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I have only seen one snake in Florida which was a harmless black racer.
My brother though was bitten by a snake last year in ENGLAND as he sat on the grass in Laindon, Essex and as it was an adder he had to go to Basildon hospital and he said that experience was worse than the snake bite.
like you Joolz i got myself a little bit worked up before our trip, in my case it was the spiders
but i needn't have worried, not a spider in sight and believe me i did investigate before i went to sleep[msnembarrased]
we did have the pleasure of meeting a cute little armadillo guy who was right next to us outside MGM as we sat exhausted on a bench
we kept a cautious distance but like i said cute little fella posed for photos and everything [msneek][msnsmile2]
played golf this year and shared the tee with a gator. what a croc. he watched me hit 5 balls into the lake then shrugged and went off for a swim. [msnsmile2]
<blockquote id="quote" class="ffs">quote:Originally posted by chrizzy100
<blockquote id="quote" class="ffs">quote:Originally posted by anna maria freak
LAST YEAR WHILST DRIVING ALONG CANADA DRIVE(JUST OFF I DRIVE) A HUGE TORTOISE WALKED OUT IN FRONT OF OUR CAR, MY HUSBAND STOPPED AND PICKED IT UP AND PLACED IT IN THE GRASS, HE SAID IT MUST HAVE WEIGHED 20 POUNDS[:0]THINGS LIKE THIS REALY MAKE A HOLIDAY AS DOES SEEING MANATEES SWIMING FREELY AROUND THE COAST, IF YOU PAT YOUR HAND ON THE WATER THEY WILL SWIM OVER TO INVESTIGATE[msnsmile2]SUCH BIG GENTLE CREATURES, SHARKS ON THE OTHER HAND, PAUL HAS CAUGHT SEVERAL WHILST FISHING OFF NEW SMYRNA BEACH WHICH IS ON THE ATLANTIC COAST BETWEEN COCOA BEACH AND DAYTONA,NEW SMYRNA HAS IN THE PAST FORTNIGHT HAD 9 SHARK ATTACKS BRINGING THE TOTAL THIS YEAR TO 18 MAKING IT THE HIGHEST IN THE WORLD, THE TOTAL WORLDWIDE BEING 35[:0][:0]IN SAYING THAT SHARKS ARE ABUNDANT OFF THE UK, AND HOW MANY SHARK ATTACKS DO WE HAVE? WILDLIFE NO MATTER WHERE YOU ARE WILL LEAVE YOU ALONE IF YOU LEAVE IT ALONE,JUST ENJOY THE PLEASURE IN ACTUALY SEEING IT AS INTENDED [msnsmile2]NOT CAGED[msnsad][msnsad]
LORRAINE
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I'd make sure that kids don't touch any tortoises..turtles..etc....they carry food poisioning bugs......if anyone has to move one..don't use your bare hands...make sure you wash your hands really well after or just go around it leaving well alone...they have a very nasty bite and some can reach right around their shell..............the same goes for areas around dustbins......raccoons carry a lot of illness...if your bin is knocked over by one use gloves and lots of bleach....and watch out for ticks.....
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Wow glad i read this we have three tortoises at back of our villa.
I love to watch them.
Wendy
I have never seen anything and our villa is lakeside - not only that, but I am petrified of snakes and spiders, and believe me if there is one in the area -my 6th sense would lknow it and I would not have owned rental proerties there over the years -if I go, trust me , you can all go!!
Also Gators do not bother you and move away from sound -once a development is finished they go and don't come back -as HOA president of our Estate I have had gators removed, but not in the last 4 years.
Racers are to be encouraged, they're territorial and will chase off a cottonmouth or a rattler. You'd be hard pushed to see a venomous snake in the built up areas and quite frankly a smal 'gator in the lake behind the house is brilliant, we've had a gator in the pond many times. Just don't go out by the lake at night that's all. If you walk toward a 'gator on a golf course they'll generally dive into the water and swim off, just apply common sense that's all.
Having said all that we adamantly refuse to swim in the sea off Florida, shark attacks and stingrays are far too common for my likeing and yes I know there's more chance of being hit by lightning.[msnsmile2]
<blockquote id="quote" class="ffs">quote:Having said all that we adamantly refuse to swim in the sea off Florida, shark attacks and stingrays are far too common for my likeing and yes I know there's more chance of being hit by lightning[/quote]
Not the most objective risk assessment I have seen!!
Really just a statement of your particular phobia!
Lightning is a far greater hazard as you point out, as is the chance of a motor accident, or being knifed/shot in a robbery.
Not to mention a Tornado - we are actually under a tornado warning at this very moment; one has just touched down at Patrick Air Force base(near Cocoa Beach) and another has just damaged the roof of a Condo.
Steve Irwin's death has started something with regard to stingrays, those near the Florida beaches are small.
we saw a racoon once well its rear end hanging out of a dustbin [msneek] oh and we sat on a bench in epcot late waiting for the gas blow off from the globe and was shocked when a domestic cat jumped out of the bushes next to us [msnoo] never expected that!
like previously said we made a point with the kids that you always check the pool before you jump in just in case as we have had 2 frogs/1 cockroach and last year a snake in the pool.I feel quite blessed as we holiday twice a year and rarely see anything!
ali
Lots of alligators more or less everywhere there's water. Caution advised but very unlikely you'd have a problem.
I've seen many snakes but away from the urban areas of places like Orlando. I was privileged to see a Florida panther walk past the window of a condo I was staying in in SW Florida a few years ago but, again, not in an urban area.
Only time we have seen Alligators in Florida is when we did the Boggy Creek Airboat Ride. Other that that seen a few birds, and a Raccoon now and again, but as suggested, keep a safe distance, don't feed them and they wont bother you.