indicator to know that it's an ...
- 23.5k
17
votes
Accepted
Wildcats in Scotland
It is realistic to see them, but not at all easy.
The range of the Scottish Wildcat has reduced over the years such that they are only found in a few areas. They live almost exclusively in the ...
- 587
17
votes
Accepted
How effective are Air Pistols and AIr Rifles, bought in Canadian retailers, against dangerous animals?
Not at all, Canadian regulations define any air gun with a bullet energy greater than 6J(oules) to be a firearm.
For comparison a .22 Short bullet, which is the least powerful mass-produced caliber ...
- 294
16
votes
Accepted
Can urinating around camp attract wildlife?
According to Backpacker, and the National Park Service, peeing attracts some large predators because animals like the salty taste:
...urinate well away from camp on rock, sandy areas, or duff. ...
- 7,200
16
votes
What are these round, spiny, puffy, green things from the ocean in Northeast United States?
They are Sea Urchins and they taste like mussels. People mostly eat them raw.
They're actually pretty tasty.
Oh yeah, you'll peel off the shell and go for the slimy flesh, a delicacy with fresh ...
- 3,361
16
votes
Accepted
Dozens of earthworms came on my terrace and died there
When checking to find out what kind of earthworm we might be discussing, I found sources listing anywhere from 100 to over 6,000 species. That wasn't very helpful so I'll just skip it and assume you ...
15
votes
Accepted
What's a good place for a beginner to go backcountry camping in Oregon and California?
I'll answer the slightly broader question "How should I plan my first backpacking trip in Oregon or California?" (with emphasis on California, since that is the area I know best)
Since you are ...
- 7,501
15
votes
Accepted
Is Germany or any of Europe really rabies free?
As your travel advisory links state, the ‘rabies-free’ designation ignores bats. This is also mentioned on the CDC list of rabies-free countries which you link to:
The countries on this list are ...
- 3,752
15
votes
Accepted
What animals pose a threat to humans in the Vienna Woods/Wienerwald?
I am Austrian. There are realistically no animal dangers one worries about when going into nature in Austria, but let's analyse a few candidates rationally.
The following holds for most of Austria, ...
- 1,499
13
votes
How to humanely kill an injured rabbit?
No! Don't do this with your own hands. You can't kill him instantly without pain and without blood.
If you try to break his neck, very surely you won't know the correct moves which is needed for that,...
- 288
Only top scored, non community-wiki answers of a minimum length are eligible