Welcome to the awesomeness that is the mammal forum. Here's some of my mammals from the years:

Little armored ones:





My pet mammal:

Key deer:


Florida Black Bears




Squirrel!


Spotted skunk:



Velvet:



I hate monkeys:




Florida Panther:


That's all for now folks. Glad this mammal forum finally happened.

I really like your first armadillo. Those Eastern Spotted Skunks never get old either.



Curtis

I remember the first armadillo I ever caught. I yell to Pingleton to take my picture holding it and he says "boy those things carry leprosy". I dropped it like it was hot.

Thanks Curtis.



I've handled quite a few, and no leprosy yet. Although I did misplace my ring finger yesterday...

Ha, ha, I chased a huge armadillo around in Louisiana on a fishing trip, to get my picture with it, but I only got it by the tail before it slipped my grasp and I fell on my ass. The fishing guide, and my fishing buddy were laughing their heads off at me until I wiped my hands on the guides chest, and told him armadillos carry leprosy. All laughing ceased.

I'll bet dillos carry leprosy, like bats carry rabies. Well, maybe I'll google that, right after I help Josh look for his ring finger.

-Dell

I seem to recall in Tropical Wildlife the professor said leprosy was a problem among some of the people who hunted armadillos in South America. If I believe it was the men who hunted them that got it as opposed to the women who cooked them.


Curtis

fyi http://www.leprahealthinaction.org/lr/S ... 98-208.pdf

That's a pretty interesting paper. Looks like Dell's armadillo actually had a decent chance of being a carrier. The professor I was talking about worked in Brazil, an area not covered by the paper. I guess the moral of the story is if you want to catch an armadillo, do it in Florida.


Curtis

Nice work Josh, thanks for spoon feeding me that interesting information.

Why would someone eat an armadillo? I know a man's gonna do what he has to do when he's got a hungry mouth to feed, but my God... an armadillo?
I'd say more but I need to go take a bleach bath now.

-Dell

Never had BBQ pulled 'dillo? It's dillo-icious

For some reason, I always thought armadillo was decent eating. I've never had it or seen it served though. In the book Alas, Babylon, they eat it in stew pretty regularly and say good things about it.


My girlfriend just told me she has had it. She cooked it, pulled it, and then made chili. She said it had several different colors of meat and tasted like gamey chicken. She says it wasn't worth it and wouldn't do it again, mainly for the risk of parasites or disease. The effort required to clean it was a negative as well. This was in Arkansas.


Curtis

I love Alas, Babylon!

She sounds like a keeper, don't let this one get away Curtis. Does she have all her teeth?


Of course it was.


Curtis, I'm only having fun with you here, and don't mean any harm. I hope that's how you're taking it.

I was telling a friend of mine who is from Arkansas about this thread, and he said they always called armadillos, possum on the half shell. That got a laugh outta me.

Peace,
-Dell

Dell, I wish you hadn't told me it was all in good fun. I was/am drunk and already laughing at it. She does have all her teeth, and was in Arkansas because her ex lived there. She's from FL and hates armadillos because they dig up her garden. I was pretty surprised when she looked over my shoulder this morning and added that bit.

Josh, Alas, Babylon may be the most realistic book in that genre. It was even better because I've lived in that general area.


Have a good one,


Curtis

I've eaten them, no biggie

Now I feel left out. I want to eat an armadillo now. Although, I have eaten chipmunk...

I've eaten Chipmunk as well. The true North American delicacy is suckling Woodchuck. My younger cousin had a stroke of genius, they eat the same as cows, so they must taste similar. The funniest thing was making him clean it. It was damn good though.

We haven't done it yet, but we plan to enter a chili cook off with "ground chuck" being the secret ingredient.



Curtis

One step ahead of me.

I have considered trying Woodchuck, but I am not too inclined to shoot a baby to eat. I think my dad tried an adult once. He didn't recommend it.

Ok, these days I won't normally shoot a baby woodchuck. However, woodchuck+foundation= damage$$$

This baby was under the stairs leading to the house. It was in the no sympathy zone. Adults are usually scraggly and flea/tick ridden. It's a delicate balance getting some quality chuck.

I look at Punxsutawney Phil like Coyote looks at the Road Runner.



Curtis

This eating thread has momentum, so I started a new topic: http://is.gd/D07p74

Note to self, Curtis can take a joke.
-Dell

Note only can he take a joke, but once you've known him for at least 4 years he will talk! Which he's pretty clever at. Curtis I still won't forget that car full of girls that drove by and all the things that were said to entice them to turn around and stay a while. Damn that was funny but not appropriate here.

Are you sure that was me? I don't remember it.


Curtis

It was late and I was just going to bed. You, Marty and Levi (sp?) were up having a really intellectual discussion over some Jameson. We were at Pine Hills, way back where I always camp. So I don't doubt if you don't remember that well.

I do remember that night... just not the details I guess. Drinking beer and passing Jameson will do that I guess.

Thanks for reminding me.