Prehistoric Brouhaha

There are certain things in this world that I find simultaneously fascinating and terrifying. Many have to do with the creatures that have been roaming this earth since primordial ooze covered the ground and that continue to live among us, occasionally coming out of the woodwork to really scare the crap out of us.

This morning, my sister-in-law told me about a recent kayaking adventure out into gator-prone dark waters to watch a shuttle launch at Cape Canaveral, and the idea of sitting in the dark in a small boat around alligators reminded me of a number of fascinating creatures-from-the-deep stories that I continue to run across in the news and find rather remarkable.

Here are just a couple:

2005 Exploding Python vs. Alligator Extravaganza

Octopus Eats Shark

These kind of showdowns remind me of those monster movie battles (ala King Kong and the T-Rex) where the best thing to do is just run for cover and stay the hell out of the way!

This last one isn't all that scary, it's just kind of cool. Although I do find the fact that there are "smart" animals like this out there a tad disconcerting, mostly because it makes certain horror movies seem less far-fetched!

Octopus Lunch Box Debacle (also see Santa Monica Pier Octopus)

This is only one of many I've read about the clever, nocturnal activities of the octopus. A also remember a story about a giant octopus that kept sneaking out of its' tank at night and eating all the abalone from another tank without anyone knowing. Gives the mantra "keep your pets busy and free of boredom" a whole new feel.