Crooked Letter, Crooked Letter: Flora and Fauna, June 2012

[Jessie J]

Dragonflies as "snake doctors"--we used to call them that, too. I'd become desensitized to it because we have a local band called The Snake Doctors.

I never knew why we called them that, though.

[Christopher]

Jessie wrote: "Dragonflies as "snake doctors"--we used to call them that, too. I'd become desensitized to it because we have a local band called The Snake Doctors.

I never knew why we called them that, though."

I kinda just read past that without wondering too much about it. According to Wikipedia, they're called snake doctors because they follow snakes around and stitch them back together if they are injured. Pretty neat...

[Jessie J]

Just finished! Really enjoyed reading this book, and the descriptions of the plant life grabbed me from the beginning. Then, at the end, this quote:

"The land had a way of covering the wrongs of people."

Still digesting, but I think there'll be more to say about that later.

[Lisa]

I had a chance to hear the author speak this weekend. He mentioned that he was going to try to make armadillos present in all of his novels. True Southern fauna!

[Jessie J]

Lisa wrote: "I had a chance to hear the author speak this weekend. He mentioned that he was going to try to make armadillos present in all of his novels. True Southern fauna!"

That's really cool! I remember when we didn't have armadillos this far north (N. Alabama). They are everywhere now. I wonder what niche they are filling?

[Kathleen]

Jessie -
I have lived here 23 years and our roadways have been littered with dead armadillos the whole time! Maybe they have migrated your way from Florence, where I can assure you, they are abudant!

[Jessie J]

Kathy wrote: "Jessie -
I have lived here 23 years and our roadways have been littered with dead armadillos the whole time! Maybe they have migrated your way from Florence, where I can assure you, they are abudant!"

I've lived here almost 48 years...there was a time, I promise you!

[Jessie J]

Here's an armadillo enthusiast web site (that is, sadly, soon to go) with a data map from 1995.

https://www.msu.edu/~nixonjos/armadil...

There is a new map, I think, on wikipedia from the mid-2000s. I lived in Winston County, AL, the first 17 years of my life, and no armadillos there then. Those suckers really got around fast! Maybe they are the kudzu of the animal world... ;^)

I learn new things every day.

[Christopher]

Jessie wrote: "Here's an armadillo enthusiast web site (that is, sadly, soon to go) with a data map from 1995.

https://www.msu.edu/~nixonjos/armadil...

There is a new map, I think, on wikipedia ..."

Yay, I love armadillos and according to that article they may soon come to Kentucky!

Brady Udall, writer of the great The Lonely Polygamist, has a wonderful, heartbreaking short story in which an armadillo plays a key role. It's called "Otis Is Resurrected" and was on an episode of This American Life. You can listen to him read it here: http://www.thisamericanlife.org/radio...

[Lawyer, "Moderator Emeritus"]

In Texas by James A. Michener, page after page is devoted to a wandering armadillo. They had a bad rep, believed to carry leprosy. I remember a time it was very rare to see an armadillo in Alabama. You'd think they'd settle down somewhere safe, considering all the armadillos I've seen are generally road kill. In honor of my wife's home state of Texas, we have a very realistic brass armadillo on a side table. He's an excellent conversation starter although I've never heard him speak a word. grin

Mike
Stevens

[Jessie J]

Mike wrote: "You'd think they'd settle down somewhere safe, considering all the armadillos I've seen are generally road kill."

Possum on the half shell!

Are they actually related to the opossum in any way?