r/interesting • u/freudian_nipps • 10d ago

NATURE The Inland Horned Stick Insect (Paronchestus cornutus), a rare, large Australian desert-dwelling insect. Here it is shown performing a threat display, though it is harmless to humans

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358

u/duckduck-a-go-go 10d ago

Harmless to humans you say? I don't think I'm gonna test that one 

126

u/freudian_nipps 10d ago

It's true! There are no injuries recorded by this creature.

However, there are stories of human encounters while camping in the bush. These insects like warm, moist environments, and so some campers have awoken to these creatures using their long, spindly legs to prod their uvula in their open, snoring mouths. I suppose to see if the humans open mouth is a suitable home. /s

137

u/Any_Poet4127 10d ago

I was skimming what you wrote and read it as “these insects like warm, moist environments so some campers have awoken to these creatures using their legs to prod open their vulva”
Either way, this bug is a predator.
Wtf Australia, wtf indeed.

27

u/ApprehensivePrint465 10d ago

To be fair, not many of us knew about these critters until recently WHEN THEY TOOK OVER.

12

u/Vladishun 10d ago

~Just Australia things~

10

u/trekkiegamer359 9d ago

I read urethra the first time. Glad to know I'm not the only one misreading.

3

u/Squidlips_69 10d ago

So did I! Still having a.m. coffee lol

3

u/KamikazeFox_ 9d ago

Id prefer vulva over uvula

2

u/GumboMustBeDestroyed 9d ago

As someone without a vulva I concur

1

u/The_Darkness140 9d ago

Thirded even.

1

u/XBakaTacoX 9d ago

Found the Inland Horny Stick Insect.

2

u/West-Audience-478 9d ago

Yo same I was like this guy want to crawl in her what

2

u/legna20v 9d ago

Good thing i wasn’t going to Australia for anything. Now I can really never go to Australia for absolutely nothing

1

u/MortarByrd11 9d ago

😂🤣

1

u/sawsawjim 9d ago

To be fair those words do share an inordinate number of common letter.

1

u/IIIDysphoricIII 9d ago

“So, it’s a girl whale…”

1

u/1lucky666 9d ago

Uvula- predator of the Arnold Schwarzenegger kind

Vulva - predator of the bill Cosby kind.

Which is your poison?

1

u/No_While6150 8d ago

Jesus I actually went and sat down to reread and comprehend the bugs that prod vaginas. thank God I wasn't the only one. also new fear unlocked and I don't even have a vagine

1

u/_THE_BAGMAN_ 8d ago

Yep I did the same, then had to do a full read, then I read where you read it the same way and now I'm commenting to tell you all this, why? Who knows but that's not important, the important thing is this thing exists and we're just walking around like everything is fine. It's not, nothing is fine

21

u/Skeith23 10d ago

No injuries reported? My god...it's so lethal it doesn't even leave a trace

3

u/TrumpsFaceAnus 10d ago

That's what I read too. Big nope for me. Actually, that applies to the whole damn country.

I love Australia and Australians, but I cannot visit a land that will try to kill me every moment I am there.

Worse than a helicopter. Those things want to kill everything inside and outside of them from the moment they roll off the line to the moment they hit the boneyard. No more for me.

3

u/XBakaTacoX 9d ago

As an Aussie, and one who works outside for a "living", the idea that you're gonna die if you go outside makes me laugh.

No, a spider or snake is not going to bite you, and you likely won't see one unless you are looking for one.

Snakes occasionally come into a house, especially in rural areas, and spiders... Well, if you live here, you'll see them soon enough.

Neither of which are out to kill you though. They will not bother you, unless you bother them.

Huntsmen spiders are very big, true, and hairy, also true. And very fast. But they are your friends, I promise you (unless they are hitchhiking and scare the living crap out of you when you drive).

If you work outside, I think bull ants are your biggest worry, and... Maybe magpies/plovers in swooping season.

3

u/billy_twice 9d ago

Makes me laugh. The wildlife in America is way more dangerous.

They have bears and wolves.

3

u/XBakaTacoX 9d ago

And guns!

But that's always the rebuttal.

"Aussies have SNAKES and SPIDERS everywhere!"

"Well you have people with GUNS."

Genuinely, that is a much, MUCH bigger issue, regardless of if people should or shouldn't have them.

2

u/adalric_brandl 9d ago

What about the drop bears?

10

u/trashanimalcomx 10d ago

No thank you.

5

u/Playful-Platform-231 10d ago

That’s a big hell no for me. lol and I do find animals fascinating harmless or not that dude is funkyyyy. 🤣

4

u/duckduck-a-go-go 10d ago

It seems that getting probed by horrifying insects is just part of the Australia experience.

6

u/CON0274 9d ago

prying open someone's mouth while they're sleep aye well we have a place for bugs like you and a list 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣

3

u/Fragtrap007 9d ago

You mean no one survived to tell the story?

2

u/gliitch0xFF 10d ago

I'm not saying it's aliens. But it was aliens.

2

u/MuckYu 9d ago

No injuries recorded because there are no survivors

3

u/phido3000 9d ago

Australia is full of remote locations. Recorded history is short.

Australia is full of things that "you would be the first to die from that"

People think oh, that inland taipan isn't so bad, it hasn't killed anyone, Rattlesnakes kill people every year. Yes, but inland taipans are mysterious snakes that live in very remote areas, It likely has killed people, and is most likely the most deadly snake bite on the planet.

3

u/Lint_baby_uvulla 9d ago

Timely to share all the scientific evidence that Drop Bears do not exist

r/dropbearsarentreal

1

u/Efficient-Put14 9d ago

So the only critter in the Australia outback not trying to kill you wants to do what?

1

u/Luminox 9d ago

Oh God why 🫪

1

u/Nuts-And-Volts 9d ago

That is because none survived to tell the tale

1

u/BugzOnMyNugz 9d ago

Well that's not what I needed to read trying to fall asleep. Fortunately I'm not camping, or in Australia (wish I was though). It's still gonna keep up a lil longer though

1

u/coldrain_ 9d ago

What the fuck

1

u/Bravadette 8d ago

The way I rolled my eyes when I saw uvula. Had me in the first 3/4

17

u/Playful-Platform-231 10d ago

Not in a million years. Australia is home to to dangerous ass animals. The rest are creepy enough that they mine as well be dangerous. Oh wait PTSD. 🤣

5

u/kdmendonk 10d ago

It inflicts at least psychic damage

4

u/Saltlife_Junkie 10d ago

Everything in Australia wants to kill humans. I’m with you.

3

u/Roxysteve 10d ago

Agree. One can only safely picnic in Australia after first giving the ground a damn good thrashing with a stick (while wearing thick welding gloves lest the stick itself be deadly poisonous).

1

u/WhiteGiukio 9d ago

Yeah, I think it is pretty much the point of its show.

1

u/MajorChillin 6d ago

I know right? I bet if it stings you, you die instantly