Log in

View Full Version : Pavel Possum - newest pest


bananimal
06-05-2008, 07:20 AM
Finally found what was eating my pole beans and the habanero pepper plant (peppers and all). This must be one tough critter. Also found a little one sleeping in my cast net in the garage

Have researched methods of riddance - everyone has their own idea.

Has anyone on the forum gotten rid of them effectively? And I don't mean potted or creamed possum recipes from La or Tenn.

http://www.bananas.org/gallery/watermark.php?file=10014 (http://www.bananas.org/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=9765&ppuser=820)

Dan

hydrojeff
06-05-2008, 07:43 AM
all i find around my house are dead ones, my dogs dont like them in there area i guess. they are cute with there little hands!!

CookieCows
06-05-2008, 08:00 AM
A live trap and a drive to the country! That is the cutest pic... I didn't know they ate plants. I'm babying my first banana bed ever and I won't be against stringing up an electric wire if something harms a nana!

Our dog unearthed a huge mole a couple days ago. He hears them moving around and runs around the yard barking at the ground. Hubby transported the mole to the pasture. It was as big as a rat. I had no idea they were that big, had the funniest feet.

Deb

hydrojeff
06-05-2008, 08:55 AM
A live trap and a drive to the country! That is the cutest pic... I didn't know they ate plants. I'm babying my first banana bed ever and I won't be against stringing up an electric wire if something harms a nana!

Our dog unearthed a huge mole a couple days ago. He hears them moving around and runs around the yard barking at the ground. Hubby transported the mole to the pasture. It was as big as a rat. I had no idea they were that big, had the funniest feet.

Deb they are a favorite dish of my dogs also, i try to saveing as many as i can get to before the dogs do, i think they are cute also Deb!!!!

Chironex
06-05-2008, 09:20 AM
Try placing scent deterrents such as mothballs, predator scents or ammonia-soaked rags in the area the animal is using (Do NOT use ammonia when babies are present from May to August, as it can kill them).

mskitty38583
06-05-2008, 09:37 AM
if you have a dog brush them out and put the hair along the areas you dont want the possum. and what do you mean remidies from tn....thats just nasty and gross! yuck, makes me want to vomit. i am sam, sam i am, and i aint eatin no possum ham!:D

stumpy4700
06-05-2008, 04:30 PM
Well as a voice of one of the other Tennesseans, I too will not eat possum. But the neighbors dog sure likes them. It is true that in Tn there is a road kill law that says if you hit it you can eat it. Oh well :moosenaner:

island cassie
06-05-2008, 07:19 PM
Haha Sam - you kill me!!!

lorax
06-05-2008, 07:46 PM
Look for frequency generating devices - they won't have on labeled specifically for possums, but they work like a hot darn on mice and rats. Try to find the ones that are for rodents; this should make the possums go away.

On another note, we have had experience with a possum-like critter called a Huanchaca which we preferred to keep around (or really couldn't get rid of) however he was confining himself to our compost heap, which is full of tasty fruit rinds etc. Some people here let them fatten up on the yard waste, and then eat them. We do not.

bananimal
06-05-2008, 07:58 PM
I lived in Charlotte, NC when that "If you whack 'em , you can cook and eat 'em law was passed. Deer was the boef de la road they had in mind. But if you think mice are nice - just get out the kitchen knife and dice. Boy, I miss Charlotte, and the best Piedmont BBQ there is! Pork of course.

Everybody - answer up now - what is your favorite part of a squirrel???

I love it. Makes the best spaghetti sauce you ever et!

Tarheel heaven!!!!!!!

Dan

Richard
06-05-2008, 08:42 PM
Look for frequency generating devices - they won't have on labeled specifically for possums, but they work like a hot darn on mice and rats. Try to find the ones that are for rodents; this should make the possums go away.


If you install a sonic deterrent, please let your neighbors know so that they won't wonder why their pets are slowing going insane.

Whatever
06-05-2008, 09:25 PM
http://pagecurve.com/smiley/banana/127.gif

We have them around here to. They love to get into cat food if we leave it out since we have indoor / outdoor cats and usually feed them outside in the summer. Stupid things, like giant rats.

lorax
06-05-2008, 10:22 PM
If you want giant rats, c'mon down.... Or at least take a look at Capybaras.

mskitty38583
06-05-2008, 10:37 PM
i dont eat squirrel,rabbit or any other type of rodent. make me gag! i dont eat gator either( they are my family...hahaha...gator fan... LOL! i dont eat duck, dove,turtle,bay scallops and i dont eat snake,brussel sprouts, asperagus or possum. i eat vinison, beef, chicken, turkey,shark,sword fish,shrimp,lobster,clams,muscles,sea scallops,and almost every other veggie there is, crab(soft shell, oh heaven!!!) and occasionally i will eat pork. goodness i miss the ocean. i do want to try buffalo and the next pow-wow i go to i will try it. buffalo burger....sounds great to me...btw why would anyone want to eat an animal(and i use the term loosley) that starts at the butt-end of a dead animal and eats its way to the head??? i aint never been that hungry! there are plants i can eat in the wild before i ever got that far. lol. now if i hit a deer with my car and it dosent kill me, dont think i wont call my daddy and say "come and get it"....

bananimal
06-06-2008, 06:23 AM
mskitty -- you are a hoot!!!

lorax -- I have a sister-in-law from Equador, and she has confirmed that the South American mountain rat, called Vizcacha, is eaten in several ways. There is Vizcacha with rice cassarole, as well as the ever popular pickled version - Vizcacha en escabeche. Yum Yum. Check out the mountain rat pic I found.

Oh boy, I can see mskitty now just a drooling away!!!

Kidding aside, I'd try this critter before possom.

http://www.bananas.org/gallery/watermark.php?file=10064 (http://www.bananas.org/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=10014&ppuser=820)

hydrojeff
06-06-2008, 06:29 AM
looks like a cute rabbit.....

mskitty38583
06-06-2008, 08:53 AM
LOL!!!!;)

CookieCows
06-06-2008, 08:54 AM
are you serious??? I agree.. that looks like a cute bunny!

hydrojeff
06-06-2008, 10:39 AM
dead serious, like a cute little fat bunny.....

magicgreen
06-06-2008, 10:47 AM
EWwwwwww!!! Possoms are soooooo GROSS!!!!
Eat a squirrel ?? ~~NEVERRRRRRRRR!!!!~~~~~~
Now that little rat bunny is cute!

lorax
06-06-2008, 11:07 AM
Yup - Viscacha, Conejo (Rabbit), Cuy (Guinea pig), Paca, and Guatusa are all rodents that we eat down here. Personally, I prefer Viscacha and Cuy, but haven't eaten Paca or Guatusa yet. And yes, on the hoof Viscacha look like fat bunnies. But they're much tastier.

I guess you could say that I'm an equal opportunity omnivore. I won't eat anything endangered, but I'll try pretty much everything else at least once. And I don't eat pork, which occasionally makes it amusing to find lunch down here.

jmilligan1976
06-06-2008, 03:33 PM
You must not have a road anywhere near your plants or the stupid thing would surely have been hit by now!
I have never seen so much roadkill since I moved to Indiana last fall. And Possums seem to be the most popular on my drives......either way, it's a huge rat-like vermin that I would have no problem whacking to protect my plants and keep it's vermin germs away from my dog and family.
LOL on all of the recipe comments......I have had the great pleasure in sampling many of the less popular critters Canada and the US has to offer.....most not worth going back for seconds for!:bananas_b

Kylie2x
06-06-2008, 05:24 PM
OMG!! ROFL!!!
I'm not eating Rodent I don't care what you dress it in...
Down here those possum wear armour they are called armadillo's.. Put your shotgun (shotgun being my advice for your problem..)away and bust out the
9mil. .. be sure to aim for the head...LOL .. They are nocturnal but we have been in a drought for so long that you find them in the day all of the time.. Last yr one was in the yard diggin.. I walked up and wacked him in the head with a pair of 9's (9" pliers) .. YEP shot straight up in the air about 3'.. NO I don not feel guilty.. I have 65 acres live somewhere else...LOL

lorax
06-06-2008, 06:38 PM
We've got 'dillos here too - great big ones! Some people eat them as well, but I haven't had the opportunity. I always feel so sorry for them.

bananimal
06-06-2008, 11:38 PM
Would I kid about rodential delicacies? Do a search on Mountain Vizcacha pics to confirm. And note, the plains Vizcacha looks very different from the mountain variety. I remember their range is the mountains and plains going north from Chile to Ecuador. Both are slaughtered and sold for food. And, no, it doesn't tast like chicken! You go and try living in the mountains and see what starts lookin' good for supper.

Right, mskitty?

Dad was in the merchant marine and used to stop in Ecuador on his way to Valpariso, Chile and back. I teased him the other day cause he may have gotten mountain rat for dinner one night instead of pot roast. He made such a face I was doubled over in stiches. We both had a good laugh. Does anyone remember the movie Mondo Cane? Amazing what folks will eat when they have to.

Dan

BTW --- boy has this thread gone to hell in a handbasket!!!

chong
06-07-2008, 12:22 AM
if you have a dog brush them out and put the hair along the areas you dont want the possum. and what do you mean remidies from tn....thats just nasty and gross! yuck, makes me want to vomit. i am sam, sam i am, and i aint eatin no possum ham!:D

I seem to remember that possum pie was Granny Clampett's favorite recipe! Just something to think about. But I don't remember if they're from TN. Were they????

chong
06-07-2008, 12:35 AM
Would I kid about rodential delicacies? . . . . . . . . . .

Right, mskitty?

. . . . . . . . . . Does anyone remember the movie Mondo Cane? . . . . .. . . .
Dan

BTW --- boy has this thread gone to hell in a handbasket!!!

Gee, Dan, you're dating yourself!!!!!
(I can hear Andy Williams now,
"More than the greatest love the world has known,
This is the love I give to you alone.
More than the simple words I try to say,
I . . . . . . .")

A-h-h-h-h-h! the good old days! (And who's Andy Williams, you ask? . . . . . . uh! oh! I'm dating myself, too!)

lorax
06-07-2008, 07:40 AM
Speaking as someone who does live in the mountains and eats rodents, I heartily second that, sir Bananamal.

But if your dad was putting in her in Ecuador, chances are he was in Manta, and they don't eat rodents there. The seafood is second to none, though - mmmmm! Little dead sea bugs!

(I jest; my absolute fave is something called Encocado, where they take all the meat out of a coconut, blender it with peanuts and curry, then stuff it all back into the shell with shrimp and crab and chunks of fish. So good.)

mskitty38583
06-07-2008, 08:56 AM
the weirdest thing my uncle ever told me he ate when he was in the army was monkey. he said the more you chew it the bigger it got. oh yes very yummy...not! ha ha. btw... i know who andy williams is... that man had a set of pipes on him. we had some tapes of his including his christmas songs.

kimarj
06-07-2008, 09:08 AM
You guys are crackin me up:pinkskirtnaner::2688: Yucko

damaclese
06-07-2008, 09:24 AM
I'm so glad that we don't eat or have allot of rats here in Nevada You guys and gals crack me up lol

lorax
06-07-2008, 08:14 PM
ewww. rats? gross out!

microfarmer
06-08-2008, 02:18 PM
If you want giant rats, c'mon down.... Or at least take a look at Capybaras.

I'll pass on those! I'll pass on all the rat meat meals, thank you. I do eat bunnies, though, and I'd try tree rats (squirrels) if I like the recipe....

bananimal
06-08-2008, 02:41 PM
You just admitted to being a rat eater, eh. By definition - rodent - 4 teeth - 2 up 2 down. Bunnies count too. Haven't had the opportunity yet myself - but would go for it in Ecuador where it is common practice.

Mouse mousse anyone???

This is the funniest thread I ever started, thanks to you guys.

Dan

BTW, Langiappe and Randy4ut, from La and Tn, respectively, have not jumped in on this yet. Come on y'all - what is your favorite part of the possum, rat, whatever?

lorax
06-08-2008, 02:54 PM
Rodents vs Rats.... hmmmm? I don't mind Bunny, Viscacha, or Cuy, but when you say "Rat" I think of the kind of critter that inhabits Victorian sewers....

CookieCows
06-08-2008, 03:01 PM
Did you ever decide what you're going to do about that possum? LOL

mskitty38583
06-08-2008, 03:53 PM
good question, cookie!LOL!

buzzwinder
06-08-2008, 05:25 PM
Road kill possum, RC Cola and a Moonpie, :bananas_b

bananimal
06-08-2008, 06:34 PM
Ok --- for P. Possum, I have a dropdoor one ended trap. I'll try apples, then bananas. Claymores are no good, they make such a mess. The back blast is amazing. Also, no more house -- woof!

bananimal
06-08-2008, 06:41 PM
Victorian sewers??? Think Limehouse - the cold - the fog - the patter of little feet - - and the bitter cold. Thanks to ACD.

First good guess - ACD - wins a naner pup.

Dan

CookieCows
06-08-2008, 07:36 PM
:2783: I'm going nuts trying to figure this out...

I better go back to playing with logic puzzles!

lorax
06-08-2008, 09:20 PM
ACD - Author Charles Dickens?

or do you mean Arthur Conan Doyle, of Sherlock Holmes fame?

The both of them make me think of cold fog, Limehouse, and the pitter-patter of little rats.....

Of course, my imagery is largely due to Oscar Wilde, but that's another story entirely.

If that is indeed the answer and I win a pup, I regret that I am outside of your shipping range. I default my banana pup to whoever can tell me who illustrated the English version of Oscar Wilde's opera, and what other opera he illustrated.

chong
06-08-2008, 10:07 PM
Victorian sewers??? Think Limehouse - the cold - the fog - the patter of little feet - - and the bitter cold. Thanks to ACD.

First good guess - ACD - wins a naner pup.

Dan

How about Sir "Arthur Conan Doyle"

Chong

Whatever
06-08-2008, 10:34 PM
Acdc?

Whatever
06-08-2008, 10:36 PM
Advanced controls and displays?

damaclese
06-08-2008, 11:12 PM
ACD - Author Charles Dickens?

or do you mean Arthur Conan Doyle, of Sherlock Holmes fame?

The both of them make me think of cold fog, Limehouse, and the pitter-patter of little rats.....

Of course, my imagery is largely due to Oscar Wilde, but that's another story entirely.

If that is indeed the answer and I win a pup, I regret that I am outside of your shipping range. I default my banana pup to whoever can tell me who illustrated the English version of Oscar Wilde's opera, and what other opera he illustrated.
Lorax would that be ? Aubrey Vincent Beardsley he did the original illustrations for the English vision of Oscar Wilde's solame and he also did illustrations for Tannhäuser

Lagniappe
06-09-2008, 12:16 AM
You just admitted to being a rat eater, eh. By definition - rodent - 4 teeth - 2 up 2 down. Bunnies count too. Haven't had the opportunity yet myself - but would go for it in Ecuador where it is common practice.

Mouse mousse anyone???

This is the funniest thread I ever started, thanks to you guys.

Dan

BTW, Langiappe and Randy4ut, from La and Tn, respectively, have not jumped in on this yet. Come on y'all - what is your favorite part of the possum, rat, whatever?


Dan , Many of my friends and family refuse to eat wild game .And Many people across the country do consume wild animals . So being from La or Tn has no true bearing in regards to ones palate.(mmmm bear)
Fortunately for me , I belong to the latter group.
I can tell you this much about the eating of possum(and ,no,not that the best part is the knee): My family has eaten all likes of wild game to include squirrel, rabbit, deer, turtle, alligator, eel, bowfin, alligator gar, snipe, woodcock, duck, goose, quail, dove, rattlesnake, blackbird, wild or feral hog,wild turkey(the bird,not the booze) and racoon but would NEVER eat possum or armadillo !

I have heard,however, that armadillo is best served 'on the half shell' :P

AnnaJW
06-09-2008, 03:04 AM
<SNIFF> I think Possums are so cool!
But, I also like skunks. :)

lorax
06-09-2008, 11:26 AM
ok, if I won, send my pup to Damaclese.

bananimal
06-14-2008, 06:01 AM
Lorax - you won. BTW, I walked thru a simulation of a Limehouse alleyway, circa latter 1800's, at Madame T's in Paris. Real creepy, dark, foggy, smell of chimney smoke.........

Damaclese, Pauly -- take a look at my naner list in the profile and see what you like. Had almost as much fun reading thru this thread as I had driving my wife bonkers reading her the posts. It is my pleasure to send you a pup on lorax's behalf.

Lagniappe -- awesome listing of critters. Why don't you send mskitty an invite the next time you hear that thump thump from the tires.

Dan

mskitty38583
06-14-2008, 11:53 AM
.....meow...means i dont think so....LOL!!!:woohoonaner:

damaclese
06-14-2008, 04:26 PM
ok, if I won, send my pup to Damaclese.
wow did i realy get that right thanks Loeax u are a pal and all return the faver when the AEAE pup that scots giving me grows up you can have one

Randy4ut
06-14-2008, 09:31 PM
You just admitted to being a rat eater, eh. By definition - rodent - 4 teeth - 2 up 2 down. Bunnies count too. Haven't had the opportunity yet myself - but would go for it in Ecuador where it is common practice.

Mouse mousse anyone???

This is the funniest thread I ever started, thanks to you guys.

Dan

BTW, Langiappe and Randy4ut, from La and Tn, respectively, have not jumped in on this yet. Come on y'all - what is your favorite part of the possum, rat, whatever?

I have stayed away from this thread until Lagniappe called and told me about it and I had to check it out. As far as possum goes, make a real good bar-b-que, as well as in a stew. Not near as good as groundhog, or coon, or wild boar, though... Hey, I will try anything once, and if it is halfway good, I ain't ashamed of going back for seconds!!!! Don't you guys knock it, if you ain't tried it!!!! Squirrel and dumplings are one of my favorites along with eggs and rabbit on Christmas morning.... BTW, did I mention how good bear is as a pot roast or just fried up!!!

Now I don't do roadkill, but if I could trap it or shoot and get it in a pot, hey, supper's on!!!!
Anyone need any good recipes for any of these or anyother "vermin" let me know!!!

chong
06-15-2008, 01:09 AM
I have stayed away from this thread until Lagniappe called and told me about it and I had to check it out. As far as possum goes, make a real good bar-b-que, as well as in a stew. Not near as good as groundhog, or coon, or wild boar, though... Hey, I will try anything once, and if it is halfway good, I ain't ashamed of going back for seconds!!!! Don't you guys knock it, if you ain't tried it!!!! Squirrel and dumplings are one of my favorites along with eggs and rabbit on Christmas morning.... BTW, did I mention how good bear is as a pot roast or just fried up!!!

Now I don't do roadkill, but if I could trap it or shoot and get it in a pot, hey, supper's on!!!!
Anyone need any good recipes for any of these or anyother "vermin" let me know!!!

My kind of guy!!!!!! When I was growing up in the Philippines, just for fun we'd hunt for monitor lizards. Like Randy says, I'll try anything once, myself. And to be honest, monitor lizard tastes like chicken, but you know what? It's the thought that counts. No seconds for me. I just go for the chicken the next time.

Now, roasted peccary or havolina, that's more like it.

lorax
06-15-2008, 07:46 AM
Oh, man, I forgot about peccary. Super yum!

CookieCows
06-15-2008, 09:39 AM
Now I've had BBQ bear burgers at an annual picnic in Oregon and they were good, but... wild boar.... oh my gosh ... that smelled my kitchen up so bad I could hardly stand it. Real strong, nasty smell.

Something must of gone wrong with that!

Deb

damaclese
06-15-2008, 09:59 AM
being Born and raised just on the state ling of Kansas and Missouri and spending almost every summer that i can remember in the northern Ozark mountens i have to say the thought if eating Possum or coon or bare scars the dickens out of me I'm sure and remember I'm a chef so i have vary adventuresome taste but wild Bear for example is a known carer of Trichinosis (spelling sorry) and coon and possum populations in the mid west have been devastated by Rabies (again sorry spelling)
so I just cant rap my lips on that Grissel! lol :p

island cassie
06-15-2008, 10:02 AM
You guys kill me!!! And make my roadkill tales seem tame! We were driving down a road in England when the car ahead hit a pheasant. We braked and managed to pick it up before he could reverse back and get it - made a great stew!!! Also in Scotland the pheasants were everywhere, and there was one bird ahead of me on the verge. As I approached he took 2 steps forward, 2 steps back , 2 forward, 2 back, then as I passed he ran into the back wheel and all I could see in the rear view mirror was a cloud of feathers - didn't stop for that one!! An avian Darwin awards candidate I think!

And in Australia we were driving non-stop down the East Coast from Cairns to Melbourne (don't ask!) and taking turns with the driving. The kangaroos were everywhere and as we changed drivers as darkness fell and it was my turn to drive, my husband said - don't hit one of those kangaroos as they will wreck the car. Well, they leapt across the road like lunatics but luckily I didn't hit any, and sometime in the early hours we changed drivers again. Well - he hadn't been driving for more than half an hour before he nailed one - I was so glad it wasn't me!! Haha!! didn't pick that one up either!

Cassie

tlturbo
06-15-2008, 12:01 PM
Us Floridians LOVE gator.

chong
06-15-2008, 01:33 PM
Now I've had BBQ bear burgers at an annual picnic in Oregon and they were good, but... wild boar.... oh my gosh ... that smelled my kitchen up so bad I could hardly stand it. Real strong, nasty smell.

Something must of gone wrong with that!

Deb

The wild boar that you had was probably butchered from the wilds. People in MS hunt those giant wild boars with several dogs to "get it trapped at bay". Then they send a pitbull to actually pin it down after which, a couple of the hunters would grab the boar's hind legs and hog-tie (no pun intended)them. Then they load it up on their pickup truck. While it's up on the boom of the picker, they caponize (neuter) the boar. Then they keep it in a pen for 3 weeks and feed it grain and surplus vegetables before butchering.

The meat that I sampled was somewhat gamy, but it actually tasted something between regular pork and beef. It didn't smell anything offensive, though. Just regular barbecued meat.

bananimal
06-15-2008, 03:22 PM
chong,

My uncle Frank started up a 10 acre ranch in SW Miami back in the 40's and used to catch land crabs and stick 'em in cages. Back then they were widely considered a delicacy in So Fl. He did the same as with your wild boar. Fed them veggies for at least 4 weeks, to "clean them out", as he put it. Otherwise they tasted like "something that fell off the back end of Lassie", as I would put it. Couldn't stand the looks of those things back when I was 10 yrs old. Looked like armored spiders.

Of all the game animals mentioned in this thread I would love to try wild boar first. Local paper has advert for boar hunting guide service on private land for $150.00 per pig. With a guarantee of "no pig, no pay". Oooo baby!

Hey chong, give us BALUT any day, right? Don't explain - they are all too grossed out already and mskitty may have kittens!!! lol

Dan

CookieCows
06-15-2008, 04:44 PM
The wild boar that you had was probably butchered from the wilds. People in MS hunt those giant wild boars with several dogs to "get it trapped at bay". Then they send a pitbull to actually pin it down after which, a couple of the hunters would grab the boar's hind legs and hog-tie (no pun intended)them. Then they load it up on their pickup truck. While it's up on the boom of the picker, they caponize (neuter) the boar. Then they keep it in a pen for 3 weeks and feed it grain and surplus vegetables before butchering.

The meat that I sampled was somewhat gamy, but it actually tasted something between regular pork and beef. It didn't smell anything offensive, though. Just regular barbecued meat.

Chong, you're right it was killed in the wild. This was when I lived in Colusa, Ca and back then a lot of people fished in a network of canals that were all over with a gun near by as a wild boar could pop up. They were killed on site and taken in to be processed.

Now I understand why it was so nasty!!

Randy4ut
06-15-2008, 06:28 PM
The boar I have eaten was "bayed" and taken out by gun and field dressed on site before ever taking it to the meat processing plant. Slight hint of wildness to it, but actually very tasty and sent me back for seconds!!!

bananimal
06-15-2008, 07:39 PM
Randy,

Wish I was there to try that. Have friends in Italy that talk about how good that wild pig can be cooked and served up first rate.

Dan

mskitty38583
06-15-2008, 10:06 PM
last summer my brother got him some wild boar in fl. he says its really good.

Lagniappe
06-15-2008, 10:11 PM
Iguana is good too ! Unlike Chongs monitor it taste much like rabbit.

chong
06-16-2008, 12:56 AM
The boar I have eaten was "bayed" and taken out by gun and field dressed on site before ever taking it to the meat processing plant. Slight hint of wildness to it, but actually very tasty and sent me back for seconds!!!

Probably a sow. Even farm boars, if not caponized, will have a really strong odor.

Lagniappe
06-16-2008, 01:07 AM
Yup ,that's why it's best to pass on the big ones and only harvest the shoats.

lorax
06-16-2008, 10:39 AM
I am greatly amused at how this thread has moved from "pest removal" to "pest digestion"!!!

This said, properly pulled boar is very very tasty, but I'd say it's best when it's spit-roasted all day over hot coals.

Randy4ut
06-16-2008, 12:22 PM
Probably a sow. Even farm boars, if not caponized, will have a really strong odor.

I believe caponized is actually only referring to chickens and/or fowl. Castration is more in line with hogs/boars/pigs...

mskitty38583
06-16-2008, 01:16 PM
I am greatly amused at how this thread has moved from "pest removal" to "pest digestion"!!!

and there again i have to say," that is just so nnnnnnaaaaasssssstttttyyyy"!! lol!

microfarmer
06-16-2008, 01:33 PM
You just admitted to being a rat eater, eh. By definition - rodent - 4 teeth - 2 up 2 down. Bunnies count too.

Rodent eater, yes...rat eater...NO! :0492:

As for wild game, I've had Muley and Whitetail, Rabbit, Pheasant, Snapping turtle, and a Wisconsin Partridge. I also eat oysters...raw!:08:

Now for the delicacies...

How's about some Rocky Mountain Oysters? Went back for thirds on that!:08:

Possum is not a rodent, but a marsupial (like the Kangaroos). I'd try it once, too...

chong
06-16-2008, 01:52 PM
I believe caponized is actually only referring to chickens and/or fowl. Castration is more in line with hogs/boars/pigs...

You are correct. I understand that it generally refers to chickens. But the word itself means "castration, as in, of the male fowl." Strictly speaking, the definition implies that it does NOT ONLY apply to male fowls, just that it is a good example. I just didn't want to use the word castration, that's all. The word castration, to me, suggests some form of punishment. And sounds somewhat graphic. While "caponizing" is more genteel, in the sense that it is a process that is practiced in the agricultural industry.

I could have used the word "barrowed", but that is even more unfamiliar to the general public. A "hog" in England is a castrated boar. But here, it generally refers to any member of the swine family so I couldn't use it. In Philippine vernacular, "capón" is more commonly used for castration. And even Spanish speaking people there use the word "caponado" more so than "castratado" because it is a more familiar term.

Lagniappe
06-16-2008, 02:05 PM
Rodent eater, yes...rat eater...NO! :0492:

As for wild game, I've had Muley and Whitetail, Rabbit, Pheasant, Snapping turtle, and a Wisconsin Partridge. I also eat oysters...raw!:08:

Now for the delicacies...

How's about some Rocky Mountain Oysters? Went back for thirds on that!:08:

Possum is not a rodent, but a marsupial (like the Kangaroos). I'd try it once, too...


Mountain oysters....blah....this could be win/win though ,now everyone knows where to send the extra parts !

BTW....I have friends who claim they use every part but the squeal .

chong
06-16-2008, 02:37 PM
Mountain oysters....blah....this could be win/win though ,now everyone knows where to send the extra parts !

BTW....I have friends who claim they use every part but the squeal .

They serve that at a booth in the WA State Fair in Monroe, WA. The first time my wife saw the sign back in the 60s, she wanted to order them. I asked her if she were sure about it. She gave me puzzled look, so I asked if she knew what they were. She said, "Oysters, I love oysters!" So, I told her that these are oysters from the Rocky Mountains, "Does that tell you anything?" At this point, she paused a little bit and finally asked if there was something that she should know about them. After I told her what they were, you should have seen the expression on her face. I ate some, though. Totally grossed her out.

About using every part, except the squeal . . . in the Philippines, I've supped with some squatter families that live near slaughterhouses, where they pick up all the things that the butcher throws away for their food. They draw the line on the skin scrapings, though. In addition to the squeal.

mskitty38583
06-16-2008, 03:04 PM
i love to eat shark, squid, octupus, lobster, crab, blues, and sword fish. im not going to eat rats and other varmin. ive never been that hungry nor do i ever intend to. there are to many other things that i can find to eat. let alone mountian oysters...gag me!!:ha:

chong
06-16-2008, 03:36 PM
i love to eat shark, squid, octupus, lobster, crab, blues, and sword fish. im not going to eat rats and other varmin. ive never been that hungry nor do i ever intend to. there are to many other things that i can find to eat. let alone mountian oysters...gag me!!:ha:

Whoever said anything about going hungry? I thought these were delicacies that people actually go out of their way to get them. Or, maybe, just accidentally run over them . . . .

mskitty38583
06-16-2008, 04:56 PM
lol. they can have all they want and my share too.:2726:

lorax
06-27-2008, 07:27 PM
Well folkies, I just found this in my music collection, and immediately thought of this thread. The song is called "Possum" and it's by a band called The Billys. Enjoy!
:0517:

CookieCows
06-27-2008, 08:36 PM
I could see that cute little possum as I listened to this song! I just don't know whether to laugh or cry!

magicgreen
06-27-2008, 10:14 PM
opossums are soooooo gross! I trap them and those flying rat squirrels!!
Don't ask how I get rid of em', just use your imagination!

damaclese
06-27-2008, 10:39 PM
by the way and this was a was back in the thread as you may or may not know i won the prise for answering Loraxes question what was the name of the person that illustrated Oscar Wald's first Oprah he graciously offed his prise to me and i excepted it i just wanted to thank him for the beautiful Dwarf Brazilian Banana plant Dan sent it to me i received it on Thursday and it was the biggest corm with Baby attached iv ever seen thats not saying much as iv only seen a few but its wonderful and has grown a hole inch in one 12hr period thanks again
Pauly

p.s. pics to come

mskitty38583
06-28-2008, 12:36 AM
lorax....you need a better hobby...LOL!!!!...."but youll come back as compost", that tickled me soooooo much.:2748:

pauly....i told you dan sends good bananas. congrats on your new pup.:hiiiiyanana:

lorax
06-28-2008, 10:34 AM
Paulie - your welcome. But I'm not a dude...

mskitty38583
06-28-2008, 11:44 AM
LOL!. pauly.. lorax is a dudette

bananimal
06-28-2008, 08:07 PM
Lorax,

Thanks for the possum tune. Played it for the wife and she's rolling the eyes again. LOL again and again - thanks. I once lived in NJ near Princeton U, and that area had so many possums and skunks that a ride to work in the AM was truly like running a gauntlet. One AM I will never forget was on RT 571 approaching the Princeton Jnct train station when the skunk smell went off the charts.

When I got to the bottom of a dip in the road, a momma with at least 7 to 9 pups on her back had been run over by a vehicle --and there was blood, skunk parts and stink like I never ran into before all over the place. Angie almost barfed and my eyes watered for a half hour.

Second in road mortality back then was, of course, the possum. One early AM I was headed out on RT 33 to go fishing out of Belmar. A possum appeared right in the middle of the road and I hit the horn a few times. Well ---- it caused the critter to freeze, stand up on it's hinds and look at my car as if to say, "What's that?". He ate the bumper of my '74 Chevy Nova and I will never forget the sound of his demise passing under the car -- like dribbling a basketball real hard and real fast. Lordy!

Ain't critter stories the best?

Did I ever mention the time I sat down on a mound of dirt to discover it was a scorpion nest? Or the time a rat scurried across my chest just when I was falling asleep 2 clicks from the Cambodian border?

Dan

damaclese
06-29-2008, 08:29 AM
Paulie - your welcome. But I'm not a dude...
sorry its hard to tell wether pepol are girls or boys lol
thats why pictures help!

bananimal
04-26-2009, 10:21 AM
This post should be a final update to the Pavel Possum thread, I hope!.

The deal is -- Pavel Possum is kaput. Found his furry carcass in front of the house yesterday. It appears he was smacked by a car. He was intact with no flattening from tire treads. No blood or guts showing. Looks asleep. The neighborhood bobcat didn't do it as he would have been shredded and eaten.

I folded him neatly into a Rebok shoe box neatly lined with shoe packing paper. Held a brief service. Took him to the grocery store.

Holding off on the pic - it's not funny the way Lagniappe's squirrel with action figures was.

Dan

lorax
04-26-2009, 11:13 AM
I have to ask.... Why did you take him to the grocery store? I'm assuming that it was to use their dumpster for interrment, but still....

chong
04-26-2009, 09:27 PM
I have to ask.... Why did you take him to the grocery store? I'm assuming that it was to use their dumpster for interrment, but still....

I wondered about that too??????

saltydad
04-26-2009, 10:00 PM
One of my best friend's parents met each other while in a Japanese internment camp in the Philippines during WW2 (they were medical missionaries). They told some stories, but pertinent to this thread they loved to catch rats; they were the steak of the day. I guess when you chew shoe leather for sustenance your tastes change.

chong
04-26-2009, 11:40 PM
One of my best friend's parents met each other while in a Japanese internment camp in the Philippines during WW2 (they were medical missionaries). They told some stories, but pertinent to this thread they loved to catch rats; they were the steak of the day. I guess when you chew shoe leather for sustenance your tastes change.

Howard,
That was the big treat for the prisoners. My Dad was a 2nd Louie when he marched the Bataan Death March. He was fortunate because the route that they went through was where he plied his Mom's veggies and prepared foods since he was 13 until he was 18. So he was familiar with the territory. One of my uncles smuggled fish to him and his men from time to time, and some villagers along the way would toss food to them. But when they reached Camp O'Donnell, there was no food, and security was so tight, my uncle could not get them any food. The staple became the "6 O'clock lizard". It's a small lizard that comes out of hiding from a tree or building at 6 O'clock in the evening to "kiss" the ground. But a captured rat is prized because the taste is like a cross between chicken and pork. They cooked the meat until tender and eat it, then roast the bones until crisp and eat them, too.

I forget which famous movie it was, maybe "The Bridge on the River Kwai", where a couple of the Brits actually "farmed" some rats under some buildings. When they first roasted them, aroma would waft through the camp, and the other prisoners thought that someone was roasting chicken.

I saw this segment on the National Geographic Channel: in central India, to this day, there are villages where they have an annual "harvest" of thousands of field rats. They catch them and place them in gunny sacks, build a large circle of bonfire, then throw the sacks in the middle. The feast then follows when the rats are cooked.

saltydad
04-26-2009, 11:46 PM
Chong- Yeah, my late Dad was in the Army in the Pacific theater in WW2 also. He would never talk about it though.

chong
04-27-2009, 12:25 AM
Thanks for your come back, Howard. I'm always proud to meet other children of the greatest generation. WWII, or any war, is quite disturbing, obviously. Some people simply choose to leave that portion of their lives behind them and move on. I couldn't help learning what happened. I belong a large family. And although my Dad was the only one that served in the military, many other uncles (we consider our parents' cousins as uncles and aunts), were in the guerrilla movement in WWII, then younger ones served in the Korean War. My Dad continued in the military until he retired in 1969.

As a kid, I used to ask his contemporaries about their roles in the war. My earliest and fondest recollection as a kid was when I was 3 years old. My brother and I would be playing in the front yard of our grandfather house and a group of GI's in a Jeep would drive by and we would wave vigorously, and shout "Hello, Joe! Chocolate, Joe! Candy, Joe!" And they would stop and give us chocolates and candies. Sometimes, even K-Rations! Until I was in college, I had kept the portable can openers that came with the K-Rations, using them with key chains.

Those were the only English words I could say, because I didn't know how to speak English the. But I nagged my Mom about teaching me, since she was a 5th Grade English teacher. I would learn words from the movies which I had no idea what they meant. But I tried to say them the way Americans would say it. Little did I know that later on it would be very helpful. Though all through my school years many classmates made fun of me because I was trying to talk like an American. Then I went to high school and college that were run by Americans, and the staff treated me like I was one. Then I came to this country, and people thought that I just came from another part of the US, when they heard me speak.

Going back to the topic of this thread, the only other critter that was captured by the starving soldiers were lizards that were called "quasi-crocodile". They look like little crocodiles with smoother skins, about 16 inches long, and just under in inch wide. These were harder to come by because they have to live near bodies of water. Allegedly, they taste like chickens. We just shot them with our slingshots and let the hawks eat them.

bananimal
04-27-2009, 09:48 PM
Lorax, Chong,

Yes, I took poor Pavel Possum to the grocery store dumpster. Ya see, I'm a fisherman and can't resist the temptation to throw out a bait and see what, or who, in your cases, takes it. Thanks for a great laugh.

The best threads in this entire forum are about critters. Found the post with the squirrel-a-pult kinda late and almost wet my pants laughing my guts out.

Referring to resorting to food available in a war setting - the most exotic things I ate in Viet Nam was fresh bamboo shoots and wild Thai peppers that my scout spotted. Went great with the friggin C-rations. Also found out that the rule of thumb in the jungle is you don't eat meat from carnivores - like spotted leopard. I nailed one with a claymore mine boobytrap that I set out every evening. We wanted to try the meat but the scout wouldn't let us. He said "you be sick beaucoup"!!!

Dan

harveyc
04-27-2009, 10:25 PM
Dan, you sly dog you!!! Thanks for the entertainment! :D

Tog Tan
04-28-2009, 06:29 AM
Heyyy! How can I have missed this thread when you guys are talking about eating creepy crawlies! I am not being a mr. know all here but I would like to share with you guys on what actually are the animals you have to referred to with its local name.

Dan : It's very odd the Viets don't eat the Leopard. It is totally illegal here but one of the best meat around. However, preparation is lengthy and it is best stewed to soften it.


Going back to the topic of this thread, the only other critter that was captured by the starving soldiers were lizards that were called "quasi-crocodile". They look like little crocodiles with smoother skins, about 16 inches long, and just under in inch wide. These were harder to come by because they have to live near bodies of water. Allegedly, they taste like chickens. We just shot them with our slingshots and let the hawks eat them.

From your pretty accurate description Chong, this lizard is a water skink which most probably belongs to the Tropidophorous spp. They are the only family of water skins with size that big and have croc like skins. They are now very rare due to water pollution.

The staple became the "6 O'clock lizard". It's a small lizard that comes out of hiding from a tree or building at 6 O'clock in the evening to "kiss" the ground. But a captured rat is prized because the taste is like a cross between chicken and pork. They cooked the meat until tender and eat it, then roast the bones until crisp and eat them, too.

I forget which famous movie it was, maybe "The Bridge on the River Kwai", where a couple of the Brits actually "farmed" some rats under some buildings. When they first roasted them, aroma would waft through the camp, and the other prisoners thought that someone was roasting chicken.


Your 6 O'clock lizard is known as the 12 O'clock lizard here! :ha: It is an Agamid from the Calotes spp. There are many of them at my nursery and they keep the insects in check. Now my stupid dog there have developed a habit of chasing them down. The gibbons here just love to chew on them, smacking away.

Here no one eats it normally (except like war you said) cos it doesn't have much meat. The Thais love the beautifully marked Butterfly Lizard, Leiolepis reevesii. It is cut just above the pelvis, skewered, and roasted like chicken thigh. The other yummy lizard is the Indo Chinese Water Dragon, Physignathus cocincinus which is 3/4 the size of the South American Iguana.

The movie you were talking about is from the novel, The King Rat by James Clavell. You know, even up till today, field rats are sold by the Thais in areas which are 40 mins from Bkk. You will find a small stall every 2 km or so selling them hung by the tail. This is a delicacy which the city folks will go all the way to buy. Damn, it cost more than chicken.

This, your 6 O'clock lizard, Chong? One of the many Calotes versicolor thermo regulating on top of my Pachypodium geayi at my nursery.
<a href=http://www.bananas.org/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=16229><img src=http://www.bananas.org/gallery/watermark.php?file=16229&size=1 border=0></a>

bananimal
04-28-2009, 09:18 AM
Since the subject of rodential delicasies has resurfaced, let's ask lorax for an update on any new lip-smaking new Ecuadorian rodent delights she has found.

Like vizcacha en escabeche, picadillo de paca, guatusa con pana and the ever popular cuy encebollada (mskitty's favorite). Yum Yum.

Dan

Patty in Wisc
04-28-2009, 12:51 PM
Well folkies, I just found this in my music collection, and immediately thought of this thread. The song is called "Possum" and it's by a band called The Billys. Enjoy!
:0517:
Lorax, where is your possum song?? Not there anymore:(

lorax
04-28-2009, 01:14 PM
I had to take it down to make room for the PDF of the sponsorship thingie. But have no fear!

You can find it HERE (http://www.bananasmagazine.com/10 Possum.m4a) now.

Dan: we don't do Vizcacha here, but we do do Capybara Horneado in the deep jungle; these are very tasty. Of course, there's always bunny on the highland menu along with the Cuy (although I'm not terribly fond of encebollado. I prefer spit-roasted or encocado, myself). Seco de Guatusa is good, but Seco de Guanta is better. And of course, I'd be remiss if I didn't mention Huanchaka, which is possum. Oh, and don't forget spit-roasted tree rat. Very tasty.

harveyc
04-28-2009, 02:17 PM
gosh, I wish I hadn't read this just before I was starting to eat some BBQ chicken for lunch. I think it's going to taste a little different than when I had it Saturday night! :P

chong
04-28-2009, 03:25 PM
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

This, your 6 O'clock lizard, Chong? One of the many Calotes versicolor thermo regulating on top of my Pachypodium geayi at my nursery.
<a href=http://www.bananas.org/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=16229><img src=http://www.bananas.org/gallery/watermark.php?file=16229&size=1 border=0></a>

Thanks - Tog,
I wanted to respond to the rest of your comments, particularly about your comments regarding the cost of rats! I laughed so hard when I read that! The lizard in your picture, I believe is the Bearded Dragon????

Anyway, here is an article that I found very interesting when I was looking for a picture of the Philippine house lizard. I was very disappointed that most of the posts, including the Wikipedia, would refer to them as the Gecko. Even bloggers from the Philippines did the same. The common house lizard in the Philippines is called "butiki", which makes the "tsk, tsk, tsk, etc. (emphasis on the 'k')" sound.
I Love/Hate America: WHAT AMERICANS THINK OF FILIPINO CHICKENS (AND LIZARDS TOO) (http://fliploveusa.typepad.com/a_filipino_immigrants_lov/2008/12/what-americans-think-of-filipino-chickens-and-lizards-too.html) You can see from the picture there how small they are. So in war, hunger is a motivating and appetizing force for anything that has protein.

The Gecko is much, much bigger, and is called "Tukô", for their "túk-kô!" sound. You can hear the sound in this Youtube video: YouTube - The Tokay Video (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_wXjTgOhba0&feature=related)

Patty in Wisc
04-28-2009, 03:47 PM
The deal is -- Pavel Possum is kaput. Found his furry carcass in front of the house yesterday. It appears he was smacked by a car. He was intact with no flattening from tire treads. No blood or guts showing. Looks asleep. The neighborhood bobcat didn't do it as he would have been shredded and eaten.

I folded him neatly into a Rebok shoe box neatly lined with shoe packing paper. Held a brief service. Dan

http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y202/Patty_in_Wisc/possum13.jpg

Dan, I know your sorrow! I will gladly ship this mamma & her family to you:) You'll need 2 xbig shoe boxes for this one!
What's a 'pavel' possum?

bananimal
04-28-2009, 08:34 PM
Lorax -- You have now given me plenty of ammunition to tease my Ecuadorian sister-in-law with. She is very "proper" type and would do anything to hush up something like rodent filled menu dishes being restaurant favorites in her native country.
She makes a mean seviche de camarones and grilled skirt steak with chimichurri sauce on the side. Can't wait to see her eyeballs pop out when next time we go to dinner at her place I say, "hey, why don't you do some Guatusa or Guanta next time'". When the others ask what's that, I can see her leaping at me to shut my mouth.

Patty -- Keep your possums, I'm sure to have more later. Just remembered the baby I found sleeping in my cast net in the garage. Let him go after he hissed at me. As for Pavel - had to name him, and it's the first name that popped into my head. Must of been watching old Star Trek reruns. Pavel is a Russian name - as in Pavel Chekov, weapons officer, starship Enterprise.

Tog -- The Viets may eat leopard, but my scout was Cambodian, a Capt. in the South Vienamese army. I listened to him. Humping thru the jungle is no fun. Humping thru the jungle with diarrhea is unbelievable! The malaria pills were bad enough!!!!!!!!

Dan

Tog Tan
04-28-2009, 09:20 PM
[QUOTE=chong;73019]Thanks - Tog,
I wanted to respond to the rest of your comments, particularly about your comments regarding the cost of rats! I laughed so hard when I read that! The lizard in your picture, I believe is the Bearded Dragon????

Anyway, here is an article that I found very interesting when I was looking for a picture of the Philippine house lizard. I was very disappointed that most of the posts, including the Wikipedia, would refer to them as the Gecko. Even bloggers from the Philippines did the same. The common house lizard in the Philippines is called "butiki", which makes the "tsk, tsk, tsk, etc. (emphasis on the 'k')" sound. You can see from the picture there how small they are. So in war, hunger is a motivating and appetizing force for anything that has protein.

The Gecko is much, much bigger, and is called "Tukô", for their "túk-kô!" sound. You can hear the sound in this Youtube video:[QUOTE]

No Chong, the critter in the pix is the local Agamid, the Calotes versicolor. There many different species here. The bearded dragon, Pogona vitticeps, originally comes from Australia. They are much more robust - so they should be good for eating!

The next thing is all the wall climbing lizards are generally referred to as Geckos. The genera of geckos are identified by the development of the toes.

The Tockay or Tokay, Gekko gecko, is found throughout eastern tropical Asia. Cos of its size, it is a delicacy in Thailand. The Chinese also use a dried version in their alternate medication. I am getting a little confused here, so is this the one you refer to as the 6 O'clock lizard?

I have kept these before, they are extremely aggressive when encountered and if they bite, they don't let go. I have a friend who used a gruesome method to demonstrate their jaw clamping prowess. He will have 2 Tokay bite each other and then behead them. Even after death the jaws won't let go.
I like the blue based ones with the orange dots and have kept and bred them. Besides feeding them insects, I also feed them baby mice which they love!
Their call is loud!

Lagniappe
04-28-2009, 10:15 PM
Tog -- The Viets may eat leopard, but my scout was Cambodian, a Capt. in the South Vienamese army. I listened to him. Humping thru the jungle is no fun. Humping thru the jungle with diarrhea is unbelievable! The malaria pills were bad enough!!!!!!!!

Dan

We always had a set day where every soldier took the meds at formation.... always ran out of tp that night.

chong
04-28-2009, 11:35 PM
Thanks - Tog,
I wanted to respond to the rest of your comments, particularly about your comments regarding the cost of rats! I laughed so hard when I read that! The lizard in your picture, I believe is the Bearded Dragon????

Anyway, here is an article that I found very interesting when I was looking for a picture of the Philippine house lizard. I was very disappointed that most of the posts, including the Wikipedia, would refer to them as the Gecko. Even bloggers from the Philippines did the same. The common house lizard in the Philippines is called "butiki", which makes the "tsk, tsk, tsk, etc. (emphasis on the 'k')" sound. You can see from the picture there how small they are. So in war, hunger is a motivating and appetizing force for anything that has protein.

The Gecko is much, much bigger, and is called "Tukô", for their "túk-kô!" sound. You can hear the sound in this Youtube video:

No Chong, the critter in the pix that is the bearded dragon, Pogona vitticeps, which originally comes from Australia. They are much more robust - so they should be good for eating!
That's what I meant - the one in your picture is the Bearded Dragon, not the Gecko (Túkô) nor the one in the article.

The next thing is all the wall climbing lizards are generally referred to as Geckos. The genera of geckos are identified by the development of the toes.

The Tockay or Tokay, Gekko gecko, is found throughout eastern tropical Asia. Cos of its size, it is a delicacy in Thailand. The Chinese also use a dried version in their alternate medication. I am getting a little confused here, so is this the one you refer to as the 6 O'clock lizard?

Tog, the house lizard that I was talking about is a lot smaller than the Gecko. It is at best 5 inches long by 1/4 inch at the widest. It is pinkish brown with no striping or dots like the Gecko. The smaller ones are the ones that come down at 6 O'clock to "kiss" the ground. They also detach their tails, that continue to wiggle, to distract their predator, while they make their get-away. And yes, the Gecko has those pod-like fingertips used for gripping. They are very sticky. The "butiki" have fingertips the same size as their fingers. Also, the "butiki" does not have teeth unlike the Gecko.
Butiki (6 O'clock lizard) in a Coca-Cola bottle, with its belly up -
http://www.bananas.org/gallery/watermark.php?file=16941&size=1 (http://www.bananas.org/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=16941&ppuser=567)

Butiki(6 O'clock lizard) on the ceiling surface or wall surface -
http://www.bananas.org/gallery/watermark.php?file=16942 (http://www.bananas.org/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=16941&ppuser=567)

I have kept these before, they are extremely aggressive when encountered and if they bite, they don't let go. I have a friend who used a gruesome method to demonstrate their jaw clamping prowess. He will have 2 Tokay bite each other and then behead them. Even after death the jaws won't let go.
I like the blue based ones with the orange dots and have kept and bred them. Besides feeding them insects, I also feed them baby mice which they love!
Their call is loud!

Yes, the sure are loud, as you can hear from the Youtube video. But the video does not give the almost reverberating cadence of their sound. It's almost like the growl of a pitbull at half volume. On the other hand, the "Butiki" has the "tsk, tsk, etc." equivalent to the slight tapping of a small chopstick on a wooden table edge. And they only eat insects - that is why not too many people are bothered by them. Unlike the terror that people feel when they see a Gecko. It's almost like seeing a snake. Here are photos of the Philippine Gecko (Túkô), seldom seen in the open:
http://www.bananas.org/gallery/watermark.php?file=16944 (http://www.bananas.org/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=16943&ppuser=567) http://www.bananas.org/gallery/watermark.php?file=16943&size=1 (http://www.bananas.org/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=16943&ppuser=567)
Don't they look terrifying compared to their toothless cousins? My wife gets goose bumps just looking at these pictures. But, yes, Chinese dry them for use in alternative medicine in the Philippines, also. Philippine folklore though says that it is unlucky to have a Gecko at your home, so you need to get rid of them if you hear their call.

john_ny
04-29-2009, 09:26 AM
You guys are going on about the different sounds geckos make. C'mon, I know what they sound like. They speak with a British accent. I see one on the insurance company commercials every day.

Tog Tan
04-29-2009, 09:45 AM
That's what I meant - the one in your picture is the Bearded Dragon, not the Gecko (Túkô) nor the one in the article.
Tog, the house lizard that I was talking about is a lot smaller than the Gecko. It is at best 5 inches long by 1/4 inch at the widest. It is pinkish brown with no striping or dots like the Gecko. The smaller ones are the ones that come down at 6 O'clock to "kiss" the ground. They also detach their tails, that continue to wiggle, to distract their predator, while they make their get-away. And yes, the Gecko has those pod-like fingertips used for gripping. They are very sticky. The "butiki" have fingertips the same size as their fingers. Also, the "butiki" does not have teeth unlike the Gecko.
Butiki (6 O'clock lizard) in a Coca-Cola bottle, with its belly up -


Sorry for the confusion, I just edited my last post. I made lotsa mistakes in it cos I was really sleepy!
The critter in my pix is a local Agamid, the Calotes versicolor. There are many species of them inhabiting the lowlands to the high elevations. Harmless critter with a not so painful bite.

The butiki is the common House Gecko, Gehyra mutilata, which is known as the Chichak here. It makes the sound as you described. It is widely distributed in SEA.

When we were kids, we were told to stay away from its wriggling detached tail cos if we get near, it will jump into our ear! :ha:

Your pix of it's belly is very good cos it shows the unique characteristic of this lizard by the absence of a free terminal phalange on the inner finger and toe. I used to pay the Orang Asli 30 cents each to catch them for feeding my lizard eating snakes.

Patty in Wisc
04-29-2009, 07:05 PM
You guys are going on about the different sounds geckos make. C'mon, I know what they sound like. They speak with a British accent. I see one on the insurance company commercials every day.
LOL John, I throw things at the TV when I see him.

island cassie
04-29-2009, 07:34 PM
Well - I say "yuck" to most of those things on the menu - but I shouldn't really as I am a huge fan of biltong! Strips of antelope, ostrich, beef (anything you have to hand really) hung on a thorn tree in a very dry atmosphere in Africa to dessicate - and then gnawed when the fancy takes you. Strangely it never seems to attract flies! Much like the roadside goat or pork stalls here in the Dominican Republic which have cuts of meat and sausages hanging up in the open air - with never a fly to be seen. How come?

In Africa they also have half peaches and apricots laid out on corrugated iron sheets to dry in the sun - just delicious!! Never had a bad tummy from any of it and I have eaten lots!

bananimal
04-29-2009, 08:42 PM
Patty --- I also throw things at the TV also when the annoying little bugger shows up selling car insurance. BTW, always thought it had an Aussie accent. The Madison ave guys need to pay attention - the cute lizard has over run his stay. Like when they dumped the Taco Bell cheewawa. I miss him though.

Lorax --- did some research on Ecuadorean cuisine. Found out that Roasted Guinea Pig (the Cuy) is the national dish of Ecuador. See attched pic and pass the chimichurri sauce. Would fit perfect on half a loaf of Italian bread with onions and peppers - yum yum.

You could stick a cherry tomato in his mouth. Perfect menu suggestion for Food Network, eh?

http://www.bananas.org/gallery/watermark.php?file=16969 (http://www.bananas.org/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=16371&ppuser=820)

Dan

chong
04-30-2009, 12:06 AM
. . . . . . BTW, always thought it had an Aussie accent. . . . . . . . . .

Dan

I did, too!

john_ny
04-30-2009, 01:50 AM
Sorry guys, may have got my accent wrong, but he works. The company, GEICO, formerly insured only government employees/ (GEICO = gecko). Apparently. now everyone can apply.
I am happy to say that my insurance company, USAA (member owned) is the greatest in the world. When I signed up (through a car dealer in Pensacola, FL), they insured only military officers; they now have a division to handle enlisted accounts.
Since I have joined, they have also added household insurance, etc., and have their own bank, with beautiful credit card rates, etc.
They are routinely listed by many magazines as the #1 in customer service, and the #1 company to work for, as an employee.

They also employ no geckos.