What Animal have you seen in the wild, that was a rarity for you ?
- Thread starter Lesmore
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They're pretty gnarly. I was in my young teens in Tennessee with my father, trout fishing. I was far more interested in finding out what was under the rocks. Low and behold, I flip over a big, flat, underwater rock and there it was; my first and only hellbender in the wild, a little over a foot long. I tried to catch it but they're incredibly slick and impossible to hold onto. They can give a good bite, as well
They're nothing, though, imagine running into a salamander the size of you, their Asian analog
Chinese giant salamander - Wikipedia - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chinese_giant_salamander
My list:
Mola Mola / Ocean Sunfish: Boulder-sized sunfish washes ashore in Australia - https://phys.org/news/2019-03-boulder-sized-sunfish-ashore-australia.html
I caught an Oyster Toadfish once. Lovely creature, it's basically a turd with a mouth and fins. Oyster Toadfish by Michelle Petersen - https://www.thinglink.com/scene/942063876143316993
Chimaeras are a common bycatch around here, but alien to most people: Chimaera - Wikipedia - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chimaera
I've had an Orca whale swim directly under my boat and resurface on the far side. Plenty of porpoises, seals, and sea lions.
About 3 foxes over the years - not a rare critter, but shy.
Plenty of common coyotes in the wild, but the one in my backyard was a surprise.
We also have black bears wander through our neighborhood in spring every other year or so. Neighbors have seen them, but not me.
Most of the country doesn't have Pikas, but they are the cutest little rabbit-sized rodents that live up in the mountians near the snowline. See them on occasion while hiking, along with Marmots. American Pika | National Wildlife Federation - https://www.nwf.org/Educational-Resources/Wildlife-Guide/Mammals/American-Pika
I've seen a mama Grizz and 2 cubs from a far distance (300 yards?) in a national park.
Ospreys and bald eagles are getting to be thick as seagulls around here, which is great. It's guaranteed I'll see serveral on a day of fishing, but I even see them while driving on the interstate. nooksack – Skagit Eagle Watchers - https://skagiteaglewatchers.wordpress.com/tag/nooksack/
Some local animals I'd still like to spot in the wild are the grey whale, mountain goats, and six-gilled shark.
Mola Mola / Ocean Sunfish: Boulder-sized sunfish washes ashore in Australia - https://phys.org/news/2019-03-boulder-sized-sunfish-ashore-australia.html
I caught an Oyster Toadfish once. Lovely creature, it's basically a turd with a mouth and fins. Oyster Toadfish by Michelle Petersen - https://www.thinglink.com/scene/942063876143316993
Chimaeras are a common bycatch around here, but alien to most people: Chimaera - Wikipedia - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chimaera
I've had an Orca whale swim directly under my boat and resurface on the far side. Plenty of porpoises, seals, and sea lions.
About 3 foxes over the years - not a rare critter, but shy.
Plenty of common coyotes in the wild, but the one in my backyard was a surprise.
We also have black bears wander through our neighborhood in spring every other year or so. Neighbors have seen them, but not me.
Most of the country doesn't have Pikas, but they are the cutest little rabbit-sized rodents that live up in the mountians near the snowline. See them on occasion while hiking, along with Marmots. American Pika | National Wildlife Federation - https://www.nwf.org/Educational-Resources/Wildlife-Guide/Mammals/American-Pika
I've seen a mama Grizz and 2 cubs from a far distance (300 yards?) in a national park.
Ospreys and bald eagles are getting to be thick as seagulls around here, which is great. It's guaranteed I'll see serveral on a day of fishing, but I even see them while driving on the interstate. nooksack – Skagit Eagle Watchers - https://skagiteaglewatchers.wordpress.com/tag/nooksack/
Some local animals I'd still like to spot in the wild are the grey whale, mountain goats, and six-gilled shark.
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The animals themselves are not unusual but seeing the drama was. on my hike yesterday I saw a coyote try to get a baby pig from its mom. Lots of squealing and a short tussle . Then momma pig and her 4 babies took off through the bushes down the hill like bats out of hell with their tails on fire. The coyote seemed confused as to where the pigs went sniffing around until it noticed me and he took off. The trail follows the edge of this valley and as I was descending I could hear the pigs grunting like momma was trying to calm the little ones after the incident.
Recent White Mountains trip: one red fox (my sister saw another) and two black bears. All seen from the road while driving. No moose sightings this trip.
Here's another. I know this may not mean much to some, but it does to me. I haven't seen a firefly since I was a kid.
The fireflies are returning. I hadn't seen one in years until a couple weeks ago, when one just landed right on the windshield of my golf cart at work, directly in front of me
About ten minutes ago, I'm getting out of my car and as soon as I open the driver's side door, one flies up directly in front of me
It's like they want me to see them. They're the only two I've seen so far, though. I tried to catch him again for another picture or two but was unsuccessful
The fireflies are returning. I hadn't seen one in years until a couple weeks ago, when one just landed right on the windshield of my golf cart at work, directly in front of me
About ten minutes ago, I'm getting out of my car and as soon as I open the driver's side door, one flies up directly in front of me
It's like they want me to see them. They're the only two I've seen so far, though. I tried to catch him again for another picture or two but was unsuccessful
count this as another "haven't seen one since I was a kid"
Luna moth
Luna moth
What do you ride? Those look like the same callouses I’ve got. The KTM used to make much bigger ones though….
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work and lifting weights
I've lived almost all my life far away from them. Never saw them.
But I did spend one summer living where they live, and it was quite the sight!
Star-Nosed Mole just off a portage in Algonquin Park. Strange looking little guy.
Bear scare this morning! 
Got up at 4:30 am to see Orion rising in the east. Clear nights are rare here in August. Also, Perseid meteors are increasingly seen until the peak occurs this week. Anyways.
There I am, lights off but night-adapted vision, surveying the skies. Luckily this means a 360 sweep of vision, and on my second sweep, a 7'-long, hairy, sofa-sized squarish MONSTER came padding toward me in utter and total silence on the sand. I freely admit I ran for the door, as the bear was on an intercept course (by simple coincidence. He was following a path, and I had already crossed it).
A mercury vapor street light illuminated the bear nicely, giving a black bear a warm brown color. Unlike my last bear close-encounter, I did not yell obscenities at the bear. This time I literally felt the hair on the back of my neck go up. Yes, black bears rarely kill people but this one was huge, swear it was 4' at the back.
Tracked it after daybreak, and it reversed course when I crossed in front of it. Hopefully we scared each other equally. But we are having a super bear invasion locally, everyone is posting their Ring and Blink videos in local message boards. Normally trash cans and bird feeders are targets, but a couple of dogs have been killed.
Bumping into one while stargazing was actually my worst fear... Which now frees me from it, I suppose.
AA
Got up at 4:30 am to see Orion rising in the east. Clear nights are rare here in August. Also, Perseid meteors are increasingly seen until the peak occurs this week. Anyways.
There I am, lights off but night-adapted vision, surveying the skies. Luckily this means a 360 sweep of vision, and on my second sweep, a 7'-long, hairy, sofa-sized squarish MONSTER came padding toward me in utter and total silence on the sand. I freely admit I ran for the door, as the bear was on an intercept course (by simple coincidence. He was following a path, and I had already crossed it).A mercury vapor street light illuminated the bear nicely, giving a black bear a warm brown color. Unlike my last bear close-encounter, I did not yell obscenities at the bear. This time I literally felt the hair on the back of my neck go up. Yes, black bears rarely kill people but this one was huge, swear it was 4' at the back.
Tracked it after daybreak, and it reversed course when I crossed in front of it. Hopefully we scared each other equally. But we are having a super bear invasion locally, everyone is posting their Ring and Blink videos in local message boards. Normally trash cans and bird feeders are targets, but a couple of dogs have been killed.
Bumping into one while stargazing was actually my worst fear...
Which now frees me from it, I suppose. AA
Good for you to have the sense to be wary. Whenever someone tries to lessen the danger by telling me "black bears rarely kill people" I tell them "that means black bears kill people".Bear scare this morning!
Got up at 4:30 am to see Orion rising in the east. Clear nights are rare here in August. Also, Perseid meteors are increasingly seen until the peak occurs this week. Anyways.
A mercury vapor street light illuminated the bear nicely, giving a black bear a warm brown color. Unlike my last bear close-encounter, I did not yell obscenities at the bear. This time I literally felt the hair on the back of my neck go up. Yes, black bears rarely kill people but this one was huge, swear it was 4' at the back.
Tracked it after daybreak, and it reversed course when I crossed in front of it. Hopefully we scared each other equally. But we are having a super bear invasion locally, everyone is posting their Ring and Blink videos in local message boards. Normally trash cans and bird feeders are targets, but a couple of dogs have been killed.
Bumping into one while stargazing was actually my worst fear...
AA
Especially black bears who have become accustomed to people.
There are actually idiots out there who feed the nice Yogi.
Messygoon
Abandoned By Gypsies.
Came face-to-face with a black bear. I was a chaperone at Philmont Scout Ranch in the New Mexico Rockies. My son stepped off a mountain sleeping deck for an early morning bathroom break. I hear him take two steps and then, “Dad… Guys…” Another dad and I scrambled to step in between, made ourselves as big as possible, and roared like bears. I think we all wet ourselves, including that poor bear.
These are nuisance bears, more than danger bears, but still. They can move silently. The startle factor is off the scale when you bump into one in close quarters.
AA
AA
on my great aunts property in Southern Missouri, they lit up the night sky like nothing I'd seen before. a deafening chorus of frogs, insects and the almost ghostly dance the fireflies do. mother nature at her best
so here was one this morning, not a rare animal, just rarely SEEN. A very large barred owl, you may have to zoom in for detail. he was huge, he shook the trees as he landed branch to branch. he was very curious about me and watched me closely
Also came across a Luna moth, you don't see them much anymore, either
guess I'll post it here, any entomologists? totally clueless on the ID of this ant or flightless wasp, definitely not native. found richland County, South Carolina. never seen one like it and I typically know my insects
You could post that pic here (r/insects - https://www.reddit.com/r/insects), I'm sure someone can help you with an ID.
My sister saw a black bear in Chester, CT yesterday evening. It was her closest encounter yet. Unfortunately, she says he is not afraid of people. I've never seen one in the lower CT River Valley.
